Hi
I'm definitely making a move this year and buying my first caravan after pondering for years now this lockdown has made me decide that I need to get out and about go to different places everyday go for walks and just get out in the open air.
What would be the best 5 Berth tourer to buy, what to look out for, my budget would be between £6000 and £15000 tops.
Seen some lovely vans on eBay the HOBBY vans look great, what are best ?
Cheers
The first things to consider are what your car can tow and what your licence will allow you to tow.
When you've checked the weights have a look on caravanfinder where you can check all the different layouts and get an idea of what is available.
If you check this website you'll find loads of help and advice on what to look for and how to check for damp.
Once you have established what your car to tow then decide what size you can buy.
Caravans should be serviced annually. Proof of that is excellent. The biggest killer is damp. If it smells musty not good!
A service normally includes a damp check if has a recent one great.
They also cover essential safety issues with gas and electrical services. There is plenty of information on this forum concerning checks.
Other issues are tyres, they can look OK but over 5 years old should be replaced.
Hobby vans are popular with a certain community group! They may incur more expensive insurance, as they might get stolen.
Whatever you get you are strongly advised to fit a good wheelclamp and hitchlock, in fact insurers will possibly insist.
------------- DS-There's more to life than football!!!
When buying any caravan the main thing to look out for is damp. Any sign of it will inevitably be very much worse than it appears, of that you can be certain. Unless you are buying really cheap, which with that budget you are clearly not, any sign of damp - walk away.
I hope you find what you are looking for, and when you do, enjoy!
Decide what berth you want, what heating system, do you want the shower/wc in the centre or at the end, if fixed bed,corner bed, island,or twin beds,what weight suitable for your tow car,large or average fridge, dining area etc.
Over the years we have tried many.The bed layout is important.We chose twin beds with the brilliant Duvalay mattresses,as we found the corner double awkward, never had an island bed but preferred the twin bed as there seemed to be more room. We have also had all the heating systems but now love our Alde wet system.We have the average size fridge which suits all our needs. A van with larger fridge is often put in at the expense of wardrobe space or wardrobe ends up in the shower/wc room which wasn’t for us. We also feel safer with the ATC system as it prevents snaking most of the time.A fitted solar panel also helps to keep the battery topped up.If you have a dog we have found an outside shower very good, also useful for muddy boots.As for cooking we like the fact that of the four hobs one is electric. This saves on gas when on electric hook up.Look also for outside plug socket and outside BBQ gas socket if thesesre important to you. The external plug socket is handy if you have an awning.We also like the plugs at the front to charge up our phones.
At the end of the day we bought a 2014 Swift Conqueror 565 but only four berth.We bought it new in 2015.We look after it and have it serviced every year.We have had the Alde system refilled this year and also had new tyres.We have no intention of ever changing it as it suits our needs perfectly,
Good luck in your search.I know you want a five berth but some of the points I have mentioned may help.Hope you find one which suits you perfectly too.As others have said, check for damp.
I would say that your most important considerations would be
1. Did you pass your driving test before or after 1996. If after, you won’t have the BE entitlement on your license and this will severely limit what you can tow unless you take a further towing test.
2. What is the kerbweight of your car and what is the legal towing limit. You should never exceed the legal towing limit and the general recommendation is that the caravan should not weigh more than 85% of the kerbweight of your car.
3. What layout will suit you best. For us, a fixed bed is a must but others just think they are a waste of space. If you have kids, some caravans have small bunks that might be okay now but in a couple of years, if you have boys who might spring up like weeds, they will quickly outgrow some bunks. Use the Caravan Finder website to look at lots of different layouts to get the one that will suit you and your needs and then, as soon as you can, go and look at some different layouts at a large dealers to get a feel for what they are really like.
4. If you are not an expert on caravan damp, never buy a caravan unless you get an independent damp report beforehand. If you were just buying a cheap van to last a season or two it wouldn’t be such a big issue but with your budget, you want something that has decent life left in it and damp is a caravan killer! Don’t be taken in by beautiful looks, some caravans look immaculate inside and have been beautifully kept but are riddled with damp.
5.I have no statistics to base this on, only my experience of being on caravan forums for many years, however, it seems to me that Hobby caravans are the ones most often reported stolen. I have also read about some insurers refusing to insure them and the ones that will insure them charge a ridiculously high premium so check that out before you buy.
Many sites will not allow Hobby caravans as they bare associated with the travelling fraternity. As mentioned above a lot depends on your current driving licence and whether it is a B or a BE. Also the vehicle being used to tow the caravan is important. If the vehicle has a maximum gross weight of for example 2500kg then the maximum you can tow on a B driving licence is 1000kg which means a small caravan.
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: What to look for -buying my first caravan
via mobile 15/3/2021 at 11:27am
