Absolute Novices! Any help or Advice Much Appreciated
Middy said
09:30 AM Jul 22, 2020
Hello everyone, my wife and I are absolute beginners to the caravan scene, and I have a few questions that maybe you can help out with.
- We are definitely buying a new van, should we stick with dealers, or test the waters with factory direct?
- What is the standard for contracts and deposits etc?
- Most of the vans look almost identical inside, and are comparable in costs, especially those built in Victoria, what should we be looking for to tip us one way or the other?
We are keen on a brand called Australian Caravans Direct, look really well made and at a great price and really good service so far, has anyone had any experience with these guys?
Thanks in advance
Middy
yobarr said
09:46 AM Jul 22, 2020
Middy wrote:
Hello everyone, my wife and I are absolute beginners to the caravan scene, and I have a few questions that maybe you can help out with.
- We are definitely buying a new van, should we stick with dealers, or test the waters with factory direct?
- What is the standard for contracts and deposits etc?
- Most of the vans look almost identical inside, and are comparable in costs, especially those built in Victoria, what should we be looking for to tip us one way or the other?
We are keen on a brand called Australian Caravans Direct, look really well made and at a great price and really good service so far, has anyone had any experience with these guys?
Thanks in advance
Middy
Hi Matt....and welcome to the forum.Whilst I can offer no help with your questions,the absolute first thing you must do is determine the towing ability of your car,and keep the caravan ATM (total weight) below that.If you could let us know what your car is,we can give you advice on its real towing capacity,as opposed to what is advertised,and printed on the glossy brochures.Cheers.
Cupie said
09:54 AM Jul 22, 2020
Hi .. Welcome to the forum. I'm sure that you will get lots of replies to your enquiry. Many will be conflicting.
My contribution will be discounted by the fact that I haven't looked closely at the market since I purchased my one & only van in 1999.
I had not even heard of Australian Caravans Direct. There were only a handful of manufacturers when I got mine but there seems to be dozens that come & go in the market these days. This may be good or bad but we made the decision to stay with the Market leader & have not been disappointed. That manufacturer (Jayco) is still near or at the top after >20 years.
I picked this up off ACD website
"Our caravans are traditionally built in meranti frame & furniture, carry nothing less than quality appliances in all our models & are built on quality Australian steel ARV chassis. They are unbeatable & incomparable!."
We made the decision all those years ago to stay away from Meranti (timber ) frames primarily because of the issues from water leaks.
I would be looking at a van that used modern day materials & processes.
Look too at their dealer network as after sales service is a major issue with caravans.
There are lots of publications giving advice on how to go about deciding on what van to buy. Have a look at the home page of this web site.
cheers & good luck on your adventure.
the rocket said
10:05 AM Jul 22, 2020
Middy wrote:
Hello everyone, my wife and I are absolute beginners to the caravan scene, and I have a few questions that maybe you can help out with.
- We are definitely buying a new van, should we stick with dealers, or test the waters with factory direct?
- What is the standard for contracts and deposits etc?
- Most of the vans look almost identical inside, and are comparable in costs, especially those built in Victoria, what should we be looking for to tip us one way or the other?
We are keen on a brand called Australian Caravans Direct, look really well made and at a great price and really good service so far, has anyone had any experience with these guys?
Thanks in advance
Middy
Hell and welcome. Wow. A very exciting time for you. And lots of decisions. We have had both miranti and aluminium frame caravans. Both good. Although, we have a 3.2 auto washer and only 12 kilos That we put in the tug when moving and under the awning when in use with a chain wire and lock connected to a wheel. We wanted this because we felt a washing machine in van is a worry if water leaks But some people enjoy them inside. Everyone has different ideas. best to have full comprehensive insurance. Enjoy this wonderful time. Rocket
yobarr said
10:07 AM Jul 22, 2020
Good advice by Cupie....on this forum,we have a long-time member,Montie,who is an RV dealer on the Sunshine Coast.It is likely that,from his many years in the trade, he will be able to offer valuable advice.Cheers
Possum3 said
10:33 AM Jul 22, 2020
Welcome to GN's Middy, The purchase of a new caravan can be a minefield of disappointment and loss of money because of the lax regulation compliance by many manufacturers and dealers.
