The Caravan Owners Club

[derek]

hi
i am a seasoned caravaner of about 25 years now and i am thinking of buying a new hobby caravan after a recent discovery damp in my british van an avondale no less ! this is the 3rd van i have had damp in. i love to caravan but i cant afford to buy caravans that leek if i buy a van from germany does it come with a 12 volt charging system as standard do the hobbys have gas/electric hot water heaters are the electrics 220/240 volt are these caravans realy that good compared to british vans where can i go in this country to look round these caravans or do i have to go to germany with a suitcase full of euros and pick a van any help on this subject would be greatly appreciated !!

[doumac]

hi derek

i am the opposite of you in that i have only been caravanning a few weeks and i fell in love with the hobbies as soon as i saw them.

there are now a number of dealers who sell hobby vans, however in my experience of the last few weeks some are still trying to get the ridiculous prices they are used to charging for british vans.

i shopped around and visited all the dealers in scotland and found one that would sell me a brand new hobby cheaper than another dealer would give me a 2 year old one for.

being new to caravans i have really felt like i'm missing something regarding pricing. i needed a six berth caravan no more than 5 years old and had a maximum budget of 5k. impossible you may think, it would be with a british van. a 1995 2 berth eyesore would have been my limit if not for hobby. i ended up with a 2000 560kmfe for £4600 and am delighted with it.

i read what problems to expect from the listings of experienced owners and know of a couple of problems that will take a few quid to fix; still an unbelievable caravan for the money.

one other thing i think i should mention is that i feel the caravan press very subtley try to put you off german vans, probably because they support the great british van price rip-off

[derek]

hi yes i do agree with you after reading an article on practical caravan about the pros and cons of buying a german caravan it was like they were somehow linked to the british manufacturers association trying to put you off buying german in my mind german built means good quality but i have never owned a german caravan i am also from scotland where are the dealers here? as i would like to go round and look at a few but i am still considering going to germany to buy direct surley all the people posting on this site cant be wrong the hobby must be a good bet

[doumac]

hi derek

i found the scottish dealers in the caravan section in the auto trader.

the lads at larkhall have good prices but tend to deal more in the hobbies that aren't legal to tow. it's the same family as JG trading at Annan, near carlisle.

i don't know where in scotland you are, i'm in falkirk. the nearest dealer to me is murray at letham, he's the one with british van prices and usually has 4 or 5 hobbies at any given time.

i bought privately from a lad in glasgow and like anything you get an instinct about the seller.

i viewed another van in perth that was beautiful, but instinct said run a mile.

PS i ended up getting a van that isn't tow legal but will take my chances. the debate on this subject rages on but having driven over one million miles without an accident i just can't see how a nervous german driving on the wrong side of the road can be safe, while i'm a hazard.

cheers

[derek]

thanks for the info about the dealers i am in fife and i think i will visit murrys as thats only about a half hour drive from me i was looking at the debate on some of the posts here about the legal width limit of these vans i think its ridiculous that the goverment should choses to penilise caravans when they have all these huge lorries and buses on the roads how heavy is your van and what do you pull it with i have a nissan x trail 2.2 diesel so i am hoping it should do the job

[doumac]

hi derek

we were using my wife's car, a volvo s40 with a towing limit of 1400kg but trying to keep the van down to this weight was impossible. i am getting a towbar on my car, a volvo 850R, which has a towing limit of 1600kg.

that is the weight on the plate of the van for being fully laden. your handbook will tell you your towing limit or your local dealer, but i imagine you'll be well within your limit.

murray at letham has lovely vans to look at just now but beware his prices. the vans for sale on this site are far better and if not for strict budget limitations this is where i would have bought from.

[derek]

ok thanks for the info and i wish you well for future caravaning i think i will go to germany and buy myself a good hobby caravan
derek

[jilly]

fantastic vans....not without some faults eg we had a leaky sink,and sliding door that stuck!
so good,some other people wanted it so much they stole it in feb.
we can't do without it,so going back for another one!
gluttens for punishment, but why should they have all the fun?

[derek]

yes they do seem to be wanted so much by some people that they get nicked did you buy yours direct from germany
derek

[keith]

Derek take a look at www.joeressen.de He is at Monchengladbach just across the border from Holland, speaks English. We bought our 450 UF there and very satisfied. Generally unless you order one specially they dont come with battery and charger but this can be fitted by the dealer. Heater is gas only water heater is electric only. Three gas burners no oven. 540 and up have a microwave this can be upgraded to full oven at factory as can heater and water heater. UFE models have a separate fitted shower others just have bathroom with sink. Joeressen's site has a lot of info in Engish. In another month or so there will be massive reductions on 2005 vans not sold there is also a large Caravan show in September over there with many bargains if you are happy to have a standard van

[derek]

hi keith
thanks for that i think it will be either the 460 ufe or the 540 ufe as i need a van with a fixed bed anyway whats the difference in these 2 vans they look very similar inside ... it will be about december or january before i can get to germany and i am realy looking forword to it i am trying to suck up all the info i can get on these great looking vans

[keith]

Derek,
The basic difference is the length 540 being nearly a metre longer this gives you a little more kitchen workspace plus a slightly longer seat on one side. Also the weight 1300kg against 1500kg but the heavier one has a greater payload 193kg against 171kg othewise you are right not much difference. We are thinking of upgrading to a 540UFE but we do tow with a V8 Disco. I am sure you will be happy with whatever you decide on. By the way you get a better rate on the euro with a bankers draft rather than cash over the counter.