Looking to join thr rhocaravan club but need a van. Seriously looking for a min 4 birth caravan, old but in good solid condition to take family away on few seaside hols this year and also maybe the shows. Have a trailer tent but always end up putting it up on my own while becky keeps the 4yr old and the 2yr old busy.

 

Anyone got one or know anyone that is looking to sell? Dont want to spend mega bucks as its our first van.

Hundreds on the Bay Keith.

 

Just check all over for damp, if it smells of air freshener be wary, check under all beds and in all the cupboards etc.

Check everything works as it should.

Biggest thing to look into is what can your car tow? and also, when did you pass your test as not everybody can tow certain weights etc.

 

HTH,

I think keith is one of those new drivers that have to take a test to tow a van probably best to have you seen him drive

I'm ok as long as the van is 1300 kilos with the passatt as I am allowed to to w a combined weight of 3500 anything bigger and Becky will have to tow it. Looked on eBay but auctions are a bit of a mare as can go and look at one but may go too high plus not much that's local ish don't mind traveling if a buy now and looks good.

It's not the weight of the van but the maximum allowable mass (mam). Basically the fully loaded weight. I doubt you'll get a 4berth van with MAM under 1300kg.

Edited January 17, 201511 yr by theduck

Im in the same boat Keith.

Spending all day tomorrow preparing a drive to put a van on.

 

Andi

The duck is right, you may get one that is close to the weight but that is before you put anything in it. Do some research on model weights and then work out what the stuff you will put in it will weigh. I know only too well how much clutter two small children demand. On a positive note our 5 berth was a lot lighter than we expected and came in under mam and obviously under gross train weight but above all is safe and stable to tow

Plenty of 4 berth vans about that are well under 1300kg MPTLM.

Wife can tow if over until I take test

How much is the test?

Mines a 6berth and under 1300kg, you will have to look long hard, we used the sniff test if it smelt of animals, cigarettes, musty etc we walked away. Like nick said check everywhere for damp and that everything works also that the layout will work for you

Dealer trade ins can be a good source. That's how we got our first van. Bought with no warranty and cheap, but he showed me that everything worked and went round with the damp meter to show all areas were under 16%. Lasted us 3 years, got a bit of damp and sold it honestly with damp declared for £75 more on eBay than we bought it for!!!

Had it serviced every year which I think is a good idea.

Raymond James in Atherstone always has some trade ins round the back. That's where we went. Honest and straight.

Good luck

Andy

What Rob said.

 

When you have you wish list start hunting, don't buy the 1st you see there are loads about.

 

Scan the locals for some one who is packing up caravanning. My daughter and son-in-law got a 2007 Bailey fixed bed with 3 awnings all the fresh and waste water containers, Knives forks spoons pots and pans, They could have taken a suit case with them to collect it and have gone away in it that day.

When we looked at dealers and they had paid around 2K less than a dealer, the guy even gave us a damp meter to check it over.

 

Look to be paying around 4 -5 K.

 

Buy cheap and smelly you and Rebecca will hate it.

You don't have to spend a great deal of money to get a good van, my wife wanted a particular layout which was not the most popular and we picked one up for a grand. We could have moved in and gone on holiday straight away. It came with a telly,hook up lead,awning,pots and pans,crockery,water containers in fact everything we needed plus some we sold on. Sometimes family circumstances or space becomes an issue and people need to move stuff on in a hurry. We did use it once or twice then had it serviced and last year we probably went away in it seven or eight times including a trip to Devon. If its a few years old then expect little things to need replacing now and then but there are plenty of parts available cheaply on the Internet. As with everything else you get what you pay for and I don't have large amounts of money available to sit around the garden while the children are bashing stuff against everything. Spare money is for kits!

Plenty of good advice above, I would add look for one with more berths than you need and also bear in mind that fixed beds aren't always best with a family, if you put the kids to bed lounge area where are you going to sit other than the bed if you don't have an awning up?