I have learnt (the hard way) that there are some organisations that can assist in reducing the risk of your purchase - Let me firstly state that; I have no interests in these organisations.
You could get invaluable assistance from these sites;
Hello everyone, my wife and I are absolute beginners to the caravan scene, and I have a few questions that maybe you can help out with.
- We are definitely buying a new van, should we stick with dealers, or test the waters with factory direct?
- What is the standard for contracts and deposits etc?
- Most of the vans look almost identical inside, and are comparable in costs, especially those built in Victoria, what should we be looking for to tip us one way or the other?
We are keen on a brand called Australian Caravans Direct, look really well made and at a great price and really good service so far, has anyone had any experience with these guys?
Thanks in advance
Middy
Middy,
Your question requires a comprehensive answer.
The first thing you need to do is narrow the field down a bit by only looking at established brands that have been in business for at least five years. A manufacturer with a national dealer network indicates they are serious about their marketing and servicing, plus retail dealers are licensed and regulated where many manufacturers are not regulated in that regard.
Most brands have either timber or alloy frames with the alloy having the distinct advantage of being lighter and not susceptible to water damage. You will also need to research suspension types, your required layout, what features or options you will need and obviously what size van you require. You will also need to decide what type of travel you intend to do as in touring (bitumen and light unmade roads) or serious off road.
Most importantly you need to investigate legal weights and ratings as they apply to both your caravan and tow vehicle and do your research on safe towing. Sometimes what is legal is not always safe. Familiarising yourself with the terminology (jargon) will help with your research.. You should also look at a TowEd course when you acquire your new combination.
Once you have narrowed down your selection a really good way to get some genuine feedback is visit a few caravan parks and have a cuppa with a few current owners of your preferred brand.
Most dealer sale contracts are pretty standard and the securing deposit for your ordered van is usually around $5000. Never pay progress payments and only hand over the balance when you pick up your new van after inspection.
If you have any further queries happy to give general advice not specific to any brand.
Tony Bev said
11:21 AM Jul 22, 2020
Hi Middy, welcome to the forum
Possum has given some good advice
At any one time, there would probably not be many people, with a new caravan, who have had it long enough, to find any/all faults
A lot of different brands of caravans, have forums for their own brands
Hope that you find the info you are looking for
Edit to say that Monty posted, while I was typing, so I would certainly be taking Monty advice on board
-- Edited by Tony Bev on Wednesday 22nd of July 2020 11:59:32 AM
Peter_n_Margaret said
11:36 AM Jul 22, 2020
Middy, you can not know what will really suit you at this point in time are extremely vulnerable to making a very expensive mistake. Montie is a caravan dealer and on this occasion offers very good advise. My advise is to hire a couple of vans for a couple of weeks and do a few short trips of a couple of weeks each. Only then will you start to get a tiny appreciation of some of the personal aspects of your needs.
We all have our own biases. Ours is that we would never consider travelling in a caravan, having tried that years ago. A motorhome suits us much better.
Cheers,
Peter
-- Edited by Peter_n_Margaret on Wednesday 22nd of July 2020 11:38:24 AM
erad said
01:35 PM Jul 22, 2020
A very good way to start is to hire a caravan and try it out before you commit to buying something. There are so many options that it is impossible to get exactly the right one for your needs. Here are some points to consider:
1 Towing: As said above, the prime factor in the choice of a van is what to tow it with. So many caravans these days weigh in excess of 2500 kg, and there are very few vehicles which can safely tow large loads like these. The 4WD utilities state that they can tow 3000 kg and more, but I would rather tow no more than about 2400 kg with one of them.
2 When and Where do you want to go? If you intend to go seriously off road, you need to be well equipped. Solar panels and extra batteries can help, but you will still probably need a generator as backup in the event of a week or so of inclement weather. This particularly applies if you have specialist medical equipment such as CPAP machines or pacemaker monitoring etc. Air conditioning in a van is almost essential if you are getting on in years, and aircons use a lot of power.
3 How agile are you: Look at the modern caravans. Most of them have enormous ground clearance, especially the off-road versions. To get in or out of one of these monsters requires at least 3 steps, and those steps are normally quite steep. Remember that as you get older, it becomes more and more difficult to get into or out of a caravan. Also, physically maneuvering the caravan can be very difficult, so you have to be very adept at reversing the van to get it exactly where you want it.
