Hi,Wondered if anyone can give me some advice. We've just had 2 brilliant camping trips in our monty 6 tent this year, and have started to wonder about getting a caravan, so we could go more often (a weekend in the tent is too much trouble). I'd like to buy a cheap and cheerful 4 berth, but a Zenith 4 berth(2005) at the local dealers was £5000 and smelt of damp. There are some on ebay for under £1000, but as I have no idea what I'm doing I'm a bit nervous to buy a second hand one off ebay.
The other Problem is I have 2005 Toyota Verso, which seems to be the worst towing car in the world, but I definately can't afford to change the car. Is there any where safe I can get a cheap old caravan, do dealers do old models?( I'm thinking 1990 -2000, for maybe 1k or 2k max.) I'd have to get a towbar fitted before I actually bought anything, so the 'must be collected in 3 days' on some advertisements is a no go too.
Theres a few horror stories on here about 2nd hand purchases, as well of happy stories, If I make the switch I want to be be a happy camper.
You had me thinking there a Verso should be a good car, But not made in 2009.
You mean a Yaris Verso.. Oh dear i pity you. Limits you to a gross caravan weight of 900kg. Good luck towing that up the hills with 70bhp.
Your going to be looking and very small vans or older ones.
As they get newer they tend to get heavier also.
Dealers do sell old vans, But usually in the back as trade sales or sold as seen because they are rotten.
Sometimes they will get an older van in thats in good condition.
I bought my 1st caravan that way. Spent ages looking at private sales and smaller dealers, The smell when they opened the door was enough for most of them.
Stopped by a caravan dealer on the way home and they had an older but obviously cared for Sprite Musketeer. A fair bit older than the vans we had been looking for, But in a much better condition.
When we sold it there still didnt appear to be any damp.
It's a corolla verso, a 7 seater mpv, should be good tower I'd say, but it's on a list of top 5 cars not to get :-( kerb weight of 1400 I think but breaking capacity of 1000kg ( I don't really know what that means)
So are old vans basically damp and rubbish? I've seen a few posts here saying what a bargin people got, but I imagine there's just as many people wishing they had not bothered?
Is 2k too little for a decent 4 berth ideally with bunk beds? The stuff on eBay is probably too high risk for me and my zero knowledge
Best place to buy an old caravan is from a private seller off ebay. You would be looking for a late 80s lightweight 2berth ABI Marauder or Monza & you can pick these up for £400 or so & often dry(ish) & in good nick, these caravans usally weigh less than 800kg all up. Forget dealers, those who trade in caravans this age simply buy off ebay & double the price, they neither service or guarantee them so buy from a private seller who has owned & used the caravan.
Check inside for soft damp bits in the corners & ensure floor is solid. Get a cartridge of polyurethane sealant & run it around the joints front & rear & also around the grab handles because the damp comes in through there.
Budget for a pair of new tyres whatever the wear of the existing ones which will probably yrs old & perished & also a service on the chassis, about £80+parts & you might need new brake shoes & bearings & also a hitch damper if you are realy unlucky but after this the caravan will tow like a new one.
I went for a private sale after viewing to many rotten caravans at show rooms, Bought a nice 95 musketeer for £1800 and was one of the best condition vans I saw.
Mines a 4 berth and max weight of 1060KG, Towing with a Zafira 1.8 "140BHP! at max towing 1200KG so well under the 85%.
Go away this Friday 1st time but was fine towing back from storage to home.
What about a Freedom Jetstream or Freedom sunseeker both weighing in at 750 max. These are 3-4 berth depending on layout but an awning with annexe will double living area. They are small enough to store down the drive.
You can get one for 1K.
Thanks, freedom ones look a bit small, we've got two kids(5&9) but it would probably suit us once they go off to be brain surgeons and rocket scientists ( or asda checkout - no offense)
The musketeer looks about right, the zenith had end bunks which the kids loved. Dealers do look expensive, even camping and caravan classifieds are high. So eBay? How do I make sure there's no damp? I would get a service and new tyres anyway, but damp would probably be too much to handle, I've seen the stories from the fix it club on here!.
Whereabouts are you? I had ours up for sale on preloved, eBay, gumtree, the classifieds on here and the caravan club classifieds, plus the post office windows and supermarket ads. If you find a good one, you can always get a mobile enginees to come and have a look at it for you?
I'm in notts/derby area, the classifieds here look a bit expensive compared to eBay, and some mention water ingress, doesn't that spell the end of the van? Eventually?
Really we want a 4 berth with bunks ( so the kids don't fight) maybe I should go look at some eBay ones, at the risk of being a bit of a time waster!
If I got a cheap one ( under a grand) and it had damp, can I get it fixed for a couple of hundred, or is it a write off?
I guess the fixing of damp question revolves around how much damp there is and how handy you are at doing things yourself. I'm hopeless at DIY and OH is good but would never find the time, so we'd definitely avoid anything that required major fixing, However, sometimes it's just a matter of (for example) sealing the awning rail and giving the damp time to dry out - it all depends where the leak is, how long it's been leaking, and what's causing it. Buy a damp meter, read the information on what to look for on the Caravan Club and C&CC websites and test test test. Use your nose, push your fingers and damp meter into the corners of cupboards and the edges of doors, pay attention to how the floor feels under the your feet...
That looks very nice white rose, but at 18ft I can't see me being able to tow it. I think I need to get a damp meter, an actual tow bar then look seriously. I'm guessing now is the time to get one cheap, as most people will buy in 6 months.
Braked towing capacity is the maximum weight of the caravan that the car can tow when the caravan has a separate braking system. This is operated automatically from the tow hitch action and pretty much all caravans have brakes. It is usual for a novice to only tow to 85% of the published maximum.
I don't know where this list of worst tow cars is but see no reason why the verso should be so bad within it's capabilities but you are going to be limited by it's capacity.
Your knowledge is clearly not as zero as you claim as you have already considered weights and damp. There are damp free vans out there sub £1000 but first off spend asmall part of your budget on a damp meter.
18 foot isn't very long, honest! How about fitting a towbar, buying a damp meter and booking on one of the towing courses run by the caravan club or the C&CC (that's what I plan to do, just as soon as I've run out of excuses for being thoroughly lazy and sitting in the passenger seat issuing instructions ) Actually, I seem to remember someone knowledgeable telling me that longer vans are easier to tow ...
Or what about looking at one of the little pop top vans for your starter - something like the Eriba Puck?
Have a look through the info on here http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/media/22441/thinking%20of%20buying%20a%20touring%20caravan.pdf
Just found the specs for my car, kerbweight 1400, but total tow capacity 1000kg, which I'm guessing means caravan + stuff has to be under 1000kg regardless of kerbweight?
That puts me firmly in the 2 berth micro caravans I think :-(
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Topic: help buying a cheap clunker?
) Actually, I seem to remember someone knowledgeable telling me that longer vans are easier to tow ...
