The Caravan Owners Club

[paulwaring]

We are doing things the hard way! We want to buy a Hobby 495 UK Excellent from Germany. What are the main things we should be asking? What do we need to order to bring it to UK spec?
Where can we get to see a Hobby in the UK? ( we live in winchester)
We are new to caravanning so apart from scrutinizing brochures we don't really know what we are doing!
Any help would be really appreciated

Paul and Andrea

\ps why is having the door on the wrong side a problem on sites - Don't you just turn the caravan round? Am I missing something?

[harrycee]

Hi Paul
The process for buying abroad couldn't be easier - Franz Josef at Joeressens is a member of this site and he is the man to talk to.
Go to www.joeressen.de and you will find their site which is full of info and more important PRICES.
I don't know which dealer in the UK is nearest to you - but there is a dealer in Ambergate near Matlock, Derbyshire who carries a fair range.
You will also find an e-mail link to Franz Josef on the Joeressen site.
As for what you will need - take a 6kg red gas bottle, pre order a regulator adaptor from Franz Josef - get your van insured prior to collection (FJ will let you have the chassis number to do this)
Don't worry about the so called British spec - this is just a ploy put about by the UK dealers to justify exhorbitant prices - the door on the "wrong side" has never caused me any problems.
Don't rush back after collection - spend a couple of days over there enjoying the van.
More important - you have made an excellent choice of van that you will be justifyably proud of.

[paulwaring]

Hi harrycee

Thanks for your help. I have emailed Franz Joseph as you suggest.
I was just a bit worried about whether there were any essentials missing. I have looked at the site and I cannot work out whether eg there is warm air duct heating as standard or whether there is just a central heater. Also do I need to get the "self suffient" package shown as an option? ( I found that whilst I cannot speak German if I copy and paste things in German to MS Word there is translation software!)
Any help greatly appreciated!

[Garry]

Hi Paul,

I've just gone through all this and really it is very easy. My new van is on order and I'm making the arrangements to go and collect it from Franz.

If you use Google to access the sites on the right hand side, near the search box is a translator tool. Select German and enter the site and hey presto, its translated to English

Hobby cannot keep up with the demand to produce caravans at the moment as most of them, esp the the 2.3m wides ones are already on their way to the UK! If you are in a hurry then you will probably have to make do with what he can find for ya.

[paulwaring]

Hi Garry

Thanks for replying.

Franz has offered me a model from stock. Only problem is that my wife wants to see a Hobby before we buy and the nearest dealer is 150 mies away! She is worried that some essential bit of kit is going to be missing and wants to see the standard spec for herself.

[Garry]

Hi Paul,

150 miles for peace and tranquility hehe I know what I would do

Why not make a weekend of it and stay over some where close by.

Its up to you but I couldn't see the Germans being too happy about 'missing kit' just look at their cars

Afterall if you are saving @ least 4K wot is there to worry about?