Hi I am getting a little overwhelmed by the amount of makes /brands I'm spending 18/20,000 and want the best caravan for the money Ideas /makes, please
thanx
Have you considered going to the caravan show at the NEC later this month? it's a great opportunity to compare most makes and models in one place. Everyone will have their own likes and dislikes and everyone's requirements are different, take your time and research what you think you require. Good Luck, I'm sure you'll find the right model that works for you.
As above,went to the NEC last year (going again this month)and bought a new caravan,you can get show deals thrown in,we had a £500 package,plus being members of the CC,we have three years free servicing,well worth the travelling to the show,(take your own lunches as the prices are a bit steep.
Where are you based? I'm biased towards Venture caravans,one in Daventry and one in Hitchin,had excellent service from them
We decided that the best place to look would be our local dealer as this would be where we would take it for annual service or if problems cropped up. They do Swift and Bailey caravans. We visited several times looking at all the vans until we decided on a Swift, that was in 2009. We are on our 2nd Swift now and have been more than happy with the deals we have had, the service and trade in. We have also visited the show each year but have always gone back to the local dealer to buy. Hope you get what you are looking for. This caravanning lark is very addictive. Enjoy. J x
You have to do this methodically in stages, as for build quality & value all UK makes are much of a muchness so any make you like. If you have a large main dealer where you live it might be worth buying from them even if not quite the best deal in the country because then you have service & warranty work availability near you.
Caravan franchised dealers work differently from franchised car dealers. Buy say, cheapest possible Swift 100s of miles from home, don't expect your local Swift dealer to do service/warranty work, they cannot be forced if they do not wish to.
Then consider delivery times, if you order it could take months, so if dealer has stocks of last yrs model at discounted price I'd go for that.
As for layouts decide what you want first to narrow your search. Do you want a caravan that is 30% bathroom or would you consider that a waste of space? Do you want fixed bed? Check length, some are woefully short & so on.
What about getting a good used one so you can see what you like/want/need etc and then buy new once you find your preferences. This is what we are doing.
Beware - bought a Bailey in September - delivery was delayed until December. The carpet did not fit because there has been a redesign between order and delivery. Carpet became a bigger issue because the door mat had been incorrectly fitted. Still waiting for the bespoke carpet to be made - two months after delivery.
Thankyou for all replies i think the show sounds like a sound idea,the advice on where you buy your caravan very very interesting, ill post when purchased thanx to all
We have bought our last 2 Vans at the NEC, we were happy we got a good deal on both, spent 2 days looking round though as its very big and tiring.Word of advice though check which dealer you are dealing with as on , say, the Coachman Stand there will be salesmen from different Dealers , we bought our last one from a dealer which was further away from where we would have ideally liked to have traveled to pick it up from , we had it serviced locally so it was only picking it up that was the problem.
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: Buying a new caravan
