Talk to me about buying a caravan... Pros, cons, tips for owning one with young kids....

[AuntieMaggie]

I've got it into my head I really want to buy a caravan to use for breaks away with our young DC but I'm worried I'll regret it so looking for advice please....

If it’s a static - there was a thread on here recently that outlined it was a financial disaster - total rip off. If it’s touring - I have no experience but sounds like a good idea.

Big financial commitment up front - why not hire one for a year to see if you get your money’s worth and if works for your family.

We did! It has been great. We are now on our third and kids are 10, 8 and 6. We never do any other holiday.

Our first cost £500, second £4k and current is £7k so it hasn't broken the bank. We gradually upgraded from tents

My DF purchased a touring van about 8 months ago, upgraded from his campervan apparently! .... anyway he loves it, they go away at least once a month, even to local sites, only problem was they had to buy a new car that could tow it.....they quite often take the grandkids away and all seem to have a fab time

I have one!

It’s the best holiday with young kids as it’s quite active and you can get them involved with jobs. It’s much nicer than camping as you don’t have to sleep on the floor, have a toilet and can put the heating on if you’re cold!

Its also quite cheap to go away, it’s not dirt cheap but it certainly is cheaper than any cottage/static/Airbnb or hotel.

I recommend a towing course to build your confidence if you haven’t towed before.

happy to answer and questions 😁

Oh and I put a thread on for postiive reviews about static caravans..... I think I got 1 .... so I really wouldnt got for a static !

Thank you. Yes touring not static.

Any layout better for 2 young DC?

Depending on when you got your driving license you may need to look for a small caravan or to do a towing course to give you the entitlement to have a combined weight over 3500kg (I think, or thereabouts). At least that was the rules, there was something about a change, wow this is helpful....

It's best to go to a showroom with lots of different makes/models so you can see what you like and what would suit you.

You need to think about where to store a tourer. It's handy but imposing having it at home (easy to pack to go away). If you need storage it can be expensive depending on where you are. New caravans need to be serviced every year to keep up the guarantee, but older ones you can decide yourself.

A motor mover is a god send, regardless of caravan size.

Facebook is full of groups for the different types of caravan, it can get pretty tribal but by gosh they know their stuff.

We love ours, doubles as a spare room for visitors and if the power goes out it's our prepped escape. It takes far longer to get places then we think, but we have everything we need when we do get there.

There was a thread on here a while ago about campervan regret. The OP was struggling with the amount of time she was spending packing and unpacking her van.

It would be worth a read, but I have no idea how you search for a thread since the update. 🙄

Should say we have a Swift Basecamp because it's not fussy (no carpet or wood panels) and the door is at the back meaning it's very easy to get bikes and kayak in so we have all our toys safe and sound. It's also very lightweight so no change of license. People think they are pricy because they are basic, but we didn't see the point paying the same for something that looked more like a hotel room but didn't work for us.

We have a caravan. Bought it from new in 2017 with £s from inheritance from FiL. Absolutely love it. We were campers before but it was getting too uncomfortable. We have one DS (8) and he loves playing with other kids on campsites. Lots to get to grips with at first, but you soon get your bearings and we have a set up / down routine all sorted now so it’s quick to pitch / go.

The only downside is the logistics of stopping anywhere en route, as you would be able to in a motor home or camper. (DS loves using lorry parks at services though). You have to plan your timing more. We got to Portsmouth way too early for overnight ferry once. DH unhitched and left me and DS in a lay-by on a trading estate whilst he went to find diesel, that wasn’t fun! Thankfully there’s now a truck stop nr Portsmouth you can use for a few hours.

We have a 5 birth with fixed bunks at back and side dinette. It’s a coachman. Next time we change we’ll get fixed singles, so that one of us (me) has the option of using a single bed if needed (e.g DH snoring on double or back playing up!) it will also be ready for when DS no longer wants to come, though that won’t be for ages.

Most of our holidays are with caravan, though we’ve booked our first AI holiday for this Oct to have a change and some luxury. First we’re off to France with caravan in August and can’t wait.

So weight wise the law has changed and it doesn’t matter when you passed your test - you can tow most caravans. The most important thing to consider is the tow vehicle to caravan weight ration - do a bit of research online.

I used to have a campervan and found it a nightmare constantly having to pack up to go out and definitely think a touring caravan is easier with kids. It’s more like hiring a cottage on a much more basic scale.

We have a dinette table that converts into bunks and the front sofas convert into a double. This means we have to make it up every night and stow everymorning but we do have a big end bathroom. You can get fixed bunks of a fixed bed. If I was to change I would go for fixed twin beds I think and a double at the front - something like the Bailey Rimini (Google the layout) or one of the 5 Berths that have bunks and dining table at the back…

Absolutely great holidays for kids! They can have a freedom that you just don’t get with other holidays.

We had a touring caravan when I was a kid.

We had the best holidays! Absolutely some of the best memories of my childhood.

You do get into a routine once you know what to do in regards to setting up and packing up again.

Also good to have things you always leave in the caravan such as a set of caravan plates, cutlery, bedding etc. We even had "caravan toys" we left in the van and didn't bring home. Saves packing so much from home that you need to take with you in the van.

My parents were always members of the caravan club which meant access to various pitching sites.

Was talked into it, with 2 under 3. Nightmare. What age are DC? I’d say youngest needs to be 3 minimum for it not to be hell on wheels

I'd say kids will enjoy it up to 12, after that it's too crampt and no privacy, and I think its hard with under 4's. That leaves 8 years of joy to be had!

