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Topic: tips for buying secondhand
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01/7/2015 at 9:23am
Location: Devon Outfit: Pennine Fiesta
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You may be better to buy a cheap trailer tent, as the cost will be far less, they are much smaller and easier to tow and it will give you a good idea of how it will be in an FC (albeit without the little extra 'luxuries'), and you sleep on a 'proper' bed which is off the floor.
this is what we did and I have to say I certainly have never regtetted doing it this way round. A cheap TT can cost a couple of hundred pounds, rather than the £1000 plus you may have to pay for an FC (you can buy cheaper FCs but they will tend to be very old and may have problems).
A TT is fairly easy to move on again, if you decide to move up to a FC, as they are cheap and easy.
just my thoughts and advice, i'm sure others will disgaree and say go straight in for an FC - it's 'horses for courses'.
Good luck with your decision - you won't regret it either way.
------------- Give a man a fish and he'll feed his family for a day.
Teach a man to fish and he'll sit around on a boat all day drinking beer!
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01/7/2015 at 10:40am
Location: Redditch Outfit: Changes almost daily!!
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They will, indeed StixJimbo (starting with me)
It is, indeed, horses for courses, and there's nothing wrong with taking a halfway step via a TT, if you want. To be fair, the only thing I would take issue with is the prices quoted above.
You can pick up some really excellent FCs for under a grand, and I have found some top class ones for around the £500 mark. (Which I've then gone on to sell for £1,500 plus, so, obviously, not too many problems to worry about).
As I always say, when these questions crop up; there is no Parkers guide for folding campers, so prices can vary really significantly. The example I normally quote is my own 2003 Pennine Sterling 510. These sell, on average, for this year, in this conditions, at between £2,250 and £3,000 (although my local dealer has an identical one in, at £4,995). I paid £1,300 for mine, on eBay, with a £200 awning extension and £150 worth of bed skirts.
Of course; you have to look around for bargains like these, they don't come up every day, and, at the lower end of the budget, you do have to be more wary of potential issues.
I do think the impression above is a little misleading (just my opinion, of course, as you say; we all have different thoughts on these things, which is why these forums are so helpful) because it suggests, perhaps, that you a would have to pay £1,000 for a FC, and that anything less would be older. To be fair, the £200 budget suggested for a TT is not going to get you anything newer. I have picked up late nineties Pennine Aztecs and Apollos, in immaculate condition for £500 - £600. A TT, of similar age and condition will, generally, cost £400 - £500, so, from a purely personal perspective, I know which I would prefer to spend my money on (although I do agree, there are some excellent TT bargains to be had for around £200, but most wont have kitchens etc, and, if they do, you then have the same potential risks as you do with a folding camper).
Of course, as I mentioned above, you do need to be very wary when looking at cheaper FCs, as there is a little more to go wrong with them, so not all of them are the bargains they appear to be (but the key thing is; many are, which is why I would err more towards and FC, rather than a TT).
I can email you a 4 page buyers guide, containing some of the things to watch out for when buying a folding camper (although much of it will also relate to trailer tents). If you are looking, for the first time, and on a budget, it may just help.
That would be my opinion on it, but I agree, we all have different perspectives, none necessarily more right than others. Good luck with it, whichever route you go.
------------- The one good thing about being wrong is the joy it brings to others..
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01/7/2015 at 10:48am
Location: Letchworth Garden City Outfit: Conway Cruiser
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Going from tent to FC, is easy - we done exactly that 9 years ago! Admittedly, at the time, we were fortunate to be able to buy brand new. I'd never towed anything before we hitched up the Pennine Sterling just before leaving the dealers.
As for second hand options, I'd look at something like a Pennine Aztec (Conway do a similar sized FC, but can't think of the name) two double beds, one converts into a sofa, sink with running water, double ring cooker with grill and a few cupboards for your bits and bobs.
Easy to tow, easy to set up and has the potential to sleep more under the beds.
That's probably as basic an FC as you'll find. You might already have a tent EHU which can be used in Aztec if you want power. Yes they are an old model, the one we've just sold was built in 1991! But still has plenty of life in it yet. Cost is very comparable to older TT's.
I don't know what your budget is, but there are plenty of sub £1,000 FC's out there and a few sub £500 units too.
Looking at older units, expect to see knocks and dings in the bodywork and internal furnishings. Expect some wear on the seat/bed cushions and maybe curtains. But do check they are only cosmetic as then a pot of paint, roll of sticky back plastic etc and an afternoon can and will make a big difference.
Gas hose is always worth checking, if not replacing as rubber does deteriorate over time (think we paid around a tenner for 2M gas hose, calor gas regulator, and a pair of jubilee clips last year from eBay. Max half hour job and I felt happier that we were safe.)
Obviously the most important thing is the canvas - many adverts proudly state they have just sprayed it with some chemical or other to make it waterproof, personally that puts me off, as canvas is naturally waterproof if looked after properly. Give it a very good look over both before and after it has been put up, looking for obvious damage, repairs etc.
It all boils down to how much you want to spend, the less you pay, the more 'shabby' it'll be. Only you can decide how much, if any, work you might want to put into it after you buy it.
Usually find the best time to buy is at the end of the season, often full of bargains, with extras thrown in.
