My tip would be to use the search facilities on here for tips on buying. Use buying as a search word.
You will be advised to check very, very carefully for damp, as this is the most important thing. Make, for the price you wish to pay, is largely not important.
Perhaps a 4 berth may be better for a family of three.
If your sure there is no damp then an inspection of the hitch and checking for play and checking the wheelbearings and brakes are roadworthy then not much else.
Why a 2 berth? If your thinking its small and light then think again, some 2 berth vans can weigh more than a 6 berth one.
Hi Alwin,
I have just become the proud owner of an Abbey Vogue 2 berth that I paid £1800 for.
I was fortunate to buy from someone I knew,so the van has been well cared for.
I would say,check a few dealers,not to purchase but to get an idea of which layout you prefer as finding what suits you is important, also very important to see what weight your car can tow,and lastly as grampian has said check everywhere for damp. I saw a few vans around the 2 Grand mark that were rotten! condition is more important than age at this price range.
We have a 1988 Elddis, bought off ebay for £500 in 2013, and which we too have customised. The main thing to look out for if you don't want to have to do a lot of time consuming work, is damp. Any damp is invariably much worse than it looks. (Think iceberg, what you see is only the tip!) Never buy off ebay or anywhere else, sight unseen. Always do a thorough inspection before parting with any money. If you don't know what to look for, take someone with you who does.
Don't think that a £2,000 caravan is necessarily going to be any better than a £1,000 one, or even a £500 one! It may or may not be the case. Remember that when buying an "oldie" it is only worth what someone else is prepared to pay for it.
Look at several until you find the one that best suits you, and spend as little as you can get away with, that way you have more to spend on your modifications or any repairs. Allow for two new tyres, as on caravans they often perish long before they wear out, so if they are more than 5 years old they will need replacing.
The ideal time to get the best bargains is just before Christmas, as demand is lowest then. Now is peak demand time so prices will be high.
Finally, check out "crappy old caravans" on this site, as there are many people on there who have done as you are thinking of doing, and I have done. There are loads of excellent tips from those who love their "oldies".
Quote: Originally posted by Grampian91 on 16/6/2016
Damp, Damp, Damp and more damp..
If your sure there is no damp then an inspection of the hitch and checking for play and checking the wheelbearings and brakes are roadworthy then not much else.
Why a 2 berth? If your thinking its small and light then think again, some 2 berth vans can weigh more than a 6 berth one.
------------- I love camping.
Love Northumberland, Cumbria, North Yorkshire and Teesside!
Thanks for your advice Grampian91 :) we have a Vauxhall Astra so our options relating to weight are limited - we assumed a 2 berth would be the lightest option so I will take your comments on board :)
------------- I love camping.
Love Northumberland, Cumbria, North Yorkshire and Teesside!
Thank you Jim :) I will try the search facility - we were hoping a 2 berth would do for 3 of us (2 adults and a 7 year old) but I suppose once we start looking properly we will know more about size + if we are able to get an awning that would create more space :)
------------- I love camping.
Love Northumberland, Cumbria, North Yorkshire and Teesside!
Quote: Originally posted by Colin21 on 16/6/2016
We have a 1988 Elddis, bought off ebay for £500 in 2013, and which we too have customised. The main thing to look out for if you don't want to have to do a lot of time consuming work, is damp. Any damp is invariably much worse than it looks. (Think iceberg, what you see is only the tip!) Never buy off ebay or anywhere else, sight unseen. Always do a thorough inspection before parting with any money. If you don't know what to look for, take someone with you who does.
Don't think that a £2,000 caravan is necessarily going to be any better than a £1,000 one, or even a £500 one! It may or may not be the case. Remember that when buying an "oldie" it is only worth what someone else is prepared to pay for it.
Look at several until you find the one that best suits you, and spend as little as you can get away with, that way you have more to spend on your modifications or any repairs. Allow for two new tyres, as on caravans they often perish long before they wear out, so if they are more than 5 years old they will need replacing.
The ideal time to get the best bargains is just before Christmas, as demand is lowest then. Now is peak demand time so prices will be high.
Finally, check out "crappy old caravans" on this site, as there are many people on there who have done as you are thinking of doing, and I have done. There are loads of excellent tips from those who love their "oldies".
------------- I love camping.
Love Northumberland, Cumbria, North Yorkshire and Teesside!
Quote: Originally posted by skipp66 on 16/6/2016
Hi Alwin,
I have just become the proud owner of an Abbey Vogue 2 berth that I paid £1800 for.
I was fortunate to buy from someone I knew,so the van has been well cared for.
I would say,check a few dealers,not to purchase but to get an idea of which layout you prefer as finding what suits you is important, also very important to see what weight your car can tow,and lastly as grampian has said check everywhere for damp. I saw a few vans around the 2 Grand mark that were rotten! condition is more important than age at this price range.
------------- I love camping.
Love Northumberland, Cumbria, North Yorkshire and Teesside!
Caravans are a bit like tents: if there are two of you, a two berth is not big enough. Better to go up one, so as there are already three in your family a 4 berth may be better.
It may help if you put in your location, so that folks local to you could offer more tips.
Definitely agree with Jim Oldham. Ours is a small 4 berth but there are only two of us and a small dog. If we had 3 or 4 in it we would be getting under each other's feet. Definitely no room for 3 in the average 2 berth. One would probably have to sleep on the floor or hanging up in the wardrobe!
There are plenty of bargains out there but you need to do your research and have a really good look before you part with money. Some people take a service engineer to view vans before buying. Good luck !
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Topic: Any tips for buying an older caravan?