I loved loved loved ours and miss it a lot, but DCs are now 16 &18.
We're got one when ds was 1 and it was never an issue. When they were really young we had ones where the back part could be shut off at night so we didn't have to go to bed when they did. It meant us making up our bed each night but was worth it. It was a dinette that made a double bed and bunk above for dd who was 4.

Our next one was fixed bunks but still at the back so again could be shut off at night. The sacrifice was a smaller mid bathroom but def the best layout for that age. Our final was had fixed bunks but an end bathroom which was great as the children got bigger.
Go for it - you won't regret it. We have been all over Europe and had experiences of a lifetime that a package holiday doesn't give you. The freedom on campsites for children is immense.

We had a touring caravan, 4 berth. Single axle.
We had it on a seasonal pitch in Cornwall. A seasonal pitch means you leave it there all year round. We didn’t want to tow. It was on a well established site with showers, toilets, washing up and laundry. No kids playground, pool etc.

We were paying £1800 per annum including water & electric. Insurance is essential. Not only for your van /theft but if your awning takes flight in a gale and damages someone’s car or caravan, you need cover.

Annual professional servicing is an added expense & in my opinion, is an essential.

Visit caravan sales places & have a good look around. Haggle on price.

We sold ours due to ill health but we had years of fab holidays if you like meeting up with caravan site friends (you’ll make lots), don’t mind the same beaches all the time and don’t mind the journey to and fro. We were 1.5 hours from ours.

It’s a money pit whichever way u look at it but has become extremely popular during and since Covid & staycations.

I work at a campsite....here's my take on things:
View lots and then view even more to get an idea of the layout you want..fixed bed, separate dining area, bunk beds, etc

Awnings (divorce in a box) will you need one for extra space?

Storage...home, can you keep it at home, are you allowed (check house deeds)..storage place...costs/rules/access.

Service...100% recommended a gas check is a must before using.

Towing course...do one! It's scary to watch some people move thier vans!

Do some homework on site fees etc so you can get an idea on costs/rules. Some charge per pitch others per person/car etc.

Insurance....if anything happend would you have the funds to replace?

Be realistic how much do you think you will use it over the year?! Costs can mount up and its can be a expensive exercise.

Oh and I forgot to add....get a damp report or use a damp meter on areas around the windows in the bathroom. Damp is a caravans downfall and can be bloody expensive to fix.

Lots of friends with caravans love them but as others have said, do your research particularly with regards to towing etc.

Be realistic about how often you will get away - when the DC are small it's easy but once they go to school it's scary how quickly weekends get filled with parties, sports, activities etc.

We looked at it briefly but worked out that spending £20,000 (+ insurance, stowing, maintenance) on a caravan would buy us a £500 weekend away every month for the next 3x years. We also still wanted our holidays abroad.

Never owned one myself but my parents did and we had some great holidays.

Posting not because I'm an expert in caravans but more to give a perspective from when I was a child.

It was a single axle Bessacar (?) I think. I remember it had a dining area that converted into a double bed at the front and had a seating area (two seats opposite) at the back that converted into bunk beds.

The kitchen and bathroom was in the middle.

We also had an awning which was great for space but a PITA to put up/take down. They put a dining area in there so they didn't have to make their bed each night.

The space worked really well as I remember being able to go to bed in my bunk whilst my parent sat outside in the awning drinking (sensibly) and we had lots of space to eat etc.

I remember the holidays fondly and much better than the previous tent camping holidays we had experienced.

I also remember packing was less stressful as all the "camping" gear was stored in the caravan so we only had to pack clothes/toiletries.

The caravan was stored locally to us (took my father 15 mins to collect it) but no idea how much it cost - not that the figure would be comparable today.

I had a tourer on a seasonal pitch, it had all conveniences, a proper bathroom kitchen with full cooker, microwave & fridge freezer. We had a full awning that was as big as the caravan, 27' × 8' which meant we had space for ds to play if it was raining, leave wet coats & shoes, it was also somewhere to chill & read if we wanted some space. The caravan we had was a layout that had fixed bunks which meant we could put ds to bed & we could still sit & watch television. If you buy a tourer you don't have the complication that you can only sell back to the site owner fora lot less than your caravan is worth. We had 4 caravans & never lost more than 20% of what we paid for them, we used ours 12 months a year, every weekend & at least 6 weeks during the summer, our site had fishing lakes & walks, we were 5 minutes from the nearest market town which had loads of places to eat & drink, shops, supermarkets & there were loads of places to visit less than an hour away including the coast.

Don't buy brand new, at the moment you could be waiting nearly a year to get it, second hand at dealerships are going for nearly as much as new ones. Look on Autotrader, no haggling & no dealers profits, our last one was a year old, the owner's husband had died & his wife wanted to sell, we got it for less than half the price of a new one. Look on YouTube, there are loads of caravan vlogs & reviews.

We have had several over the years.
Firstly bone up on you tube how to look for damp as lots for sale are scrappers tarted up to look ok. You must see everything working too. Often the fridges stop working with being stood
We bought one with damp and a leak and fixed it, it was a weekends work and it coats £100! Went away to see if we liked it and really enjoyed it kids loved it. we then bought a better one as we handsome experience. The best lay out for us was one where the beds at one end had a partition door so we could section it off at bed time and in a morning.
Have some towing trailer training and check your licence allows you to tow.