new to caravaning

a1l33n72

just looking for our first caravan. we are looking for a five berth.
has anyone any ideas as to what we should look for or any ideas

elaverty

Thats a very hard question to answer,,,,did you do a search on here and some caravan/camping sites,,,,Firstly it will depend on your budget,weather your gonna tour around or park on a site for 5months,twin axel or single axle,what layout that suites YOU AND YOURS,and the list goes on and on and on,,there is no one caravan that suites any particular persons needs...

Now if its what make and model (good and not so good maybe) that you want info on well just let people know what you have in mind and im sure theres loads of peops on here that can advise you on that,,,but there is not many bad makes of caravans now,,,,,anyway good luck with it,,,

dorts

You probably should look for something with a large front"u" lounge and smaller rear lounge with flip up bunk.Always use your sense of smell.When you go into a used caravan if you get a musty smell walk away it usually means dampness.Try buying off a dealer so at least you have some comeback if any thing goes wrong.Some caravans have bunks which is a great idea for the kids.Hope this is of some help.

a1l33n72

Thanks a million guys that is great at least now i have a few things in mind.
one question what is the difference between single and twin axle.
thanks again

elaverty

AN AXLE AND 2 WHEELS


Ah no only messing,,,its alot safer and stedyier towing a twin axle IMO,and you will find that the bigger caravans will be probably have twin axles,,,,the down side is the bigger it is will probably mean the heavier it is which will mean it will leave the Tow vehicle harder on juice,but alot safer when on the move and alot easier to reverse/manover on site,,,,

a1l33n72

elaverty

you are a genius when it comes to caravans
will keep you in mind cheers

Macy0161

a1l33n72 wrote: »

just looking for our first caravan. we are looking for a five berth.
has anyone any ideas as to what we should look for or any ideas

If you're going to tow it yourself, then you need to know the max weight your vehicle can pull (It should be in the manual). I think the caravan club actually recommend either 80% of this, or 80% of the towing vehicle (I can't remember, but I think the caravan club have a fair amount of info on this). This can limit your options - twin axle's tend to be heavier.

After that, it's all about layout. Pretty much the same as motorhomes/ campervans, there's the pay off between permenant beds or living space.

Also, iirc some people have had trouble on UK sites with an Irish accent/ number plates and certain makes of caravan. Might be worth a google.

si_guru

Macy0161 wrote: »

If you're going to tow it yourself, then you need to know the max weight your vehicle can pull (It should be in the manual). I think the caravan club actually recommend either 80% of this, or 80% of the towing vehicle (I can't remember, but I think the caravan club have a fair amount of info on this). This can limit your options - twin axle's tend to be heavier.

After that, it's all about layout. Pretty much the same as motorhomes/ campervans, there's the pay off between permenant beds or living space.

Also, iirc some people have had trouble on UK sites with an Irish accent/ number plates and certain makes of caravan. Might be worth a google.

True.. most sites don't allow twin axle LMC/Hobby/Tabbert etc.. also a twin wheel is pig to to man handle and the axle adds weight!

Look for a caravan with an Alko hitch or fit one after buying - makes towing much less troublesome.

What will be your tow car?

Betsy Og

Best advice is get on to the Caravan Club website, loads of good info about getting into caravanning.

Macy0161

Betsy Og wrote: »

Best advice is get on to the Caravan Club website, loads of good info about getting into caravanning.

I agree, and what I was trying to say. When we were considering a caravan there was loads of guides on there regarding what to look for when buying, towing weights, towing guides etc.

alanclarke1975

OP - What type of car do you have?

Ref Twin Axles - they are heavy and big.(Usually over 1600kg) If you havn't towed before this would not be a good place to start...

newwifey

Hi there
Im the same as you - interested in buying. Lots and lots of looking online but no buying We're making the change after many holidays in the tent.
Its a bad time of the year to be buying anyhow i think as most people are thinking of holidays at this time of the year. September to December is probably the best time where people who bought and didn't enjoy the holiday decide to unload. And with lots of people cutting back on holidays this year there should be a good amount of them for sale methinks!

Unfortunately we don't know a single person who has a caravan, so there is no one we can ask for advice. Come to think about it, I can't picture a caravan in any driveway for miles around where we live. Just not popular here.

Anyway after months of reserach I have narrowed down my layout to what I want.
I want one with the bathroom in the middle - not at the rear. We have 4 kids and I don't want to be passing through their bedroom ten times per nite to use the loo!
I want one where I can close the door (not a curtain) between us and them when they are asleep so we can watch some tv and have a bevvy in peace.
A full cooker & grill is a must, not a joint grill/oven combo.
This may seem irrelevant but I want blackout blinds on the windows so they won't be awake at the crack :eek:

Here she is...swoon

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180670156952&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Having studied the priced here and in the UK you get a lot more bang for your buck over there. They seem to sell the 'van with all the extras such as water and waste rolls, awnings, power cabels etc etc. whereas here they are rarely advertised with these things.
I figure even if we buy in the UK and god forbid its not for us we could sell it on here and break even at least. I know you will have to factor in the price of getting the van back here but if planned correctly you could make a little holiday out of the collection part.
I'm terribly nervous of buying a caravan that turns out to be faulty or something. And there are no caravan dealers near us either where we could pop in for a look. Was thinking of a spin to Cookstown, there seems to be a fairly large dealer up there.
Anyway, I have no real advice but ebay is a great place for looking at layouts without too much site hopping. Probably as good a place to start as any. Good luck with the search

Betsy Og

NewWifey- that looks like a great caravan, wouldnt mind it myself, 6 berth single axle fairly rare I'd say. If you enjoyed (even tolerated) tenting it then caravan will be a doddle. Maybe go for something less expensive to reduce the risk.