Another great, helpful video. Films like this are so useful for those of us who would like to get involved in caravanning, but don't have the budget for a new van.
Thanks ever so much Dan for all your advice, tips and recommendations for those of us who maybe considering purchasing a used caravan regardless of whether it's a 2 berth or 3 ,4 or 5! Your advice before considering purchasing that particular used caravan is a huge help which could mean the difference on shelling out a good few hundred quid on costly leakage repairs and maintenance aswell as overlooking a few common used caravan scotoma's such as the caravans maximum technically permissible laden mass in respect to the vehicle pulling it not to mention the nose weight of the caravan in respect to the towbar! Your really helpful advice Dan on helping to highlight any hidden blind spots in a used caravan is a massive relief from inheriting a leaky nightmare on a single or even double axis! Just sorting out a few minor replacement issues and a good clean for that ideal second-hand straight forward travelling caravan is really all it takes for a good decent investment no doubt thanx to your advice Dan! The best top channel for used caravan hunter's on UA-cam in my opinion! 👍
Looking wistfully at the prices and choice from the inflated perspective of 2021! The market seems to be stabilising pricewise as winter looms, but there is still a limited stock in the price range we are investigating as first-timers. However there is a lot of useful info here as we are viewing a similar Lunar, albeit 2 berth, that looks immaculate from the images and discussion with the private vendor. A good pointer for usage is the MOT of the seller's tow car. Our vendor has only done 3k per year on average, and I presume the caravan usage would be a small proportion of that.
Another great video thanks 👍That dealer is shocking though, alarm bells ringing all over the place, filthy and damaged caravans at an over inflated price. You can get fantastic deals privately, I've just bought a caravan in that exact spec and spotted a 2011 Bailey Orion 440/4 at a dealer for £10'000, I did a bit of searching online and found a mint 2011 example private for £7000 complete with all the kit you need down to a hoover and TV and full awning aquarolls, wastemaster etc, all CRIS registered as well.
Reference the green mould on the van: We spray mould and mildew cleaner on our van & leave it on, this prevents the green building up, I sprayed our van over a month ago and it still looks brilliantly clean. We also repainted our locker doors etc in a lovely black. Looks great!
Really great appraisal Dan - Agree with other comments as to why the dealers do not sort out a thorough clean. It is so off-putting to see a lovely van like that green on the outside, when a good clean would make such a difference. Would we pay £10,000 for a dirty car on a forecourt - I suspect not! Many thanks as always. Jon
Hi Dan. Another excellent video. I think these used videos work better when you show more than one van. It gives a better idea of what is available for the money. Good work. Steve.
Good video Dan the lunar certainly looked a lot classier than the Venus for similar money .I had a 2007 swift charisma and that was the same construction at the front above the windows with the gutter that always chokes up,as you say you have clear that out occasionally. As with other comments it would be good if you good make videos up
Great video as usual Dan. Why oh why don't dealerships spend a little time/money cleaning these vans up for sale? How many garage forecourts don't clean there cars? What is your first impression of a dirty and often musty smelling caravan? I like seeing you check out secondhand vans. Are you going up to 15k and 20k too where the market really gets interesting??
@@TheTrudgians I might be seeing on this, but there's a lot to be said for picking up a van which is say up to 2 years old. The nitty gritty bits should be done and that initial loss of money s you pull it off the dealership is saved. I bought my Affinity 554 in December 17 at £16.5k. At the time it was selling nee at £23. But it was only a 2016 van!
Hi Dan - Great video as per usual so please keep them coming you certainly made our first family caravanning experience seem straight forward (so thanks). Really interested in this vid as this was our budget where we picked up a 2012 Lunar Quasar 546 and love it to bits! Only query I had about the vid was the suggestion to store pots under the cooker whilst in transit, is this the right thing to do as I'm sure there a gas feed pipe thats not protected down there and I would fear of a damage from a metal pot?? I may be wrong but thought I would query. Thanks again for the vids!
David Bell if you’ve ever been to this dealer you would appreciated how many vans they have up there . It would be a fourth road bridge type of job keeping them all clean full time . When you get to the last one you would just start again. Don’t forget it’s now winter !!
