ok looking at buying a 2007 Jayco Expanda caravan. $21500. Has a standard tow fitting (will chang that obviously). Things I should ask, things I should look for please!
Warren-Pat_01 said
09:55 PM Aug 22, 2020
Welcome Dagtar,
Price? Check sales yards on the net for similar vans & prices - this one might be a bit too expensive. Does it have an ensuite or at least a portable loo?
General condition - whether it is "weathered" or has been kept under cover; look for water leaks or signs of them, details of servicing, handbooks. Check the tyres including the spare for wear & tear, when they were made (if older than 6 years, they will need to be replaced). Check there are no spoke cracks on the wheels if they are alloy.
Check the weight if possible - Tare is unloaded as it was when it left the factory(not the dealer); ATM is the loaded weight including gas, water, your odds & sods, tucker, clothing. That is the maximum weight the van can weigh. What extras are on board?
You don't say what the length of the Expana is - single or dual axle, or your vehicle.
Check that your vehicle is legal in being able to tow it - if you have a Mitsubishi, Nissan & some others check for a sliding table that gives what your vehicle can tow in regards to Ball Weight (Mass). You might have a car "That can tow 3500kg" but may be limited to 250-300kg ball weight - meaning the 3500kg van is no longer possible as mostly this weight is nominally 10% of the ATM.
I was told by the dealer I bought my Discovery from that my then Nissan Patrol could tow that van - well he was wrong! He didn't know how close I was to my GVM.
The standard tow hitch is ok for most places - depending on where you want to go. It is recommended that the ball is changed annually.
Have a look through the reams of info in the forum via the Search tab.
Daqtar said
03:21 AM Aug 23, 2020
Ok the van is a single axle with an ensuite, 15ft in length. I have taken in the ATM and Ball weight into consideration. Thankyou for your comments
Warren-Pat_01 said
09:54 PM Aug 23, 2020
Hi Dagtar,
Nominally a single axle van has a maximum load of 300kg but having an ensuite, you may be able to carry 375kg (same as my Discovery). That will be reflected in the ATM figure.
Make certain the expander section works well & if travelling with a partner you are comfortable if one needs to get up during the night, you may need to crawl over the other person. When we had our Eagle camper (with no ensuite), we made the policy of one getting up, both got up to go for "a walk." It was easier!
Price? Check sales yards on the net for similar vans & prices - this one might be a bit too expensive. Does it have an ensuite or at least a portable loo?
General condition - whether it is "weathered" or has been kept under cover; look for water leaks or signs of them, details of servicing, handbooks. Check the tyres including the spare for wear & tear, when they were made (if older than 6 years, they will need to be replaced). Check there are no spoke cracks on the wheels if they are alloy.
Check the weight if possible - Tare is unloaded as it was when it left the factory(not the dealer); ATM is the loaded weight including gas, water, your odds & sods, tucker, clothing. That is the maximum weight the van can weigh. What extras are on board?
You don't say what the length of the Expana is - single or dual axle, or your vehicle.
Check that your vehicle is legal in being able to tow it - if you have a Mitsubishi, Nissan & some others check for a sliding table that gives what your vehicle can tow in regards to Ball Weight (Mass). You might have a car "That can tow 3500kg" but may be limited to 250-300kg ball weight - meaning the 3500kg van is no longer possible as mostly this weight is nominally 10% of the ATM.
I was told by the dealer I bought my Discovery from that my then Nissan Patrol could tow that van - well he was wrong! He didn't know how close I was to my GVM.
The standard tow hitch is ok for most places - depending on where you want to go. It is recommended that the ball is changed annually.
Have a look through the reams of info in the forum via the Search tab.
Nominally a single axle van has a maximum load of 300kg but having an ensuite, you may be able to carry 375kg (same as my Discovery). That will be reflected in the ATM figure.
Make certain the expander section works well & if travelling with a partner you are comfortable if one needs to get up during the night, you may need to crawl over the other person. When we had our Eagle camper (with no ensuite), we made the policy of one getting up, both got up to go for "a walk." It was easier!
All the best.