To impulse buy a caravan?

You need to be aware of loading your 'van. 85% is the maximum percentage range for car weight/caravan. The larger the 'van the more you take! Put what you would take in the 'van and go to a public weighbridge and get all the measurements: car, loaded van (including motor mover and spare wheel). If you overload the 'van your insurance will be invalidated, you will damage the 'van and more importantly it will be very dangerous to tow.

You also need to know how to load the 'van and how much weight must be on the tow hitch.

If there are just two of you I would get one with a fixed bed, there is usually a large storage area underneath it and the bed lifts up. We just have a small porch awning and use the shower to store our coats and shoes as we always use site facilities. In the summer we just use a canopy thing rather than awning.

We have a touring caravan, it's about 10 years old now, towing isn't for everyone, there is no way I could tow ours, I have difficulty parking my small car. DH finds it quite easy though but he has very good spatial awareness and just seemed to know which way to turn the wheel They seem very big on the back of the car and you have to be careful not to take wrong turnings as you can't just turn round. You are restricted to 50 on single national speed limit roads and 60 on dual carriageways.

I would get a mover fitted as it does make it a lot easier for tight spaces especially if you live on a road with a lot of parked cars for getting it on the drive

i see you have a towbar, DH bought a new to him car and it cost £900 for one which was a bit of a shock

There might be a covenant on your home: No Hut on Wheels, or No Caravans to be stored. Even if you are renting you might not be able to even take your 'van back to your home to pack it up! You need to check your Deeds if you own, or your rental agreement.

@Nopeepeehere here's a tip re reversing with a trailer. I used to drive a Bedford van with a massive trailer behind it, and was taught this by a girl who had horse boxes.
When reversing, if you can see the trailer in your wing mirror, turn the wheel towards it. I spent ages trying to work out reversing with mirrors and trailers, she told me that and I got it straight away.

We have an air sun awning, it packs up fairly small and is quite light, goes up in seconds and was only £250. It’s also quite roomy, we only got it this season and have been very impressed with it so far. Air awnings are definitely getting better, the very first one we had weighed a tonne.

I bought a 2nd hand caravan earlier this year. Ive never towed so I sited it on a seasonal pitch within an hour from home. I also winter storage it there for £200 . Seasonal pitch is £3200. It is quite costly but I tend use it most weekends and school holidays. I did used to have a motorhome which I miss, but its good having a base too.

Could you tow it? That would be the main issue for me, zero spacial awareness, although I'd love to have one. I think I'll probably go for a camper van in a couple of years.

Are you talking about a tourer or a static caravan.

Personally I wouldn’t do either. My friend has a static caravan and the annual fees can be extortionate, as much as going away a few times. They also de value very quickly and she’s got very bored of going to the same place.

We had a tourer and it can be a lot of fun but again, very expensive. There’s insurance, storage fees (unless you can keep it on the drive), they can be money pits with repairs, and nice sites can be quite expensive.

Air awnings are heavy and can last a long time. Personally I would start with a very small simple porch awning (we had one we called a bug) that has bendy poles and will only accommodate at best a small table and 2 chairs. Ideal for wet outdoor clothing and footwear. They are normally under £200 and only take 10/15 minutes to put up.

But if you’re going to do it - definitely buy a tourer then you can move it whenever you want to.

This. I would advise against it - from experience!

Yes, I decided to buy a touring caravan quickly more than ten years ago, having no idea really what I was getting into, and having no experience at all. It’s been a complete dream and I’d recommend it to anyone.

I cannot identify with the PPs saying they’re a money pit, after the initial outlay you’re all set and my experience has been our family of four can enjoy weekends away for £25-30 per night.

I now have a seasonal pitch where the caravan stays from March-October, and we store at home for the other months. We love it and have made great friends with other families at our seasonal pitch.

I’ve include our costs below, in case this is helpful OP.

• Caravan 1 £10k; upgraded Caravan 2 bought 2025 for £18k

• Seasonal pitch £2.5k per year, electricity extra but that normally is approximately £200 per year.

• Insurance £150 p/a

• tow bar and fitting £500

Remote control motor movers to hook up with ease! All very modern these days and so much easier than "forward a bit, left a bit, no the other left, stalled it, arghh STOP!"

You can get a damp-o-meter thingy that gives number readings. I would look online for a big checklist of things to look out for.

Avoid most Facebook groups for caravan selling (especially the ‘caravans under 1/2/5 or whatever K’ type ones) as they are fullll of scammers.

Not air awnings, they go up in seconds, brilliant invention.

Is it a towing 'van or a static. We bought a towing van many years ago and loved it. Went over to France first year. Read up as much as you can, join both Motor Home and Caravan Club and Camping and Caravan Club. They have lots of information. Any van you buy make sure it is under 10 years old as damp is still a very big problem. Stamp all round on the floor all over to make sure it has not delaminated and be very picky about joints with outside walls (damp).

We had several vans over 32 years. Went on the Continent a lot as they are far more relaxed about lots of stuff. Join ACSI if you go as it will save you a vast amount of site fees. It's off peak camping but their off peak is not necessarily ours.

If it is a Static van take the contract to a solicitor to have it all explained to you before signing. It will save you thousands of pounds for a relatively small fee. Do not believe everything the sales people tell you, only believe what is written down. The resale price of Statics is virtually nil and the site pitch fees, electric, sewerage, parking is very expensive. You can only use the static for 9 or 10 months of the year. You will not be able to move it elsewhere.

I think, research and cost this carefully rather than doing it on impulse.

Could you hire one for a short holiday to see how you get on before committing to buy?

My parents only ever made 2 impulse decisions in their life. My Sister, and our caravan 🤣 we had it from when I was 6-16. They said it was the best impulse buy they ever made. I have so many happy memories there 🥰

You can tow up to 3500 Kg combined weight on a car licence. 8250 Kg if you passed your test before January 1997.

Have you got a licence to tow. It isn't an automatic right anymore. After a certain year (Goigle it) you have to pass a tow test

Check your driving licence allows you to tow without the need for towing lessons.

FWIW- an awning which goes on the side of a touring caravan is known as "divorce in a bag".

We've also never lost on our caravans. The first one we made £2,400 and the second we made £3k.

We will be keeping this third one for many years as it ticks all the boxes (full shower room and fixed bed).

We've been touring for 15 years and have had three caravans in that time. I'm trying to persuade DH to agree to putting our caravan on a seasonal pitch now, I too would love one by the sea.

Honestly, you can't go wrong. Everyone on the sites are so friendly and helpful.

My advice is to join the caravan and motorhome club, they have lots of seasonal pitches available every year. You will need to find somewhere to store it but many sites have online storage (more the independent sites though).

I've not read the full thread so not sure what advice you've been given so far but if you do go for a seasonal pitch I'd recommend a full seasonal awning to give you lots of extra space, they are expensive but worth it. There are FB seasonal pitch groups if you are interested and a caravan and motorhome one too.

Good luck. I hope you manage to do it. It'll be fun.