What To Consider When Buying A Caravan

What to Consider When Buying a Caravan

by

Amy Vale

Caravans are a great way to see the country, whether it be a lengthy adventure or just a simple weekend getaway. But before you jump into exciting trips away, there is quite a bit of research to be had when investing in a caravan.

What Will It Be Used For?

You ll no doubt have a pretty good idea on what the main use of the caravan will be before you buy it. It could be for family holidays down the beach, following a lifelong dream to travel the length and breadth of Australia over months or years, or simply to sneak away for the weekend. Whatever the use may be, knowing the answer to this question will soon narrow down the type and configuration of caravan you will purchase.

What Size Do You Need?

The most popular caravans range in length from 11ft to 24ft. Anything smaller can tend to get a little squashed when trying to fit more than one person. If you go larger than 24ft, this can pose a bit of a towing issue. Put simply, the smaller the caravan, the easier it is to tow and manoeuvre.

Pop tops and camper style caravans are becoming more and more popular with travellers as they are easy to store and move around and are quite easy to put up nowadays.

Suspension

In modern caravans there is the option of either independent suspension or a leaf spring suspension. Either is perfectly acceptable and offers a smooth ride and rarely has faults.

Frames and Axles

There s an old debate as to whether a wooden frame is better than an aluminium one when building a caravan. In reality, the fact is that it doesn t really matter. But the signs are already clear that aluminium is likely to be the material of the future as wood becomes scarcer, costlier and isn t as environmentally friendly.

You ll find it can get confusing when trying to decide on the type of axles that are best for your new caravan. However, this is not really a matter of choice. The provision of two axles instead of one applies when vans reach a certain size. It becomes imperative, for safety reasons, to share the weight between four wheels instead of two. You won t often find many tandem axles fitted to vans of less than 16ft, and only rarely will you come across a single axle model of 17ft or more.

Layout and Fittings

Many people often choose the popular layout of a front kitchen, island double bed at the rear and an L-shaped dinette at one side with a small lounge seat opposite. However, when designing the configuration, it s important to consider who will be spending most of the time in the caravan and also if you ll be cooking a lot in the caravan.

Fittings have also evolved dramatically over the years with the move from laminate covered chip board to solid hard wood being very popular.

Amy Vale provides regular insurance related articles focusing on

home insurance

,

car insurance

and

caravan insurance

.

Article Source:

ArticleRich.com