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Hi

As we have 4 dogs we thought a caravan might be easier to manage than a tent. Idon't understand anything about them though!  I think we know the kind of layout we want, but pros and cons would  be useful.

Also what do the numbers after a van#smodel mean eg 540 or 420? Which are considered to be budget, mid or high end makers?  What or where can I find useful info top help me make a decision aout type of heating, what needs to included, size etc??

Thankls for any pointers/experienced views

The first thing you want to do is to see what your car can tow.  This is what will make your initial choice.

If this is your first time towing, you should stick to a caravan with a fully loaded MTPLM of no more than 85% of the kerbweight of your car.  Not written in stone, but good advice.

Don't forget to check the max noseweight on your car.  It will be called something like towbar vertical loading. When you see a caravan you like, ask what noseweight it should run at.  Ideally this would be 7% of the MTPLM, but this can vary.  If you can't get enough noseweight on the car, it won't tow very well.

Also, be sure that your licence will allow you to tow what you have chosen.  If you passed your test after 1997, there are some restrictions on what you can do.

I'm sure you'll enjoy the caravan.

Jim

Hi Julie

Agree with all of the above, but you also need to think about the type of caravanning you are going to be doing.   If you intend to go on site that have facilities then the bathroom may not be on the top list of priorities.  Maybe more room will be required as you have 4 doggies.   We changed from always tenting to caravaning three years ago.  We bought a new sprite major 6, this had fixed bunks at the back and side dinnette that changed into bunks and front lounge but only a small bathroom.   This was fine when we were going on commercial sites with toilets and showers but now our caravanning style has changed and we go rallying mostly so we needed a bit more home comforts.  Now have a fixed bed and end bathroom.  Really have a think about what you want out of it and within the limits of your car.

Hope you find what you want

Julie

Hi Julie,  We have just bought our first caravan after camping for years. The last straw was when we went to Sandringham and it poured with rain and our boxer dog run amock in our tent and got everything wet. We have bought a Xplore 474 with a fixed bed. We have also bought an awning so when it rains Archie can have his own space while we stay nice and dry in the caravan. (bliss) Wish we had bought a caravan years ago......

Good luck in choosing your caravan.

Mags

as mentioned lots of times theres so much to look for. the main factor is what you can tow. how often are you going to use it and when its not being used wheres it going

although i dont take my dogs (kids are bad enough) ive noticed lots of people take dogs and take dog cages to keep them in when need be in a suitable awning

before you buy anything please please ask someone from here to offer advice on it such as value for money damp so on so on ebay has a massive selection of vans but again without experiance or knowing the correct questions to ask you may end up with a pile of scrap

lots of study and caution is the best way

Hi Julie,

Whatever you choose I bet you'll swap it within a year! We only started 'vanning last May and are on van number 3, it's not until you live with a layout that you find out what works for you.

We are a couple with 3 dogs and found that the 2 berth didn't suit as I didnt like the hassle of making up the beds every night plus I sometimes like to go to bed before Hubby, the second van was ok but didn't have hardly any worktop space, it was one with a front and rear dinette that we left up as a permanent bed but it wasn't wide enough and neither of us slept well.

So this one has a fixed bed with proper mattress, plenty of worktop space and is an L-shaped seating area which leaves loads of room for the dogs, (although there's usually at least one on the chair!)

You should go to as many dealers as you can and spend a decent amount of time in the various vans planning what will suit you. Enjoy your search!

If you buy one of the caravan mags such as Practical Caravan, it has a section showing all the types of layout and listing makes etc.You can then get an idae of the sort that you like.

Then go and visit a dealer.As others have rightly said, know what weight your car can safely tow.

Despite what a salesperson might say, A Smart car cannot tow 26 ft twin axle!!!

Hi Julie

As has been said already, the first thing is to check exactly what weight your van will tow. A quick and easy way to do this is to contact the caravan club, and ask them. Give them details of your car, and they will tell you the maximum weight of van that you can tow., and thus help in your search.

Having two dogs and a 9 week old pup, when we moved from a boat (had tents for many years previous to that) the main consideration for us was open floor area. Yes, they do spend time in the awning, but as we use our van all the year round (its German with bags of insulation - but heavy) there are times when the dogs need to be in the van and not in the awning.

As for the bathroom issue, as a possible soon to be ex tenter, this won't be a big issue for you in the same way as it wasn't for me. Our loo doubles up as a shower, so as we don't spend the majority of our time in there I preferred to have more space elsewhere.

The other thing I wanted was a fixed double bed so that if one of us wanted to go to bed and the other stay and watch TV, then it wasn't a problem.

We also wanted comfort but none of the twee cottage type fabrics that many of the UK manufacturers seem to think we all desire.

I didn't want or need a great big full size cooker either - I do cook and find the smev marine cooker with rotisserie and a three burner gas hob plus a microwave more than enough to produce many a cordon bleu meal.

Its all down to personal preference, but do make sure that the van is sound and dry. Damp is the great enemy of caravans, and has broken many a heart.

Good luck

I read recently that the numbers at the end of a caravans name are not just model numbers. They refer to the internal length of the van so a 390 is 3 metres 90 long a 540 5 metres 40 long etc etc.

Carol

Quote: Originally posted by magicaly on 16/7/2009

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I read recently that the numbers at the end of a caravans name are not just model numbers. They refer to the internal length of the van so a 390 is 3 metres 90 long a 540 5 metres 40 long etc etc.

Carol

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