Hi I have a Lunar Chateau 2004, it’s my very 1st caravan I love it, but looking at changing it for a caravan that has the bed permanently down & bigger toilet & shower I don’t need a big one, if you can recommend any one, thanks in advance Yvonne
Used to really love the Lunar Chateau. At the time it was purchased everything else had velour upholstery, dralon curtains, frilly lamps, impractical fitted carpets etc. So at the time, it was a real breath of fresh air. I used to joke it was IKEA on two wheels. Enjoy :-)
Enjoyed this vid. I myself am on a restricted licence.... it goes to show if you do your homework you can make things happen. I managed to get a 6 birth family van for under £8000 compatible with a safe tow car under the magic number of 3500. These videos are very useful to people starting out.
My car only allows me to tow up to 1325kg… I’ve been told to observe mptlm but I’ve seen caravans with an mro of 1250kg … would this be ok if I put a couple of calor gas botttle in it and nothing else ?
Looking at buying a 4 berth tourer at some point (complete newbie to it though). My question is: with a fixed bed (double) it would appear that the bathroom generally has a shower that isn't much good (not a cubicle) but the non-fixed bed versions have the better bathroom. The bunk bed version often have a separate shower cubicle. I guess what I'm asking is, what is the preferable option here? I'm not sure if the bunks sleep an adult in terms of length/size?
From my experience of car dealers you can get some bargains but not as often as buying privately, same probably goes for caravans they want the trade in off the plot for a more lucrative priced model to take up the space.
Hi Dan I have a 2011 Quazar and you mentioned changing the grab handles to the chrome ones. I’ve searched but can’t find any. Do you have any advice on this? Cheers
It's a shame they didnt clean it that was so bad, I bought my first van for 6 grand private sale in immaculate condition tuns of space motor mover all alarmed with awning it's an avondale osprey we love it
Cheers for the video. But I'm unsure of the licence restriction . As this is a grey area you can only tow if you either pass a towing test to obtain a b'1 category or have B'E on licence pre 1997.
Andrew Blackman after 1997 you can tow a car and braked trailer that do not weigh a combined total of over 3500kg max weight. Or an unbraked trailer of under 750kg
Hi Andrew, it's quite clear but badly worded on official sites. so here goes : If you passed before 1st Jan 1997, you can have a combination of car(GVW) + caravan(MTPLM) over 3,500Kg After 1st Jan 1997, you can have a combination up to 3,500Kg. to tow more, you need to take an extra test to gain the B1 privilege on your licence. So the reason why i was looking at a caravan under 1,400Kg is with an average car of 2,100Kg GVW plus an MTPLM of 1,400Kg means the combination is well within the restriction of 3,500Kg, meaning you will not need to gain the B1 on your licence. For more information - visit here. www.gov.uk/towing-with-car
Well that's misleading people to think they need a cat b/e licence to tow. And you need to take a trailer test. (SCAM THEN) or law. That why I say it's a grey area because the CPC states otherwise about towing laws be it commercial or private. Thanks for videos very useful and interesting
DIRT, MOULD, MOSS, in Gaps & Outside Trim, EASY NO PROBLEM, Spray with TFR, ( Traffic film remover / car jet wash soap, DILUTED CORRECTLY !!! ) Use Jet wash to Rinse & push the dirt out, If any remains, Apply Again & Repeat until Gone. Yes Also You can Use a Paint brush or other very SOFT Brush. Waft it away Not ATTACK IT with Violence. Stiff Brushes or Strong Chemicals / Cleaners May Damage your Finish. Caravan Surface etc. Be Careful.
Another great informative video but can I just say you talk about cars that can tow a van that size with the curb weight but never mentioned what the legal weight the car can tow? For a family that was new to caravans we got a 7 seater to find out that the curb weight was there but we could not tow more than 1000kg as the gearbox would not take it I would like to see you just mentioning that is very important to look at the hand book
Hi Leon, thats a video for another day, this video is aimed at caravans for 10k and under. Vehicle choice, towing capacity and towing limits could occupy a series of videos all to themselves, who knows - perhaps thats coming next ;-) take care Dan
Hi Joanne, I used Magic erasers on ours to get the majority of the grime off, then I used some cutting compound to really clean them up. However I know that other older makes have a heck of an issue with grubby grab handles, where the plastic has deteriorated. in this instance some oversized heat shrink will do a fab job. i will be covering this on a future video.
