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We are looking at buying our first caravan sometime this year, can anyone tell us which makes are recommended which ones we should be avoiding. We are looking at buying a 4/5 berth and our buget is anything up to £3000.

When viewing vans what should we be looking out for internal and external.

You are presumably looking at an older van, which is a good way to start out if you can find a good one for that sort of price.   That way you don't stand to lose too much money if you find you don't like caravanning or don't use it much, as decent older vans do seem to sell well on Ebay and you could always drop if if you needed to without losing thousands in depreciation.

The main problem to look out for is damp.    Do a search on this forum and you will find lots of links with advice on buying a used van.  

Buying privately will usually get you a better deal with all the necessary bits and pieces included with the price, even an awning sometimes, whereas all you will get from a dealer is the bare bones and, on older vans, a limited warranty.  However, you really need to take someone with you (preferably a caravan expert) who knows what to look out for and who is armed with a damp meter.   Lots of caravan service/repair people will do this for  fee and it's well worth it - a bit like having an AA check done on a used car really.

Good luck.  Hope you find the right van.  (Be prepared to travel around a lot looking at "mint" condition caravans that turn out to be anything but.  You should eventually find what you are looking for).  Have you checked out the ads on this forum?

Look here for a few tips on buying to protect yourself. My post is seven posts down.

Don't buy the first caravan you see and fall in love with, be highly critical of every caravan you look at (to yourself anyway). Its too easy to fall into a trap of buying in haste through rose tinted glasses and finding out at your leisure that you have a damp pig in poke.

As your budget is around £3000 you will be looking at the second hand market and more than likely to buy privately. Dealerships will always be a little extra because of their legal obligations and overheads which they have to price into the sale price. Buying privately has its risks so you need to get it right first time. Hence..take your time. Just enjoy the experience of looking.

You might find that as you look, and you see the range of different layouts, that will start to focus your mind on just what style of van would suit what you want out of caravanning. Do you want to make a bed up every night? Do you want a room that can be separated so that the dog does not end up sleeping on top of your bed? Do you want your own washing facilities or are you happy to use site facilities? So, can I suggest that "which makes are recommended which ones we should be avoiding" is the wrong starting point. All caravans are fine...unless you buy that pig in a poke. Each model has its foibles and you need to remember that caravanning is about compromising. You will never get that perfect van, but you can get one that is as near for your needs, that you will tolerate the fiddly things you don't really like.

You may have to up your budget. You may need a new car to tow the kind of van that would suit your requirements. What you will need is the extra money for all the add ons unless you can find a super van with them thrown in. Folks selling up and giving up caravanning usually throw everything in so those kind of deals are worth waiting for. e.g Essentials -  Gas (£48ish per cylindar and having 2 is useful) - refills are around £21; Water hog and waste Hog at about £40 each; EHU cable at about £25 (go for the 25m length); Mirrors £43ish; Wheel lock and hitch lock at about £80 each; Insurance; Battery £70ish; Pump £45; Fire extinguisher and blanket £40ish; Noseweight guage £23; levellers£20ish; chocks £5ish; Watering can (for filling toilet cistern). Optionals- Then you may fancy an awning; Torque wrench, Tyre inflator; and a whole range of other goodies.

Look here at pages 4 and 5 for a cautionary tale.

Have fun looking

Phil