Caravan advice

bergipau

Hi
Sorry I know this forum HD mainly camper van she. Buy was looking for some advice on buying a caravan.
The caravan I am looking at looks structurally sound, but it needs a fridge, heater and 2 external doors for the battery compartment.
Where is good to but these parts?
Also, how should I test the wheels, breaks etc are working well. I'd hate to get half way home and have a wheel fall off!

Thanks
P.

db

If you're not getting it free, run a mile.

bergipau

db wrote: »

If you're not getting it free, run a mile.

It's not free, but it isn't far from it.

_Brian

I'll start by saying I think this is a bad idea, sounds like this caravan is semi derelict and was likely left like that for a reason.

However, back to your question.

Wheels, you could jack it up and check the wheel bearings for rattle in the bearings, catch the wheel on each side and shake it, should be no rattle at all, any rattle shows a worn bearing which will collapse with use. Spin each wheel by hand with it jacked up, it should soon near silent, any roughness is again a bearing problem and likely to let you down roadside. Get in behind the tyres with a torch and check for cracks etc particularly deep in the thread pattern.
Chassis needs to be checked, get down and dirty with a good torch and have a screwdriver to hand to poke about.
Should be able to check the brakes by applying the handbrake on/off and pushing the van.

One problem is if the van is parked up for a long time with tie handbrake on the shoes often stick on. Can be a pain to get it to release and will overheat if you try to pull it like that.

You should also check the interior walls for damp, pressing hard with a knuckle the walls should be firm and not spongy, damp meter would be better

Check the floor for delamination, any looseness or bowing in the floor is a big problem.

db

bergipau wrote: »

It's not free, but it isn't far from it.

To add to my previous post, this caravan is scrap. If it has been missing external locker doors, the weather has been getting into it and it will certainly be damp. The fridge and heater are probably the most valuable parts and would be common in a lot of caravans and motorhomes. They have most likely been sold which would indicate that whoever owned the caravan had started to strip it. He should be paying you to take it away.

crabbypaddy

+1 he should be paying you.

Its worth €80 as a bare rolling chassis it will cost a few hundred euro to dispose of the rest of it though.