4 Reversing a caravan: Many people have trouble in reversing a caravan. This is not normally a problem in a caravan park, because you can always ask the manager for assistance, but getting the beast into your driveway at home is another matter. I am not masoginistic, but women generally cannot give good guidance when reversing a van. You need to have a system established where a guide gives precise directions and distances to go. My wife stands and waves her hands in the air, but most of the time I cannot see her because the van has moved so that she is not visible in the mirrors. Ideally, you need a small UHF radio so she can continually talk to you and update your positioning. The norm for me is to keep going back and then suddenly a panicking scream comes STOP! I ask for a countdown - 10 feet, 6 feet, 3 feet 2, 1, stop, but I rarely get this. I normally get 10 feet, 6 feet, STOP! I am sure that experienced hands who are reading this are now falling off their chairs laughing at me. We have all been there and done that.
The way I do it now is to put her in the driving seat and I tell her 'Full left lock, go back, half lock, straighten, quarter turn right' etc. This works, because I can anticipate when the rig should start to turn or straighten up. Doing this, I can normally get the van where I want it in one go, and then facilities like the power and water etc are all within reach.
5 Towing experience: Towing a caravan, particularly a large unit is not that easy. IF you are new to this, you should seriously look into taking instruction in towing from an advanced trainer. They can teach you safety measures and things like reversing etc. At this stage, you don't need any special endorsement on your car licence to be legally allowed to drive a monster rig, yet so many "new' caravans roll over on the roads, taking the tug with them. Being aware of unusual effects such as the potential wind wash from large trucks and buses can help you to avoid being blown off the road.
6 How Long do you want to live in the van: If you are only going to use the van for 3 or 4 weeks in a year, do you need a full height, slide out side extensions, regular sized lounge rooms etc? Or can you make do with a small (lighter, cheaper) rig which allows you to travel around a lot easier.
7 Caravan Length: Most vans these days are a minimum 22 to 25 feet long. These are fairly large and older caravan parks often cannot handle their size. if you intend to stay in caravan parks, a smaller van will often be preferred over a big one simply because of the site sizes. A few years ago, we arrived in Alice Springs the week before the Finke Desert Race. Nearly every caravan park was full, and on the third caravan park, we got a site because our van would fit into their only remaining site (it just fitted). Out caravan is 16.5 feet and it looks like a dinky toy compared to most newer vans.
Note that smaller vans don't necessarily incur cheaper camp fees though - they are all expensive these days. With the Corona Virus and the baby boomers retiring, the number of caravans on the road is going to increase and the number of caravan parks seems to be decreasing so price increases are inevitable.
8 Bedding: Single beds or double? A double bed is relatively small for a caravan,and one with a queen sized bed leaves you very little room to walk on either side or the end of the bed if it is mounted across the van. With single beds, the available room between the beds is far greater. Strangely, single bed caravans seem few and far between.
If you are going to camp away from power, a double bed in the tropics eg Kakadu can be very uncomfortable. Mind you, the reverse can apply in the colder areas, where it can be very nice to snuggle up to someone else, but a sleeping bag helps here as well....
9 Shower and Toilet: Caravan showers are typically very cramped. If you are getting on in age, you may have trouble in getting in and out of the cubicle. Check these out before you buy a van.
There are hundreds of other things to consider, but hopefully these pointers may give you some guidance as to what to look for. By hiring a van first, you should be able to discover what you DON'T like and avoid the major blunders and buy something which really suits your needs.
As for buying from the factory direct or through dealers, it is doubtful that you would get much discount by going direct to the factory. I can confidently say that EVERY new caravan has some fault somewhere in it. Buying from a dealer ensure that repairs are done properly, but if you buy from a factory it is going to be a lot harder to get it all fixed properly. A dealer can also set your car up so it can hopefully tow the rig safely. This would not be the case from the factory. As for buying from the major manufacturers, we bought our van from the leading caravan manufacturer in Australia and frankly it is a heap of sh1t. Manufacturing quality control was abysmal and it took me a few years to rectify most of the faults. Having said that, I can think of only one manufacturer who makes a truly quality product and that is ultra expensive, so be prepared to have shoddy workmanship in your new van. Take a drill, pop rivet gun and a selection of screw and nuts and bolts and be prepared to make repairs on the road as you travel around this wonderful country. If you are not a handy type pf person there will be plenty of people out there who will be prepared to help you.
