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hello,new to this site.i am looking for some advice and hope that i could get some sound tips from all the experienced people out there.

me and my husband are looking to purchase a folding camper for the new season next year.there will be two of us with the occasional person .the car we own is a 1.4 polo diesel tdi,with a towing wieght of 1000kgs i think!

we lijke our creature comforts so would like one with a fridge in and possibly a toilet we can pay up to 3 thousand for the camper.but we havent got a clue what to look for when purchasing one.we have never owned anything before.only a tent years ago .its very daunting and we are struggling to find anywhere in our area that sells them.i have done some research and like the pennine sterling,pullman.pathfinder and also the conway cruiser.

ebay sound tempting but we are first time buyers and dont want to get ripped off.

thankyou for taking the time to read my topic and hope i will get some good advice.

joanne 

Just had a look at my usual reference source for info on towing weights:

http://www.cuddles.abelgratis.net/volkswagen.htm

depending on exactly which model Polo you have it's goign to be either a 1000kg or 800kg towing limit.

My Pathfinder is 1000kg max weight, so would be right on the limits for your car! My feeling is that if you've never towed before you want something a bit smaller - the Pathfinder is a big unit compred to most Campers.

At the price you're looking at paying I'm not sure there's much else with a built in toilet. The Cardinal is certainly a little bit smaller than the Pathfinder, and you should be able to get a later one with the toilet compartment within budget.

I managed for some years with a porta-potti in the awning, but I must admit I do like the "indoor" conveniences!

Glen

Don't forget to check out the adverts on here. There's preloved too. When it comes to towing, the clubs and RAC etc recommend that what you are towing weighs no more than 85% of the tow car weight. Some manufacturers exceed this when giving their max, but the advice is that this is not a great idea for an inexperienced tow-er, obviously that's if the towing aspect is new to you too. if it is, it's also worth looking up the highway code section on towing which you can read on line, as well as reminding you of the reduced speed limits when towing, it gives some sensible advice.

I agree that ebay is not always a rip off, I have bought hundreds of things and only had a couple of bad experiences - which were always resolved by ebay with out any difficulty. Make sure you see things up and check everything carefully. If you want advice on what to check, there are reviews here and on ebay, as well as many threads on choosing an FC if you use the search facility - they will give you a really good idea of pros and cons etc. You have a really good budget and should be able to buy a really nice unit in very good condition, it's worth spending a little time doing some research to find out which features matter to you so you get something you can really enjoy. Happy shopping!

Good luck with choice and i think the Countryman/Fiesta will be better with your car combination.

The Pathfinder/Crusaders are great units but loaded they are 1000kg and would be a big unit for a 1.4 diesel to deal with as well as being long units which may not tow as well with a short car

Trogano do a 575TC and Raclet a Tamris 9sam basic unit)  with a toilet which is slightly lighter and shorter than the pennine/Conway ones above but still weigh ion a 950kgs loaded i think

www.foldingcamperinfo.co.uk is a useful resource