by The Green Fairy

Created on: June 29, 2009

If you want to know how to buy a caravan in the UK, the first thing you need to do is take your time. If you're going to be a first-time owner of a caravan it's even more important to take it slowly. Do plenty of research, take time to view lots of vans and, very importantly, talk to seasoned caravanners.

It's important to know what you want from a caravan before you buy. How many berths does it need to have? What features are essential and what are nice-to-have? What sort of distances do you intend to cover, and what will be pulling it? The answers to these questions will help to refine the range of caravans that meet your criteria.

Another key decision is whether to buy new or second-hand. The latter will always be less expensive, but older caravans have their own issues. Buying privately will usually mean you get more for your money, but there will usually be less opportunity for come-back if a major fault is discovered.

If you plan to buy a new caravan you won't be concerned about wear and tear. The issues that you need to focus on are the design, the facilities and the running costs. Try to walk through how you might use the caravan when on site. Try to imagine the different activities that will take place - meal times, sleeping, and how the space will work on wet days when people want to stay inside.

Cooking is a major concern for caravanners. It's easy to overestimate the facilties that you need - a caravan is usually used for holidays and meals are often very casual. You might plan to barbecue more often, or to buy food out. A microwave and one or two burners on the hob should suffice for most needs.

If you are looking at a second-hand caravan you need to take time to investigate it's condition. Take a look at the tyres - these normally last a maximum of five or six years. Valuation is often tricky, but remember, a caravan is worth what you're willing to pay for it. Don't be pressurised into paying more just because the seller insists that their price is reasonable.

Rust is a serious problem on used caravans. Take a close look at the chassis and investigate any freshly-painted areas, because they may be hiding something unpleasant.

Look around the caravan for evidence of water leaks from windows, or general damp. Try out all the equipment; don't take the owner's word for it that everything works properly. Open every cupboard and use every handle and switch. Check that the handbrake holds the vehicle securely.

As with all major purchases, there's no guarantee that you won't find a major problem once you've taken the caravan home with you. But do all you can to ensure you have some sort of recourse if a significant and expensive flaw is discovered.

For more information about buying a caravan take a look at the Caravan Club website - there's plenty of information there that will give you food for thought.

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