Old Hobby Caravan

MrsG09

Hi all. We are hoping to buy our first caravan. To be kept onsite. Owner doesn't know how old caravan is but says in good condition with no leaks or damp.

We're going to see it this weekend. Could anyone give us tips or advice please? We have to travel 4 hours to see it and neither of us are very mechanical!

Thanks in advance

CJhaughey

Just note that Hobbies are the caravan of choice for a certain minority group....

MrsG09

CJhaughey wrote: »

Just note that Hobbies are the caravan of choice for a certain minority group....

Hi thanks. I had read that and spoke with the owner of the caravan site - there is no problem

crabbypaddy

I wouldn't drive 4 hours to see something if the owner can't sell you how old it is. It should have an id plate or sticker on the side low down and also vin marked on the chassis probably on the a frame underneath at the front. With the vin you can find out how old it is. If it never had a vin plate its probably 30 years old at least. If the vin is missing there a high chance its stolen.

db

Hobby have a reputation for building very solid caravans. If you have a good search on google you should be able to find out how to work out the manufacture year from the serial number. it can be hard to know if a caravan has been stolen but it may be registered on the CRiS website.

If you know anyone that has owned a caravan bring them along as they will have a good idea what to look for. Make sure you see everything working on both gas and electric - water supply, water heater, room heating, fridge, cooker, lights, toilet. Check all doors, lockers, beds. Check the brakes, tyres and both towbar electrical connections and make sure all exterior lights are working when hooked up to a car. Check all around the walls and floor for any signs of softness which would indicate damp in the timber and if you have a good damp meter bring it with you. Hopefully the seller has been getting it serviced regularly so check for any records of previous services with possibly a recent damp report and gas inspection. If the owner is not able to show you how everything works I would run a mile as it is most likely stolen.

Try to get any accessories you can with the caravan like electrical hookup cable, step, water and waste containers, awning, gas bottles etc. These can cost a few hundred to buy so anything you can get with the sale will save you money.

Hobby caravans can be very wide and very heavy so be sure you will be able to tow it home with your car. Also, check with the site that you plan to site it on that they are OK with it. A lot of people use Hobby vans permanently sited because they are a bit bigger so this shouldn't be a problem.

MrsG09

Thanks for the replies, following your advice very I asked for a photo of the VIN no, just looked it up and it's 1995 model.

Nobody is able to come with is unfortunately as it's really far from where we are.

Seller has agreed to bring it yto the campsite if we buy it.

Unfortunately we wouldn't have a clue how to check gas/electrics etc.

It's the perfect lay out for us and we don't have a massive budget ...

Benbecul97

How does the asking price compare to other 95 caravans (look online)? If its too high or too low I'd be very wary!

crabbypaddy

Theres a hundred point checklist here since you're not delivering it or planning to move it you don't need to worry about lights brakes tyres etc. thats the sellers problem. I would check the chassis underneath though you don't want it collapsing

http://www.how2caravan.com/100-things-you-should-check-when-viewing-a-caravan/

If the floor in rotten or there is water ingress its probably worth less than a grand or 1/3 whatever they're asking, but considering they are prepared to deliver it that probably adds value for you personally. Make sure you only pay full on safe delivery.