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Camping

Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

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Original poster

What do I need to know before buying a caravan?

45 replies

roughedges · 02/10/2023 19:57

Hi all

My husband (and two kids) and I want to look at buying a caravan. We have never owned one before and have always camped. What do we need to know? My husband is nervous about driving with a caravan on the back of the car. Also - do you reverse the caravan onto the drive? Our road is not narrow but not the widest. We want to buy a second hand caravan - how much should we expect to pay for a second hand 4 berth?

Sure we are very naive about the process!
Thank you all!

OP posts:

KathieFerrars · 02/10/2023 21:20

The first thing you need to consider is your tow car. How heavy is it and what nose weight does in have. Dealers will generally do a tow match for you. For a family sized van, you may need to get a new car. Newer vans seem to be heavier.

You will need an aqua roll, a grey waste holder and electric cable. I really recommend fully serviced pitches where you get electric, water and grey waste but you need food grade hose for water and grey waste piping. Husband loves faffing about with bits of piping!

Awning is ...tricky. Get rock pegs for hard standing.
Be very aware of the weight of everything you put in the van and where to place everything to distribute the weight correctly. Yes, husband has weighed everything. But much as I eye roll, it keeps us safe when towing and means we are not over our limit.

Buy some caravan mags - they have hints and tips.
Insurance is another expense to factor in.
However, once you have your kit (which will mostly be your camping kit) then you are just good to go. Remember awning and heavy stuff goes in the car to add to your weight there.

KathieFerrars · 02/10/2023 21:22

Oh and caravaners are usually friendly and very willing to help out newbies on site.

denpark · 02/10/2023 21:32

Oldthyme · 02/10/2023 20:32

Awnings can be “divorce in a bag” cos men swear like mad erecting them and women trying to “help” cower in the corner!
One man, one job.
Leave him to it.

Interesting thought process...

In all the years I've been camping/caravanning my ex never once put up the tent/awning or towed the caravan. He was so unnecessary that I'm now divorcing him.
Men don't always do anything apart from stand around pretending to be important when they're not.

Polis · 03/10/2023 09:13

One man, one job.
Leave him to it.

Putting up our awning is definitely a team effort. The fabric is really heavy. We don’t generally bother if we are only away for a weekend.

Blueuggboots · 03/10/2023 13:39

Lots of them are upholstered in really ugly fabric!!!

DancerForMoney · 03/10/2023 13:50

My neighbour bought a caravan and it was just stuck in his garden for years as it was classed as too old for any of the holiday camping sites to let it on. I didn't know this, so be careful, he picked it up really cheap but hadn't done his homework.Think he scrapped it in the end.

Polis · 03/10/2023 14:13

My neighbour bought a caravan and it was just stuck in his garden for years as it was classed as too old for any of the holiday camping sites to let it on

This is news to me.

How is it enforced?

Hellocatshome · 03/10/2023 15:17

DancerForMoney · 03/10/2023 13:50

I have never heard this and have taken some old caravans to campsites (think 1970s and not in a lovely restored retro way) how do they even know how old the caravan is before you turn up?

I've heard of it for static caravans but not tourers.

DRS1970 · 03/10/2023 15:20

Get one with a mover, it makes positioning the caravan much easier.

Make sure you check your vehicle is suitable to tow the caravan you want. It could prove expensive if you don't.

Memberofstaff · 08/10/2023 06:42

These are easy to tow and are made from a shell of fibreglass, so don't get damp.
https://www.go-pod.com/the-go-pod

Be aware that lots of sites don't allow caravans at all, so you are more limited. We found this when moving from tent camping and is the reason we sold our caravan in the end

The Go-Pod Micro-Tourer Caravan | Mini Caravan | Teardrop Caravan | United Kingdom

The Go-Pod Micro-Tourer is the best small caravan to buy in Europe - it's extremely lightweight and easy to deliver. Perfect for almost all environments and weather conditions. Usable across all four seasons, Don’t rent a caravan when you can own a Go-...

https://www.go-pod.com/the-go-pod

tanstaafl · 08/10/2023 06:58

I would not go to a main dealer for tow bar and electrics, you’ll pay way over the odds.
Seek out garages that specialise in tow bars.

