Full Time Caravan Living

If you plan on living in your van full-time, the first consideration must be the level of insulation.   If I were you I would make sure that any van had Grade 3 level insulation so that you keep warm in the coldest weather.  Modern UK caravans mostly meet this criteria but older ones don't.   Personally, I would go for a German made van as they are usually equipped to cope with European winter temperatures which can go well below zero.  Hymer have excellent insulation which they claim is equivalent to a normal cavity wall in a house.  Also, Hobby and Fendt caravans.  The only problem you may find with a continentl style caravan is that they tend to have very small bathrooms where the shower is extremely small and is basically the footwell in the bathroom.

...And normally are not as well equipped as we expect in the uk

I defintiely agree about the insulation point and that was one of the main reasons I really like Hymer. However it is very important for us to have a seperate shower, which rules most of their vans out. I should be able to get a reasonably new British van within my budget that has good insulation, whereas if I was to get a hymer I would have reduced options and maybe not be able to get the layout that I like. 

Depreciation is an important point for me as well. I assume that caravans are like cars in that they loose a large amount of money as soon as you drive it out of the showroom and then the rate of depreciation slows down? That is why I thought a 2-3 year old caravan would be best.

Relatedly do you think that after 2 years of full time living, even with careful treatment, that a British caravan would be hard to resell because it would appear so worn out?

Thanks again for your help everyone it is really helping answer some doubts in my mind! I really want this to work as I think it would be a great experience and hopefully save some money! 

You have it about correct with depreciation. After 2 years permanent living, the resale value is reflected in the condition, so its not quite like a high mileage car, but more about what works, what doesnt, are the furnishing in good condition etc. Thats why I say keep on top of the maintenance. Ultimatley, I think it would be difficlt not to take some form of a hit on the second hand value.

Thanks John it is good to know that my assumptions where correct. I have created a spredsheet with anticipated costs and including £4000 depreciation on a £15000 van over a two year period. 

Do you think if I was to go with a Lunar/Bailey/Swift that my suggested rate of depretation is reasonable? Assuming that we take good care of the van.

Also do people think that a British van will wear so badly that after two years full time living that it will be difficult to keep it in good condition? If so I may have to go with a European brand.

Thanks

One thing that might give you some piece of mind is that there is a lot of talk on here about "damp" issues,Bailey of about 4yrs ago gave 10yr warranty against water ingress, they are now six years with an "option" to extend to 10yrs,and the warrantys are transferable,the majority of vans on the market all have the same make internal fitments so one is no better than any other for reliability,good luck with your search 

You will have to have the facility to empty the van when it is to have its annual service to maintain the warrenty.

We remove everything when we take ours for service and that would probably be problematic with your van as your 'home'.

Not insurrmountable but a consideration

To test what is reasonable, you need to check whats on the market, in a similar condition and age as to what your own caravan might be in. I would expect a Brit van to wear quite well. I'm happy with my current van, and it gets about 4 months use per year and still looks pretty good for a 6 year old. You're budegeting for a modern caravan, so if it were me, I would buy on what layout and living space suited me best. Dont get analysis paralysis. Everything costs something.

Does 2 years of full time living wear out a van, in appearance,  more than 2 years spread over a longer period?

We have a Swift, coming up on 8 years old, which, when totted up, we have used for a total of just over 2 years.

And we have towed it over 30000 miles.

I think it still looks good.  We are careful and treat it nicely, regular cleaning etc.  The carpets are a little flattened, but there is no wear to the upholstery.  We have loose covers for the seat cushions that can be washed easily.

Everything still works, the cooker only shows a few tiny scratches, the sink looks good,  as does the fridge, shower basin etc.

There are a few on here that spend a lot of the year touring, how are their vans standing up to it?

I would prefer a slightly older Hymer to a more recent UK van if you are planning on full timing.   For example, have a look at THIS

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