@@TheTrudgians thankyou for that Dan we have just bought our first caravan a Bailey Unicorn (same as martin in the Caravan nut) and there are some areas like where the water channels are over the windows that do need some attention love your videos have been following you for the past year and love all the advice (and your witty humor especially the April fools vid hilarious) thanks again :)
you think some of these are a bit shocking you can go buy a brand new caravan and find some shoddy workmanship on a brand new build ..you really have to check them thoroughly sometimes seams and seals have gaps in and sealant shoddily applied enen applies in some brand new motorhomes too
I noticed your hands before but now they look worse. Try using Udder cream. I know its a strange thing but it works for farmers hands just like yours. We know people who have recovered within 1-2 months totally.
Hi Lydia, no not judgemental just fact. they are restricted licences, folks who passed after Jan 1st 1997 do not have the same privileges as pre Jan 1997, ergo they are driving licenses with towing restrictions.
@@TheTrudgians it's not like they have been restricted. Most people are not qualified to drive all vehicles. These people haven't broken the law and had points or other restrictions placed on their licences.
@@TheTrudgians Its MAM weight now, maximum authorised mass. a cars weight plus its maximum load, same for the caravan. So if the car weighs 1400Kg but can carry 600Kg its MAM weight would be 2000Kg. If the caravan weighs 1400Kg but can carry 300Kg then your total MAM weight would be over the 3500Kg. It doesn't matter if you're actually carrying that weight or not.
ok, the MTPLM of a caravan is the MRO PLUS payload. so for the examples i've shown in this video, my final choice of a caravan with a MTPLM of under 1400Kg would suit a car with a GVW of 2,000Kg. The combined MAM of this outfit is under the legal limit of 3,500Kg So, please explain why you are suggesting people do not tow anything above 750Kg if they passed after Jan 1st 1997. www.gov.uk/towing-with-car
Not all the time !!! paid just under 10k for my 2002 bailey senator in 2007, just had it serviced and engineers report put damp at around 12% all around the van.(Was thinking of buying newer, but why would i when this van is dry? Has everything i need in it.)
Another great, helpful video. Films like this are so useful for those of us who would like to get involved in caravanning, but don't have the budget for a new van.
Thanks ever so much Dan for all your advice, tips and recommendations for those of us who maybe considering purchasing a used caravan regardless of whether it's a 2 berth or 3 ,4 or 5! Your advice before considering purchasing that particular used caravan is a huge help which could mean the difference on shelling out a good few hundred quid on costly leakage repairs and maintenance aswell as overlooking a few common used caravan scotoma's such as the caravans maximum technically permissible laden mass in respect to the vehicle pulling it not to mention the nose weight of the caravan in respect to the towbar! Your really helpful advice Dan on helping to highlight any hidden blind spots in a used caravan is a massive relief from inheriting a leaky nightmare on a single or even double axis! Just sorting out a few minor replacement issues and a good clean for that ideal second-hand straight forward travelling caravan is really all it takes for a good decent investment no doubt thanx to your advice Dan! The best top channel for used caravan hunter's on UA-cam in my opinion! 👍
Looking wistfully at the prices and choice from the inflated perspective of 2021!
The market seems to be stabilising pricewise as winter looms, but there is still a limited stock in the price range we are investigating as first-timers.
However there is a lot of useful info here as we are viewing a similar Lunar, albeit 2 berth, that looks immaculate from the images and discussion with the private vendor.
A good pointer for usage is the MOT of the seller's tow car. Our vendor has only done 3k per year on average, and I presume the caravan usage would be a small proportion of that.
