We are going to view a van at the weekend - we have viewed one "damp free" van with water puddling on the floor and a leaking skylight which we walked away from.
We have a small budget and so are looking at an older van. This one is a 1992 Elddis Wisp 5 berth with awning. I have got a damp meter (never even got it out last time lol!), spare reg plate, towing mirrors, haynes caravan manual and another book. We have bought a Kia Sedona with tow bar and 2 electric connectors. Hubby has a class 2 HGV license and done heavy/awkward loads but neither of us have ever towed. I know to look for damp everywhere we can.
I have so many questions it is unbelievable but these are the main ones as I'm concerned about buying a money pit:
1 Should we take a gas cylinder to test the water heater?
2 The van comes with an EHC and a 12V battery and is stored on the sellers drive, should all the internal electrics work off the battery or should we ask to see it connected up? Can this even be done to a house?
3 I know to check the tyres for age/ wear/ cracking etc and the towing lights (the seller states they powered the towing lights from the battery not the car - I believe as we have both sockets we should be able to power them from the car). Do I need to check anything else for towing (brake pads? Hitch?)
4 We only have a standard tow-ball so am I correct in thinking we cannot tow an alko hitch? He has said it comes with a stabiliser bar, can we use this with a standard tow ball?
5 Should I be checking for anything else? I don't know if this age of van is CRIS registered or has a log book?
If we buy it, I am going to drain down the water system/ loo straight away just in case. Hopefully I will use the next two months to reseal the joints just in case and make it our own.
Thank you for any advice I get
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Topic: Total newbie - daft (or not so) questions
