Hi
We're new to this caravan lark and have seen a 2007 Ranger 500/5 for £7250 at a dealer. Is it a good van? Is this a good price? We are a family of 4 (kids age 7&3)
We did think about a trailer tent or folding camper but actually we would prefer a caravan
Hi.. I'll no doubt be shot down in flames for saying this by a bailey ranger fan but hey ho.
We too have neen looking at some rangers over the last few days and I feel they are very cheap and nasty and all a bit too flimsy. The ranger is the lowest spec of any of the baileys I beleive. I guess it depends what you want and what you expect.
I certainly think there are much better vans out there for that sort of money and age.
We have the 460/2 Ranger and find the build quality very satisfactory for a starter van. Has every convenience other vans have... Nothing fallen off yet !
we have a ranger 500/5 and would not part with it.does everything it says on the tin.most of the time we have one or two grandchildren with us and they have more bed room than we do at the back,plus you can shut off with the rear door at bedtime.ours is a 2003 we got in 2004 and very spoiled.would i buy another?yes.price i think is spot on myself.our insurance CC has valued ours last week at £6,000 inc mover.ask for a full damp report and warranty of sorts from the dealer on any van you like,if no walk away.to be safe on tow your caravan should be at 85% of your cars kerb weight.ours is 1272 kgs.
I own the exact same van your looking at and its perfect. I have 3 children 15, 11 and 7 all of whom fit quite comfortably when eating, sleeping and chilling out. We tend to sleep at the bottom of the caravan where the bunk is as the children like to be where they can see the tv. We only ever used the bunk twice as it seemed a bit too crammed for the children. Would be happy to answer any other questions you may have :)
We have a 2008 Ranger 460/4 and its been a brilliant van. Very well built and easy to live with. We are selling up this year as we don't get time to use it
Have never had one, but have looked at a few in the past and afew years ago were this <-> close to buying one, but saw something else instead , they seem very good for the price, nice and lightweight have everything you could want and need, and I don't think they were the most basic bailey did, if I can remember they did a discovery , that was very basic.
If you like it and it ticks all the boxes for you, then go for it, that's sounds like a good price to me, go back have another look sit in it for a bit, imagine yourselves in it doing stuff ect, if you feel comfy in it buy it, its a good layout too for your children's ages. They'll have their own little area :)
------------- "I'm a fool for my dogs"
Adopt a rescue, rescue dogs make great pets, don't support puppy farms.
The road can be tough and rough,but what you put in you get back 10 x more.
Its odd the way bottom of range 'vans are always referred to as starter 'vans as if new caravanners are supposed to buy them & then 'upgrade' to something more plush. If you just want a box to sleep in then a basic 'van is always going to be ideal.
Whatever caravan the op buys they need to ensure it has a full service history including damp test if they are paying top money from a dealer, otherwise save some money & buy off ebay.
Almost certainly has some damp in it (cue chorus of, "My Ranger is as dry as a bone") and, in common with the other Baileys of the period, was prone to ABS panel cracking.
If you consider that it's possible to buy an unused 2012 Orion for £13,000 (better than the Ranger in almost every possible way) it can be seen that £7,250 for a 6 year old Ranger is silly money.
However, don't take my word for it - telephone a couple of Bailey dealers and ask them if they want to buy the same caravan from you.
You will be lucky to be offered £4,000 for a straight cash purchase.
Try it - all it will cost you is the price of a telephone call.
------------- Getting Old, Staying Active (much to Mrs Folder's dismay..)
Almost certainly has some damp in it (cue chorus of, "My Ranger is as dry as a bone") and, in common with the other Baileys of the period, was prone to ABS panel cracking
agree 2005 and 2007 bailey vans had a cracking problem.all caravans are prone to damp if not sealed correctly.hugh reports on 2010/12 swift caravans and recalls over 300 at the last count.best bet get a full damp report.
------------- the only silly question is the one you do not ask.
Quote: Originally posted by Oldfolder on 15/2/2013
Almost certainly has some damp in it ... Baileys of the period, was prone to ABS panel cracking.
The damp comment is a sweeping statement. ABS panel issue was circa 2005-early '06 model vans, and while bad publicity for Bailey, I can easily find 'faults' inherent with most manufacturers.
Quote: Originally posted by Oldfolder on 15/2/2013
If you consider that it's possible to buy an unused 2012 Orion for £13,000 (better than the Ranger in almost every possible way) it can be seen that £7,250 for a 6 year old Ranger is silly money.
My Ranger 500/5 (also an '07), has been valued at £7,500, due in some part that they are a sought after family model van.
How can you compare a new 2013 model Orion with an '07 Ranger? Personally, having looked at the Orion at a recent show, I thought they were awful ... just my opinion.
Quote: Originally posted by Oldfolder on 15/2/2013
You will be lucky to be offered £4,000 for a straight cash purchase.
True, but this could be said for anything you sell straight to a dealer, be it car, caravan etc. You will get rock bottom offers but far better part-ex. I've been offered £6,750 on a part-ex deal.
As for the Op's original query, personally I've found the 500/5 an excellent van with a good versatile layout. I've been happy with build quality and the vans as good today as it was when we bought it.
BUT, the only criticism I have is that the van isn't particularly 'spacious' internally, due to the layout incorporating the wardrobe opposite the kitchen, and subsequently the van can feel 'crowded', when compared to other 5 berth family vans.
Our kids have grown and less inclined to come away with us now, so we'll probably trade in for a smaller van soon, but the 500/5 has been (and is) a good reliable van.
Oh god! It's really hard for people like us that are new to caravanning. We want to buy from a dealer as less likely to be diddled but with all this talk of damp (which is our biggest fear) - who knows!
We saw a 550/6 today which is a 2006 but a 2007 model fr about the same money and came with an awning. It was from a smaller local dealer so would that be a safer bet?
Do dealers have to give you a damp report? What should the damp readings be??
The dealers aren't obliged to provide a damp report, but you could easily tool yourself up to check yourself (damp meters readily available).
The 550/6 is a very different layout and we also considered one at the time. The layout of the van is (in my opinion) a very personal consideration and it's even possible you'll be six months down the road and suddenly think "... this isn't working ideally for us".
Another factor to consider too of course, is if the vans weight is within your cars capacity to pull? What do you intend to tow with etc?
We considered a fixed bunk van (and still like the concept of them), but our kids were slightly older when we bought the 500/5 and felt this model to be more 'versatile' for our needs as they grew up.
Given the age range of your brood, I think I too would favour the fixed bunk option, as there's still a good few years before they might loose interest and want to do their own thing, themselves.
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Topic: Bailey Ranger 500/5
and have seen a 2007 Ranger 500/5 for £7250 at a dealer. Is it a good van? Is this a good price? We are a family of 4 (kids age 7&3)
