Dscounted new tourers

Once again a busy year in caravan sales with no sign of any slowdown in demand. The last two years in particular has seen manufacturers increase the factory gate prices by as much as 10% a yearon their models. This has helped fuel the demand for good second hand models, increasing prices considerably.

Purchased a 2 berth caravan recently for a client. I forgot to take my own advice with reference to carefull inspection. No cassette in toilet compartment. Doh!
I find it helps to make a list of items to check and tick them off as the van is inspected. Also try pushing in the damper which controls the brakes, it should slowly release back to original position, especially important on older vans or if they have not been towed for a while. Might save a problem when towing.
Well the silly season is here and once again prices for private vans are too high, in some instances more than dealers prices without the benifits of servicing and warranty.

Had the misfortune to visit a dealer in the west country on behalf of one of my clients in Australlia. Van was advertised as a 2000 model, on inspection of cris number which is etched on all windows bottom right 17digits, I found it to be a 1999. The Dealer tried to explain that caravan registration went from September 1st to August 31st of each year, which is quite correct. I pointed out that a 1999 van was registered between ist September 1998 and August 31st 199. Impossible to be a 2000 model, regardless of when first sold. Oldest trick in the book. The only way to value caravans is by the age shown by the cris registration number.

Dealer or Private!
When purchasing a caravan usually the choice is to buy privately or through a dealer, some people look on dealers as if they are the devil. My experience is private sellers can be just as devious and untruthfull. Many times I have pointed out to private sellers that thier van has serious damp/rot. I have monitored the ad and not once have they changed the description to mention the problems. Always Buyer Beware! especially the nice old boy who gives you a cup of tea. Try and read between the lines of private adverts on ebay, internet etc, quite often it is what they do not say that is important, look carefully at photos what are they not showing, look at the area where the caravan is, if the garden is a mess then the caravan will be as well.
Be carefull of private ID auctions, sometimes used to bid up item. Never buy a van without viewing first. print out description to check.

Offer at least 15% less on dealers price, good starting point, and remember dealers sell vans with damp. make sure you get written warranty to cover damp, and damp check before end of warranty.

I require twin axle vans at the moment with fixed bed for the non cricket playing great country of Australia, give me a call if you have anything for sale
06.04.2011

Well another year gone, spring is just around the corner and caravaning here we come. Want a free valuation of your caravan to sell, or indeed price check the caravan you are interested in, just email alan.cashmore@caravanpriceguide.com or call 01202 576351. 2011 revaluations will be started shortly I promise. At the moment I am looking for a small end kitchen model caravan for a client in New Zealand.
14.01.2011

Merry Xmas and Happy new year to one and all [except tax man ] remember to drain all water pipes taps etc, take weight off the wheels and protect your pride and joy from the rain as much as possible,
15/12/10

Oh so cold, should be in Australia watching the cricket. If you are considering buying a touring caravan now is the time, even the dealers are offering fairer prices and willing to negotiate. not for long I guess,
Consider that 1997 / 1998 models are now up to 14 years old, would you spend £4,000 on a car that old.
9/12/2010

Looking to buy a brand new touring caravan!

Best place to buy new is at the forthcoming Caravan and Motorhome show at the NEC near Birmingham. Show starts early October.

Dealers will offer huge discounts to entice purchasers on the day or give generous part ex allowance.

On a personal note I have just returned from France and Spain on holiday with a touring caravan, I was somewhat surprised at cost of some of the bigger campsites with facilities. Top price I paid was 45 Eueos a night which included electricity, paultry 6amps. wifes hairdryer blew the trip switch. Add on class 2 toll fees, fuel not much cheaper than our prices and hefty ferry charge, certainly not cheap holiday anymore. mind you the red wine helped blunt the pain, together with 30plus degree sunshine. Even the wife called a truce on moaning.

