We've got a combi camp Koala trailer tent which is super, easy to put up, easy to store and easy to tow - BUT teenage daughter has announced that she no longer wants to do camping holidays (she's 14). I'm thinking of selling the trailer tent and buying an old caravan instead but I'm aware I wouldn't get much for my money, are there older makes that are less likely to be damp etc than others? Whilst I'm happy to tart up an interior I wouldn't want to be dealing with any damp issues!
Have a look at a Riva Dandy. Google Riva Dandy Leisure. They are folding campers but PVC impregnated Polyester instead of canvas. They are warm, have proper beds etc and somewhere between folding camper and caravan. Many walls are wood including the door.
They last for donkeys years and dont suffer from damp. The chassis is probably the weakest point but even that lasts many years.
There is a Facebook page for enthusiasts.
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We purchased, last November, a nineteen year old Hymer Nova 390 (2berth) which is bone dry. We had, at the time of buying the caravan, a nineteen year old motorhome which we bought brand new in 2004 and so we had high expectations and weren’t prepared to lower our standards. We haven’t had to and are very pleased with our purchase. There are currently (as of yesterday anyway) two Hymer Nova 390/2 on eBay both private sales. We bought ours privately too for around the same price the two on eBay are. Maybe worth a look? Both are English market caravans although ours is continental i.e. door on ‘ wrong’ side.
Our caravan is now 32 years old and still quite usable, if fact we have not long come back from two weeks away with it in horrendous weather. I won't say it is completely damp-free as I did have to do some quite serious work on it last year, but I think that it did very well to last 30 years without problems. We bought it for £1,100 as a trade sale 7 years ago and have used it regularly ever since.
If this website is anything to go by I have the impression that some of these older caravans were probably better built than some newer ones. Some people on here with 5 year old caravans seem to have had more damp problems with them than we have.
Quote: Originally posted by roz84 on 27/7/2024
We've got a combi camp Koala trailer tent which is super, easy to put up, easy to store and easy to tow - BUT teenage daughter has announced that she no longer wants to do camping holidays (she's 14).
Might be sensible to find out why, specifically, your daughter doesn’t want to camp any more. Otherwise, you might find that she doesn’t want to camp in a caravan either. Maybe it’s a privacy thing for a young woman maturing into adulthood. Or maybe it’s just not seen as cool with her friends. Or she’s finding it really boring. Or all of those & more. It might be as easily sorted as her own space in a festival tent nearby, everyone camps at Glastonbury…
We've got a two berth coachman Pastiche with a large rear washroom. 20 years old with no damp issues. The only problem we've had was a small area of a spongy floor which is typical. Super easy fix. My wife loves the big shower. Both bench seats are full length. Build quality is amazing.