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just been camping in the tent, and after having talked to mrs expunk about 'the way forward' we're interested at looking into caravans over campers now. probably due mainly to space. the tent was roasting inside, and our 'quick to put up' outwell nevada tent still takes ages once its up, to peg out all the guylines, set up the beds, tables, equipment etc. we're just undecided which way to go now.
be interested to hear how much you paid for your vans, what you get for your money, and whether theres anything 'cool' out there rather than your bog standard caravan that looks like all the others. im sure they all look the same cos thats the best layout and makes the most sense, just curious to see if any of you have done anything 'different' with your caravans.
interested in anything at all you can give me about your experiences, pros/cons, and whether indeed i should still stick to looking at campervans instead 😀
im thinking pros are everything already set out in it, lots more space, pull up and kettle on.
cons are storage (of the van), towing it, heavy metal poled awnings, its a caravan, and youd be hated by other road users! 😀
im sure theres a lot more to consider tho and wouldnt mind some more viewpoints.
one thing i took from speaking to other campers was not to buy from a dealer, always go private to get more for your money.
thoughts, experiences and pics please 🙂
Well someone had to be first.
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YouwannacaravanI'llfightyaforit...
DrP
saw this one a week or two back. Nice combo...
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http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff167/LukeBurstow/070_zps9f4244dc.jp g"/> [/IMG][/URL]
We bought two new caravans during our time with them so onyl really saw what dealers offered.
If you're buying second hand then damp is the biggest issue above all else - get it checked in all the corners etc by someone who knows what they're looking for.
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Caravan set up for Download festival, takes me 90 minutes at the most from arriving at site, to level, set up add water and awning etc, even the full size awning and to have a cold beer in my hand
takes me 90 minutes at the most from arriving at site <snip> to have a cold beer in my hand
90 minutes !!!111ONEONE!!
2003 Fleetwood Colchester 560/4 EB - cost £6k 2 years ago. Love it!
[img] http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/3703/imag0182b.jpg [/img][img] http://www.downshirecaravans.com/media/uploads/DSC_0413.jpg [/img][img] http://images.clickedit.co.uk/8689/86250193.JP G" target="_blank">
http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/3703/imag0182b.jpg [/img][img] http://www.downshirecaravans.com/media/uploads/DSC_0413.jpg [/img][img] http://images.clickedit.co.uk/8689/86250193.JP G"/> [/img]
Buy a damp meter and check everywhere,especially corners and around windows.If buying from a dealer do not trust their damp inspection readings they give you.
Hook it up to the mains and make sure all the electrics are working.The fridges are horrendously expensive to buy new.
Floor delamination is a problem,so it should feel solid and not spongey.
All the above would apply to a campervan/motorhome,but you haven't got as much mechanicals to worry about with a caravan.
We've got a big porch awning with fibre poles which puts up like a tent so its pretty quick and one person.
Storage costs us £200 a year on the highest security rated site.
Don;t be tempted to buy something bigger than you really need as then you'll be looking at a 4+4 to pull it.Double axle caravans,especially German made,are liked by the " travelling community" so are more prone to theft.
German caravans tend to be styled a bit differently to UK vans,and are generally regarded as better built,but usually with a weight penalty.
One thing, think *really* carefully about what layout you want.
Treat any fold down bunks as 'alright for one night' rather than a long term option.
thanks chaps. should the beds be permanent then, in their own bedrooms rather than making a double from the settee etc?
making up from a settee is fine, it's the top bunk ones that fold up onto the wall during the day that aren't really up to prolonged use.
Having said that, if it's just for two of you then the fixed bed ones look quite attractive.
Our lounge converts to a double plus 2 bunks - we tend to leave the beds set up once away and still have plenty of space to sit. However I'd put more emphasis on a fixed bed/separate bedroom next time, rather than the shower that never gets used.
Saying that, the next van will have it all....
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not sure it'll get speed up to require the wing tho 🙁
How many people?
Fixed beds are ok if there's two of you or you have grown-up kids with the same bedtime. Otherwise you'll have to make up the dinette, put kids to bed and then either sit outside or lie in bed until your own bedtime.
