Roger McNair replied on 27/05/2021 14:56
Posted on 27/05/2021 14:56
We bought our first caravan in April. But did we make the right choice?
Recently we took delivery of our first caravan. But did we make the right choice? Choosing a caravan, motorhome or campervan to invest in can be daunting. The industry will bombard you with glossy sales information and a myriad of technical data; whilst, the ‘prophets of doom’ counter with their (generally unfounded) tales on flimsy build quality, leaks and of dodgy weigh bridges!
Initially our thoughts were to buy a motorhome but after renting one in the south of France for an idyllic week’s holiday we switched our thoughts to buying a caravan.
Why switch? Simply because we hadn’t asked ourselves Q1 – how do we want to holiday? For example – we like to be based in a European region for about a week and travel from there to explore and the car give us that flexibility (….there were other reasons as well).
This prompted us to set down a series of questions which we used to shortlist possible caravans.
Q2 – how long do we plan to tour at a time and where?
Q3 - what amenities must we have onboard and what can we do without? Think size of bathroom, air-conditioning but also external shower and gas points.
Q4 – which layout do you prefer and why?
Q5 what is the minimum payload we can put up with? We made a list of every item we planned to take and its weight.
Q6 - what is the maximum MTPLM we are comfortable towing or can legally tow?
Q7 – what is the maximum length you are happy to tow? Going long can restrict the campsites you can use, increase the cost of crossing the channel and limit which breakdown agents you can use.
Q8 - what is your maximum budget for the caravan and its accessories (think about the cost of a motor-mover, awning, leisure battery, gas bottles etc).
Q9 – which of my local dealers have the best reputation for customer service? Why? Simply because most warranty work will need to be carried out from the supplying dealer.
So did we buy the right caravan? Yes. And hopefully these 9 questions will help you do the same.
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Roger McNair
Caravanner from Gloucestershire