Sorry for the long post, but hope it helps? Good luck with your search, and please do keep us updated
------------- Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional
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01/7/2015 at 11:34am
Location: Devon Outfit: Pennine Fiesta
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Quote: Originally posted by Blue Sky Pennine on 01/7/2015
They will, indeed StixJimbo (starting with me)
It is, indeed, horses for courses, and there's nothing wrong with taking a halfway step via a TT, if you want. To be fair, the only thing I would take issue with is the prices quoted above. I am going from personal experience here.
Of course; you have to look around for bargains like these, they don't come up every day, and, at the lower end of the budget, you do have to be more wary of potential issues.
I do think the impression above is a little misleading (just my opinion, of course, as you say; we all have different thoughts on these things, which is why these forums are so helpful) because it suggests, perhaps, that you a would have to pay £1,000 for a FC, and that anything less would be older. To be fair, the £200 budget suggested for a TT is not going to get you anything newer. I have picked up late nineties Pennine Aztecs and Apollos, in immaculate condition for £500 - £600. A TT, of similar age and condition will, generally, cost £400 - £500, so, from a purely personal perspective, I know which I would prefer to spend my money on (although I do agree, there are some excellent TT bargains to be had for around £200, but most wont have kitchens etc, and, if they do, you then have the same potential risks as you do with a folding camper). Once again, my personal experience and i'm not trying to mislead anyone at all, but thanks for the vote of confidence!
Of course, as I mentioned above, you do need to be very wary when looking at cheaper FCs, as there is a little more to go wrong with them, so not all of them are the bargains they appear to be (but the key thing is; many are, which is why I would err more towards and FC, rather than a TT).
That would be my opinion on it, but I agree, we all have different perspectives, none necessarily more right than others. Good luck with it, whichever route you go.
------------- Give a man a fish and he'll feed his family for a day.
Teach a man to fish and he'll sit around on a boat all day drinking beer!
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01/7/2015 at 12:05pm
Location: Redditch Outfit: Changes almost daily!!
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Chill out!!
I notice you have focused on two points of opinion, and, for some reason, taken them as a personal attack, and ignored phrases like; "just my opinion - we all have different views on these things" and "we all have different perspectives, none necessarily more right than others".
Not suggesting any one opinion is any more valid than another. We bring them all together in the forum so the OP can make an informed decision, based on all the various opinions on offer.
The way the statement was posted was IN MY OPINION a little misleading. That is very different from suggesting that you were trying to mislead anyone in any way. Just that I felt the information (based on my own personal experience) needed to be expanded on to reflect a different perspective.
I buy and sell these all the time, but that doesn't make my opinion any more relevant or valid than anyone else's, hence, back to my own statement; "none necessarily more right than others".
If you re read it, once the red mist has subsided, I think you'll see it was just another opinion, in exactly the same way yours was.
------------- The one good thing about being wrong is the joy it brings to others..
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02/7/2015 at 12:22pm
Location: Devon Outfit: Pennine Fiesta
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Quote: Originally posted by Blue Sky Pennine on 01/7/2015
Chill out!!
I notice you have focused on two points of opinion, and, for some reason, taken them as a personal attack, not at all, just stating my case and ignored phrases like; "just my opinion - we all have different views on these things" and "we all have different perspectives, none necessarily more right than others". As you seem to have done with mine
Not suggesting any one opinion is any more valid than another. We bring them all together in the forum so the OP can make an informed decision, based on all the various opinions on offer.
The way the statement was posted was IN MY OPINION a little misleading. Ah, you see we can all have an opinion ;) That is very different from suggesting that you were trying to mislead anyone in any way. Just that I felt the information (based on my own personal experience) needed to be expanded on to reflect a different perspective.
I buy and sell these all the time, but that doesn't make my opinion any more relevant or valid than anyone else's, hence, back to my own statement; "none necessarily more right than others".
If you re read it, once the red mist has subsided there is, and has been, no 'red mist' (this is only an internet forum after all) I think you'll see it was just another opinion, in exactly the same way yours was.
I will add, though, that my point about the smaller size of a TT is probaly just as, if not more, relevant than price - particularly as the OP says they have never towed before, so safety couild be an issue here (and I am a professional driver so am, I feel, qualified to give this advice).
Anyway, as we have both said, these are our own opinions and the OP will be able to make a better informed decision from the advice posted.
------------- Give a man a fish and he'll feed his family for a day.
Teach a man to fish and he'll sit around on a boat all day drinking beer!
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02/7/2015 at 5:48pm
Location: Redditch Outfit: Changes almost daily!!
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Which, to be fair, is why myself and Eel28 mentioned the likes of the Aztec, Challenger etc. These, along with certain other 4 berth models, like the Dandy 4 / Dart are all under the 500kg mark and, therefore, the same weight as most TTs. Many others, like the Pennine Fiesta, Conway Countryman and Trigano Randger 415DL fall part way between the TTs and the larger FCs, and are excellent first time campers.
You could go for a larger FC straight away, as both my self and Eel28 did, and I'm sure you would be fine, but the smaller 4 berths will give you more comfort and equipment spec than an equivalent TT, for the same size and weight when it comes to towing. #justsaying.
------------- The one good thing about being wrong is the joy it brings to others..
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