Advice Please

"...... and the tow car needs to be at least 2010 as Michelle doesn't want to trade in the old car for a older one."

....does this mean you have another car?

if so, can it be used as a towcar?....again if so, this might also give you the weight of van to be looking at..

..would give you more cash for the (better, nicer) caravan?

Welcome to  CT and your new hobby.  I did it on that sort of budget for years it can be done with care.  You will get great Advice on here soon I am sure.  I would say take great care with your choicesfrom a damp and safety point of view.  Good luck!

We have another 2 cars but neither one is up to the job, Peugeot 107 and a Modus 1.2.

We are a clean slate just a little poorer than we'd like.

Definitely do-able especially as we are in autumn and dealers will be pretty desperate to clear older stock ready for the new season. You ought to be able to drive some pretty hard bargains. 

As for cars - I posted a few days ago a 10 reg Mondeo is up at an Arnold Clark dealer for £4988 (60000 miles, 125bhp tdci diesel engine) Lots of life left. Good hunting.

Thanks for the helpful answers.  Also whats best to get first the tow car or the caravan?

If you are intending to take two teenagers along, or even one, then I would definitely go for a four berth, if you can afford it. Firstly it does give you a bit more space and, possibly more importantly, quite often, even in summer, the awning can get a bit flooded. We have experienced this quite often, it may only be a couple of inches but if you need it for sleeping that would be a problem. We have experienced this at Beechwood Grange, New Forest and especially Moreton in Marsh, all of them CC sites.

Probably better to get the car first, then you'll have a better idea of what it can tow. Most 4 berth caravans are going to come in between 1200-1400Kg MTPLM(that's the max weight including stuff you put in it). Sticking to the 85% guideline recommended for beginners, you need to be looking at a towcar around the 1600Kg weight. Don't get carried away by the size of the caravans. A more modest sized one will give you greater flexibility in the choice of car which should probably be a 2L diesel from an engine power point of view. Don't go buying a VW Toureg or Jeep Grand Cherokee just so you can get a twin axle mobile palace.

Hi Sher3et

Welcome aboard! There is so much information to consider. I know because even though I work here, my family and I have just bought our first caravan and there is A LOT to take in! Your £10k budget will be fine, as long as you are savvy and search out good second hand buys.

Regarding your choice of car and caravan, cyberyacht above always offers great and accurate technical advice (as above) Once you have an idea of car (or caravan) please be sure to do an "outfit matching" test to confirm compatibility: http://bit.ly/2cGO17x.

For more help on choosing a suitable vehicle and all you need to know about where and how to buy click here: http://bit.ly/2bnbkBE

And then to search for caravans for sale to gain an idea of what you can get second hand head to: http://bit.ly/2cocd0r

Good luck!!!

Helen

Welcome. 

In my experience it's quite hard to find a caravan that will accommodate 2 adults and two teenagers. Bunks are pretty small and mine were too big for them at 13. Fixed bed options generally don't  give you long enough seat's to use as beds so test bed length carefully. We considered fixed singles but ended up with a two berth plus awning which was a good call because at 16 the kids stopped coming with us. 

Good luck. Spend as much time as you can looking inside vans. My usual advice is to check out Adria vans as they are far more aware of the needs of families than most manufacturers. 

If you have two teenagers the length of their beds might be crucial. A bit difficult to find as they were built in low numbers is models with a single dinette accross the back which converts into a lower bed and bunk over at night. I take it they bare both the same sex so bunks are not a problem.

You can also find the same layout with a double at the back and a bunk over if need be. The layout means the toilet, wardrobe and kitchen are all in the middle giving some separation at night.

Whatever you buy a damp check is essential to make sure the caravan is sound.