First Time Caravanner
We can imagine that your minds have been a mile away from taking out the caravan recently, what with with all the rain that has fallen over the past month. So, while we all wait for the new season offers, we thought it might be good to address the issues faced by the new caravanner.
Caravan or Mobile Home?
Did you think we would be foolish enough to get drawn into this one? The choice of a mobile home or a caravan is entirely down to you, your way of life and the type of people you are.
As far as we can see, there are only two other things that matter – your budget and how you want to travel. Motor homes tend to cost more and to have the additional billing costs of running a large vehicle. The other main consideration depends on what you want to do when you arrive at your destination. So, for example, do you want to be continuously negotiating a large and awkward vehicle if you are going to stay pretty much on one caravan park? Or are you the touring type who wants to travel each day? In which case, hitching up a caravan may not be the thing for you. You might want to consider the type of road you are going to be travelling on as well. Britain has narrower and windier lanes than the continent, and this might persuade you that being able to leave your caravan on a pitch is better than negotiating bends in a mobile home.
Let’s be honest here, you are going to be conflicted between what you might want to have – a giant Winnebago which allows you to see and tour the world in comfort… -, the size of your budget and the number of people you want to sleep. You will probably spend far more time than you ought to poring over the latest models, bothering dealers and arguing amongst yourselves about the best buy. But, the truth is, most modern caravans and mobile homes are well-made, smart and carry almost anything that the serious or leisure caravanner could want.
New v’s old
New v. Old
If your choice is for a new model, then you have the reassurance of warranty and newness, which means that all the features you see in the showroom will work.
Even so, we recommend asking around amongst regular caravanners. They will enjoy making their own recommendations and offering advice about different models and the reasons they made their own choices.
If you choose to go second hand, then there are some things you should check before you make an offer:
- Check everything is functioning correctly
- Check seats, catches, fixtures and fittings
- Ask to see the water and gas systems working
- Turn lights on and off
- If the caravan is mains connected, check that it has been regularly inspected and that the inspections are up to date
- Check cupboards for sighs of damp, mould and water ingress
- Externally check for scratches and scrapes and other signs of damage
- Is the paintwork in good order
- Are grab handles secure
- Lower the corner steadies to make sure they are not bent through misuse.
- Are there any signs of metal corrosion? In particular, check underneath for signs of rust
- Check the tyres for cracks in the grooves and tyrewalls
- Ask to take the caravan for a run to make sure it is steady and that the brakes work well and smoothly
It never hurts to buy locally if you can to save a lot of travelling cost. And, if you have an experienced caravanning friend, take them with you, so you get the benefit of their questions as well as your own.
The Caravan Club has an excellent guide called “good as new” which you should read for more information.
Matching Your Caravan with Your Tow Vehicle
It would be wrong of us to recommend a particular manufacturer or type of caravan, but part of your consideration should be to think carefully about whether you have the right vehicle to tow it. Obviously, will be thinking how many berths you want, but this will be no good if you don’t have the power and reliability to tow your eventual choice.
Weight and balance are the key to a comfortable towing experience, so look into these before you make your decision and before you make your first trip.
When you are thinking about towing, you should also check that you have the right driving licence. Don’t forget that your licence will only cover you to a certain weight. This is especially important for anyone who has recently passed their test as the rules on what you can and cannot tow changed on the 19th January 2013.
The UK Government website can guide you on what you are allowed , or not allowed to tow.