So you’ve decided to buy a caravan. What is the criteria we need to examine?
Well, we've been through the weights and measures in previous weeks, so let's not rehash it all again, but, are you going to buy a new or used unit?
Buying new one is easy(ish) as you just pick up a copy of Caravan or Practical Caravan and gawp at the pretty pictures, phone a few manufacturers for brochures, select a couple of models to have a look at, and toddle off to a dealer.
Buying second-hand is a little different. Grab a copy of Caravan Trader and cross off all those that don't suit your requirements or budget. Then you can work with what's left.
But, before you go belting through this week's issue with your red pen, a word about all those numbers and letters behind the name. With those manufacturers that give their 'vans a number, this will usually (but not always!) be an indication of body length and berths. Thus, the Avondale Rialto 390-2 is indeed 3.9 metres long and has two berths, the Bailey Ranger 470/4 is 4.7 metres long and sleeps 4, and the Coachman Amara 580/4 is.... yup, a 5.8 metre 4 berther.
Beware of 'rogues' like Carlight. These are likened to Bentleys, and their numbering uses feet and inches (remember those?) with the 132EK being 13 feet 2 inches long. The EK indicates that it has an End Kitchen. Alternatives are End Washroom and 'L' shaped Kitchen. The Hymer Swing 466 is a 4 berth, but the shipping length is 6.6 metres (body length is only 5.78 metres or 18 foot 11 inches) but it only weighs 80 kilos more than the Carlight! And it's 14 grand cheaper at £11k!
Body Length is the length of the body (doh!) measured inside the 'van, and Shipping length is measured from the extreme front to the extreme rear, and includes the drawbar and any rear handles. Be honest with yourself, you get what you pay for.
A 1979 Monza 1200 is worth about 300 quid, while a 2001 mint Bailey Senator
Have a look in Caravan Trader for an idea of what the market is doing. Second hand, Sprites, Sterlings, and Lunars shouldn't be expensive, and new, Bailey Discovery, Elddis Avante, Lunar Chateau, and Adria series A are not too costly either.
Now what we need to discover is what kind of 'van you want. By this I mean, do you intend to spend a week on an all mod cons super site, or will you be in the corner of a windswept field miles from anywhere? If you need 4 or 5 berths and are only going to be 200 yards away from a toilet block, unless you get a very old 'van, it'll have a washroom. It may not be a very big washroom, but it'll be there. Conversely, if there's just going to be two of you, you could go for a largish 'clubman'. This will have a shower room that takes up half the back end of the caravan, but these are proper rally caravans.!
Just to put a spin on it, rallying is simply spending a week-end in a field, with some other like-minded tuggers, and nothing to do with sliding sideways through forests at over 90! And if you want to have a look at a really big caravan, type 'landhaus' into a search engine! The Hobby Landhaus is shaped like a Swiss chalet, and, with an overall length of 9.4 metres, and a maximum weight of 2.2 tonnes, it's the same size as one, too! This porta-schloss needs a big vehicle to pull it! A big Transit, TurboDaily, or Master/Movano should be OK.
Not very far away from you is a caravan dealer. This dealer will have such flags as Swift, ABI, Ace, Elddis and the like adorning his premises. But, lurking just behind all those brand-new, shiny models will be many more from other manufacturers. Just as a Ford dealer will happily sell you a used Scenic, Astra, Focus, or Xantia, so the Sterling caravan dealer will present you with examples from 'rival' makers.
Like nasty car dealers, a shoddy caravan dealer will not last long, so if you visit one that is well established, you won't go far wrong. Just as some people cannot look at a second-hand car without kicking the tyres (why do people do it?? I have asked, but no-one seems to know!) some try to swing the parked caravan around using the grab handles! Beware of such dimwits, and if you find one, take it to the nearest vet for humane disposal!! Trying to swing a 'van around like that will probably result in the handles either snapping or coming off, leaving gaping holes in the bodywork!
Let's assume that you have been all over your local dealers premises, and
found 4 examples that you cannot choose between. All four are similarly priced,
with only slight variations in specification and weight. There are some biggies
to look for. Bodywork. Is the bodywork free of damage? A number of little
'dings' may indicate a careless owner, and if they can't be bothered to be
careful with the bits you can see, what have they done about the bits you
can't? Have a look at any seams or joints. There should be some black mastic
in them. Is the mastic soft and pliable, or is it rock-hard? Are there traces
of water ingress, or damp patches inside the 'van? Windows are relatively
simple to cure, but leaky panels can be pricey to sort out, but they must
be sorted out or they'll leak forever! Also, the reason that they leak brings
into mind the possibility that the body is flexing too much. The 'van may
have been treated very badly; towing a caravan quickly across rough terrain
could cause this, and some 4-wheel-drives used be renowned for transmitting
'shock waves' along into the trailer. It is still recommended that owners
of such vehicles fit a type of shock absorber between the tow bar and the
ball.
