we are looking for our first caravan and have a tight budget of £2500 max. the tow car is a ford focus estate 1.6 petrol kerb weight 1180-1265 payload 370-505. i know not to expect lightening towing speeds but as a newbie have no idea of which vans to look at, looking on ebay i have seen a ABI marauder 2 and a swift rapide 400/4. can anyone recommend any others to look out for. also is it a bit of a minefield buying a van of the age i am looking at.
I have a 2 litre Focus c-max petrol and tow a 2 berth at 1130kg which is within its tow limit but is close to its limit n terms of reasonable motoring, fuel consumption is also pretty horrific. I reckon you are looking for a van at no more than this, which for a 4 berth wont give you much choice. You might find an avondale or an elddis within this limit, but bear in mind that with 4 people in the car youre not going to have much spare weight available to carry stuff in the car
Sorry I can't advise on caravan weights,but can advise on bying from Ebay be very carefull make sure you have a damp metre and always use it when checking a van from Ebay.Ian
80s ABIs, Marauder, Monza. Plenty still about which must say something about them. Usually go on ebay for less than £500. Basic & light but do the job. Mine must be over 25yrs old & still dry. Alko chassis spares still available off shelf so no trouble getting them serviced.
Quote: Originally posted by idmainian on 07/11/2011
Sorry I can't advise on caravan weights,but can advise on bying from Ebay be very carefull make sure you have a damp metre and always use it when checking a van from Ebay.Ian
Absolutely as idmainian says. We bought one from eBay but never inspected it before. Unfortunately I was not a member of this site before last years fiasco and lost £1300 + what we had done on it so about £1500 lost in one go. It could of well been another £1000 as we were going to have a motor mover plus get some more things. Fortunately the man we had come to do the mover warned us it was damp & the rear suspension was gone.So could not take the mover,
We bought a Pennine Folding Camper instead as we were not going to stop our camping hols and they were due to start 3 days after the mechanic told us not to waste any more money on it.It was alot of our savings to lose but then we emptied out virtually to buy the fc to get us away.
Never looked back since. Had 9 weeks earlier + 6 weeks later this year ALL happening since the first week in May this year.
So be very careful, INSPECT before paying a bean out. Damp meter and know how to use it and not a too cheap one either, as it may not give a good reading.If you cannot get a good caravan with the finances you have & needing a 4 berth possibly because of little ones.Also the weight ratio of the car you have left to tow it ALL INCLUSIVE weight. This has to be taken into consideration, not just what you have inside the c.van but all members, cutlery,clothing etc .All the lot you need to know the weight of.
Would it be worth you considering a t,t or fc until such times that are more finacially favourable for you, or get a bigger car, yet still get you out & away for holidays..
Whatever you choose I wish you well. To enjoy yourselves, be safe.
I have had two Abi Maruaders, brilliant vans, I love them.The plain cream vans are a little more expensive than the two tone ones but the two tone van have a better interior in my opinion. You should be able to pick up a 1992/95 400D or a 500et with full awning and extras for £1000/£2500 depending on condition and time of year.
In reasonable condition and at this time of year I'd be looking to spend £1000.
no advice on the choice but being your first van,to be sure its safe on tow the van weight should be at 85% of your cars kerb weight.not law but worth thinging about.
------------- the only silly question is the one you do not ask.
Quote: Originally posted by michael on 07/11/2011
no advice on the choice but being your first van,to be sure its safe on tow the van weight should be at 85% of your cars kerb weight.not law but worth thinging about.
Michael Is it so that they are going to or thinking about putting caravans etc through a kind of MOT. It keeps cropping up everytime a caravan has or is in an accident. They talk about weights or the way it is towed.Not sure if it is coming in or just talk.
it has been talked about for years doing an MOT.over a million caravans out there many sited.imho it would be impossible to manage for existing ones.this does not mean it will not come into being for any new caravans in the future.other countries do it they are plated from new.
------------- the only silly question is the one you do not ask.
Abi Marauders tend to be 750KG and under but check your van to be sure.
I've bought both mine on ebay, one was in good condition and the other was like brand new, hardly used at all. There is a chance of getting ripped off on ebay but also a chance of grabbing a bargain. Just be careful, go take a look, if the floor feels in anyway soft, walk away. If the van smells even slightly walk away, if your meter picks up damp then run away. There will be plenty more to look at.
Quote: Originally posted by michael on 07/11/2011
it has been talked about for years doing an MOT.over a million caravans out there many sited.imho it would be impossible to manage for existing ones.this does not mean it will not come into being for any new caravans in the future.other countries do it they are plated from new.
We have a 1998 Lunar Ariva 4 berth that we tow with a Peugeot 307 2.0 litre petrol engine - it's a good match but have to be careful that we don't overload it. It's our first caravan (bought in May this year) and we didn't want to change our car in case we didn't like caravanning (but we love it)
How about one of the Adria Optima range, getting a little long in the tooth but sound caravans, with a good reputation nevertheless. I don't know of any that have ever suffered from water ingress...
Quote: Originally posted by belfast77 on 07/11/2011
Abi Marauders tend to be 750KG and under but check your van to be sure.
I've bought both mine on ebay, one was in good condition and the other was like brand new, hardly used at all. There is a chance of getting ripped off on ebay but also a chance of grabbing a bargain. Just be careful, go take a look, if the floor feels in anyway soft, walk away. If the van smells even slightly walk away, if your meter picks up damp then run away. There will be plenty more to look at.
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Topic: Light weight 4 berth van recommendations