Middy said
01:46 PM Jul 22, 2020
Thank you all very much, this advice is both very welcome and will be invaluable to us as we go through the decision making process. Once again thanks for the detailed and quick replies, and I will be sure to let you know how we get on.
Cheers
Middy
Relax-n said
03:10 PM Jul 22, 2020
I wish you all the best with your search. Always too many to see and so many choices.
Outside of all of the other advise offered I would add, that if you have the opportunity, hire and try before you buy.
If you are determined to buy, try second hand. Only a portion of the cost and you can upgrade later when you have worked out what sort of travelling you will be doing.
After 4 second hand vans we ordered what we thought we wanted. Love our van, and have made further moderations, but still would be a few things we would change if we bought new again.
What ever you decide, enjoy your travels.
Whenarewethere said
03:35 PM Jul 22, 2020
Welcome, lots of good help by others.
I can personally give a totally unbiased view as we do not tow (no towbar).
Have a look a this spreadsheet a few posts down. It is a list of everything that goes in our car for our type of traveling.
Whether it is a car or caravan it is frightening how quickly your payload vanishes. So you need make sure you have enough payload & enough capacity to actually tow safely.
Hello & welcome Middy,
I'm not much good to you as I've only built a camper trailer from a bought trailer & tent with drawings on how to put it all together.
My next two (including the current) have been bought "used".
Have a look in your library - most have caravan magazines & have a look at the travel articles, tests. As some members mentioned, hire a van that is suitable for your vehicle for a short duration & stay in a caravan park somewhere & go for a walk to see what other people have. When we had the first camper, it was common place for owners of similar units to see "How did you do that?" "Gee that's a good idea, etc". Talk to the owners & get "the good oil" on their RVs. Looking & asking doesn't cost anything, buying straight out could be VERY expensive!
The others have touched on the issue of weight - there is a lot written on this "word" in the forum - utilise the "Search" button on the top row of the forum.
You will encounter these weights as Ball Mass, GTM, ATM, for your vehicle GVM & for the entire rig, GCM. Get to know what these mean & how they will affect you. Exceed them & it can become very expensive, dangerous.
Don't take for gospel the words that some dealers say "Yes, your vehicle can tow that van." My last vehicle could tow 3,500kg but there were limitations found on a little panel attached to one of the back doors AND the dealer who sold us the pop-top didn't know what my vehicle weighed! Your GVM includes EVERYTHING ADDED to the vehicle since it was sold brand new including iron work, bodies & full fuel tank(s). Some people have been stunned to find they are over weight by adding a pot of water!
I see you are from where a dog sits on a tucker box - there is a very good mechanic in town (Paul Smith, I think was his name of Smith's Auto Repairs). He rebuilt my running gear a few years ago on our Jayco Camper after I saw fit to almost destroy the van & us on the Hume Highway. My wife still points out the location near Tarcutta where we were pulled over by some people I would have previously called "Yuppies". I am forever grateful to that young couple in their convertible Mercedes. Paul should be able to give you some hints too.
You've got lots of reading to do - take your time, don't rush.
All the best.
Middy said
07:44 PM Aug 1, 2020
Hi everyone, thanks again for the info, after a lot of research, searching and talking to locals and mates who have been caravaning for a long while, we have decided to go with a local dealer and Malibu caravan, will let you know how we get on, and hopefully see some of you out there on the road!
Hello everyone, my wife and I are absolute beginners to the caravan scene, and I have a few questions that maybe you can help out with.
- We are definitely buying a new van, should we stick with dealers, or test the waters with factory direct?
- What is the standard for contracts and deposits etc?
- Most of the vans look almost identical inside, and are comparable in costs, especially those built in Victoria, what should we be looking for to tip us one way or the other?
We are keen on a brand called Australian Caravans Direct, look really well made and at a great price and really good service so far, has anyone had any experience with these guys?
Thanks in advance
Middy
Hi Matt....and welcome to the forum.Whilst I can offer no help with your questions,the absolute first thing you must do is determine the towing ability of your car,and keep the caravan ATM (total weight) below that.If you could let us know what your car is,we can give you advice on its real towing capacity,as opposed to what is advertised,and printed on the glossy brochures.Cheers.
