IanH Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 We are a family of two adults and two kids (8 & 12) and are now considering buying our first second hand caravan. . We would have approximately £7 to £8 thousand pounds to spend. What things should we be looking for in a van? What are the features to look for? I am concerned about the cold…. are some makes better insulated than others? How do you know if you are not buying a stolen van… do they have documentation like cars? I’m sorry for firing off all these questions, but it’s my first post and I thought I would pack them in. We have a 1. 8 petrol Renault Laguna II estate (if that makes a difference) Kind regards Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basilfawlty Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 We are a family of two adults and two kids (8 & 12) and are now considering buying our first second hand caravan. . We would have approximately £7 to £8 thousand pounds to spend. What things should we be looking for in a van? What are the features to look for? I am concerned about the cold…. are some makes better insulated than others? How do you know if you are not buying a stolen van… do they have documentation like cars? I’m sorry for firing off all these questions, but it’s my first post and I thought I would pack them in. We have a 1. 8 petrol Renault Laguna II estate (if that makes a difference) Kind regards Ian Hello and welcome to the site. There are lots of people more qualified than me to answer your questions, but any way if you look at the pinned topics at the top this one covers the CRiS registration which does help avoiding buying stolen vans, the caravan club will advise on the max weight of van you can tow with your car (no doubt someone on here will be able to post that info) the insulation on modern vans is fairly standard and the features depend on your personal needs. Anyhow happy holidays. Quote In a recent survey it was found that 1 in 3 politicians are as bent as the other two. One Of Cols CT Ninjas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basilfawlty Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 P. S should have explained better relevant info about CRiS pinned to top of page on caravan chat section Quote In a recent survey it was found that 1 in 3 politicians are as bent as the other two. One Of Cols CT Ninjas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon46 Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 When we bought our first van we looked at a few on the forecourts and realised what a big range of designs there is, so I looked at the websites of the main manufacturers -, Swift group, Bailey, Avondale, Explorer group - and requested their brochures. Then we spent some time deciding what size and layout suited our needs the most. I suggest you do the same, as the right layout is key, especially as you have a family. With our two children we decided on a rear L-shape lounge which converts to bunks, which would give us extra living space if stuck in with bad weather, as well as a kids' bedroom which could be shut off when they went to bed. We were lucky to drop on the exact layout with a second-hand van in excellent condition at a main local dealer. All vans manufactered in recent years should be registered with CRiS - the registration number on the documentation should match the number etched on the windows. Whether you're buying privately or through a dealer it's vital that you see the documentation before you buy. I think you can also get CRiS to do a search (may be a fee involved) to make sure that the owner is genuine and there's no finance on it etc. I'm sure that other members will be able to offer you more advice on this. All modern vans are well insulated and you will find they are remarkably warm. The importance of the match of weight of towcar and caravan cannot be over-emphasised. There are websites where you can enter the make & model of each to check for a safe match; we bought from a dealer and they checked that for us. Hope this helps - good luck, you'll not regret it. Jonathan. Quote 2004 Swift Challenger 550 SLE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaman Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Every body has different priorities when choosing a caravan. For instance, I doubt if your kids will relish sharing a double bed, so bunks are the way to go, but if they are too tall then bunks may not be adequate. The best way is to visit a dealer, see whats available and try things out. Incidentally, Renaults are notorious for having very low tow weights and even the highest quoted weight only applies if the car is occupied by just the driver. Adding passengers reduces the maximum tow weight. Quote The opinions posted in this forum are not necessarily those of the author, they may have been influenced by the voices in my head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nad381 Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 I too have recently gone through the whole what van - what car thing. I have 2 children (5 & 3) so we went for a van with the bunk beds at the rear end. That way, once the kids are in bed, you still have the rest of the van to use for you, and with the loo in the middle area you wont disturb them. The van we decided on was the 570 Charisma. I'm sure there are other layouts similar, but for us, this was a good option. For the car - you cannot exceed the max towing weight (this is an offence) and everyone recommends the van's max weight (MTPL -ithink) should be 85% of the cars kerbweight. There are loads of forums i found helpful on here about the towing aspect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanH Posted April 20, 2009 Author Share Posted April 20, 2009 Thanks you have all been very helpful. There is so much to think about and so many van choices. We are rally looking forward to hitting the road soon. Kind regards Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianI Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 We have a 1. 8 petrol Renault Laguna II estate (if that makes a difference)Kind regards Ian It certainly does make a diiference as the Laguna is not a particularly good car for towing and will severely restrict the weight of caravan, and hence choice, you can tow with. According to this link, the 85% towing weight is 1147kg. http://www. cuddles. abelgratis. net/renault. htm#lagunae02 Finding a caravan of that weight suitable for two adults and two children will be difficult. Sorry to be the bearer of news you might not like to hear. Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanH Posted April 20, 2009 Author Share Posted April 20, 2009 It certainly does make a diiference as the Laguna is not a particularly good car for towing and will severely restrict the weight of caravan, and hence choice, you can tow with. According to this link, the 85% towing weight is 1147kg. http://www. cuddles. abelgratis. net/renault. htm#lagunae02 Finding a caravan of that weight suitable for two adults and two children will be difficult. Sorry to be the bearer of news you might not like to hear. Brian *****... that's a shame. Thanks for the information Brian. Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clunk Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 (edited) It certainly does make a diiference as the Laguna is not a particularly good car for towing and will severely restrict the weight of caravan, and hence choice, you can tow with. According to this link, the 85% towing weight is 1147kg. http://www. cuddles. abelgratis. net/renault. htm#lagunae02 Finding a caravan of that weight suitable for two adults and two children will be difficult. Sorry to be the bearer of news you might not like to hear. Brian Is that so. My 'van weighs 900kgs fully laden and it sleeps 5 as well. Alas it's an old one but it is possible. Edited April 20, 2009 by Clunk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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