Vans are basically all the same (at the lower end) but some makes are better than others. The ones from 20 years ago that haven't gone bust are a good bet - like Bailey for example. You need to consider the layout as much as anything else. There are only so many ways to lay a caravan out, you have the option of fixed bunks at one end for kids, a dinette at each end, or an end and side dinette. It's nice to have two dinettes or a spare table at least with kids, because they can play on one whilst you sit in the other location.
Older single axle vans tend to be light enough to be towed with a normal car, Passat etc or Golf sized. There's lots of info online about towing weights.
With regards price - I would say a liveable van could be had for £1500 from ebay or caravantalk etc classifieds. Although there will be some shockers for that price, there will also be some sound vans that are in good shape. Smell when you walk in is a first clue, then tap the walls and floor all around the van and especially right in the corners - which will be under seats, in cupboards etc. Three grand seems to be the next price point, you can get some nice stuff at that price.
Check tyres too - van tyres never wear the tread out no matter how old they get - they just perish and ultimately explode. Do not buy anything with cracked rubber on the tyres, this is very common. There's a way of reading the manufacture date from tyres, google it - they must be no more than 5-7 years old. About £200 for three tyres fitted.
Specs of 20 year old vans are all broadly similar. Fridges and cookers have been around for decades of course, but yoiu should be getting double glazing, a shower and a cassette toilet too, and a heater. Blown air heating is a nice touch. Also blinds and flyscreens are nice, but they do tend to perish break after 20 years so check they work. Unless you are either infirm or need to park it backwards up a slope at home (like we do) you don't need a motor mover. Caravans are very easy to move by hand on the flat, even with two people. Awnings are often thrown in, they can be worth £150 and are useful.
Check the van is level, suspension can collapse on one side (or both!) Also check the hitch damper. It should be almost impossible to push or pull the towing hitch in and out, it's got a grease filled damper. These can fail or leak. They are cheap and easy to replace though and they can be towed wth a bad one but it's rather scary and a bit uncomfortable. If you're not going far then it's not a big problem, as long as you do fix it asap.
When buying, it's best to look for vans that are parked up at someone's house and have been holidayed in. There are quite a few people who buy and sell cheap old vans from a unit or a field - some are doing a good repair job and are reputable, some are dodgy geezers flogging moldy shite.
Everyone says they don't use the shower, I use mine a lot. It's much nicer than some site showers, there's no queue, no-one else's pubes all over the floor and you don't have to try and get dressed and dry in a dirty puddle, which always seems to be the issue with site showers. It's also brilliant at bike races!
If you're staying a weekend, don't bother with an awning. Entirely optional and saves a lot of time.
whether theres anything 'cool' out there rather than your bog standard caravan that looks like all the others.
Tab teardrop vans are cool, probably hard to find second hand though!
it's the top bunk ones that fold up onto the wall during the day that aren't really up to prolonged use.
Not convinced by that. They are rated for use for kids, not sure they would get away with making shoddy stuff for that purpose.
Our set up, 1998 Abi Award Tristar.......
[url= http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2870/9240840284_1c50ab8319.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/61813465@N03/9240840284/ ]Abi Award Tristar at Coniston[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/61813465@N03/ ]specializedspence[/url], on Flickr
Very well made van but heavy, 1450kg, all internal doors are solid wood, 4 berth with bunks down one side, main bed is massive!, bigger than our queen size at home. Tows very well, it's got some fancy axle that does something?. Just fitted an Alko hitch which has improved it even more.
Bought a second hand porch awning earlier this year which makes a massive difference to the amount of space you can have, but as Molgrips says, if your going anywhere for just a night it's not worth putting up.
Bailey Senator Oklahoma 2003 here, paid about 5k three years ago , still a very modern van with fixed bedroom and toilet/ shower room,the lounge area becomes a double(triple really) .
Quite a big van for towing but liked the fact once towed to the destination you have more space inside.
Two awnings- a large posh Bastid of a thing for proper breaks and the small pop up thing you see here for weekends/ can't be arsed mode.
On board water storage and full heating plus motor mover( a godsend)
It was a bargain
P.s. the satellite is now not so Heath Robinson
The good thing with bailey is they do a million different layouts on this body so just look for one you like
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Does anyone else play the caravan name game on long journeys? Basically prepend the word anal onto the names of caravans and chortle childishly.
