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Hi Bob (& family)

We paid the grand sum of £100 for our first caravan (a mid-eighties lunar with an awning!) which got us completely hooked on caravanning, we upgraded from a tent, which has to be said has not come out of it's bag since, nor according to the mrs will it ever again!

If you look around you can pick up an older 4 berth starter 'van for a couple of hundred pound which will allow you all to decide if caravanning suits you. (as it does'nt suit everyone) - eBay is a good place to start looking for your 'van, and you might be able to pick up a real bargain!

The best tip i can offer is to always view and thoroughly inspect potential 'vans before parting with any cash...check all the corners and walls for damp (a simple damp meter from B&Q will knock you back a fiver or so, but could save you buying a soggy old knacker)...also check all the appliances are working (don't take the sellers word for it!) and set up the beds and see if they are ok....our second caravan was a 4 berth that turned out to have 2 very small double beds which were far too small for us and very uncomfortable, but as we never set up the beds before we bought the caravan we never knew...our own fault!!! hence very soon after bought another 4 berth with bigger beds!

Hope you manage to find a cheap 'van that suits you and your family!

All the best.

 Hi Bob and welcome to the caravan section. It sounds as tho you need a van with living accomadation at both ends, this way you will be able to screen the boys off when they are in bed. We had an ABI Highway with this combination, also the boys will have somewhere to do their colouring etc. without being in the way.

Jo

Hi Badger-Bob ..... welcome to Ukcampsite - you'll find all you need to know on here about camping and most other things lol ......... sit back and enjoy

Happy camping

Hi Badger Bob and welcome to the caravan section   we bought our little 4 berth 1986 Sprite Alpine for £675 on ebay, the seller was very good and encouraged us to go all over it with a damp meter so we knew we were buying a little bargain, its a sweet little van and easy to tow, we got one of those lightweight porch awnings they sell on here for £149 and it really does double the useable space of the van, whatever you buy you will have great fun in your caravan, once the bug bites it never goes away

Yvonne.

Quote: Originally posted by Badger-Bob on 23/6/2006

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Its not the looking for the caravan thats the hard part its saving the money bit thats hard.First the wifes car insurance was due,then the telly licence,Then the fridge freezer went pop and now the b****y televisions is on the blink.

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Oh dear oh dear!  I heard about things coming in 3's before, but not 4's!

But don't worry about the TV, you're not missing much - there's only been that football cup of the world thingy on lately...

Quote: Originally posted by pieeater on 23/6/2006

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Quote: Originally posted by Badger-Bob on 23/6/2006

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Oh dear oh dear!  I heard about things coming in 3's before, but not 4's!

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Nah....he's not got them in 4's............he's just starting on his second lot of 3's

Hope not.....really......

What part of the country are you in?  Do they have the Loot near you?  I have recently bought my first van - an older type but I paid a couple of hundred quid extra (for peace of mind really) and have bought from a dealer - as they are doing safety checks on all the equipment within the van, and promise to show me how to operate it all safely.  So I have paid for peace of mind, really as I know nothing about caravans.  If it was a used car, I would know enough to know when to walk away, but a caravan is a different thing altogether.  The Loot was a really good starting point, though, as was auto trader.  I found cheap vans in both.

I pick it up on wednesday, so lets just hope i'm doing the right thing!  Good luck with your search, though!

Hi all its The Badger again.I thought I will keep you posted on my search for a caravan.Well I have finaly got the car I wanted.A 1986 Volvo 740 GLT Estate with 1 years MOT for the pricely sum of £250.I have allways liked the 740s as I think they are a great car.I am also now a member of the Volvo Owners Club.So there are a lot more of nutters like me about.Now all I have to do is save up again for our caravan.When that will be I dont know.Callum our youngest is suffering badly with his eczema at the moment with this heat and he has had a realy bad flare up.But with the creams etc I will get him back to normal.Anyway Take Care Everyone and I hope you all have a great summer.Bob