Been mulling over Axle numbers for my pending Van. Had originally wanted two but a couple of Van mates tell me that some sites do not allow twin axle vans in..... something to do with Keys and Pies (re-arrange to suit)

I certainly would appreciate some advice. So far I want a fixed bed, 4-6 berth, don't really want to spend more than 10k.... Minefield out there. Regards
Mark

2009 D4; 1993 Classic 3.9 VSE

Twin axle every time for us.
More stable, although that shouldn't be a problem if loaded up correctly.
More room inside, possibly better if you have a blow out, although we have the TyrePal TPMS for that purpose which gets you a 5% discount off the caravan insurance.
Never had a problem with access or booking sites, either here or in Italy.
Some insurance companies wont insure them as they recon they are more riskier for being stolen.
There are lots to choose from as they are generally heavier so wont be suitable for smaller tow cars, a FF should have no problem with them.

Steve.

I am no expert and this is the first caravan I've towed but it sits behind the FF no problem and really stable - because of the ferry times from Oban to Tiree we travel down thru the night and it sat quite happily at 50/55 all the way down the road - the A82 down Loch Ness is not the best of roads either.

Bought it 2 years ago and went halfers with my folks so it was the old dear that did all the research - wanted a fixed bed and the ability to close it off for the dogs and Hobby's seemed to offer the best in terms of price and quality. The extra width makes a massive difference as well - one of you can be standing at the sink /cooker and the other can get past no bother.

We paid £6.5k for this van - its a 2007 and had hardly been used, 2nd owner we bought it from had tried to tow it with a BMW 3 series and got in some bother - his wife refused to go anywhere with it ever again, so he just wanted shot of it. Been me I have binned the 3 series.

This one is a 610 and just within the 7m length (by 8cm excluding the A frame) rule for towing with a vehicle under 3.5t. Sleeps 4 but its only ever been 2 of us and its just great. Most of the double axle hobby's are over this and lots of debate about insurance being void if you have an accident etc. Decided it was better to be on the safe side. If the rules ever get brought into line with the EU then I'd definately think about a bigger one.

Ours came fitted with motor movers and I wasnt that bothered at the time and thought it was a gimmick - soon changed my mind - absolutely brilliant and makes life so easy if you have a tight space to get into.

Some dubious s/hand ones out there, used alot by travellers so check the log book etc is all there and intact. Some of the dealers also have a bit of a reputation - Ambergate are the official UK importers.

Last year, before we finally decided on a motorhome, we looked a lot at caravans.

I favoured the German models a lot. Quality, attention to detail, better residuals and the ability to buy an older model with more confidence were the main reasons. Hymer, Hobby and Fendt were the preferred ones although I gather they're made in the same factory (I stand to be corrected, though).

Then there's the Airstream. I decided against a Euro one as they're mega money and I really don't like how narrow they are. OK, so they may be easier to tow but it takes away some of the charm. An older, period, early 70's US import became my favoured approach.

However, these things, like an old Land Rover, rot from the underside and I was reliably informed that an unrestored one would need, eventually, major money on new underpinnings. Then there's the interior and you end up in the stratosphere again with potential costs.

These days we see the new Swift twin-axle range and think they look rather fetching. I think their caravans are a hell of a lot better made than their motorhomes. We rented a new Swift motorhome last year and it was, in my opinion, a pile of poo. Prices for the Swift caravan range aren't bad and we have some good friends with a 2003 model that's still in excellent order.

But I'd still buy German. Probably. And twin axle. Fixed bed. Separate shower.

BUT! Compared to the storage and 'built from granite' quality that my 22 year-old motorhome (cost £120,000 when new!) offers, a caravan can't compete. It's always a compromise. At 7 metres, my motorhome isn't small but isn't terribly large either. And he's a LOT smaller than any caravan / car combo without the practicality of having a runaround when we reach site.

So, take your time. Research and research some more. Look on forums. Go to a show to see what's what. Look at them all. Layout, layout, layout. Layout, you may gather, is key.

Ideally, rent one before you decide to buy. Or borrow one. We hired two motorhomes before I bought Udo and it paid off. I halved my budget and bought an older, massively well-built machine that's easily the better of many modern ones because of it.

Si. Si. <This is my name.

I eat rat poison.

A man ain't truly been insulted until he stands buck naked in front of a woman and she didn't even notice. Or care.

Do not get bogged down in the twin axle's rule the road. Choose your layout and amenities. We have towed with single and twin's - if loaded and towed correctly there is little to choose. Twin's are slightly more stable, often give more room BUT are way more difficult to handball around. Many of the European makers; Hobby, Adria, Dethleffs provide longer chassis with just the one axle where the Brit's tend to go twin around 6.00m plus.

With intelligent braking and anti snake on most newer 'vans the reality of a twin axle being 'lots' better has gone. Is this where I put the car details and a bit about myself ?........

When I was looking for our van I was after a twin axle - then I saw a new Elddis 576 which had the perfect layout for us (6 berth) but it was only on a single axle, albeit with IDC (Intelligent Drive Control)

At 7.4m, it's one of the longer single axles but I'm now glad that I didn't go for a twin axle as it's very manouverable off the car - especially important for me to get the van into the lay-by opposite my house when I'm loading it up without the need for motor movers. I'm fairly nifty at reversing but the layby in question only has room to pivot the van on it's axle to get it in

It tow's rock steady, in fact I'm just back a 1600 mile round trip and on a few overtaking ocassions it was up at 80MPH

It all comes down to personal preference......we went for the layout over the axle configuration and I'm glad with the choice........ Stolen / Gone: 2006MY Supercharged LPG Autobiography - Zambezi Silver with Sand/Jet/Jet Oxford Leather.....

