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It seems all caravans suffer from leaks and damp, and supposedly only last a decade or so…hmmm
We just bought a cheap one, £200. There was a leak in the roof, but the water just ran out the hole in the bottom. We went all over Scotland in it for about 8 years, loved it, then when it got too rotten we gave it away.
I think theres no risk in buying a caravan for a grand or so, if it doesn't leak now it will soon, but it'll still be perfectly useable for ages.
nbt
Member
WONN UUUNERED!
This deserves more credit! 😆
Not mine, but saw one like this parked up at the Legoland campsite in Gunsburg.
[IMG] 
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About the least 'wild' campsite you can imagine.
Made me smile. A lot.
He (pretty sure it would have been a 'he') bugged out before I had time to take a picture of his beast squeezed up against his Knaus and RollerTeam compadres.
How much of a gamble to buy a sub £1500 van…?
Matt;
Travel with bikes: bike on roof rack or as I do: wrapped in old duvet on the floor. Have had a bad experience where I thought it was safe and propped up and it fell around every where scuffing stuff. Roof rack wins though, I just need to buy one. Newer caravans often have mounts for a rear rack.
Sub 1500 van;
Damp. Buy a £20 damp meter and check the walls everywhere. Google caravan damp check images for an idea where to stick the prongs. <20% moisture should be ok. Under 15 is ideal. You can fix damp. If caught early it's just resealing the awning rail or Windows. If the woods gone then I'd avoid unless you're prepared to fix as I'm not a fan of spores. If the walls are spongy they are gone.
Floor
Look for delamination. Springy floor. Can be fixed with a kit. Good place to knock money off of you don't mind work and want rid of the obligatory orange carpet for vinyl floor.
Electrics. Check the 12v system works. I.e when the hook up isn't plugged in. Should be a leisure battery in place. You do need one even if you never use it. Regulates voltage. 240v may work some lights, charger, fridge etc.
Fridge will be 3 way. Check it works on gas and electric. Easier said than done I suppose when looking.
Heater will be gas/electric. Can see if that works. If it's broken then spares are in abundance. It will be a carver if fairly old or newer, its parent company replacement truma. The truma is awesome. Check the fan works. I knocked £200 off our old van because the heater needed a £10 part.
Check the water heater works. Gas/electric.
Toilet/shower. Manual flush thetford bog will have no issues. Electric flush may be fussy. Look for drippy taps from ice damage. Shower trays are made of cling film and often crack. Can be replaced if you need to or "speedcoated".
sites often have showers anyway and whilst functional, a caravan shower isn't amazing unless you have a direct water feed and a quick water heater.
£1500 will see a floral interior. Check the bed pulls out etc. Everything is made light and out of cheese. Carpet can be cut out and vinyl put down. Newer vans often have removable carpet.
Check the water inlet is not cracked and that they give you a pump! See it run and look for black muck coming out the taps. Will need a good dose of puriclean if so. Check the taps don't leak. Frost damage is often the cause. Puriclean the system anyway.
Exterior: look of damage to the alloy walls/roof. Pin prick holes. Look for delamination. The awning, roof and window rails should be sealed nicely. Sikaflex is king if needed. Check the windows don't have stress cracks. Check the rear and front panels are not cracked. Abs is harder to fix than grp. Check external doors close and are sealed nicely.
Running gear. Look for a stabiliser hitch. 13 pin or 7 pin electric to tow bar can be converted in line so that's not a problem wiring wise.
Tyres should be under 7 years old. Hard to check the brakes unless you tow it. Shouldn't bang when pulling away or starting to reverse. Check the corner steadies are greased well and work. £40-50 each to replace. Check the handbrake engages nicely.
Look for bits; aquaroll, wastemaster, awning, hitch lock etc.
Have fun. I found £2k+ they start to get better. Facebook marketplace is often good for cheap vans. Everyone will say they are damp free. Even if not.
Sold our old van really quick at 16 years old because I spent £170 on a service with damp check so it proved I had nothing to hide and all was sound.
What olly said.
Also, trust your nose. If it smells damp, it probably is.
