Buying first caravan

For me use a main dealer and check that the van has been serviced so that the warranty is valid. BUT Haggle, Haggle and Haggle a bit more. The dealer is not your friend, it is a business transaction so keep it that way. They are not doing you any special deals etc. its bull. You are a cash buyer, they love you, its winter, use this.

The option of buying private looks financially attractive because the dealer will offer the private seller considerably less than they are selling the van for, thats why they are selling it privately. So armed with the knowledge that the dealer probably bought the van at less than the cost of a similar van being sold privately then offer the same price. If they say no then walk away, trust me you new friend will call back. You may not get the same price but you should get a fairly comprehensive starter pack and other essentials. Look for 10 to  20% off the screen price. 

Do your homework, find the cheapest comparable van on http://www.caravanfinder.co.uk/ and print the details. Leave this on the seat when you are checking out the van. Let them know you have choice. 

BUMP !!

We were in a very similar position about 5/6 years ago. 

We decided to go for a second hand van from a reputable dealer, in our case Highbridge Caravans in Somerset.

We were out looking at upgrading today, for £15,000 you will get a stunning van!

Firstly, any deposit pay with a credit card. Get it in writing you are paying a securing deposit for the van on the basis the van can be checked by an independent inspection service, insist this deposit is refundable should any issues be unearthed. Personally I'd do that with a second hand car.

Once your happy to proceed insist they fix any issues highlighted by the inspection.

Warranty, what's covered? First service included? We didn't get the van checked over, but had included a 12 month warranty. We booked the van in for a full service before the 12 months and found issues that would have cost us plenty to fix.. thankfully it was covered on the warranty. 

Tyres, how old are they? Personally if they can't answer this I'd ask for new tyres.

Make sure you include a jack in case you ever get a puncture..oddly not many caravans come with these. Typically a bottle jack with a housing that bolts onto the chassis. We're yet to use it, but it's peace of mind..

I would advise that you negotiate with the centre! You are going to want a fair number of accessories.. a deal can be done!!! They've often got plenty of vans and will want stock ticking over.

Motor mover, Gas bottles and spanner, Leisure battery, Water/waste butt, chairs, awnings, crockery, gas BBQ. Don't forget security your insurance will insist on a hitch lock and wheel clamp of sorts. My personal favourite was negotiating in an inflatable canoe into the deal!! Be cheeky and keep pushing you'll know when no more can be done!

Storage, where are you going to store it? Cassoa gold storage will help with insurance costs.

Insurance, personally we get ours through one of the clubs. 

On handover take a video camera along with you, ask if they mind you recording it. You will take on a lot of information, most of which you will forget! We did.. drove 30 miles from collecting in mid March, and then found we couldn't remember how to put the heating on!!!

If you have a battery drill, get an adaptor so you can put down the legs!

Hope this helps..

Ask the dealer for a free night at a site close to them so that you can check that you can get all functions working to your liking.

Having had a few problems with vans that we have owned I believe it is better to compromise on the type of van in favour of finding a LOCAL dealer that you can trust. There is a fair chance that you will be back for warranty claims so you don’t want to travel too far and you want them handled efficiently.

I have a damp meter from Lidl / Aldi but you should be aware that most caravans have damp, it's the level at where it is that you need to be concerned.

If memory serves me right (correct me if I'm wrong) but 12% rings a bell as being normal.

I always said that I would never tow so when I decided to give it a go I went for second hand on Ebay! The idea being that if I did not like it then I could sell it on for little loss / no loss.

It was 10yrs old and the owner was moving to Canada. It was only £4,000 and I kept it for 10yrs selling it on with 12 people wanting it. I made four trips to S.France and I love it.

Not keen on hotels now.

Been caravanning for only one year and bought the 860 as our first van. Never having towed before I reckoned I may as well start with a big one.

Yes the width of the fixed bed is less than a standard double for a home and since we have a five foot bed I was concerned 4ft 3'' would be too small but it actually works out ok. The benefit of the extra width is you can walk around the bottom of the bed when needed rather than clamber over the other half to get to the loo.

We are in the same situation. I am looking for our first caravan and l have thousands of questions in mind.

first of all we need 2 berths (1 for me and my wife, an other 1 for our 11 year old daughter). I don’t have a tow bar yet but I will get one fixed to my Mercedes GLC soon. I have been driving for 20 years (4 years in the UK) but l never tow a caravan so l am not sure if l can do it or if l need to take some lessons.

our budget is around 16-18k and l was thinking to buy a 2015 hobby 460 Ufe but l have been advised by A friend to check a brand new Elddis Xplore 304. It looks good but l don’t know what l have to check, how to compare these 2 units or which one l should buy...

Another idea is to buy the cheapest van you can find so long as it is safe and towable by your car.Use it for a bit.If you find caravanning is not for you you won't have lost much money.You may also find a bit about what works for you.It may be that making up the bed every morning is not as much trouble as you thought, or it may confirm to you that a fixed bed is the way to go.

It is not the fact that it is 3" narrower than a small double that is the problem. It is the lack of "air space" either side which stops you hanging your arms over or simply having lots of breathing space (literally).

My litmus test is " would you find this acceptable at home"