Another great video thanks 👍That dealer is shocking though, alarm bells ringing all over the place, filthy and damaged caravans at an over inflated price. You can get fantastic deals privately, I've just bought a caravan in that exact spec and spotted a 2011 Bailey Orion 440/4 at a dealer for £10'000, I did a bit of searching online and found a mint 2011 example private for £7000 complete with all the kit you need down to a hoover and TV and full awning aquarolls, wastemaster etc, all CRIS registered as well.
look out for my pros and cons for buying from a dealer / privately. there are quite a few for each method of purchasing.
Thats dealers for you dan brought his from this dealer .But he is a novice at buying caravans
Thorough, unbiased and extremely helpful for newbies. Many thanks Dan.
Spot on again Dan. Great tip about the paint brush for the front gutter. Keep them coming. Regards Nick
Reference the green mould on the van: We spray mould and mildew cleaner on our van & leave it on, this prevents the green building up, I sprayed our van over a month ago and it still looks brilliantly clean. We also repainted our locker doors etc in a lovely black. Looks great!
Very helpful - taking note of all the spots to check when our bailey arrives
Very informative and well explained, I didn't know about the weight of the caravan to car, thank you, great channel 😎
Really great appraisal Dan - Agree with other comments as to why the dealers do not sort out a thorough clean. It is so off-putting to see a lovely van like that green on the outside, when a good clean would make such a difference. Would we pay £10,000 for a dirty car on a forecourt - I suspect not! Many thanks as always. Jon
Hi Dan. Another excellent video. I think these used videos work better when you show more than one van. It gives a better idea of what is available for the money. Good work. Steve.
Nice video Dan, I think this is a brilliant price point. You get the best of both worlds. Cheers Oliver
Good video Dan the lunar certainly looked a lot classier than the Venus for similar money .I had a 2007 swift charisma and that was the same construction at the front above the windows with the gutter that always chokes up,as you say you have clear that out occasionally. As with other comments it would be good if you good make videos up
Great video as usual Dan. Why oh why don't dealerships spend a little time/money cleaning these vans up for sale? How many garage forecourts don't clean there cars? What is your first impression of a dirty and often musty smelling caravan?
I like seeing you check out secondhand vans. Are you going up to 15k and 20k too where the market really gets interesting??
I might need to extend my searching around, I was only going to look at 3 bands, but perhaps I should look at more.
@@TheTrudgians I might be seeing on this, but there's a lot to be said for picking up a van which is say up to 2 years old. The nitty gritty bits should be done and that initial loss of money s you pull it off the dealership is saved. I bought my Affinity 554 in December 17 at £16.5k. At the time it was selling nee at £23. But it was only a 2016 van!
Saw the thumbnail and thought you'd found your old van for a minute 😂
Hi Dan - Great video as per usual so please keep them coming you certainly made our first family caravanning experience seem straight forward (so thanks). Really interested in this vid as this was our budget where we picked up a 2012 Lunar Quasar 546 and love it to bits! Only query I had about the vid was the suggestion to store pots under the cooker whilst in transit, is this the right thing to do as I'm sure there a gas feed pipe thats not protected down there and I would fear of a damage from a metal pot?? I may be wrong but thought I would query.
Thanks again for the vids!
This dealership needs to spend more time cleaning their used ‘vans. That 2nd Lunar was a right state.
David Bell if you’ve ever been to this dealer you would appreciated how many vans they have up there . It would be a fourth road bridge type of job keeping them all clean full time . When you get to the last one you would just start again. Don’t forget it’s now winter !!
Hi I have a Lunar Chateau 2004, it’s my very 1st caravan I love it, but looking at changing it for a caravan that has the bed permanently down & bigger toilet & shower I don’t need a big one, if you can recommend any one, thanks in advance Yvonne
Used to really love the Lunar Chateau.
At the time it was purchased everything else had velour upholstery, dralon curtains, frilly lamps, impractical fitted carpets etc.
So at the time, it was a real breath of fresh air.
I used to joke it was IKEA on two wheels.
Enjoy :-)
What does curb weight mean?
Here on the other side of the haring pond we have 2 weights, empty caravan weight and max. load weight.
Right in my price range Dan, thanks for sharing.
Great vlog Dan, very informative.