Examples from this thread include Anal Pageant and Anal Crusader.
Classic.
2003 Fleetwood Colchester 560/4 EB
While I in no way doubt the quality of the 'van, why on earth call it a 'Colchester'?
thanks again chaps.....
molgrips, no ickle kids, we'd be buying for just me and wife really, altho itd be nice to have the space for one or two grown up kids if they fancied it. but no, basically itd be for sleeping 2, and if anyone else fancied it they could bring a pup tent. room for 4 during daytimes would be good tho.
those t@b teardrops look cool youre right, been googling them. possibly too small, but worth a look anyway.
thanks for the in-depth info.
cheers
Things worth looking into.
Axle weight of caravan and towing ability of your car, you may have to factor in a new/bigger car.
Insurance costs, most likely minimal but worth checking.
Axle weight of caravan and weight you can tow on your driving licence, granted this will affect newer drivers more, but check things haven't changed.
Maybe a quirk of doing HGV2, my licence was chopped down to towing 750kg in anything when i passed HGV, i could tow more weight before, now i have to do a seperate test if i want to tow trailers over 750kg.
Had a chat with a nice AA man (being rescued) all the flatbed lorry drivers had to go and do class 1 HGV after the AA worked out that due to the weight of some caravans most of there drivers would be towing a combination beyond there licenced ability and thus breaking the law, so rather a lot of AA drivers had to upgrade there licence (on the AA)
If you have never towed before, might be very worth well finding a nearby driving school that caters for big trailers and caravans, even if you don't need to because you have an old licence..... getting some tips and first hand experience, at some point you will have to reverse it somewhere 🙂
Yep towing a big van is not for the faint hearted, I still have a cautious approach now especially on narrow roads in the countryside / coast and lets face it these are the places your going to take a van
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think ill take the advice of looking round a few dealers over the next week or so, see what sort of layouts appeal. then look to buy private if we decide to go ahead.
quick q thats just popped into my mind,is it a faff sorting out the waste water from showers/sinks and the toilet?
I have nothing sensible to add but did see this chap, German I think, on the way back from Devon a couple of years ago.
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Toilet cassette is easily removed and emptied, you buy chemicals to put in them but unless you are in the middle of nowhere i suggest pee only and use the facilities wherever you are
Waste water either use a waste unit or if the site has it pipe to the drain
Its on wheels so easy to wheel- same with water
On his own...
Edit: my sarcy comment was aimed at Baron's pic.
Waste water just goes into a 25l jerrycan with us, and I take it to the tap and empty it out when it gets full. The roller containers ate nice, bigger and easy to use but they cost a lot.
I do use the caravan toilet, I don't mind emptying it, it takes a fair few days to fill even with three of us on it.
When you get to site, the procedure is to put the legs down, then you go and fetch some fresh water. You have to fit the water pump, and the waste pipes and container. Takes 10-15 mins or so depending where the water is obv.
What size do you want? I saw a caravan at twentyfour12 a couple of years ago and only just found out what it was...Dethleff's Campy.
Tiny two person caravan with a garage/storage area under the front double bed. Good for a couple of bikes or dogs to sleep. Looks like it has a big door on the front panel.
Do a Google 🙂
why are all caravans white or cream or beige like kitchen appliances?
Just bought a new t@b was looking at vans to convert and thus seemed a better option. Had a look at more traditional vans and you get a lot for your money. Pick up New van Friday off to the alps Saturday really looking forward to it.
why are all caravans white or cream or beige like kitchen appliances?
Helps to keep them cool in the summer.
Just bought a new t@b
Like. Need pics.
my beige beauty
[img] http://i.autotrader.co.uk/merlin-image-server/view/a66c46c4-39a4-4ee8-bdfe-dc92b20f2766/400 [/img]
I'd be interested to know what fuel economy is like with a teardrop van.
reason for light colours;
1) people won't buy anything else
2)even with reasonable insualtion there's a lot of surface area exposed to the sun (!) and they can get quite warm, dark colours will tend to get hotter.
You could always go for;
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they're easy to tow;
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(actually, they're not - you probably need a Land Rover etc to get something rated to tow the weight and even then you'll be over the 80% rule).