The website price guide is up to date , though I am finding fluctuations in sales prices of touring caravans. As we draw towards the end of the season, caravans will become easier to purchase at more reasonable prices.
Best time to buy a caravan is November. worst time April just before Easter and July just before school holidays.

Buying; drive a hard bargain with hard cash.

Selling; throw in a few extras like awning to tempt any buyers around
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6 tips to help you buy a touring caravan and save money.

1. check the tyre walls for cracks, as cracked tyres will be a problem sooner or later, and could be fatal.

2. Quickest way to check if fridge is working is to feel if warm air is coming out of fridge vent on outside. if no electric ask to try on gas.

3. Walk in van and check for bouncy floor, though not serious, its a pain cutting out carpet to repair delaminated floor. Look underneath van make sure no 4x4 timber wedged in chassis. I have seen that before.

4.Buy a damp meter, failing that look for soft, stained or uneven wallboard. damp repair always costs hundreds of pounds and takes ages to repair as the van needs to be dried out ,regardless of what the seller says about leak stopped now and damp no worse or simple repair, damp always gets worse, if the wood structure frame is not rotton, it soon will be

5 Once inspected van, pause and then recheck all the little things like blinds, heater, tap and water pump.

6. Always cris check a van. cris number stamped on all windows from 1992, simple call costing a few pounds will tell you everything you need to know. 01722 526911

No good buying a bargain if the bargains costs hundreds of pounds to repair. or indeed not really a bargain.
27.7.10

Times they are a changing.

It does seem to me that the days of the overpriced touring caravan are over , Always I am amazed at prices people pay for load of trouble. Buying a van , do you damp check the van! Do you ask for electric to be supplied to check fridge, £700 for new one at least.
Ask yourself the question would you buy a second hand car without checking the log book or starting the engine.

20.07.10

My client in North Island is offering to hire out a car and touring caravan to cover the 2011 rugby world cup , anybody interested give me a call 01202 576351.

Bought a new Freedom caravan last week, can be towed by a motor bike, for my NZ clients . I never knew the electric plug was changed in 2009 . so now we have just one plug which does everything. nice and neat but a nightmare to rewire with so many wires.

From 2010 new vans vin year ID has changed back to Letter. 2010 is A,

Caravan Revaluation time.

I am about to complete a revaluation of touring caravans , the first in over 12 months, the process will take about 2 weeks. Prices will be revalued downwards, I do know there is demand for touring vans which has pushed up prices but has Margaret Thatcher once said, every body is wrong and I am right. I just cannot justify currant prices. if and when the Euro devalues and holidays abroad become cheaper, demand for caravans will fall. Drive a hard bargain especially with dealers who are adding £500 / £800 to recommended retail prices.

Time to service your van

As we eagerly await the hot sultry summer days which are bound to come soon, spare a thought for your friend the touring caravan, neglected for sometimes 6 months now is the time to make sure all is well.
In particular the gas system should be checked by an engineer, the water system and tyres.

Tyres crack on the wall due to weight and UV light , always check the back of the tyres with a torch.

www.southerncaravans.com offer 10% discount on servicing if you mention my name, as acredited engineeers they may well save you money and a lot of time enjoying your caravan.

Good News for Hobby caravan owners

The law has recently changed regarding towing caravans over 7ft 6in wide . Now you do not need a towing vehicle with kerbsite weight of 3.5cwt or over to tow them. They can be towed by any vehicle which is up to the job, The police took no notice before but I have heard of insurance companies refusing to pay out on claims using the law as an excuse, insurance companies don't you just love them.

I find the hobby range of caravans the most difficult to value, usually they are not included in the cris scheme and can be buggers to identify the year of manufacture.
www.hobbycaravansuk.co.uk would be a good place for information

15/03/2010

CRIS [Caravan Registration Identification Scheme]

All UK touring caravans from 1992 have a 17 digit ID number etched on all windows, this process is done before the van leaves the factory by the manufacturers, A telephone call to the Cris organization will allow them to check for stolen , outstanding HP, previous insurance claims and former keepers and year of manufacture. The 10th digit denotes the year and is the most important.