Look for people who are obviously selling a van they've holidayed in. The ones where they are in a field being 'sold for a friend' are a riskier. We viewed many like that and they were awful, and the previous one was sold like that and it had a terrible leak and the guy had patched it up cosmetically, without fixing the leak. It was obvious with a bit more investigation in the far corners of all the cupboards.
Totally expected the hate, it's a caravan at the end of the day. Most people don't get them until they've tried them.
I had a smaller one 6/7 years ago, albeit that wasn't exactly tiny. We had to make the bed up every night and something is always a compromise, be it the kitchen, bathroom or bedroom in a smaller van. I always vowed Mr next one would be as big as possible. I'd have had a Hobby if the door was on the right side and they didn't attract the attention of our traveling communities.
I did point out earlier that I use it for work, but that may have been missed, as I let everyone froth for a bit first 😂 Basically it's my home for 4 nights a week, but we have/will use it for holidays. I did 2 years working away from home in the last one including a pretty harsh winter. Spending money on hotels is dead money - with this, vi save money and also get something we want out of it. Work aside, holiday wise, you have more freedom than a b&b. I've got a decent inflatable tent that I'll use for festivals (might take the van this year though), booking trips with the lads etc. Mrs STR has arthritis and tenting isn't really an option for her.
Would love a big motor home one day, but the cost is ridiculous and I also need my Land Rover/pick-uo/van/whatever for work.
As for TV's - I've 2 X 24" smart TV's with Freeview, so don't bother with a dish. Can get more than enough channels to watch plus Netflix etc. It's also got a decent Bluetooth stereo system. It's April and still goes dark reasonably early. Plenty of time to 'do stuff' in the day, without feeling the need to sit outside in the cold and dark, just to avoid watching telly.
Driving wise, only maybe slightly hold anyone up on tight lanes, other than that I keep up with the flow of traffic. Down side is the Disco does about 20mpg towing it, but I drive 30k a year for work, a few hundred towing this isn't really going to make that much difference.
A couple pics from last week and some of the van. Haters gonna hate 😘
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/40736900483_5ef15cb6d0_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/40736900483_5ef15cb6d0_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/254Mgga ]2019-04-26_10-30-30[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/85252658@N05/ ]davetheblade[/url], on Flickr
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(Stock photo)
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[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/32763167477_3ede7e90bb_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/32763167477_3ede7e90bb_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/RVaNeT ]2019-04-26_06-41-51[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/85252658@N05/ ]davetheblade[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47653398432_0060080b91_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47653398432_0060080b91_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2fAY88N ]2019-04-26_06-40-09[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/85252658@N05/ ]davetheblade[/url], on Flickr
Looks blimmin awesome.
👍
My word, that's rather plush...
Right how do I post an image from Instagram?
Bah
That's lovely.
Regarding buying a van, we bought from an elderly couple with health issues.
The van was grubby (I gave it some serious cleaning when it came home) but everything was in good order.
We took my fil when we bought our first cheap van. He was able to pick out a really decent one from a group of about 5 or 6. So my advice is take along someone that knows their onions.
One thing - we pulled up some of the floor to discover the fridge had been leaking. Had it not been spotted it would lead to issues. The chap we bought it off had the fridge under guarantee (it had just been serviced, so he got it fixed for us).
Nice van OP! You can get some really nice ones for not *a lot* of £'s, friends of ours picked up a lovely 3 yr old Coachman something or another for 13.5K (from a dealer, with a warranty) which was just about unused. The oven grill pan was still in the protective wrapping, didn't look like the loo had even been used nor the shower. Doubt It'll get damp either cos he keeps it in a big shed.
*depends on what you class as 'not a lot'*
Quite plush inside that but it's not for me, I'll stick with the a lodge, hotel or cottage thanks.
Regarding buying a van, we bought from an elderly couple with health issues.
The van was grubby (I gave it some serious cleaning when it came home) but everything was in good order.
From experience, elderly people don't really see that well, often find it difficult in those small, hard-to-reach areas of a cramped caravan and sometimes lack the strength required to do serious deep cleaning. The same started happening to my grandparents caravan - or they'd have forgotten to close a window or dry out the awning properly and from there it was a short road to dealing with lots of mould or mildew or build-up of fat from cooking.