Airstreams are very heavy, quite right.
Got it today, packed it today, off to the alps tomorrow. Happy days.
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Nice. Straight to the Alps is one way of trying it out 🙂
Got it today, packed it today, off to the alps tomorrow. Happy days.
Nice that!
Two things spring to mind with that photo....
Your'e a dwarf & on your own.
i like it. how much was it?
Our plastic lovebox....
[url= http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5455/9275097804_3032b3ea6a.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/lodious/9275097804/ ]IMAG0229[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/lodious/ ]Lodious[/url], on Flickr
can we have a pic of the inside please, looks really nice.
If there's just the two of you,I'd have a serious look at a fixed bed version.
We've just part exed our old 2 berth for a new fixed bed model. Best thing we ever did.
No faffing about with setting beds up at night or taking down in morning.
Also check out http://www.whattowcar.com ,it gives loads of info about weights.
There is only two of us (and the dog) , should I go for a two berth or as people suggest a three / four birth. I have a VW Tiguan does anyone tow a caravan with one? Buying a caravan is this another sign that I am getting old?
I'd be interested to know more on towing options - I'm caught at the moment in terms of heading down the camper van route or the caravan route.
If we go down the caravan route, I'll buy a new car and would like something large and probably 4wd (quite like the higher driving position and have always fancied one, dont need one - needs to be better on the road than off it..)
Suggestions welcome - I'm not too concerned with MPG but would like to at least doff my cap in the direction of singlehandedly saving the planet by not getting a 4 litre. Current thoughts are CRV/X3...
Abu marauderer 400, circa 1993, in New forest as we speak.[img] http://s1310.photobucket.com [/img]
Hmmm help!
hopefully, here you go kev.....
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EDIT: nope, url is wrong......
If there's just the two of you,I'd have a serious look at a fixed bed version.
We've just part exed our old 2 berth for a new fixed bed model. Best thing we ever did.
No faffing about with setting beds up at night or taking down in morning.
Also check out http://www.whattowcar.com ,it gives loads of info about weights.
aye, think we'd defo look at fixed bed. be looking at the smaller end of the range i think. if kids came itd be an awning or pup tent i reckon.
and with an octavia i dont think id need to worry bout weights, itd be fine 🙂
We tend to put the minimum amount of food and drink in our van then go to the nearest supermarket once we're pitched up.
Also the loading of the caravan is important with special regard to the noseweight and also the towball height.Ideally the caravan should ride slightly nose down,and never nose up.
You don't need a 4x4 to tow with. You can tow pretty big vans with a normal large car eg Mondeo/Passat.
and with an octavia i dont think id need to worry bout weights, itd be fine
An Octavia would tow an older 4 berth van fine but possibly not a newer one, depending on the van.
Fixed bed vans are fine if you have the room to store it as they are larger.
Lodius - let me know how that van does with fuel. They look like they should be more economical than usua.
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Nice set-up Lodious, are the three windows up the side for three bunks?
Stage one complete. eurotunnel tomorrow then overnight near Dijon.
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Here,s our tin box, just got home from a week in Cornwall in it where she stays....sod towin that about!!!!!!
ok, its a minefield putting 'fixed bed caravan' into ebay, i still dont know the makes, models etc. some good info on here, but still too many to choose from! 😀
so far narrowed it down to fixed bed, ideally shower, oven, L shaped dinette would be good but not a dealbreaker.
what about awnings? dont fancy all the heavy canvas jobbies with rigid poles that i see most people putting up. do they make em with the light bendy poles these days?
thanks
The lightweight awning in my pic is a Kampa
http://www.kampa.co.uk/products/caravan-awnings/lightweight-awnings/
We also have an Isobella ( I think) **** me thats a days work!!
I would not bother with a ln oven. What are you gonna bake?
Also do not worry too much about make. Just choose layout, go see it, check if it's damp and moldy. If not -bid!
Ps if anyone had a decent 850cm awning I would like it...!
This is our Adria 390 which we bought new last year. We came from a campervan via a folding camper and wanted to go as small as possible for a four berth. It can be towed by my 1.6tdi Golf as well.
