Join us as we go caravan hunting. Do we go get rid of our tent and take the next step and move onto a caravan? We do not know anything about caravans, but we have always fancied on.
After looking at the camper vans in our last video, (   • Camper Van Window Shopping | Do We Bu...  ) we have been deliberating whether to buy or maybe buy a caravan. The children want a caravan, Scott wants a caravan and now that we have a dog, maybe it is the best solution? Or is it..
Caravans are not cheap, neither are campervans, and if we are to take the plunge we wanted to see if there was one out there that the whole family would approve.
With prices ranging from £8k to £41k, there are lots of options and lots of different styles.
We had it narrowed down to 4-berth plus in size and ideally no more than £25k in price.
So off we went to our local caravan dealership in Swindon. They did have a vast range and we did end up spending a good hour plus there going in and out of all the ones that fitted our goals.
Unbeknown to us was the fact that there are so many different styles and layouts that caravans come in.
Did we get a fixed bed, did we get fixed single beds, did we get a wide one or a narrow one, single axel or double axel? The more choices the actual harder it makes it.
Not knowing anything about caravan prices, also throws a spanner in the works. Was £16k a good price for an 8-year-old 6 berth caravan? We did not know.
Hopefully for anyone thinking about buying a caravan you may get an idea of the different options available in this video.
At the caravan dealership that we went to, they did have finance options, so for a caravan costing approx. 20K, with a deposit of £5k, a buyer would then be looking at approx. £230 per month for 10 years.
In this video you will see we check out various makes of caravan, from Swift, Sterlings, Clubmans etc. This may mean a lot to caravaners and we are sure that some people swear certain brands, but to us it was a case of did we like it.

To anyone who is thinking of buying a caravan, there are aspects that, like ourselves need considering. These were the comparisons we weighed up between caravan and camper van and tent.
If we were going to buy a caravan, we would need somewhere to store it. Scott did some checking and local caravan storage places, charged in the region of £50 per month.
They do not require a MOT, but require servicing annually at an approx. cost of £160 - £180, and it is down to the owner to ensure that they are roadworthy. Then there is insurance at an average of £150 per year.
So, just this alone meant that if we were to buy one, we would be putting down £5k, and with storage, servicing and insurance we would be looking at an average bill of £320 per month.
When comparing this to a camper van, it did appear that it would work out the same, but with the campervan, there would be more initial outlay, but as we could park it on the drive, we would not have the storage costs.
With a camper van, you do have the benefit of simply jumping in and setting off...A caravan trip requires a bit more planning especially if not being stored at home.
Then there is a tent. We cannot knock the tent we have - Vango Casa Lux. It has done us proud and we have had some great adventures. But, what you get in the caravan is similar space and if it rains, you do not have the discomfort.
But, tent is nowhere near the price of a caravan or campervan. If we were to spend £1500 on a tent, we would have great air tent, with plenty of space and no monthly costs.
This would then give us more financial freedom to be able to afford holidays aboard still, whereas with a caravan and the monthly costs we would need to weigh up, how many times could we actually use it. At £300 a month, we would want to use it a lot. With School holidays and work holidays being reasonably restricted, would we be able to do this?

You will see in the video; we did find a couple of caravans that really suited us as a family. And we are in a real state of deliberation. Do we sacrifice holidays abroad and get a caravan, or do we keep the money, put up with the miserable camping days when it rains? A big decision which we will be making in the next couple of weeks...

#caravanbuying#caravanortent #caravanhunting #familycamping

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