Looking For A New Caravan - Article On What To Look For When Buying A Van

expanda

Site Founder
Staff member
Dec 22, 2009
3,892
1,961
113
43
Western, Sydney....
www.expandasdownunder.com
Caravan holidays are undertaken for any number of reasons such as a family holiday, short trips over the weekend, long trips taken after retirement across the country, bush travels and many more. Each of these has a different need for the types of things to look for in buying a new van.

At the outset, you should familiarize yourself with the different types of caravans and from there you can decide the style of van that best suits your needs. First, there is the standard caravan a full size caravan from top to bottom and front to back. These caravans are tall, spacious and often come with more features than the other types of vans due to there size but do also carry a heavier price tag. Then there is the pop top or the pop-up made by the likes of Jayco in the Expanda model and other variants – these are lighter versions of the standard full size caravan in which the top can be raised and lowered easily to give more headroom space. The pop top has the advantage of being shorter in height than the standard caravan (with the top lowered) which lowers the center of gravity, making it easier to tow and maneuver and the cost is some what reduced compared to a full sized, fully optioned van. The other popular model is the compact (small, hard-shelled, and hardy), camper trailer (low, lightweight, and can be towed by most medium cars), it comes as either a wind up caravan or just as standard camper trailer (trailer with a tent on top). Finally the largest of the lot the fifth-wheel caravan which is an extra large caravan that extends over the tow hitch and connects to a flat plate – ‘the fifth wheel’ on the tow vehicle which is usually a customized heavy duty ute.

Jayco and other manufacturers now seem to be making alot of other vehicles called motor homes. These are smaller in size and not suited to a family situation but do come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes to meet most budgets.

Certain considerations that you must take into account when buying a caravan is the type of vehicle required to tow it, the number of beds and the amount of space you need, cooking arrangements, whether you need a shower / toilet, and lastly, whether your caravan is going to be an on-roader or an off-roader.

After your understand your priorities for the caravan your require you will find that your choice of caravan has become simple and easy.

Just remember to take the time to find the right caravan, its financially a huge decision and something not to be taken lightly whether it be buying a new or second hand caravan.

Happy trails and good luck looking for a new van!