We are a family of four in search of a 4 berth caravan with a small budget. We have viewed so many now perhaps I am fussy. We would like damp, rot, repair free. Our max budget is 800 pounds. We want something that we can have for many years and enjoy caravanning like so many others do. Part of me is determined t Find the one! The worse is the worse is the first one we saw we realise now was perfect but all advise says you should never buy the first one I regret ever reading it. But got to move forward now. If you are not using your caravan and would like another family to enjoy it I promise you we will definitely care and love it like you do.
Welcome to the Forum, and the best of luck with your search with £800.
------------- Think this year is to follow old meet friends for 2014.
If you cant do someone a good turn,don`t do them a bad one,its nice to be nice you know,and little things mean much more later in life.
Pete.
You are right. The first caravan I looked at seemed to be the best until I came across the one I eventually bought. It does take a long time because there are an awful lot of damp or faulty caravans out there but if you keep at it you will eventually find the right one.
Don't be tempted to buy one with faults out of frustration...it could cost you thousands to repair it. For £800 there are some good older vans out there.
I think you just need to get your mind around the idea that looking is half the fun. Make it a day out to go and visit a number of dealers, preferably one with a cafe.
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
we got our old girl off fleabay a couple of years back, there are some nice older 'vans on there, you just have to be willing to travel to veiw before buying, unfortunately there have been a few scammers on there too, but for under a £1000 i still think it's the best place to look , with perhaps the exception of your local free ad's
------------- no tin tent outings booked as yet ,just another cruise in Sept' booked so far
Best place to find a 'van under £800 is ebay. You are looking for late 80s ABI Monza & Marauder mainly. Lightweight 'vans & still plenty about which should say something about them. Main thing to look for is damp so check for soft spots in floor & walls particularly around window frames & floor/wall/ceiling joints.
If you cannot view 'van before bidding get an assurance from seller in writing that 'van is dry. You can do this by 'ask seller a question' if it ain't on the listing & then print off. That way if a 'dry' 'van that you have bought is damp you can reject as 'not as described' & walk away. Paying cash on collection is the only way. Do not pay anything without seeing & inspecting 'van.
Unless evidence is there to contrary you will need to budget for 2 new tyres & a 'chassis service' ie brakes, wheel bearings, lights, coupling. Tyres may look ok but if they are yrs old they may blow out at motorway speeds.
Hi and welcome to the forum. Firstly it may help if you enter your location in your profile as then people may be able to point you in the right direction to finding a budget caravan say within a 50 mile radius of your location. Anyway, I think you may be struggling to find a decent 4 berth caravan under £1000 actually but I'm not saying there aren't any about, it just means that you may have to travel a fair distance to view.
It does happen, we bought the first and only caravan that we had ever looked at, found it on Ebay and luckily it was only in the next town 15mins away.
Elderly couple the guy had had a stroke so very genuine, all extras came with it including full awning with annexe and very old, small porch awning, 1994 Elddis all for £1475.00, our budget was £1500
That was in a July a couple of years ago, we love caravanning so much after 5yrs of TT and numerous yrs of tents before that, that I have half an eye on a newer bigger one but like you can't find anything, everything seems too expensive or too far away.
I wouldn't discount a 2 berth as long as it has an awning, they are cheaper to buy and find, the children can sleep in annexes or small pop up tents in awning, as our teenage daughter nearly always comes with us and sleeps in annexe, this may be a good choice for starting at.
------------- "Close your eyes and pretend it's all a dream, that's how I get by"
Personally I find that 2 berths can be more expensive or the same price as the 4+ berths and are often older. I think the 2 berths hold a better price because they are seen as easier to store and tow.
As everyone says, just keep looking you will find something but bear in mind that prices are going to start rising soon so you may not get anything until after the season at the end of the this year.
I found most sellers say a caravan is dry and damp free when it not. Unless it is fairly new. Dealers selling at that price say 'part ex sold as seen, unchecked.' I looked at about 10 ' advertised and assured dry' caravans which had lots of damp before I found a near perfect 1996 one for £1700. Perhaps the owners did not check them as I did or hoped I would not check them? Finding an (£800) 20 year old caravan with no damp will be difficult unless it has been very well looked after with or kept unused in a barn. Make sure you check everything properly. You might have to put up with some imperfections as long as they are not serious and still get some good years from it. Buying locally is best. Don't drive too far to look at one without good assurances or you could spend wasted £££s on petrol. I hope this has helped and not put you off, Very best of luck with your seach.
Thank you for all the advice. It is comforting to know that some of you have had success in finding something suitable and that the type of caravan we are looking for does exist. I will remain hopeful and keep looking.
It is a big commitment finding the time to searching and viewing caravans. It is like a full time job on top of my current job :) but I know that it will be well worth it when I see my kids on their bikes, running about, making new friends.
While we are looking we have a tent with all the gadgets for the summer which is fun.
Have you had a look at the free adverts section on here as this should help in narrowing your search. You can search by area, price and what berth you require.
Wouldn't bother with Measham, went to one last month, dearer than dealers forecourt, one van I think was a 1994 sometihng or other in a terible state fetched £1600!!! and anyhting half decent was highly priced, plus no accessories no warranties....
Ebay probably best place, just bought my 2nd van, from Ebay, but there is a lot of rubbish about, took me 4 months and many visits to find the right one
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: Caravan hunting why is it so difficult