🙁
OP - nice pics, that van of yours does look properly comfortable!
Quite plush inside that but it’s not for me, I’ll stick with the a lodge, hotel or cottage thanks.
I stayed at a hotel for Coed y Brenin once. It was crap. Tried to be a posh country lodge but was just scruffy and naff.
I stayed at a hotel for Coed y Brenin once. It was crap. Tried to be a posh country lodge but was just scruffy and naff.
Unlucky.
We are looking to get a caravan this year - the cost of cottages is getting silly with 4 kids so whilst it will be a bigger initial cost we should save in the long run - and I suspect actually get away a lot more for adventures! Looking very second hand so there has been some great info on this thread!
The original idea was a campervan, but with enough berths and seatbelted seats things were looking expensive! The idea of a caravan seems more versatile since we can leave it onsite and go off for the day.
Also - I am feeling too old for too much camping now, and it does rain a lot in the UK....
https://flic.kr/p/255y9M8
At last our tab320. Great wee caravan. Does absolutely all we need it to. No frills but a great base.
Is the OP Katie Price?
Is the OP Katie Price?
Poor effort, it's not pink ffs
At last our tab320.
Nice. My uncle and aunty have been all over the US in theirs. I really like them.
As a motorcyclist, I love caravans... Mobile chicanes. What's not to like?
Thieves/anyone can open a caravan door in seconds so keeping them inside will make no difference
Just as an side, it seems manufacturers have finally given up on floral interiors. New Swift models have plain fabric.
I really, really want one of these, fully kitted out inside as a camper. Yes, it is a 6x6!
I’d like to see one of those s****y shiny boxes do this...
Tents take fricken hours to put up and take down, pack all the shit in the car etc.
No, it doesn’t, with the right sort of tent. I have one of the Decathlon inflatable tents that can sleep four. Including putting down the footprint, it took me twenty minutes to put it up from the time I found my ideal pitch at Greenman, to sitting out front watching everyone else fannying around.
It did take a wee bit longer to pack up, but I was on my own, so took maybe 45 minutes, but everything was wet, so I was trying to get as much water off as I could before packing it all up.
My folks used to caravan a lot, did it for many years, and I went with them until I left my teens, and I reckon I could pitch my Decathlon tent in about the same time as my folks took the get the van parked and everything set up.
I reckon I could pitch my Decathlon tent in about the same time as my folks took the get the van parked and everything set up.
But then they have a table, comfy chairs, comfy bed, fridge, cooker and sink with running water.
You have a tent.
OP I think I was following you toward Woolacombe earlier in the month. You were certainly not holding anyone up. Nice set up but I’d shit myself towing something that big.
Countzero- Greenman line up this year is frikin awesome, can’t wait!
Timely- Countryfile feature on caravans on right now!
But then they have a table, comfy chairs, comfy bed, fridge, cooker and sink with running water.
I have a comfy chair, a very comfy double self-inflating mattress and a lovely warm sleeping bag. When I camped for nine days in Devon a few years ago, it was with a much smaller tent, but I had running water, a tap a few feet away, a proper loo with wash basin close by, and I had a small wood stove that I pretty much had going with a kettle simmering all day for tea when I was sat outside reading, otherwise I was out walking.
Cooking, however, was left to the kitchen of the pub in the village where I could be found every evening.
B&B in the pub, £75/night, my camping spot, £10/night.
I had a wonderful time, never did it before, and I’m in my 60’s...
P.s. I don’t do cooking...
Those pinz 6x6 things are just horrid to drive and so cramped inside. I’d not want to try and live out of one no mater how cool it looks .
I have a comfy chair, a very comfy double self-inflating mattress and a lovely warm sleeping bag. When I camped for nine days in Devon a few years ago, it was with a much smaller tent, but I had running water, a tap a few feet away, a proper loo with wash basin close by, and I had a small wood stove that I pretty much had going with a kettle simmering all day for tea when I was sat outside reading, otherwise I was out walking.