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@ sadexpunk,loads of info to read up on http://www.caravantalk.co.uk.
Also check out http://www.caravanfinder.co.uk for different layouts.
As for awnings,you can get lightweight porch awnings, but apparently the heavy canvas type is much better,but having said that we have a porch awning and I can't remember the last time we used it,I think they are OK if you need a bit of storage space but we tow with a van and everything gets chucked in there 😀 ,they can also be handy if its raining and you need somewhere to get changed before getting into the caravan.
One more thing,you do realise as soon as you get one its going to rain for weeks don't you 
Nice set-up Lodious, are the three windows up the side for three bunks?
Yeah, triple decker. The kids love it a each bunk has it's own light 😉
Lodius - let me know how that van does with fuel. They look like they should be more economical than usual
The car is 2.2D (manual) and normally does c.38mpg. With the van it does c.28mpg, is that good or bad? I tend to do at 60 on the motorway, I think the economy is quite a bit better @50. If you slipstream a coach it does low 30's.
We're continually looking at camper vans, then nothing, then caravans... Realistically we'd be looking at £20k+ to get a T5 kitted out how we'd want it and yet for £4k we could get a decent looking caravan and retain the car to use whilst we were away...
Something to think about maybe later this year. £200 a year to store them seems cheap too - I was imagining it'd be a grand or so!
I really like the look of that Adria Altea 390, nice and light. We came from camping and even the smallest caravans offer a big step up in comfort compared to tents.
We get about 60-65mpg from our Passat on motorways, our first van would give us 29 on a good run, the newer one (same size and weight) gets 34 on a similar good run.
The first van had a ridiculous spoiler type thing on the roof at the back, the second has a rounded back end which seems to make a big difference. I reckon the rounded back end on the Orions would make a significant difference, but then Bailey also claimed their Pegasus range had better aerodynamics when it came out and that has a very square back.
I really like the look of that Adria Altea 390, nice and light.
me too. how much is one of them bad boys? theres one round the corner from us, might go have a sneaky word and a look round if we could afford one.
We picked up a previous year model Adria 390 for £9k new from Venture Caravans. We were getting very close to that price for second hand vans that were tidy enough for us to feel comfy in.
I would recommend it. It is very stable to tow, modern and comfy inside and our daughter loves the bunks. The main bed would be tight if you were over 6ft tall though.
ok lets try again, in new forest, £had it two years bought for £1600, 21 years old, love it.
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just been having a quick look at a couple of local vans, 2 berth. think its made us realise we want 4 berth. but..... we wouldnt want the 4 beds, just the size of a 4 berth. am i being realistic in this?
for instance, i can accept a fixed bed may be out of our price range, which is prob less than 2 grand thinking about it. so......every van seems to have its 'lounge area', the 2 settees, table, settees make into a double bed etc.
but the 4 berths also seem to have this extra 'side table' (dinette) which will prob make another bed? id rather not have that and do all the eating, playing cards, watching tv etc from the lounge bit, and do away with the 'dinette' and have a decent kitchen area, shower and storage.
does that caravan exist? or do all 4 berths have this extra table?
Mine (above) is a bailey ranger 500/5.
It's five berth, has lounge at the front which turns into a double and a dinette at the back whic turns into a double with a bunk above. You could leave the double made permanently if you wished.
we wouldnt want the 4 beds, just the size of a 4 berth
There are plenty of big 2 berths. They are usually big so that each side of the seating area is big enough to use as two single beds. It makes it quicker to set up the beds for frosty old people who don't like to get busy on their caravan holidays. The 2 berth we just sold was the same size van (16 foot) as the 4 berth we replaced it with, and that's not cramped.
There are loads of different 4 and 5 berth layouts, not just side dinettes. Check out caravanfinder.co.uk, all their listings have little diagrams of the layout, which makes it really easy to see what's out there and what you might like.
[url= http://www.caravanfinder.co.uk/caravan_layouts.html?berth=4 ]Click here for a selection of layouts[/url]. Ok so the prices may not be what you want but it shows you what's available.
great stuff thanks chaps (how much was your bailey ranger paul?). off away for a week now, but im sure ill have more questions over the next few weeks 🙂
ta