Caravan year runs from September 1st to August 31st. As an example a van with 6 as the 10th digit for valuation purposes is a 2006 model even if the van is purchased in September 2005. There are times when vans are at dealers for quite a while for various reasons , a van used as a demonstrator is one of them. If that van is bought in this example new in January 2007. it is still a 2006 model and valued the same as a van bought in Sept 2005.

The oldest trick in the book is to advertise a van newer than what it really is, usually sellers say they are selling on behalf of friend with no internet access, yea right! sellers always know what they are selling.

Always check 10th digit on all windows, No digits on any windows mean windows have been changed, and at approx £200 a go there must be a good reason, usually stolen in the past.

10TH DIGIT Code is;

N 1992
P 1993
R 1994
S 1995
T 1996
V 1997
W 1998
X 1999
Y 2000
1 2001
2 2002
3 2003
4 2004
5 2005
6 2006
7 2007
8 2008
9 2009
A 2010

08.01.2010

Why go on Holiday when it is worse than home!

From approx year 2000, touring caravans have improved with smarter more modern upholtery, better heating, improved showers and digital arials. to name a few improvments. The British caravan is one of the few manufacturing industeries left which we excell and revered all round the world, I know because the demand for our caravans in places like New Zealand and Australia is huge. People go on about EU vans as better built , load of rubbish! they may have better insulation when visiting the Alps in winter, but I find them boring, lacking flair and sometimes down right ugly.

Buy the newest caravan your budget can stretch to, add a good awning , hey presto great holidays for years to come.

6/01/10

Merry Xmas and happy new year.

It has been a difficult year to buy a touring caravan with very high prices. It does appear that start of 2010 may be just as difficult. To be honest I really do not understand the market at the moment, lets consider; we have credit crunch, high unemployment and terrible weather and still heaps of junk are selling for over inflated prices.

What I do know is buyer beware!, I know I bang on about it, but why the hell buy an old caravan without damp checking the van and making sure all appliances are working. My email is full of horror stories, with damp, damaged and broken vans bought with regret.

Dealers are asking daft money , always make offer,and reach an agreeable deal.

25/12/09

How to buy or sell a caravan

I recently had the privilage to buy an Abbey Aventura 318 2003 fixed bed model from Sutton on Sea, in between Grimsby and Skegness on the Lincolnshire coast, it was a bracing day but not raining. Now consider I live in Bournemouth, a long day. The gentleman who I bought the van from was 82 and ex army boxing champion of the army. He has been caravanning for over 50 years. Time to retire he said.

I was so impressed , he laid out all the extras inc awning, had the power on to check all the appliances, gas and electric, cooled down the fridge and demonstrated the motor mover He had the cris document at hand and really made an effort to show the caravan .

I have been to buy caravans so many times when I can not check equipment or no documentation, with unhelpful sellers usually because they has something to hide. If you are selling a caravan do what this gentleman done, if buying insist on checking all appliances and documentaion.

Ask the question would you buy a car without starting the engine or looking at the log book.

20/11/09

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The price guide is up to date , It has been a year when caravan prices have held steady, Top of the range large twin axle models seem to be less popular, quality 2 berths are making a comeback. Demand for cheap family vans has trailed off as the season comes to an end.
One of the most popular models seems to be the single axle island bed layout. New caravan sales have increased which should provide more second hand stock in the new year.

Have you ever thought what might happen if you buy a caravan with no spare wheel, and you have a puncture. Well it is a bloody nightmare. This unfortunate incident happened to me a couple of years ago when I bought a caravan without a spare wheel. Punctures always happen miles away on motorways at night never outside your home.
RAC could not help, motorway breakdown could, for £350. Caravan wheels are reinforced and usually 5 stud a pain in the neck to replace.

Always check before purchase that there is a spare wheel, where it is and that it is ok.

06/11/09