Hi .. Welcome to the forum. I'm sure that you will get lots of replies to your enquiry. Many will be conflicting.
My contribution will be discounted by the fact that I haven't looked closely at the market since I purchased my one & only van in 1999.
I had not even heard of Australian Caravans Direct. There were only a handful of manufacturers when I got mine but there seems to be dozens that come & go in the market these days. This may be good or bad but we made the decision to stay with the Market leader & have not been disappointed. That manufacturer (Jayco) is still near or at the top after >20 years.
I picked this up off ACD website
"Our caravans are traditionally built in meranti frame & furniture, carry nothing less than quality appliances in all our models & are built on quality Australian steel ARV chassis. They are unbeatable & incomparable!."
We made the decision all those years ago to stay away from Meranti (timber ) frames primarily because of the issues from water leaks.
I would be looking at a van that used modern day materials & processes.
Look too at their dealer network as after sales service is a major issue with caravans.
There are lots of publications giving advice on how to go about deciding on what van to buy. Have a look at the home page of this web site.
cheers & good luck on your adventure.
Hell and welcome. Wow. A very exciting time for you. And lots of decisions. We have had both miranti and aluminium frame caravans. Both good. Although, we have a 3.2 auto washer and only 12 kilos That we put in the tug when moving and under the awning when in use with a chain wire and lock connected to a wheel. We wanted this because we felt a washing machine in van is a worry if water leaks But some people enjoy them inside. Everyone has different ideas. best to have full comprehensive insurance. Enjoy this wonderful time. Rocket
Good advice by Cupie....on this forum,we have a long-time member,Montie,who is an RV dealer on the Sunshine Coast.It is likely that,from his many years in the trade, he will be able to offer valuable advice.Cheers
I have learnt (the hard way) that there are some organisations that can assist in reducing the risk of your purchase - Let me firstly state that; I have no interests in these organisations.
You could get invaluable assistance from these sites;
1. Caravan Council of Australia www.caravancouncil.com.au/
2. Choice Australia www.choice.com.au/transport/cars/general/articles/lemon-caravans-and-consumer-rights
3.Lemon Caravans and RV's www.facebook.com/groups/lemoncaravansinaus/files/ look in Files and Lemon Caravan List.
Middy,
Your question requires a comprehensive answer.
The first thing you need to do is narrow the field down a bit by only looking at established brands that have been in business for at least five years. A manufacturer with a national dealer network indicates they are serious about their marketing and servicing, plus retail dealers are licensed and regulated where many manufacturers are not regulated in that regard.
Most brands have either timber or alloy frames with the alloy having the distinct advantage of being lighter and not susceptible to water damage. You will also need to research suspension types, your required layout, what features or options you will need and obviously what size van you require. You will also need to decide what type of travel you intend to do as in touring (bitumen and light unmade roads) or serious off road.
Most importantly you need to investigate legal weights and ratings as they apply to both your caravan and tow vehicle and do your research on safe towing. Sometimes what is legal is not always safe. Familiarising yourself with the terminology (jargon) will help with your research.. You should also look at a TowEd course when you acquire your new combination.
Once you have narrowed down your selection a really good way to get some genuine feedback is visit a few caravan parks and have a cuppa with a few current owners of your preferred brand.
Most dealer sale contracts are pretty standard and the securing deposit for your ordered van is usually around $5000. Never pay progress payments and only hand over the balance when you pick up your new van after inspection.
If you have any further queries happy to give general advice not specific to any brand.
Hi Middy, welcome to the forum
Possum has given some good advice
At any one time, there would probably not be many people, with a new caravan, who have had it long enough, to find any/all faults
A lot of different brands of caravans, have forums for their own brands
Hope that you find the info you are looking for
Edit to say that Monty posted, while I was typing, so I would certainly be taking Monty advice on board
-- Edited by Tony Bev on Wednesday 22nd of July 2020 11:59:32 AM
Middy, you can not know what will really suit you at this point in time are extremely vulnerable to making a very expensive mistake.
Montie is a caravan dealer and on this occasion offers very good advise.
My advise is to hire a couple of vans for a couple of weeks and do a few short trips of a couple of weeks each. Only then will you start to get a tiny appreciation of some of the personal aspects of your needs.
