After we bought our van and had it serviced and the damp was found, the workshop that serviced it, said they offered a call-out service for £50, where they would come out and check a van over for you. I would definitely use that service if buying private and maybe even trade.
Maybe you could ring your local caravan repair shops to see if they offer an similar service. Worth the money for peace of mind.
I would go for a cheaper 2 berth with awning and annexes(for the boys to sleep in)you then have the caravan to yourself, you would get something for around £1600 and if genuine seller you will get lots of extras.
We did this to see if OH liked towing. Again the couple we bought from were giving up due to health so even got the towing mirrors.
Although our daughter was older than your children, she loved the annexe pod in the awning as it meant she had her own space but could easily pop in and out for the loo etc, plus you have the extra room that you will need with a 2 berth for dining.
After 5 years and when the daughter wanted her own tent we decided to get a newer, bigger van, we only lost £275 on the 94 Elddis it had been looked after so well originally and by us.
Good luck in your search, you may find it cheaper and easier to buy at the end of the season BTW, always had luck in August.
------------- "Close your eyes and pretend it's all a dream, that's how I get by"
DEB
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I wouldn't buy from a dealer unless buying new. At any price I don't think buying a used van has any real benefit from a dealer. Spend some of the money you save by going private on a professional damp test from a mobile engineer, they cost about £40 and well worth it. With that done you can buy with confidence and save some cash too.
I'm going to agree with your wife: buy something cheap that you know is - for now - waterproof and has working electrics, etc.
I paid £300 for a five-berth (well, four but front bed will hold three kids easily) and I'm happy I did. Yes, it looks every day of its 25 years. But my little boys will have a lot of fun in it and if we decide to upgrade in a couple of years, we'll know exactly what we want.
I would go for the two grander but not before looking at the adverts on this site It seems there are quite a few around that price most with extras and buy a damp meter
Good luck..and let us know what you decide
Freckles, the boys the OP has are only 2 and 4 so they probably need a 4 berth with side dinette or rear dinette.
I would be inclined to go for the cheaper option with little kiddies, they WILL fiddle and break bits. Its the way of the world. lol!
I agree, buy an older cheaper van with small children. My daughter was 5 when we bought ours, and it seemed that everything she touched she broke, and it was quite a robust top of the range Abbey, although nearly 20 years old.
And as the kids get older, you can always sleep in the awning with a good quality air bed, it will probably be easier on your back and you won't have the hassle of making the bed up at night.
Just chuck my two pennyworth in ,when you find one you like why not ask a mobile caravan man to check it over for you,there are some good guys out there and won't charge a fortune....wish i had taken my own advice with my recent purchase...lol
You can tow 1300kg with the 1.6hdi picasso by the book. Have done so and probably nearer 1500kg. It tows well but under pressure on steep hills with these weights. I prefer a double dinette layout giving one end for the kids sleeping and playing and one end for yourselves. Have fun
We bought our first van privately through Ebay when our two boys were nearly 2 and minus 3 weeks! It was a tiny 13ft ABI with a double dinette. As the kids got bigger we bought an awning with an annexe which we slept in until we changed it after about five years. It was really cheap because it had some damp, which we knew about. My husband did some research and replaced the damp panels and dried the van out. Since then we never had any further problems with damp, unlike the van we're currently looking at changing that we paid considerably more for and bought from a dealer!
i have a 1999 eldiss whirlwind vogue ,its got everything in it hot water ,blown air ,cooker full sized awning ,and everything needed for holidays tows a dream ,cost me sub £1000 and having towed it with the same car picasso 1.6 td 110bhp it towed well but knew it was there i got 34mpg on a 200 mile trip .
i in all honesty got better mpg from my mondeo 2.0 petrol estate .i have now switched to a mooned 2.0 lire tdci that should be better