Ramsdale Hotel

Forget the stresses of finding accommodation for your holiday, take your own caravan. You can almost go anywhere you want and there are some wonderful, peaceful nature locations where you can safely set up your caravan for a few days.

To take a caravan holiday is very cheap, but to actually buy one isn't quite so cheap. If you are going to get your own caravan then you might want to consider second hand as its going to save you a lot of money, there are however many things that you should take into consideration.

Of course you want to first of all take into account its general condition, is it tatty and does it look like it's not been looked after? If so then this is definitely a warning signal as the rest of it is probably also in bad order. It's quite possible that you may want to repaint your caravan anyway so a bit of missing paint is no big deal, as long as there is no major bodywork rust.

There are numerous newspapers, magazines and web sites which you could search for caravans for sale that folks are marketing, so take the time to investigate and once you have discovered some that are interesting, make a time to go and observe them. Check the interior, unless you are specifically planning on doing a restoration job then you want something half decent. If it's got built in seats then often the fabric is worn through, but this can be easily and cheaply fixed so don't concern yourself with that too much.

Make sure that you test out all of the appliances within the caravan, especially the electrics, if possible you want to have the caravan connected up so you can test that all the electrics work properly, as this can be a real pain to sort out not to mention expensive. Make a check of the other fitted amenities and ensure everything is working and in good order.

If the inside checks out ok then now would be a good time to give a more thorough once over on the outside of the caravan. You should be looking out for any major patches of rust as these could present a problem, plus check the overall paintwork condition. Minor problems can be fixed easily so don't let that put you off. You should also check the construction of the walls, are they stapled together or sealed with glue also? They need to be sealed properly to keep the water out, resealing it yourself can be done, but preferably avoided.

When you go to view a caravan, take a lamp along with you so that you can do a proper inspection of the underneath as this is critical. Check the condition of the wheels as well, tyres are easily replaced so don't worry if they are worn. Repairs to the structure could be costly, so it's vital that you check and make sure there is minimal corrosion.

Before you make a final decision make sure to look at the towing equipment as this needs to be in sound working order.

There are lots of used caravans for sale so don't think you have to jump at the first one you see if it's not exactly what you're looking for, but on the other hand don't miss out on a bargain!