We all have our own biases. Ours is that we would never consider travelling in a caravan, having tried that years ago. A motorhome suits us much better.
Cheers,
Peter
-- Edited by Peter_n_Margaret on Wednesday 22nd of July 2020 11:38:24 AM
1 Towing: As said above, the prime factor in the choice of a van is what to tow it with. So many caravans these days weigh in excess of 2500 kg, and there are very few vehicles which can safely tow large loads like these. The 4WD utilities state that they can tow 3000 kg and more, but I would rather tow no more than about 2400 kg with one of them.
2 When and Where do you want to go? If you intend to go seriously off road, you need to be well equipped. Solar panels and extra batteries can help, but you will still probably need a generator as backup in the event of a week or so of inclement weather. This particularly applies if you have specialist medical equipment such as CPAP machines or pacemaker monitoring etc. Air conditioning in a van is almost essential if you are getting on in years, and aircons use a lot of power.
3 How agile are you: Look at the modern caravans. Most of them have enormous ground clearance, especially the off-road versions. To get in or out of one of these monsters requires at least 3 steps, and those steps are normally quite steep. Remember that as you get older, it becomes more and more difficult to get into or out of a caravan. Also, physically maneuvering the caravan can be very difficult, so you have to be very adept at reversing the van to get it exactly where you want it.
4 Reversing a caravan: Many people have trouble in reversing a caravan. This is not normally a problem in a caravan park, because you can always ask the manager for assistance, but getting the beast into your driveway at home is another matter. I am not masoginistic, but women generally cannot give good guidance when reversing a van. You need to have a system established where a guide gives precise directions and distances to go. My wife stands and waves her hands in the air, but most of the time I cannot see her because the van has moved so that she is not visible in the mirrors. Ideally, you need a small UHF radio so she can continually talk to you and update your positioning. The norm for me is to keep going back and then suddenly a panicking scream comes STOP! I ask for a countdown - 10 feet, 6 feet, 3 feet 2, 1, stop, but I rarely get this. I normally get 10 feet, 6 feet, STOP! I am sure that experienced hands who are reading this are now falling off their chairs laughing at me. We have all been there and done that.
The way I do it now is to put her in the driving seat and I tell her 'Full left lock, go back, half lock, straighten, quarter turn right' etc. This works, because I can anticipate when the rig should start to turn or straighten up. Doing this, I can normally get the van where I want it in one go, and then facilities like the power and water etc are all within reach.
5 Towing experience: Towing a caravan, particularly a large unit is not that easy. IF you are new to this, you should seriously look into taking instruction in towing from an advanced trainer. They can teach you safety measures and things like reversing etc. At this stage, you don't need any special endorsement on your car licence to be legally allowed to drive a monster rig, yet so many "new' caravans roll over on the roads, taking the tug with them. Being aware of unusual effects such as the potential wind wash from large trucks and buses can help you to avoid being blown off the road.
6 How Long do you want to live in the van: If you are only going to use the van for 3 or 4 weeks in a year, do you need a full height, slide out side extensions, regular sized lounge rooms etc? Or can you make do with a small (lighter, cheaper) rig which allows you to travel around a lot easier.
7 Caravan Length: Most vans these days are a minimum 22 to 25 feet long. These are fairly large and older caravan parks often cannot handle their size. if you intend to stay in caravan parks, a smaller van will often be preferred over a big one simply because of the site sizes. A few years ago, we arrived in Alice Springs the week before the Finke Desert Race. Nearly every caravan park was full, and on the third caravan park, we got a site because our van would fit into their only remaining site (it just fitted). Out caravan is 16.5 feet and it looks like a dinky toy compared to most newer vans.
Note that smaller vans don't necessarily incur cheaper camp fees though - they are all expensive these days. With the Corona Virus and the baby boomers retiring, the number of caravans on the road is going to increase and the number of caravan parks seems to be decreasing so price increases are inevitable.
8 Bedding: Single beds or double? A double bed is relatively small for a caravan,and one with a queen sized bed leaves you very little room to walk on either side or the end of the bed if it is mounted across the van. With single beds, the available room between the beds is far greater. Strangely, single bed caravans seem few and far between.
