Yep a lot of bargain vans out there if you care to troll through the others that seem a bargain.Youve got to be carefull and know what you are doing or, know someone who does.I suggest you read all you can about buying and NOT take anybody at their word how good it is.
I know a fair bit about caravans as my parents always owned caravans so know the basics of what to look for. My first caravan adventure was in a 1977 Monza, I think the model was a 1200D, it was grey on the bottom and white on the top with a black stip on the tail end. It was a rock solid caravan.
I want to buy one before January just to get a good out of season bargain.
Yes, plenty of 80s-early 90s ABI Monzas & Marauders still about, they are lightweight & fairly basic which probably makes them less prone to damp. If you are buying an old caravan off ebay many are stated as 'damp free' on listing so if you win bid & you find it damp on collection you can leave it.
If theres no obvious damp inside, buy it & go round it on a warm day next summer squirting sealant into the outside seams & you should get a few yrs out of it. What you should budget for is a chassis service, £70+parts & new tyres. Many old caravans have not been serviced or had tyres changed for yrs. You will just have to hope it survives the tow home.
The inside you can do yourself. If the fridge don't work, too bad, £100s for a new one. You hope the electrics are ok & you can take a fan heater. cooker should be ok, an old caravan is always an ongoing project.
I ain't done a great deal to mine apart from tyres & chassis service, its just a box to sleep in France/Spain in't summer.