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Take them to your nearest dealer and let them explore the range. Suggest they look at a 4 berth as this gives you more room when just the two of them plus the extra beds for grandchildren and other visitors. Its not so much a hobby more a way of life that is highly enjoyable.

So many caravans out there.....just try and get it right first time !!!

I suggest they hire a caravan for a couple of weeks, and move it between two or three sites and see how they like it and get on.

From my experience, buying too big a van first time is the biggest turn off for older first timers who haven't towed before.

Thank you all so much for your replies, they've been really useful, and I've passed them on to my Dad (as well as the address for this site to save me being a go-between!).

Funny you should say about Swindon Caravans dazzer, they told me they went there yesterday and were amazed at how many were there! More than they could see round properly.in an afternoon.

It's certainly given them a lot to think about, who knows, maybe my Dad will be on here as much as I am!

Not sure about joining all you with 'vans at the mo, loving our tents too much!

Cheers everyone

Come over to the tin tenters......we did and are still in our thirties Best thing we ever did and we now go away a lot more and much easier with young children.....if you miss the tent just buy a big awning

We brought our last van through Oxford Caravans who are the same company as Swindon / Reading. They seem good and the one thing I did like is they give 12 months standard warranty on all used vans which you can upgrade to 3 yrs for around £200. As this also covers water ingress till the van is 10yrs old I think it is worth the money and a lot cheaper than other after market warranties. We had to use this last week to get our heating fixed and they had it in, repaired and tested and back to us within 2 days. Some other dealers in Berkshire only offer their own 6 month warranties (the one above is issued by MB&G) which I have found sadley lacking!

Tell them to take their time, visit lots of dealers , maybe visit the big shows, and chat to owners as much as you can,  choosing is part of the fun.

Its hard work, but really great , we're back from our first weekend away in our new little second hand van, the electrics blew and we had to buy a tailgate board for the journey home, still we cant wait to go away again..........

jesse

Lol dazzer, seeing some of the 'vans out there it is quite tempting, but I've had to justify all the stuff to my OH for camping, I think he'd lose the will to live if I turned round and asked for a caravan now!

Great advice on the warranties though, will mention to them.

Thanks Jessegee, will pass this on to them too, hope your's doesn't cost too much to fix!

There's 2 of us with a 2 berth. The 2 front seats are very long and usable as singles and when made up the bed is huge. We have a lovely big dressing/bathroom. When the kids still came with us we had a double diner (5 berth) which was fab but the bathroom was small and there was no designated dressing area.

We started off as vanners, became tenters, then vanners, then tenters. Vanners or nothing now for us, def not another tent