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Hi all, I am a keen under canvas camper about to reach the great six-O.  Of late thoughts have been turning towards a caravan (less crawling around on hands a knees etc.) The problem is, whilst I am fairly knowledgeable when it comes to one sort of car over another, I know absolutely nothing about caravans! So any help you can give would be much appreciated. To give you a little help I am thinking of a two/three berth van which could be towed by a Saab 9-5 Estate. I probably won't buy new initially so a budget of say, £5000 tops. Also when buying secondhand what do I need to watch out for?

Many Thanks,

Steve , (AKA Bertie)

one thing to watch out for is the dreaded word D A M P dont go buying anything that you havent taken a damp meter too and checked it out everywhere, if your buying privately then ask the owner if they say no then walk away!!!

shame your not nearer to me as i have my  previous caravan up for sale now and its fully equipped and ready to go, i know you will have most things that you can use from your tents but things such as the awning etc etc would all come in handy if that was thrown in the deal aswell, makes a big saving and you still get to have your canvas around you.

good luck with your coming purchase

Its all been said but I'll say it again - damp. Make sure it isn't and make sure it's Chris registered.

I have bought private and dealer. My preference these days basically because of potential damp is through a dealer.

You will obviously have to check car/van compatability  but with your car you shouldn't have a problem.

Interior layout really is personal preference. don't think there is a right or wrong

The popular layout now is for a four berth fixed bed. This gives a fixed bed and small shower cum toilet compartment with a washbasin in the bedroom and a fairly small lounge at the front The front dinette can be made into a double bed but they are usually too short to use as singles.. The compromise of the fixed bed is it reduces the space available for living by day. With your budget you will probably struggle to get one.

The other popular layout is a 4 berth side dinette with end washroom. This gives good living space and a beautiful washroom with seperate shower. The wardrobe is usually in the washroom. The downside is you have to make the bed up every night, and because its made of cushions its not as comfy as a fixed bed but they can often be used as singles. Well within your budget.

The 3rd option is a two berth with large end washroom, the front dinette can be a double or two singles. Well within your budget.

A smaller 2 berth has a front dinette, end kitchen and a small corner washroom. This makes a very compact caravan which is easy to tow. Well within your budget.

Lastly you could have a 5 berth. These have a dinette at front and back. You could replace the rear dinette mattress and use it as a fixed bed. They have a small side washroom. These are well within your budget, but as they are family vans they may have had a hard life.

Its useful to buy a make that has a dealer nearby for repairs and spares etc, but with your budget you are probably looking at something 7or 8 years old at least. Most of the kit inside, fridge, heater, water haeater etc is usually made by one or two manufacturers, so spares can be easily obtained.

We are now 60 and are saving for a fixed bed to replace our end  washroom side dinette Bailey Ranger now the kids have left home.

steve, is your 5k budget just for the van or 5k all in as you will need stuff like hitchlock, wheelclamp, insurance, stuff like steps, tv and bits. i reckon on best part of £500 for all that. either way you will be able to get a cracking wee 2 berth for your money

Many thanks for these useful tips. They will all be put to good use in the coming weeks when the search begins in earnest. Interestingly, no one has ventured to recommend one manufacturer over another. Presumably, Vanmaker A  and Vanmaker B have different levels of quality in manufacture. Although my current budget is quite meagre I would like to think that I am purchasing a quality item. This could be particularly important if I am buying a somewhat older van.

Any Thoughts?

Regards,

Steve.

All the manufacturers offer a range of models equating to budget, mid range and luxury. Within each range, they then do various layouts and lengths. I have a Bailey and I say they are a good value lightweight manufacturer with good build quality and designs. Budget is Ranger, mid range is Pageant and luxury is Senator. They did do an even cheaper model for a while called Discovery. The Ranger is very good, it's well equipped, light weight.

Most people probably have their favourite make which suits them and will recommend them to you. For every person who says a particular make is good there will probably be another who says they are rubbish. Truth is they are all mostly good otherwise they wouldn't still be selling. The differences are really quite small.