You must know this before buying a caravan! Buying your first caravan is a great adventure, but like with any other type of buying, it is risky. In my experience it is quite rare that a caravan matches seller's description in the advert. So before you get round to buying a caravan, especially for the first time, spend some time learning what you need to check or pay a professional technician to inspect a caravan for you. And the most important thing: do not tell the seller that you are new to caravanning, and that it is going to be your first caravan, because you will probably buy an overpriced lemon. I hate to say it, but people are ruthless and have no mercy when pushing dodgy, faulty caravans to novices. Not everyone who is into caravanning uk, has thousands to spend on your first caravan, so today I will give you tips and tell you what to check when you are viewing an old caravan. Before you hitch your van and book camping, spend some time reading and watching videos about buying a caravan for the first time.
1. Start your inspection OUTSIDE.
The van should be connected to the mains, there should be an aqua roll with water and a charged battery and a gas cylinder to make sure you can test all appliances. Warn the seller that you will need all these things in place, and that you can bring your own, if there is a genuine reason they can't provide them (including a power generator). If the seller says that the van is in the middle on nowhere, they run out of gas and there is no water on site... start looking for another van. A genuine seller has nothing to hide and they should be proud to present their van in a full glory.
a) look for signs of accidental damage: panels, broken lights, dents in body, cracked windows - all repairable, but expensive,
b) check for any signs of water ingress, damp and water damage, especially joints and sealants where the walls meet, take a ladder and inspect the roof, ideally you don't want any patches, holes, and areas of standing water
c) get a good feel of the walls and check if the panels are solid, if they are bending under pressure, that means a possible water ingress
It is worth to take your time when buying a used caravan, especially when you are buying from a private seller, with no guarantee, sold as seen.
2.INSIDE
a) have a good sniff to check for any hints of damp and mould
b) test every single appliance: taps, heating, hot water, fridge, oven, stove etc, all lights
c) inspect all windows, test blinds, look under the rubber around windows for damp
d) again check the walls and floor, should not be spongy
e) ask for details if you find any signs of repair or fresh paint
f) look inside every single locker and cabinet - are they nice and dry? can you smell dry wood?
g) toilet - check if the flush is working
h) sofas and beds - have a good look at cushions, underneath too, try the beds to make sure you can fit! They tend to be short.
It doesn't matter if your budget is £500, £5000 or £15 000, you don't want to spend your hard earned cash on a dodgy caravan. Let me know what you think of this caravanning for beginners guide to buying a used caravan or caravans, especially your first caravan. Of course it is possible to buy a solid dry second hand with plenty of life in it, if you follow my caravan tips, and probably even more caravanning tips from more experienced caravan owners. Older travel trailers can make lovely vans, and age doesn't really matter much here, it is more important how the van was used and stored. If you can contribute more tips to this before buying a caravan guide, please do! By no means my short caravan buying guide uk explains all details. Use the caravan buying tips and good luck with finding your first caravan buying and touring. I hope that my checklist will save you money, as there are always extras you want to add to your caravan like lights, awnings, garden furniture etc. Use the checklist and be careful as there is more than one faulty caravan for sale out there. Do you know even more tips and tricks to help with buying your first caravan? Please write them in comments. Thank you for watching.
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7 сен 2024
