Good advice from all members Tessenta. There are plenty of older caravans out there for sale privately, it's just sorting out the genuine sellers and getting one that has no damp. A damp meter costs around £12 and is worth taking with you. If the seller doesn't want you to use it, walk away. I have a tremendous sense of smell which helps. Also if there is a strong air freshener in the van it is there for a reason. If you have a local caravan dealership close by, talk to them, they sometimes get trade ins which may suit your purpose and will save them putting the van into auction. Damp is not the only thing to look for though, tyres and general running gear need to be in good order. Rob and Tina are right though, see what your car is capable of towing before going looking and take an experienced caravanner with you if possible. I am sure you will find a van for around £1500 which gives allowances for repairs etc. Good luck and welcome to the world of caravanning😊
Hiya metalmikey.
Yes had some great advice from everyone on here including you.
I will invest in a damp meter and thank you telling me price.
All the advice on here is and has been valuable i will take on what everyone has said.
It is a daunting but exiting to buy your first caravan!
my parents still use theirs and i was thinking campervan or caravan...and caravan won!
thanks qgain for your great advice.
Hi Tessenta. Be careful with prices. At the lower end of the market the same rules don't apply like they do with nearly-new vans. £1,000 won't necessarily get you a better van than £500, nor will £2,000. We looked at some several times what ours cost that were either very tatty looking or riddled with damp. Everyone has different ideas as to what their van is worth, but in the end any van is only worth what someone else is prepared to pay for it. Don't discount a "cheapie", have a look and if it doesn't suit you, don't buy it. However, it just might, and if you don't look you won't know. We set an absolute upper limit of £2,000 and ended up with the best one we found costing £500.
I have been looking at them they fit the bill perfectly.
Every time i look they go! quite popular it seems but i will pray that i can find one as they are perfect size.
We had a sunseeker and absolutely loved it!
We took it all over uk and France.
We sold it for a bigger caravan with fixed bed etc, but I didn't like towing it, plus cost more to buy a bigger car and more petrol. Didn't keep the big van long and wished I'd never sold the Freedom 😢
At the time they weren't very popular, they do seem to hold their prices now.
We went to the dealer not long ago, I really like the twin sport as it's got the 2 single beds, which we would like. Only problem is my son would have to go outside in the awning, which he's not over keen to do at the mo, but that's our plan anyway I think, maybe later this year or next.
Hi.
I have just recieved brouchure for freedom range and sunseeker seems to he the one that fits what i need. A double bed for me and a single bed for my friend or family.
I am tall but will have few inches above my head!
but i seems to be perfect the questiob is whether i can actually buy second hand one quick enough!
Our first van was a sunseeker 4 berth 1992. It had a canvas bunk above the single. Only cold water and a fridge and lights, so very basic. That worked well and was roomy enough.
I have since looked at the twin sport with a corner washroom with shower, end kitchen. I found it far too claustrophobic with a wardrobe over a bed and end kitchen. Not enough headroom in the washroom. All the storage taken up with equipment, water heater, room heater etc.
As mentioned spending more does not always mean a better buy. A while back i was looking at vans around £5000 and had to mention to the dealers that there was damp in certain areas. Obviously they dont check their part exchanges very well.
There were vans in their sub £1000 trade sale vans section that were in better condition. Sometmes you find a nice older van thats been looked after.
If you see a Freedom you might find the headlining is sagging, this often happens with the older ones as the foam backing dies, if you are a DIYer it is an easy fix as the are very easy to pull apart and redo as quiet a few on here including myself have done, it's a messy job but well worth doing.
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Topic: small 3 berth caravan