Pay a bit extra for a euro compliant electric tow bar hook up ( which I think is 13 pin ) rather than a 7 pin uk standard.

Polis · 08/10/2023 08:35

My MIL has a cool main dealer fitted tow bar. You press a button in the boot and it magically appears.

We have removable ones on our cars but you have to fit and remove them from the socket manually.

sashh · 08/10/2023 09:27

Not an expert, in fact not been in one since I was a child but I think hiring one for a holiday would be useful.

Berthatydfil · 08/10/2023 10:55

Polis · 03/10/2023 14:13

My neighbour bought a caravan and it was just stuck in his garden for years as it was classed as too old for any of the holiday camping sites to let it on

This is news to me.

How is it enforced?

I imagine this was a larger mobile home type not a towing caravan. The only restrictions I am aware of is large continental tourers more frequently used by Travellers and caravans with a van not a car being used to tow. Some sites may not allow twin axles if the site is small or has difficult access.

Bromptotoo · 09/10/2023 16:04

As other replies suggest the idea of wanting a caravan poses a whole load of questions.

The first, which I cannot see has been asked, is how much do you have to spend on the 'van and what make/model of car do you expect to tow with?

Caravan needs to be a weight match for your car. Most suggest a caravan no more than 85% of the car's kerbweight for those new to towing. The car will also have a max towing capacity specified by the manufacturer - this gets confusing as it can differ with body type, engine, transmission. Check Gross Train Weight (GTW) too. This is the max permitted combined laden weight of the tow car and caravan. There are a few cars, Citroen Berlingo and its siblings/cousins form Peugeot, Vauxhall etc for one where this is less than the car's max laden weight plus that of the biggest 'van it can tow.

I know this 'cos we were caught out. Berlingo and our 1250kg 'van is OK with two of us but if we still had adolescent/young adult offspring in the car we'd be over the max GTW.

The exhibition in Birmingham later this month would be an excellent place to start scoping things. You can even try towing with one of their instructors in their car/'van combo.

stringbean · 09/10/2023 17:58

Before you tow your caravan away from the seller, take the microwave plate/glass turntable out of the microwave and put it in the washing up bowl or somewhere safe.

Our 2nd hand caravan had a dent on one of the work surfaces which we noticed at the seller but didn't give much thought to - pretty much immaculate in every other respect. On getting it home from the seller, the microwave plate was on the floor and there was a second dent in the work surface . Live and learn! Needless to say, the plate travels in the washing up bowl on every journey!

OffTheWalll · 27/10/2023 09:17

Buy one with a motor mover. Avoid having to reverse it really.

Take a course on towing. Watch all the YouTube you can. Steep learning curve. The positive is that you learn very quickly and all other road users want to avoid you!

Bromptotoo · 27/10/2023 12:07

I'd second the suggestion that a motor mover is pretty well essential.

We thought we'd be OK without with a small 'van and two fit adults. First trip abroad and probably third time out we got it part way onto a pitch in France with a narrow entrance and long wet grass. Two of us plus adult son and could not move it forwards or back, best we could do was rotate it. Managed to get it aligned so we could re-attach the car and drag it off fortunately without damage from the bushes we rubbed.

Mover fitted immediately upon return.

I can reverse better now but the MM is still needed to line it up properly eg with club sites and those damned pitch pegs!!

DiscoBeat · 27/10/2023 12:21

Buy a dampmeter and use it when you go to view, as some damp is not visible.
Consider the bed situation when the kids are older. We had one double and two bunks, but unfortunately by about age 12 and 10 the bunks started to get a bit small, so it wasn't really a caravan that could see us into the teen years. We just rent cottages now!

Chersfrozenface · 27/10/2023 12:34

Are you good?at navigating?

Getting back on the right route after taking a wrong turn can be a nightmare.

Speaking from experience.

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