This layout sort of ticks all my boxes at the moment.... and there's a FF in the picture...bonus..

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/elddis-crusader-...33934542d6 Regards
Mark

2009 D4; 1993 Classic 3.9 VSE

Layout is more important than number of axles. I have a twin axle but only because the van internally is exactly what I wanted. Coachman 620 / 4 which has plenty of room for us all during the day and can comfortably sleep a family of 4 as well as 2 Mutts. If they made it on a single axle that's what I would have bought.

Get yourself a copy of Practical Caravan. It has all the layout styles listed in the back and there are loads. 4 pages last time I checked. Decide what works for you and you have your choice of available models in that layout. Genuinely put 100% thought into this part becuase it's a small space and if you have it laid out wrongly for you it's no fun. It's also expensive to rectify in PX losses.

Where are you planning on keeping your future purchase, Mark?

The awning, I assume, lives inside the caravan when not in use? Do you have somewhere to dry it should it ever go away wet?

Are you planning on having a gas barbecue? Gas for that or a refillable system with an outside gas point?

Is one aqua-roll sufficient? Space for two?

The 'French bed' Ok for you both? That cut-off corner can be an isssue for some.

Are there enough charging points for phones / tablets, etc?

Does the water heater work properly? Many get abused on EHU by being left on all the time.

What's the insulation like for possible year-round use?

None of the above are expensive or hardships to put up with or alter, but they're things that got us thinking about buying a motorhome. There's little to none of the above to deal with.

Another thing. Damp. Have it damp tested. Expensive to fix.

Go look at it. Take the family. Si. <This is my name.

I eat rat poison.

A man ain't truly been insulted until he stands buck naked in front of a woman and she didn't even notice. Or care.

There is a van storage company close to me that store under cover for £60/ month so that's where it'll go. I want a fixed bed one end (don't mind French but Island better) and I like the L shaped seating the other. Sleeping for 4 + 2 dogs similar to mr.mzplcg

I'll be buying a magazine on the way home....... Is this a good time, as in end of season, to buy.
Are you getting a better deal?? Regards
Mark

2009 D4; 1993 Classic 3.9 VSE

+1 on the water heater, our one works fine but is hopeless capacity wise - only 5 litres and takes about 40 mins with the gennie running to get it hot. Fine if its just for the dishes but as we were effectively wild camping getting a shower was a pain - by the end of 10 days I was either braving a cold shower, good job we had no neighbours on site! or having a dip in the sea minus the wet suit - neither was particularly nice!!! Not so bad if you are you going to be on sites with facilities. Plan on putting in a bigger capacity gas fired system in for next year.

I bought a damp meter and took it with us when we went to the view the van. Ours goes into undercover storage as well - well worth it, although its siginficantly less than £60 per month. Also put a couple of these moisture collectors in it whilst in storage - amazing how much they collect.

If there is not one fitted please make sure you stick in a carbon monoxide alarm - it saved us the first year. I'd had the van given a habitation check by a local caravan mechanic/engineer - said everything was hunky dorey and charged me £180 plus VAT. First trip away alarm kept going off - turned out fridge was faulty when running on gas and if hadnt had this I doubt we'd be around now. When I challenged him on it I was told appliances like fridges and heaters were an additional charge and he had just checked there were no gas leaks. Needless to say he has not been used again........

Generally, winter is a good time but really if you find the right one with a price you're happy with, then it's a good time.

Magazine, yes. Never hurts to browse.

Consider membership to the Caravan Club and the Caravan and Camping Club. We have both. You get good deals on insurance and other benefits that you may, or may not, use. The sites are excellent.

Undercover storage for that price is good! Whereabouts is it? I pay £100/month but it's fully insured and heated. I'd be interested on details if you have them. Si. <This is my name.

I eat rat poison.

A man ain't truly been insulted until he stands buck naked in front of a woman and she didn't even notice. Or care.

£100/month for storage

Crikey that's the most expensive I have seen but if heated and dry there is a bonus.

When we bought our first 'van I can recall my old man's words "its not the caravan that's dear...its all the gadgets that go with it"....oh how true he was; Lafuma chairs, cadac, weber bbq, Isabella awning, 2x 40L aquaroll, awning / patio heater....the list goes on  Is this where I put the car details and a bit about myself ?........

From my point of view I've never had a problem booking in anywhere with a twin axle, i think you would have a problem with any caravan if you turned up towing it with a van but a ff will be no problems at all.

I agree with the comments on build quality of german vans being superior to older british vans, but the new generations of construction techniques by Bailey and swift should hopefully address some of this.

Lots of good long t/a fixed bed models around at the moment, if you have the storage space for them they are the ones i would go for, over a single, added stability is good, plus if you have a blow out it is slightly less dramatic as the loading per tyre is much less.

On the down side they are impossible to move by hand, a mover is a must, and the extra weight will reduce fuel consumption slightly, buy you have a ff so that was not brilliant to start with! There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
FFRR 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography Santorini Black.
Fiat 500x 1.4 multiair Lounge 2015
2010 LR D4 Commercial 2.7 TDV6

Regarding tyre blowouts, I've fitted my motorhome with a TyrePal TPMS system. There are versions for caravans and I think it's well worth it.

Plus I've added PunctureSafe tyre gel to all tyres. Easy job. Debatable effectiveness but easy and very affordable.

TyrePal monitors pressures with a real-time readout on pressures and temperatures, plus settable alarms for both. Si. <This is my name.

I eat rat poison.

A man ain't truly been insulted until he stands buck naked in front of a woman and she didn't even notice. Or care.