Mmm, you can tent camp in reasonable comfort, but speaking as someone who's done all manner of camping as well as caravanning, the latter is far nicer. I have:
- pocket springs and a duvet
- a wardrobe in front of which I can stand to get dressed
- a toilet in the van so I don't have to go for a walk to pee
- my own washing up facilities
- an electric toaster
- hard walls and ceiling, so when it's windy and rainy you just hear gentle sounds
- an actual sofa
Don't get me wrong - there are clear downsides to caravanning, but there's no question it's miles more comfortable than tent camping.
It isn't a Pinz - it is a Volvo C304 / C306 (or 4x4 one is C303). Much simpler suspension, chassis and drive train but still portal hubs and diff locks. Newer ones have rustproof "aluzinc" body.
I really want it's older / smaller brother L3314 / C202.
This is the place to find one
https://mobil.blocket.se/annonser/hela_sverige/fordon/bilar?cb=41&cbl1=0&cbl2=0&cg=1020&f=p
Still probably not much room for a camper, and probably not much point unless heading to Iceland / Africa. But I still want one 🙂
I have 4 tents & a caravan, all the tents are 'for sale' (meaning I want shot of them) The caravan isn't.
I grew up camping with my Mum & Dad, cos that's all we could afford to do & I loved every trip. Every trip gave me a love for the outdoors that lives with me still, along with great memories.
However, I'll take the caravan over a tent anyday now, & the only reason I'm keeping the sleeping bag & cooking gear is for bothy trips!
B&B in the pub, £75/night, my camping spot, £10/night.
At that price there’s no competition. Pub it is.
I also have two tents and a Berlingo camper box/bed
Just incase. But when we go away and it's mid November and it's hammering down with rain at 9pm; I'd much rather be lying on the sofa, next to the fridge of beer with the heating on watching Netflix than sleeping in a tent or a converted panel van.
You all need to try it in a modern caravan before dismissing it.
Tedious Drac, tedious.
One of the best threads on the forum for a good while. We're leaning towards a van rather than a caravan and I get the issue of having to pack everything up. I'm wondering if a cheap urban ebike alongside the proper bikes is a part solution to that problem.
At that price there’s no competition. Pub it is.
£65 for a family room at a yh, ye can keep yer tents, tin or otherwise. 😊
– pocket springs and a duvet
All caravaners are fat nd need pocket springs. I like a hard bed.
– a wardrobe in front of which I can stand to get dressed
I can stand in front of other furniture to get dressed.
– a toilet in the van so I don’t have to go for a walk to pee
Piss jug, shit tray.
– my own washing up facilities
See above.
– an electric toaster
Posh. I don't even have that at home!
– hard walls and ceiling, so when it’s windy and rainy you just hear gentle sounds
Please keep my flactuence problem out of this.
– an actual sofa
I use coffe shops for sofas if there are no codfe shops I go to DFS and pretend to be testing a sofa.
Shunton, everything is a comprises. I have a mid sized van and tent. Bed gets set-up in tent and stuff left there. Cooking in / out of back of van. Minimises pack up but would not work for everyone.
I'd love one of those base camp type vans, bit of comfort but really still feels like you are living outside which is a big part of the appeal for me. The big thing though is it can always sit ready to go which is less easy with camping kit.
I’d much rather be lying on the sofa, next to the fridge of beer with the heating on watching Netflix than sleeping in a tent or a converted panel van.
FWIW my converted panel van has a sofa, a fridge and a heater.
I really, really want one of these, fully kitted out inside as a camper. Yes, it is a 6×6!
are you three foot tall ?
as the rain rolled in on saturday night at 10 under the ben i was quite happy to climb into the post bus(a converted Southern england parcel force 7.2m van - a 9k van with a 13k conversion @80k miles) says the original receipts - but bought for significantly less than that, turn on the heating and climb the ladder into my bed - rather than sleep on the rocks. - dont get me wrong i like camping but its a very different type of holiday.
the van is an alternative accomodation to my house.
a tent is a tent - to be used when you need to carry your house on your back/yourbike/an experiance/travel light and fast.
the van is just a ready to roll home from home - we use it for holidays, when we go to races, gigs , visiting family , when family visit us , going to parties , weddings etc etc.
Fifth Gear did a really good Camper vs Tourer challenge a year or two ago.
Camper was better for car-like manoeuvrability, caravan was better for comfort. Who knew?
OP, your van (inside) looks nicer than my house!