Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Searching For A Second Hand Caravan? Look At This Beforehand

By Gillian Tyler


Forget the stresses of finding accommodation for your holiday, take your own caravan. There is so much freedom and you can pitch up in some very nice locations surrounded by natural beauty, mostly far better locations than you could have if you were staying in a hotel.

To take a caravan holiday is very cheap, but to actually buy one isn't quite so cheap. If you are going to get your own caravan then you might want to consider second hand as its going to save you a lot of money, there are however many things that you should take into consideration.

Of course you want to first of all take into account its general condition, is it tatty and does it look like it's not been looked after? If so then this is definitely a warning signal as the rest of it is probably also in bad order. It's quite possible that you may want to repaint your caravan anyway so a bit of missing paint is no big deal, as long as there is no major bodywork rust.

You could potentially look online at advertising sites and also in regional newspapers and magazines for static caravans for sale and when you have seen some that appeal to you, the next thing is to arrange a viewing appointment. Check the interior, unless you are specifically planning on doing a restoration job then you want something half decent. If it's got built in seats then often the fabric is worn through, but this can be easily and cheaply fixed so don't concern yourself with that too much.

Make sure that you test out all of the appliances within the caravan, especially the electrics, if possible you want to have the caravan connected up so you can test that all the electrics work properly, as this can be a real pain to sort out not to mention expensive. Make a check of the other fitted amenities and ensure everything is working and in good order.

If everything in the interior checks out ok then give it a thorough inspection outside. During your inspection pay close attention to any exposed bare metal and see if it has corroded, if so how bad? More serious rust can definitely be a problem and a reason not to purchase. Small areas of bad metal can easily be remedied. Take a look at any joins in the construction, they should be securely fixed but also sealed to block moisture getting inside the caravan which could potentially cause damp problems.

When you go to view a caravan, take a lamp along with you so that you can do a proper inspection of the underneath as this is critical. Check the condition of the wheels as well, tyres are easily replaced so don't worry if they are worn. The most important thing is that the metal frame underneath is structurally sound otherwise you could be looking at some expensive repairs.

Before you make a final decision make sure to look at the towing equipment as this needs to be in sound working order.

So make sure you take your time in choosing the perfect caravan for you, there are many to choose from and if you look hard enough and you will find the perfect one for you.




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