Enjoyed this vid. I myself am on a restricted licence.... it goes to show if you do your homework you can make things happen. I managed to get a 6 birth family van for under £8000 compatible with a safe tow car under the magic number of 3500. These videos are very useful to people starting out.
Loving your channel by the way.
Great video Dan, very interesting 👍
My car only allows me to tow up to 1325kg… I’ve been told to observe mptlm but I’ve seen caravans with an mro of 1250kg … would this be ok if I put a couple of calor gas botttle in it and nothing else ?
This appeared in my suggested vids. Guessing some sub £10k vans two years ago are now over £10k!
Looking at buying a 4 berth tourer at some point (complete newbie to it though). My question is: with a fixed bed (double) it would appear that the bathroom generally has a shower that isn't much good (not a cubicle) but the non-fixed bed versions have the better bathroom. The bunk bed version often have a separate shower cubicle. I guess what I'm asking is, what is the preferable option here? I'm not sure if the bunks sleep an adult in terms of length/size?
From my experience of car dealers you can get some bargains but not as often as buying privately, same probably goes for caravans they want the trade in off the plot for a more lucrative priced model to take up the space.
Sorry Dan pressed the wrong button but it would be good if you could make videos up to top of the range caravans thanks
Hi Dan I have a 2011 Quazar and you mentioned changing the grab handles to the chrome ones. I’ve searched but can’t find any. Do you have any advice on this? Cheers
Wow used and new vans are half what we pay in New Zealand
Very interesting. We have just purchased a new to use caravan via trade in and the prices seem to be totally arbitrary.
It's a shame they didnt clean it that was so bad, I bought my first van for 6 grand private sale in immaculate condition tuns of space motor mover all alarmed with awning it's an avondale osprey we love it
Wonder if winter time has anything to do with it do they get many buyers in winter normally ?
Enjoyed this one, what about doing one to show how to remove and reseal the Awning Rail.
I've just bought Hyundai Tucson with a GVW of 2085kg and I've been looking at the Lunar Quasar 524 which would be ideal for the car to tow
GOOD,
Show us Lots of Vans at that price, Newer Cheap ones & older Very High Quality ones. We all want & expect Different Features & Prices & Spec' .
Cheers for the video. But I'm unsure of the licence restriction . As this is a grey area you can only tow if you either pass a towing test to obtain a b'1 category or have B'E on licence pre 1997.
Andrew Blackman after 1997 you can tow a car and braked trailer that do not weigh a combined total of over 3500kg max weight. Or an unbraked trailer of under 750kg
Hi Andrew, it's quite clear but badly worded on official sites. so here goes :
If you passed before 1st Jan 1997, you can have a combination of car(GVW) + caravan(MTPLM) over 3,500Kg
After 1st Jan 1997, you can have a combination up to 3,500Kg. to tow more, you need to take an extra test to gain the B1 privilege on your licence.
So the reason why i was looking at a caravan under 1,400Kg is with an average car of 2,100Kg GVW plus an MTPLM of 1,400Kg means the combination is well within the restriction of 3,500Kg, meaning you will not need to gain the B1 on your licence.
For more information - visit here. www.gov.uk/towing-with-car
Well that's misleading people to think they need a cat b/e licence to tow. And you need to take a trailer test. (SCAM THEN) or law. That why I say it's a grey area because the CPC states otherwise about towing laws be it commercial or private. Thanks for videos very useful and interesting
DIRT, MOULD, MOSS, in Gaps & Outside Trim, EASY NO PROBLEM,
Spray with TFR, ( Traffic film remover / car jet wash soap, DILUTED CORRECTLY !!! )
Use Jet wash to Rinse & push the dirt out, If any remains, Apply Again & Repeat until Gone.
Yes Also You can Use a Paint brush or other very SOFT Brush. Waft it away Not ATTACK IT with Violence. Stiff Brushes or Strong Chemicals / Cleaners May Damage your Finish. Caravan Surface etc. Be Careful.
