| Once you have seen the magazine pictures and | | | | sealant, the price of a new seals throughout the |
| realised how much fun caravanning can be it is hard | | | | outfit can be as much as a thousand pounds. |
| to resist the urge to fork out for a caravan straight | | | | It may seem obvious but the door and lockers should |
| away. It may not however be worth buying new | | | | be checked so that they shut properly and can be |
| right away; after all, you may not fully understand | | | | locked securely. Check over the hinges and whether |
| the world of caravanning and a new caravan will be | | | | the doors still fit snugly into their frames. It may |
| expensive. At this point you should probably consider | | | | seem a minor expense but finding replacement doors, |
| looking at a used caravan as a more affordable and | | | | especially if the used van is somewhat old can be |
| worthwhile option. | | | | difficult. The same can be said for the windows and |
| When you are looking at used caravans there are | | | | window frames; as an even more expensive outlay, |
| certain things you must remember so you do not get | | | | the price of new windows can start from around 180 |
| hoodwinked into buying a disgraceful example of a | | | | pounds. |
| towed home. What follows is a checklist of the | | | | As important as the doors are the floors of a |
| problems that can regularly occur in a caravan and | | | | caravan. Check for any signs of sagging and any |
| issues that should be studied in detail before any | | | | areas that may seem weak. The most important |
| purchase is made. | | | | places to check are near the door, around the |
| First and foremost the biggest problem a caravan | | | | kitchen and the living quarters as these are the areas |
| faces is damp; this is especially true when looking at | | | | used most frequently. If sagging is evident the usual |
| used caravans. It is important to check all of the | | | | procedure is to inject rigidity foam into the affected |
| corners, the bed boxes and lockers thoroughly for | | | | area to increase strength. This process is not cheap |
| signs of damp and moisture. A useful tool that can be | | | | however and should be carried out by a professional, |
| used for this purpose is a damp meter, available at | | | | if it appears the used caravan that you are looking at |
| most home and DIY stores. Check the sturdiness of | | | | has faulty floors, walk away. |
| cupboard and door handles by giving them a strong | | | | The chassis and hitch mechanism should probably |
| pull; loose fitting can sometimes mean that damp has | | | | have been checked over already but pay particular |
| got into the caravan. If there is a problem with | | | | attention to the easy movement of the mechanism. |
| damp, this used van is probably worth walking away | | | | Ensure that lubrication is evident and the rubber |
| from; you can sometimes end up paying twice as | | | | gaiter that lies between the push bar and A-frame is |
| much for repairs than the original price. | | | | in good condition. Checking that the chassis of the |
| As part of the damp prevention come the seals. A | | | | caravan is in no way bent or damaged, it is the |
| caravan may have many different types of seals | | | | skeleton of the outfit and as such should be sturdy. |
| used in its construction. The three most common of | | | | By following this checklist you should be able to find a |
| these seals are acrylic, silicone and oil-based. Ask the | | | | used caravan to suit your purposes. There are plenty |
| former owner or the dealer when the seals were last | | | | of good caravans out there and finding one is only a |
| replaced; the lifespan of some seals is twenty years | | | | matter of time. With a little savvy and this advice, |
| but others will only last five. Poor seals mean s that | | | | years of caravanning pleasure should only be a short |
| damp will ingress into the caravan easily. Check for | | | | drive away. |
| rust on frames and screws and any damaged bits of | | | | |