Looking for some advice. My husband and I would like to buy a four-berth tourer for some adventures with our two young sons. We'd like to spend no more than £3k but we're struggling to find a dealer north of the border with anything around that price. Should we stick to Gumtree? We've never bought a caravan before but we've had a good look online and got a good idea what we're looking for (nothing with damp!) and the layout (end bunks for the boys). We'd like to buy a fixer-upper and do it to our own style. My husband is pretty handy with a power tool but we've got two young kids so we don't want to spend all our time fixing it. We found Oldham Caravans online which seemed to sell a lot around our price range but we're just outside Glasgow so it's a bit of a trek to get there.
So basically I'm asking for any tips on dealers in Scotland which have fairly cheap, light caravans. And happy to hear any other advice from experienced caravaners!!
I would get a list from the internet of scottish dealers and they do exist.
I Tried it and there are loads spread around, 2 nearby Glasgow.
I would then phone around and tell them what you are looking for.
They may know of vans on a trade-in that may not make it into their web sites.
However in that price bracket they are notorious for dampness, buyer beware.
You are better buying a £3k caravan from a private seller from ebay. Most dealers will be advertising their cheap caravans on ebay as well so you need look no further that that. Prices will be dropping soon as season ends. No dealer will give any sort of worthwhile warranty on a £3k caravan so you are better buying private for that price.
Hi,
Thanks for replying. I had found a few around here but their stock online was all out of our price bracket. Good advice to give them a ring and see if they've anything they're not putting online. Would you recommend any dealer(s) in particular?
To ask another question - are we being naive with our price? We're not afraid of getting our hands dirty and fixing it up and love a project but we've two young kids so don't want it to take up all our time. We've already seen there's good advice out there on repairing damp in caravans (which is what led us to this website!) Is this a good time of year to buy?
I've never had any dealings with this company so this is not a recommendation as such but I have noticed signage for Hilltop Caravan sales in Airdrie. I had a quick look at their website and they are more in your price range than the likes of Duncans at Wishaw.
There is also a small caravan sales place on the road between Wishaw and Newmains, again I've never dealt with them but I know of two people who have and both were pleased with their purchase. This person has been in business for a number of years and seems to have gradually built up from having only one or two vans for sale at a time up to now having maybe 6 or so in his yard. Been driving past the yard for years but never been in. Seems to be operating from his home. Think he trades under the name of County Leisure.
Have a look on google for both of them for more details.
Thank you so much everyone for your replies, they're really helpful. We'd like to go to a dealer for a look around some old caravans to make sure we know what we're getting ourselves into before we commit rather than get one from ebay. We'll probably end up doing that but want to do our research first. I'll check out those places in Airdrie and Wishaw, they do seem to be more like our price range.
Thanks again! I'm sure I'll be back on here with lots more questions as we keep searching!
Arm yourselves with a good damp meter, it'll be your best friend.
And one word of caution re Gumtree. My brother went to see a caravan on Thursday evening, both the man and woman swore that there was no damp. He took his brother-in-law complete with a damp meter along with him.
Everything seemed ok damp-wise, although he felt there was somethig not right with their story, but as a last thing he decided to check around the front windows. It was rotten, and was so bad that he reckoned it had been there for some time. And the poeple selling it? They were 'astonished' at what he found!!!
And it's still on Gumtree, at the same price, waiting for someone less clued-up than my brother.
Conversely, our friend sold his Hobby on eBay, and a straighter guy you could not find.
The new consumer act has made things difficult for traders selling cheap caravans. A trader has to refund if customer returns caravan as not fit for purpose within 30 days. This could mean anything from damp to a faulty fridge & either having to fix damp properly or replace fridge is not financially viable on a caravan being sold for £2-3k.
To avoid having to refund & take caravan back the large reputable dealers can now only sell off their cheap trade ins as 'spares or repair'. No longer can they sell 'as taken in' or 'sold as seen'. Any that do will be obligated to refund & take back caravan.
So if you want to spend under £3k you are as well buying private as from a dealer. Getting a refund for a damp caravan still leaves you back at square one with no caravan so best advice as always is to take a damp meter & check caravan very carefully.
I've another question! I've been looking on gumtree and have seen some caravans in the north of England in our price range which have the right layout we're looking for. Of course the sellers say they're perfect with no damp!
I've had an idea - could we employ a local mobile caravan inspector to go and check them out for us before we make a (potentially wasted) trip of a couple of hundred miles to buy and collect? Is that normally done? I'd be happier buying it if I knew it had had the once over by an expert. We're new to all this and don't want to waste our money by missing something obvious to experienced caravanners!
If any seller (private or trade) is unhappy for you to check for damp particularly around windows, in lockers and cupboards, or does not agree to you having the caravan checked over by a mobile service engineer, walk away with your money and spend it elseware. Do not pay a deposit untill you are sure you are going purchase a particular caravan.
Quote: Originally posted by IainM on 28/8/2016
Duncans are the best dealer in Scotland but not likely to have much in your price range ... worth a visit though.
We have bought countless 'vans from them and indeed have a 2017 Swift on order from them. Wouldn't go anywhere else.
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How can you claim that Duncans are the best in Scotland if you have'nt bought from anywhere else, or have you.
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Quote: Originally posted by blueexpo97 on 29/8/2016
Quote: Originally posted by IainM on 28/8/2016
Duncans are the best dealer in Scotland but not likely to have much in your price range ... worth a visit though.
We have bought countless 'vans from them and indeed have a 2017 Swift on order from them. Wouldn't go anywhere else.
[/QUvOTE]
How can you claim that Duncans are the best in Scotland if you have'nt bought from anywhere else, or have you.
I have, and they are the best we have come across. I also have a lot of caravanning friends across Scotland to compare notes with.
Ok maybe it was a sweeping statement, but we are very happy with the level of service and care we have received over the years .... especially in comparison to the nearby competition
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Topic: Newbies - dealers in Scotland?
