buying a second hand caravan

Klug

Hi, not sure if this is the right forum to use or not?
We are thinking of buying a small caravan to take weekends away when possible. We won't be using it for main week or fortnightly holidays.
How old a van should we be happy to look at? We know it depends on money, but there is no point in buying one too old and then having to spend a fortune on fixing it up. Never having bought one before (have used parents one), we are unsure of what to look for...wiring, glazing, heating, electrics etc. There are so many out there ranging from new to nearly 20 years old.
Any advice gratefully received.

greenface

Tourer or static . You said take weekends away not take away at weekends . I think you meant tourer. All really depends on your budget what is your budget. ? Take your parents with you or someone your parents know well. Look in the places corners inside cupboards etc for any damp. Double glazed really . working electrics and not been added to too much (extra sockets by ex owner etc.) Thetford or similar flushing loo with a decent water heater for the shower, A shower. A decent awning that you can see up dont take their word its good and fits . enough room for your needs + some more . Why not buy cheap and see how it goes and see if you enjoy towing and getting to places late, dark, hungry & wet and see if its still fun. A good chassis and frame and a compatable car . If its a static ignor most of this rubbish haha. Can you tow have you checked ? How long have you driven for ?

ailuro2

it's down to the car and your budget really, and what you can overlook in terms of decoration too, as some of the older ones might be functional but not so pretty or as cleverly laid out as newer ones.
Get yourself a damp meter, and join a caravan forum to swot up on what you need before diving in.

joerugby

Main thing is to make sure your car will tow it. Don't rely on the car manufacturer's towing limit - that may be way too high to be safe.

The maximum laden weight of the caravan needs to be no more than 85% of the kerbweight of the car

There is plenty of useful info on the Caravan Club website

davehills

Check for signs of damp (Using a damp meter if necessary) as it can be very expensive to repair. Have a good sniff to see if there are any musty smells.

Have a good look at the chassis to check for rot or damage.

knightstyle

We are thinking the same, don't buy an older not galvanised chassis one. Have a look at folding campers, easier to tow and store plus lots of interior space. We owned one some time ago and went touring in France and Italy for several months.
You can just put up the main part in 10 mins for overnight, or add the awning for longer stays.

spacey2012

A weekend of forced manual labour.

greenface

But it splits friday from monday .