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Subject Topic: Thinking of buying an 11 yr old caravan
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PersonMSV4
17/7/2017 at 12:37pm
 Location: Gloucester
 Outfit: Coachman VIP 520 View MSV4's Profile View Profile   Reply to MSV4 Reply   Quote MSV4 Quote  
Joined: 28/3/2004

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we are considering buying a caravan from a dealership, it looks in excellent condition on first look. We will return for another viewing. We currently have a 17 yr old van, bought from new, so have caravanned.

What sort of things should we be on the lookout for and any questions we should we ask?

Thank You for any advice help.


PersonBaileyjake
17/7/2017 at 1:13pm
 Location: West Midlands
 Outfit: Coachman Amara 570 6 + Shogun SG4 View Baileyjake's Profile View Profile   Reply to Baileyjake Reply   Quote Baileyjake Quote  
Joined: 06/1/2015

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Take a damp meter and dont be afraid to use it.

i have a 6 year old caravan and have repaired several leaks since i bought it and seemingly those leaks came along after i inspected it. fortunately i have a damp meter so spotted them soon enough to fix them before they caused damage.

when i was looking to buy my current caravan i saw some real shockers in dealers. rotten floor on 8 an year old caravan for example.

-------------
First van bailey ranger 550/6
Now the proud owner of a coachman amara


PersonMSV4
17/7/2017 at 6:51pm
 Location: Gloucester
 Outfit: Coachman VIP 520 View MSV4's Profile View Profile   Reply to MSV4 Reply   Quote MSV4 Quote  
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Thank You, what areas should we be prodding with the damp meter?


PersonJohn4703
17/7/2017 at 6:59pm
 Location: Glasgow
 Outfit: Elddis Avante 454 View John4703's Profile View Profile   Reply to John4703 Reply   Quote John4703 Quote  
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It might be an odd question but why are you considering this? It is not a lot newer than your caravan that you have had from new so you know its good, and bad points.
If you buy another caravan that is out of warranty you might find undiscovered problems.
Having said all that if the dealer is offering a two year warranty I'd be tempted to go for it. Many dealers will offer a warranty to get a sale.

-------------
We camped for years. In 2019 we bought an Elddis Avante 454. We like it as it is short (6.9m) and fits in our driveway and has a fixed bed.
We had 127 nights away in the caravan in 2023.


PersonBaileyjake
17/7/2017 at 7:19pm
 Location: West Midlands
 Outfit: Coachman Amara 570 6 + Shogun SG4 View Baileyjake's Profile View Profile   Reply to Baileyjake Reply   Quote Baileyjake Quote  
Joined: 06/1/2015

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Peel back the window rubbers and push probes in the wall board where the rubber will cover it. Check under and around all of the windows in this way. Don't let the probes touch the rubber as it will show a false high reading. Go in all the overhead lockers. Push the probes under the rubber trim between ceiling and wall. Check in the corners at the front (where my coachman leaked) check under the beds or the under seat lockers. Particularly under windows and in corners. Near the awning rails. Look for darker areas of wall or stains. Gentley push probes in these marks. Go in space behind heater check the wall there. Lift the vinyl floor covering at the edges under the seats. It should be glued down but if the floor is rotten it will lift easy. If it does lift or has bubbles under it check it for damp Any reading above 20% is not normal especially this time of year. Any reading approaching 40% is a major issue. If it's caught quickly not so bad but if you are looking at a caravan for sale you won't know how long it's been damp for.

-------------
First van bailey ranger 550/6
Now the proud owner of a coachman amara


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Personnavver
17/7/2017 at 8:08pm
 Location: West country
 Outfit: Mondeo View navver's Profile View Profile   Reply to navver Reply   Quote navver Quote  
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Make sure all the kit works both on gas and electric.


PersonMSV4
17/7/2017 at 8:09pm
 Location: Gloucester
 Outfit: Coachman VIP 520 View MSV4's Profile View Profile   Reply to MSV4 Reply   Quote MSV4 Quote  
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Brilliant, thank you for your help. We are changing as we now want a 4 berth to take the grandchildren with us. Our caravan also is showing lots of wear and tear.


PersonAVON EAGLE
18/7/2017 at 7:58am
 Location: Blackpool
 Outfit: Elddis Supreme View AVON EAGLE's Profile View Profile   Reply to AVON EAGLE Reply   Quote AVON EAGLE Quote  
Joined: 21/8/2008

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Check the age of the tyres - they could be really old. There is a date them all - They should be less than 4 years old.
Tyres carry a DOT number on the sidewall that gives a production date. Since the year 2000 the numbers consist of 4 digits instead of 3. The first two digits indicate the calendar week of production and the next two the year of production.

Eg: 3004 – the tyre was manufactured in the 30th week of 2004.

For tyres manufactured in the 1990's there is a little triangle ∆ after the DOT code. Eg: 4 2 8 ∆ - the tyre was manufactured in the 42nd week of 1998.

If the tyre has a three digit code then it is too old.



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