New post for me in the caravan section, so go easy on me? I've been using a Diablo 600 tent and others for years now, but am wondering about moving ('scuse the pun) to a caravan for lots of reasons, mostly to take the weather out of the equation...
So, with a grand burning a hole in my pocket, I searched eBay, the Caravan Club and Autotrader websites... Lots of vans came back from searches, but as you members have a vast pool of knowledge and experience on this I thought I'd throw you all a curve ball and ask if a van can be bought for a £1000 with the following:
1. Heating
2. Hot water for all taps and shower.
3. On board tanks
4. Sleeping for 3, must be able to put one bed up and still have sitting room
5. 12 and 240v
6. 15ft long max
7. Awning
8. Cassette toilet
9. Full paperwork to avoid stolen vans
10. Under 1600kg.
I've seen them, they are out there, but not ticking ALL the above boxes. On board tanks seem rare at this price as the vans are generally older models.
I'm located in Gloucestershire, East of Stroud.
GO!
------------- Beer makes you feel the way you should feel without beer.
You should be able to get most of the above for that price, it will be an older van so look out for damp. The only thing I doubt you will get is an onboard water tank as these re not common in that size or age range. You could always retro fit one though.
Why do you need on board tanks ? Or are you just thinking of the water heater.
You can get all on your list for £1000. The real question is whether it would be any good. Take a long time to look round dozens of vans until you are sure you have the right van and which is in good condition. At that kind of price have it professionally examined before you part with your cash.
Phil
------------- If you're not on a fell your wasting your feet and for 2014 it's.......Feb Castleton Mar North Yors Moors; Apr Sutton on Sea; May Thirsk; Jun Clapham/Riverside (Lakes); July Wharfedale; August Crakehall; Sept Knaresborough; Oct Wirral Park/Clitheroe
Great news then. On board tanks seemed like a great idea as we really wanted ot be able to "hitch and go" and not have to buy a load of accesories on top of the van. Water carriers and so on.
DIY is not an issue for me, so retro fit would be possible. I'm not closed to the possibility that I may well be seeking the Holy Grail of cheap vans and that I might spend the next year hunting in vain. My problem is satisfying a demanding wife that keeps setting up hurdles for not buying the thing!
I'm not giving up though, so thank you for your advice and encouragement so far. Appreciated.
------------- Beer makes you feel the way you should feel without beer.
Quote: Originally posted by cwdc56768 on 15/5/2011
Why do you need on board tanks ? Or are you just thinking of the water heater.
You can get all on your list for £1000. The real question is whether it would be any good. Take a long time to look round dozens of vans until you are sure you have the right van and which is in good condition. At that kind of price have it professionally examined before you part with your cash.
Phil
Phil, do you have a recommendation for a company that does these inspections? Will be viewing as many local one as we can over the next week or so...
------------- Beer makes you feel the way you should feel without beer.
There's nothing to stop you filling an aquaroll before you leave. As has already been said, there are plenty of caravans that fit your criteria for that sort of money, but the onboard water tank will seriously reduce your options. The main obstacle is going to be finding the one good one among the acres of lemons.
If you are able to do some diy, why not consider getting a "project" van that needs some work for a lot less than you budgeted for. At least that way you don't get any nasty surprises and should have more than enough left of your budget to repair it. The materials to repair a damp caravan are not that expensive, it is the labour involved that pushes the price up.
If you buy privately, you may well get the aqua roll, waste tank, awning etc included in the price, alternatively, scour the free ads as lots of people buy privately and end up with two of everything...I know I did.
You can get a 'van with all that for that price but there is a good chance one or more of your requirements will be faulty & not work(would you trust a 20yr old gas heater?). If you are buying an old 'van a lighter, low spec one is probably a better buy. If its earlier than '92 it probably won't be Cris reg anyway.
Quote: Originally posted by Tentz on 15/5/2011
(would you trust a 20yr old gas heater?)
yes, provided its been properly serviced.
My van is nearing the 20yr mark, bought it a couple of years ago with every single service sheet from new, so I knew it had been looked after.
Provided everything is checked over/serviced when you get the van, I see no reason not to trust it.
Like others have said, the onboard water tanks may be an obstacle, but my van was less than £1000 with everything else you had on the list (bar the awning, but with the change we had from 1K we could have bought one)
Personally, I wouldn't want to hitch & go with an on board tank full of water. It costs fuel to cart it about and may well cause issues with the weight. Especially if its in the wrong place.
Better to fill up when you get there. Even if you have to beg a fill from a local garage etc.
------------- If you're not on a fell your wasting your feet and for 2014 it's.......Feb Castleton Mar North Yors Moors; Apr Sutton on Sea; May Thirsk; Jun Clapham/Riverside (Lakes); July Wharfedale; August Crakehall; Sept Knaresborough; Oct Wirral Park/Clitheroe
also running with a water tank full of water will make your outfit quite unstable, and take up alot of storage room, the rest shouldnt be to hard to find, have the gas side of things checked out before using them, my 23yr old fire,water heater cooker and fridge all work fine, theres very little in them to go wrong at this age.
ive also noticed that people seem to find the onboard water pumps louder than the outboard type,(from moans on forums0, ive never had onboard so i dont know myself.
Yup, We have done it for £1k this year. We got a 1993 Abi Marauder (picture in the gallery), it didn't have all the kit but it did come with an awning.
It's 750KG, CRIS reg, dry as a bone and is a 5 Birth.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Can it be done? (On the cheap)
