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I have just bought an old 1985 5 berth  caravan to see if we as a family enjoy it.

Cheap as chips compared to these new caravans but dont want to do tenting.

Although no running water and no toilet fitted and looks a bit old, what else do I need to look out for.

Didnt want to tent cos no protection from weather and no bed setup.

Bit of damp at the front corner but I think just needs to have some sealant on the outside!!

Need to know the next step on a limited budget !!

Old man giving it a clean up outside now !!

def,get the tyres checked we thought ours were fine untill service this year and wen he took em off one of them had a 4 inch slit on the inside wall,very lucky we were not to have hit a pothole n blow out...

dont forget to check that your ok to tow on your licence,if past test after a sertain year your not aloud to tow.dont forget to let insurance know your towing also,some do get a bit narky about it.

dont over load your tow weight your van will only carry a sertain weight so try and stick to the weight guid for your van....

welcome to the tin tent world,and trust me once you have got into it you will have a newer van in no time

I have a 2 litre Mondeo so pulls it OK

What about the bit of spongy wood at the front ??

How can I make it a bit more more cosy ??

I suppose for the year you cant knock a bit of damp but will get ut looked at  - bedding and all other stuff ok , well, not too bad !!

The best way to make sure the caravan is legal and safe is ????????????????

Take it to a dealer to get it serviced or get a mobile one :)

They will give you a damp report too :)

Enjoy it and the newer one you will soon be buying cos you will want a toilet and running water - how do i know this?  Been there done that lol

Once you've had it serviced, it may be a good idea to take it for a weekend somewhere fairly local to you to try out...that way you can iron out all the small niggles that will inevitably show up and you are not too far away from home to pop back for all the "essentials" you forgot to pack.

Ask your service engineer to check out the damp patch you mention (which should be part of the service anyway) and get it fixed ASAP...damp travels quickly.

Most important - GET THE GAS PIPES AND SUPPLY CHECKED BY A 'GAS SAFE' MAN = USED TO BE 'CORGI'! Also fit a good smoke alarm!

Re-seal roof and corner joints.

My old Buccaneer Elan has no damp patches as I re-seal all joints regularly whether they need it or not - prevention is better than cure. Once water has entered it travels along inside. If you then seal it in it just rots the woodwork.

Here endeth the lesson of the day!

how do you reseal all the joints - easily !

And which ones ??

thanks