Do all the windows close securely? A “no” here could indicate that there may have been a repair after an attempted break-in. Don't forget the roof lights! I have witnessed these coming off at 60 mph, when the owner hasn't realised that they were partly open!! Are there any dark streaks under the awning rail? This could mean water leaking into the awning. It requires someone removing the rail, cleaning the old mastic off both the side of the 'van, and the underside of the rail, applying new mastic, and refitting. Bearing in mind that as the rail is the length and twice the height of the vehicle, and is usually fixed with a self tapping screw every nine inches or so, this will be quite a labour intensive job!
Are the 'A'-frame and it's fittings OK? I was once asked to give a nearly new Bailey the once over and I found the frame bent! The 'van would never sit or tow level, it would always be slightly nose-down. But how had it got bent in the first place? I can only assume that a rogue JCB decided that it may be a tasty morsel....
Have a look at the light fittings while you're doing the rounds. Caravans have inside access to the lights, so water shouldn't get in. What condition are the tyres in? As far as wear goes, they'll last around 70,000 miles on a caravan, and unless the 'van you're looking at is around 30 years old, they shouldn't be worn. However, the nature of a caravan dictates that it spends 98% of its life parked with the last 2% being dragged around. This means that the tyres won't wear out from tread use, but the sidewalls will start to deteriorate and then split. They will have to be replaced after about 5 years.
Inside the 'van, have a look around the walls where they join each other, and the ceiling. Does the joint feel damp or cold? Floor delamination is another thing that some people get upset about. In essence, the floor is one large sheet of treated plywood. After some time, the glue can break down, and the plies will start to separate. This is usually given away by the sound of creaking, and also a 'spongy' bit on the floor. The easiest way of repairing delamination, is to lift the floor covering, drill a hole into the floor, (stopping when you get to the cavity), squirt the appropriate glue in it, put a few sheets of newspaper over the hole, then a flat board, and finally a big stack of house bricks on top! Clamber under the 'van, shove another house brick on a jack, and wind it up so that the underside of the floor just takes the weight. Some of the glue will ooze out of top of the hole, so mop it up. Leave it for a couple of days, and all should be well. The most difficult part of this task is if the carpet is not supposed to be removable. You may need to take some furniture out in order to lift the carpet.
If the cupboard doors look like they're starting to come apart, look for signs of abuse. If it's just a case of them coming unglued, it is possible to stick them back together, using proper wood glue and cramps. Simple catches are fitted to all caravan doors, so that they don't fly open on the first bend. Stays are fitted to prevent the door opening too far and clouting other pieces of furniture. Both stays and catches have to be lightweight, and so don't stand up quite so well to the more sausage- fingered among us. Parts for most caravans are reasonably easily obtainable from the specialist breakers. Unless you've just bought a 1957 Pemberton, when rocking horse sh... er.. chickens teeth spring to mind.
On our first foray alone in a caravan, the soon-to-be-Mrs Cuddles and yours truly, had a slight accident with the bed. In our little Sprite 400, the table leg was designed to fold up, and the table top slid into two grooves running along the front of the seats. The backrest cushions then dropped on top of the table, and thus the whole thing became a bed. This had nothing to do with any nocturnal gymnastics (sadly!), but something much more mundane.
With age, the sides of the 'van had bowed, and the table top could drop out
of the guides, with the resultant unceremonious dumping on the floor of the
occupants! Contrary to popular belief, this isn't much fun at
Also, have a look at the carpet. Has it been replaced? Is it worn? Has it got carpet overmats? Dirt ground in and or threadbare patches indicate that it may have been abused or neglected. If you decide that you need to fit some carpet, make sure that it's rot-proof! Caravans WILL get cold and damp when not in use, and most carpet will act like a sponge in damp weather. Similarly, have a jolly good look at the soft furnishings. If they are looking the worse for wear, they are at least easily replaced. There are several places where you are able to obtain seating, custom made to suit your particular 'van. Lift the cushions up and examine the seat supports. Broken parts scream neglect, but slightly bowed surfaces indicate more honest wear.
Anyhow, if the walls, cushions, or carpet, seem squishy or the damp-meter that you provided yourself with earlier registers, then don't waste your time with it! Again, if the vendor seems keen to prove your meter inaccurate, or says that the meters are unreliable, or that the walls ALWAYS show a little moisture, then walk away. Walls should never show any moisture, but there may be condensation marks under the windows. If there are condensation marks, have the vents been blocked? It may be that someone has laid carpet over the floor vents, or deliberately blocked other vents to prevent draughts, or insect invasion! If these vents are blocked, you'd be as well to walk away, as no-one can tell how much damage may have been caused.
All sorts of caravan and camping-related information can be found at http://www.clicreports.co.uk
or http://www.eclipse.co.uk/samwise