Another great informative video but can I just say you talk about cars that can tow a van that size with the curb weight but never mentioned what the legal weight the car can tow? For a family that was new to caravans we got a 7 seater to find out that the curb weight was there but we could not tow more than 1000kg as the gearbox would not take it I would like to see you just mentioning that is very important to look at the hand book
Hi Leon, thats a video for another day, this video is aimed at caravans for 10k and under. Vehicle choice, towing capacity and towing limits could occupy a series of videos all to themselves, who knows - perhaps thats coming next ;-)
take care
Dan
Why would the dealer not clean their stock ?
Great vlog 👍
the handles on the luna you said that you could polish up what would you use to do that? many thanks
Hi Joanne, I used Magic erasers on ours to get the majority of the grime off, then I used some cutting compound to really clean them up. However I know that other older makes have a heck of an issue with grubby grab handles, where the plastic has deteriorated. in this instance some oversized heat shrink will do a fab job. i will be covering this on a future video.
@@TheTrudgians thankyou for that Dan we have just bought our first caravan a Bailey Unicorn (same as martin in the Caravan nut) and there are some areas like where the water channels are over the windows that do need some attention love your videos have been following you for the past year and love all the advice (and your witty humor especially the April fools vid hilarious)
thanks again :)
That Decal Can be OFF in 10 mins with a Heat Gun, & Replaced with SAME, or Any of your Choice. = No Problem.
you think some of these are a bit shocking you can go buy a brand new caravan and find some shoddy workmanship on a brand new build ..you really have to check them thoroughly sometimes seams and seals have gaps in and sealant shoddily applied enen applies in some brand new motorhomes too
Mains tester?? It was a 12v plug.
I noticed your hands before but now they look worse. Try using Udder cream. I know its a strange thing but it works for farmers hands just like yours. We know people who have recovered within 1-2 months totally.
Is it correct to say these licences are "restricted"? Doesn't it sound like they have had restrictions placed on them? It seems very judgemental.
Hi Lydia, no not judgemental just fact. they are restricted licences, folks who passed after Jan 1st 1997 do not have the same privileges as pre Jan 1997, ergo they are driving licenses with towing restrictions.
@@TheTrudgians it's not like they have been restricted. Most people are not qualified to drive all vehicles. These people haven't broken the law and had points or other restrictions placed on their licences.
Why don’t you ever go on a caravan Rally with the Berkshire Centre as you are members of the CAMC
Hi Peter, its somthing that has never really interested us, however i wont say never - and im sure once we do a couple, we will be hooked.
i need a caravan under £5000 with 1 or 2 fixed beds and 84 inches wide could eny body in the uk help me out? coment on my video what model and size
The sofas in many of these caravans look far more comfortable than the ones most have in their houses lol
Tetford Toilet Tally-Ho
Check your Twitter DMs mate.
Please don't tow anything above 750KG if you passed your test after 1997
why?
@@TheTrudgians Its MAM weight now, maximum authorised mass. a cars weight plus its maximum load, same for the caravan. So if the car weighs 1400Kg but can carry 600Kg its MAM weight would be 2000Kg. If the caravan weighs 1400Kg but can carry 300Kg then your total MAM weight would be over the 3500Kg. It doesn't matter if you're actually carrying that weight or not.
ok, the MTPLM of a caravan is the MRO PLUS payload. so for the examples i've shown in this video, my final choice of a caravan with a MTPLM of under 1400Kg would suit a car with a GVW of 2,000Kg.
The combined MAM of this outfit is under the legal limit of 3,500Kg
So, please explain why you are suggesting people do not tow anything above 750Kg if they passed after Jan 1st 1997.
www.gov.uk/towing-with-car
Rubbish....just watched your first vids in this series and no mention of damp checks....it’s the first thing to check.
see the video that specifically deals with damp, and if you are buying a caravan, check my checklist on buying second hand caravans.
Anything under £10000 probably leaks .
Bit of a sweeping statement this one. Depends on how well its looked after really.
Not all the time !!! paid just under 10k for my 2002 bailey senator in 2007, just had it serviced and engineers report put damp at around 12% all around the van.(Was thinking of buying newer, but why would i when this van is dry? Has everything i need in it.)