First caravan

[Wolf1984]

Hey all, looking for some advice on a first time caravan please.

Looking at 2 adults and 2 kinds under 7. Would love to know of any recommendations for size, layout etc and what should be a decent starter caravan price point. Used of course and not expecting anything high end.

Also are private sellers safe or is a trade seller a safer bet?

Thanks in advance!

[Smilesonfaces]

Have you caravanned before ? Some people take to it, others just don’t. Do you have a friend’s you could borrow for a night or two ? Best to not spend too much on your first van. I’m a bit out of touch with how much to spend now as we haven’t caravanned for about 5 years now.
Best tip is to invest in a damp detector. Most used caravans will have some damp and it’s best to check for how much before you buy. The other is to ensure your car is capable of towing the van you want.

I know you say you don’t want new but why don’t you go around a few sales rooms. You can go inside all the vans to check out the layout you think will work best for you. With your children you will probably be looking at a dinette double at the front and bunks at the back. A lot of vans are fixed beds now and you may want fixed bunks at the back. We had beds you had to put up each night but we preferred it as it gave extra day time space. You could slide a door across the children’s area at night.

We absolutely loved our caravans and all our best family memories are of caravan holidays. Children love the freedom and we loved the relaxation. It’s not very relaxing setting it all up but when I woke up the first morning it was bliss !

Hope you find something.

[Dinglebert]

If I was interested in a caravan or indeed motor home I would be waiting until next year and be buying from someone who bought one this year and now regrets their choice. They are in short supply at the moment.

[sam7]

Some years ago we were quite serious about getting a used van. We went round lots of trade sellers and looked at the various layouts to give us an idea of options, there are also a few website that gives a floor plan of layouts.
There are also a few places that rent out vans, they either tow them to the site of your choice, or you can go and collect them, thats a brilliant way to see if you even like the whole thing - its a bit like marmite.
Absolutely agree with waiting a bit if you can, think as soon as holidays abroad open back up the market will be flooded with used caravans and motorhomes - at the moment caravans are being sold for so much more than 2019.
Would also recommend looking at towing courses, regardless of what your licence lets you tow.
The advantage with private sales is they usually come with everything, water carriers, even awning - where trade sales come with some guarantees

[novocastrian]

Originally Posted by Dinglebert

If I was interested in a caravan or indeed motor home I would be waiting until next year and be buying from someone who bought one this year and now regrets their choice. They are in short supply at the moment.

See more...

there is a big dealer on the main road in our town, in the 22 years ive lived here it has always been rammed with motorhomes / caravans

currently there are a few caravans and thats it

fwiw eye watering prices for motorhomes... 70-80k for what to me eyes dosnt look very big/modern !

[Lola]

We've had caravans for years, from our first 'old tub' to brand new. If buying a used van I would recommend getting a small damp meter checker as that can be the difference between a good buy and a 'money pit'. Happy caravanning, great for holidays and breaks. We built a lot of memories

[JudeB]

I agree about checking for damp. It's not always visible, but can lead to no end of problems. If you have tried caravanning and think it is definitely something you want for your family, I would buy as good a van as you can afford. We made the mistake of buying what we now refer to as the 'wee bad van' and it almost put us off for ever! It cost us just over £1000 and to be fair, we managed to sell it for the same money we bought it for about 2 months later! Our kids were younger than yours at the time (5, 3 and 1) and it was just miserable. We left it a few years and and bought our first proper van which was only 5 years old but was a great van - clean, no damp and all the mod cons like a microwave, decent fridge etc. We kept it a few years and then upgraded to a new 6-berth once the kids became teenagers. This gave more room and more storage! We just changed last year to a nearly new 4 berth with a fixed bed, as the kids are now (22, 20 and 17) so will probably sleep in the awning if they come with us - which they still love to do. We love our holidays in the caravan and have great memories of touring all over the UK and France.

[enjibenji]

We been caravanners and now motorhomers for years now. If you seriously want to do then do it now, don't mean to sound depressing but life is very short. Our life has been turned upside down this year and now again in the last month and to get in our motorhome and sod off even if its an hour away is going to be a lifesaver for us over the coming months. 😊

[Wolf1984]

Thanks for all the replies and advice, so much appreciated.

We're caught between live now just do it and waiting for next season when maybe more options become available. Cheapest I'm seeing for a used 4 berth is typically 8 or 9k! Not sure if that's on the mark or inflated.

Tough one but leaning towards holding off for the new year or Easter and making the most of it over the summer months next year.

[Sew109]

I have to say my parents loved caravanning right up until a the year before my Dad died they would tow their van to Spain for the winter it had to be one of the happiest times of their lives.

We had a static and loved it and will probably buy another at some point but cant quite decide where, I want France my wife wants inland countryside. However you would not get me in a touring van for anything cramped and horrible, love camping hate caravans.