If you are going to camp away from power, a double bed in the tropics eg Kakadu can be very uncomfortable. Mind you, the reverse can apply in the colder areas, where it can be very nice to snuggle up to someone else, but a sleeping bag helps here as well....
9 Shower and Toilet: Caravan showers are typically very cramped. If you are getting on in age, you may have trouble in getting in and out of the cubicle. Check these out before you buy a van.
There are hundreds of other things to consider, but hopefully these pointers may give you some guidance as to what to look for. By hiring a van first, you should be able to discover what you DON'T like and avoid the major blunders and buy something which really suits your needs.
As for buying from the factory direct or through dealers, it is doubtful that you would get much discount by going direct to the factory. I can confidently say that EVERY new caravan has some fault somewhere in it. Buying from a dealer ensure that repairs are done properly, but if you buy from a factory it is going to be a lot harder to get it all fixed properly. A dealer can also set your car up so it can hopefully tow the rig safely. This would not be the case from the factory. As for buying from the major manufacturers, we bought our van from the leading caravan manufacturer in Australia and frankly it is a heap of sh1t. Manufacturing quality control was abysmal and it took me a few years to rectify most of the faults. Having said that, I can think of only one manufacturer who makes a truly quality product and that is ultra expensive, so be prepared to have shoddy workmanship in your new van. Take a drill, pop rivet gun and a selection of screw and nuts and bolts and be prepared to make repairs on the road as you travel around this wonderful country. If you are not a handy type pf person there will be plenty of people out there who will be prepared to help you.
Cheers
Middy
I wish you all the best with your search. Always too many to see and so many choices.
Outside of all of the other advise offered I would add, that if you have the opportunity, hire and try before you buy.
If you are determined to buy, try second hand. Only a portion of the cost and you can upgrade later when you have worked out what sort of travelling you will be doing.
After 4 second hand vans we ordered what we thought we wanted. Love our van, and have made further moderations, but still would be a few things we would change if we bought new again.
What ever you decide, enjoy your travels.
Welcome, lots of good help by others.
I can personally give a totally unbiased view as we do not tow (no towbar).
Have a look a this spreadsheet a few posts down. It is a list of everything that goes in our car for our type of traveling.
Whether it is a car or caravan it is frightening how quickly your payload vanishes. So you need make sure you have enough payload & enough capacity to actually tow safely.
https://thegreynomads.activeboard.com/t65110614/towing-weights-again/
I'm not much good to you as I've only built a camper trailer from a bought trailer & tent with drawings on how to put it all together.
My next two (including the current) have been bought "used".
Have a look in your library - most have caravan magazines & have a look at the travel articles, tests. As some members mentioned, hire a van that is suitable for your vehicle for a short duration & stay in a caravan park somewhere & go for a walk to see what other people have. When we had the first camper, it was common place for owners of similar units to see "How did you do that?" "Gee that's a good idea, etc". Talk to the owners & get "the good oil" on their RVs. Looking & asking doesn't cost anything, buying straight out could be VERY expensive!
The others have touched on the issue of weight - there is a lot written on this "word" in the forum - utilise the "Search" button on the top row of the forum.
You will encounter these weights as Ball Mass, GTM, ATM, for your vehicle GVM & for the entire rig, GCM. Get to know what these mean & how they will affect you. Exceed them & it can become very expensive, dangerous.
Don't take for gospel the words that some dealers say "Yes, your vehicle can tow that van." My last vehicle could tow 3,500kg but there were limitations found on a little panel attached to one of the back doors AND the dealer who sold us the pop-top didn't know what my vehicle weighed! Your GVM includes EVERYTHING ADDED to the vehicle since it was sold brand new including iron work, bodies & full fuel tank(s). Some people have been stunned to find they are over weight by adding a pot of water!
I see you are from where a dog sits on a tucker box - there is a very good mechanic in town (Paul Smith, I think was his name of Smith's Auto Repairs). He rebuilt my running gear a few years ago on our Jayco Camper after I saw fit to almost destroy the van & us on the Hume Highway. My wife still points out the location near Tarcutta where we were pulled over by some people I would have previously called "Yuppies". I am forever grateful to that young couple in their convertible Mercedes. Paul should be able to give you some hints too.
You've got lots of reading to do - take your time, don't rush.
All the best.