Pitfalls of second hand caravans

My next door neighbour bought an old van and found out after the event that it had a broken chassis.

He fixed that and was hoping to go away this month when he found a giant mushroom (bright red) growing out of carpet near bed end.
After further inspection the ply at back of bed was completely soaked and rotten and he has had a major job fixing it.

Fortunately he is a handy man otherwise the cost would have been horrendous.

Pedro

Our first caravan was a 79 model millard. We were lucky in that it had been really well looked after so apart from updating curtains and upholstery to our liking we didnt need to do anything else.

Some of the things that we looked for when buying a van of this age were:
Firstly when we opened the door and stepped in did it smell damp or musty?
Open all the cupboards and check all the corners, ceiling and around the windows for any signs of water leaking in.
Does the floor feel firm under foot or 'spongy'
Does everything work? Gas/Electric fridge, oven or cooktop.
Lights in working order inside and out.
If it is a pop top check the condition of the canvas around the top as this can be an expensive exercise to replace.
Condition of tyres - if it hasnt been used for a while the tyres may have heaps of tread but could be perished.
Stand at the front of the van a look along the walls if they bow out anywhere it could be a sign of swollen timber in the frame indicating water leaks. If they dont look straight and neat it could also mean there is a 'twist' in the chassis (a door that is hard to open and close can sometimes indicate this also)
Get underneath and check out the chassis for rust, cracks etc.
Ask when the wheel bearings were last checked. (We have always checked them again for ourselves anyway when we got the van home)
Beware of any dents anywhere that could indicate that it may have been taken to places that the van wasnt built for.
Check the weight of the van. Some older vans can be heavy so a lot depends on the vehicle you will be towing it with.
Does an awning or annexe come with it? If these are things you would like they are expensive to add on later.

Hope this helps a bit. There are some great old vans out there and we made ours feel much newer inside just by updating a few (inexpensive) things so good luck with your search and happy camping!

Check anything that is new/been replaced/been repaired.

Why has that happened ?

Eg, a Newly painted chassis. Why has it been painted ? Because it has had problems , eg rust , bent , broken , or did the genuinely do a freshin up.

Climb under and have a REALLY good look or better , get someone who knows , have a really good look.

Not much different to buying a secondhand car.
1. Don't believe anything the salesman tells you. Check it out for yourself.

ON THE OUTSIDE
2. Get down and dirty. Get underneath and poke the chassis/frame with a screwdriver. Check for rust, extra holes in the floor, rusted springs, hangers and shackles, low hanging wiring and plumbing (inc gas lines) condition of water tank.
3. Check tyres for bulging walls, uneven tread wear (just slide your hand both ways across the tread) This could indicate mis-alignment somewhere in the suspension system.
4. Check A frame for cracks, deformation and/or rust.
5. Check for new skin panels particularly on corners (may have been pranged).
6. Check poptop canvas (if applicable) Expensive to replace.
7. Check all stop,clearance, tail and indicator lights work
8. Check caravan brake system (electric or over-ride)

ON THE INSIDE
1. Does it smell musty or damp. Check for discoloured linings (water stain and/or leaks).
Check for linings that do not match (Why was it changed).
2. Check inside ALL cupboards, drawers and underbed spaces for water damage and timber rot.
3. Check roof lift system (if poptop).
4. Check that all house lights, stove, oven, fridge work correctly.
5. Check upholstery condition (mould, waterstains)

Be aware that caravan water leaks often show up a long way from where the leak actually is..................and they are bloody hard to find and fix.
If all the above check out OK, do not be put off by 70's/80's colour schemes, they can be changed (Different curtains make a big difference).

And there are some real good oldies out there, lovingly cared for but owners are too old to use them again.
I bought a 1 owner 1982 Viscount grand Tourer Poptop without a scratch on it for under $6000. OK It's an on road version but I don't think there were many "offroad" units made then.

Good Hunting

Disco

G'Day,

To sum up everything listed above.

1/ Water entry, visible on side paneling, invisible with a rotted frame.

2/ Ant infestation, can do all sorts of damage and never get rid of the little blighters

3/ Bent / broken / rusted chassis rails, take a screw driver and scratch under the paint

Hope this helps

Rolande

Thanks everyone, will take this info with me when i shop.... Interestingly one place we went to they had 140 vans and they all smelt old and musty. Glad we walked out of there and didnt tow out of there lol. Guess Ill be up for a new nickname iwhen we buy a van too lol. TentEnKaMan wont really be suitable anymore hahahahaaa