Hello and any advice?

Your first thought should concern the ability/weight of your car for towing a largish caravan, of the type that you have in mind. I can't offer any advice re fixed bed caravan types as we have only ever had ones where we make the bed up every night, sorry.

Oh, I should have said. Our car ( A substantial 4x4 ) is more than capable of towing anything really. Maximum 2.5 tonnes, so pretty much opens the book. Thanks for your thoughts though.

The  caravan  trades  should  be  preparing  for  the  2018  season  now  with  NEW  vans  from  most  if  not  all  manufacturers,  so  visit  as  many  dealers  as  you  can  {  in  the  flesh  or  on  line }  to  see  whats  out  there.  But  please  DON'T  buy  the  very  first  that  tugs  your  heart  strings,  well  not  till  you  have  had  a  good  look.  And  don't  forget  a  proper  "Damp  Check"  is  vital  on  anything  used  no  matter  how  old  or  young  !!

Good  Hunting  &  Good  C'vanning.

Brian  A B M

When we started (1970) we hired a van - 3 years on the trot, different vans each time. By the time we bought, we knew a. We wanted to continue caravanning and b. What layout we preferred. (Much simpler then tho')!

Hi to you all..you have had some good advice about going to a dealer...if you don't have knowledge about caravans or know someone who does..it can be tricky buying private...biggest problem is damp you have a recourse going to a dealer if you get problems...do you have a friend who can advise and go with you. How many berths and don't forget if you go big u will need a motor mover if u have mobility problems...there is no rush unless u are going to use it in winter so take your time looking for the right one for you...Don't forget to haggle if not for cash for equipment with the dealer..choosing a caravan is a personal choice so just go and look at as many dealers you can......good luck and let us know how you get on....David

Oh by the way don't go out buying loads of equipment..get the basics there is a lot of used items out there to save you money.....we have all done it and ended up with lots of spare gear to get rid of....any problems just ask...a question is only silly if you don't ask..David

Thank you all very much. Some wise words in there. Oh yes, I am ready for the damp hunting. There is no chance of anyone selling me a damp caravan. I know every trick that people get up to to hide it. And will no doubt annoy any seller with just how much I will check and where.

Good advice about the new season. I won't be buying anything unless it is CRiS clear.

We are not in a hurry although keen is the word, but calm and calculating too. I will strike immediately if I find the right caravan, but equally am happy to wait months too if needed.

Anyone else got thoughts on the fixed bed or not fixed bed? Just how comfortable are seat cushions turned upside down compared to a memory foam mattress? I am mindful that the conversion from seats to bed is part of the whole caravaning fun in many ways.

I have a fixed bed model and for me much easier than making a bed up every night and then taking down every morning. on the odd occasion when we have had family staying with us I have slept in the made up bed and found it very comfortable. also with a fixed bed model there is less room inside than a non fixed bed but with any caravan there is always a compromise  you have to make.

Going for a fixed bed certainly dispenses with the chore of making a bed each night and they are generally more comfortable. Regarding other aspects of layout you need to bear in mind the constraints of your limited budget and what is available on the S/H market. You will doubtless have to compromise somewhere. Getting absolutely everything you want is available only to those with very deep pockets.

We don't have a fixed bed as we like full length front seats and a separate dining area which also provides additional space for food prep. We use the two front benches of our Lunar Clubman ES as singles. We are not tall and the front seats make comfortable singles 6'4" long by 2'5" wide. For me I don't do more han remove the two end cushions and loose scatter cushions. For OH I remove back cushions as well. We prefer the living space to a fixed bed as it takes about 3 mins for me to make the beds but as we now use sleeping bags less than 2 mins