How much will it really cost to buy a decent tourer caravan and kit it out?

[Mung]

I need some advice about this.

I have managed to convince DH that a caravan is a good idea for us. I really think it will be great for family holidays and weekends away. However, we have no idea of what we should be aiming for.

We would like a second hand caravan that will last us a while. How much would it cost and where can I buy reliably?

How many extras do you need to buy to really enjoy your holidays and for it to be comfortable. For example, is an awning really necessary? Is it really vital to have a bed per person or can you kind of make do (my children are still only small after all)?

Is there anything I should really watch out for when buying second hand?

Any advice would be great.

HI Mung,

Didn't you post on my thread about caravans earlier this year?

Glad you guys decided to take the plunge. We were looking into it but found out our cars wouldn't tow a decent van. And we can't afford to replace car and get a caravan this year, so it's on hold.

So, first step is, check your towing limits.

Good luck!

I did and I was trying to search for that to see what responses you had.

Its taken me this time to convince DH

Just out of interest...what kind of car hanve you got?

That should say have
What did you consider to be a decent van?

Hi. I too managed to convince DH that a caravan was a good idea and we bought our first caravan on Sunday ? the Bailey Pageant Provence.
Bought it through a dealer with a fab deal and the reassurance of being newbies that it has been thoroughly checked and include a warranty. It just safeguarded us against damp etc. We were lucky as had enough money to say we wanted one under 5 years old which was from £6500 upwards depending on the model. The more basic models are obviously cheaper secondhand. The older they get, the more dated the upholstery but it would be easy enough to re-cover them.
We also knew we would like it as we already enjoy camping but otherwise I think we would have spent less to 'test the water' first.
Good luck - let us know how you get on!

Bought ours on preloved having looked at many different models at a couple of caravan retailers so we knew what models and configuration we were after. Make sure you know the max towing weight of your car before even looking - look at the caravan websites to work it out or ask a retailer to tell you for your make and model of car.

Took FIL, an experienced caravanner, with us who checked for damp, checked everything, asked lots of pertinent questions! If we didn't have him we would have paid an independent caravan servicer to look it over.

It came with everything we would need for caravanning including waste and water barrels, full awning etc. It cost 7k and was 3 yrs old, was probably worth 9k. We had the carpet replaced and also had a caravan mover fitted since we don't always stay on commercial sites but tucked away places too.

How exciting Millimat. When is your first trip?

Upholstery being dates doesn't really bother me, I just want it to be free from damp and for everything to work.

Just reread my posts and wonder what on earth was going on with my typing this afternoon .

Hi again Mung.

We have a scenic 1.6. We could have bought something small and light to tow, but it looked really cheap & tinny, and was just as expensive as models that we really liked but which were too heavy for the car.

So, we decided to wait till the car gets changed, at which point, we'll have a lot more flexibility in what we can tow.

Hope that helps & am very jealous you are getting one soon! Hope you have a great time!

Our first caravan cost £5000 from a dealer, and we asked them to throw in everything we would need to get on the road. The dealer gave us absolutely everything - from steps, gas bottles, toilet fluid, an aquaroll, wheelclamp etc.

We sold it about 2 years later (when we needed more than the three berths!) and got £4500 for it part exchange. Not bad considering we kept all the accessories!

In answer to your specific questions, no you don't need an awning - they are very useful, but ours just tends to end up as a storage place for bikes etc. If you're looking for a long term buy I would look for a bed for everyone, but if you're looking short term and think you might swap it for another one once you know what you're doing, then by all means let them share if you think they will. Alternatively, some caravans have a very large front double that could sleep two and a little one if needed.

You got a great deal there! You must be very good at striking a deal. It may be harder to do at the moment as it seems that caravans and tents are a few of the things that are selling well at present.