What are the Main Pit Falls to look for when choosing a used static?

[Johnny Mac]

Can any one tell me what the main problems can be when buying a used static, I have had a tourer for years and the main problem is always damp, was just wondering if damp is the main issue with a static also, or anything else I should be aware of?
Any feedback is very welcome.
Thanks John:confused:

[Tiamaria589]

Can any one tell me what the main problems can be when buying a used static, I have had a tourer for years and the main problem is always damp, was just wondering if damp is the main issue with a static also, or anything else I should be aware of?
Any feedback is very welcome.
Thanks John:confused:

i have never had a tourer so i cant answer that but someone will come along shortly and give you a few answers i am sure... hiya by the way

[Johnny Mac]

Thanks Tiamaria, but I am not looking for advice on Tourers it is statics I am intersted in please? John

[CliveT]

Hi and welcome, my advice would be central heating & double glazing, and this is usually also includes the extra insulation, we have had our van for 2 years now and no problems with damp even in shut down. Hope this helps

[Tiamaria589]

Thanks Tiamaria, but I am not looking for advice on Tourers it is statics I am intersted in please? John

sorry, yes i know that you are looking for advice on statics but you mentioned dampness in tourers and i was just saying i have never had a tourer so i dont know the comparison of the two with regards to damp issues.. soz for the rambling from me :D

[springhay]

Hi John - there are numerous problems!! Only kidding - no I've not had a damp problem yet just blooming freezing cold! Condensation as soon as you get it warm inside of course but thats to be expected. I'm having underfloor insulation tomorrow and seriously thinking of CH if not now, next year. My only problems have been my own stupidity - not thinking things through before buying. Perfect example is wondering about free standing furniture and only just discovering that the doors in this new van are only 20" wide!! Also would prefer a conventional divan (seen today in someone elses van) because they seem to take up less space. But would I ever get one through the door??? I am currenly in my van, sitting on the floor near the fire. Just wasted another £30 on an oil filled 800w heater which barely does more than the panel heaters which do precisely nothing!! Left one on for a fortnight and it hadnt even taken the chill off the room!!!! Hahahha -- but welcome anyway...!!

[dasboot]

Hi john.The only pitfalls with a used static are their depreciation value.Dampness is not usualy a problem unless the static is really really old but you can really drop a clanger wirh the cost. An aged static being sold sited on a park will perhaps be £10000 more than if it was off park. You cannot tow it away like a tourer and you are stuck with your purchase. Do your research carefully and read some of the horror stories on this forum.That aside,changing from a tourer to a static is one of the better things we've done lately!

[Maddy]

Personal check list.
Distance from home- how often will you use it ?
Site facilities - look in high and low season to see how crowded it is and the clientele.
How long can the caravan stay there - we found anything from 10 to 20 years from new with 15 being the norm.
Letting - can you if you want
Passes- how many do you get does the licensee have to be on site. On one site we looked at if the main named person wasn't there the others couldn't use the van.
Pets- allowed or not
Decking, improvements etc- do they have to be done through the site.
Length of season- they seem to shut from anything between two weeks and five months
Site fees, rates etc how much ?
Selling it on how much do they charge in commission, can you sell it privately or just back to the site.


The caravan we decided came to be secondary to the site and the pitch. We read every word of the small print and hired one out on the short list of sites for a weekend.
Speak to the resisdents and see what they say. Haven owners seem to moan, Hoburne owners don't.
We love our site, our pitch and our van. No awning arguements in the dark either. Turn up at dead of night no being off by lunch time sunday. We go away far more. On sunday dinner time our kids arrived had lunch, took the grandchildren swimming with the tourer we would have been packed and on our way home. We bought the caravan like a tourer looking at damp, fittings, under carriage ( think the brakes are seized) but to be honest even really old ones seemed sound.

[springhay]

Yes if you have time, do all these suggestions! Even now I want to go to those people I see on an almost daily basis, signing up there and then. The thing about caravans is this: you dont know what you dont know, so you dont ask! I am sure people know what I mean. Under van storage - didnt know about this until found out I coulndt have it becauses I dont have a verandah. Again van almost secondary to everything else, but then do another check list! Ideally stay in them for a weekend. i didnt know mine was too small until three weeks in!

[Aaron]

thats a good checklist Maddy and has pointed out what would be the general aspects when considering buying a static
:)

[Goldixpcx]

I would agree with everyones elses points!

Most important thing is the PARK!! most of the horror stories are almost always bad experiences with a park so that has to be the most important decision that has to be right before you even think of a van!!!

The distance is a big point too if its too far away you will not get half the use from it than if it is within and hour or so and have to admit I would not get one without central heating or double glazing or even consider changing to double glazed if the one you want has single, even when its freezing outside and ours warms up we dont get a drip of condensation and we didn't get any damp over the winter at all last year so its def worth the extra.

As for the money well you will never get it back, it will never make you rich and it will lose it every year you have to do it for the love lol :D think of it as a posh car the depreciation is similar! but we wouldn't part with ours for the world we have had a tourer and one you have a static you will never go back ;)

[The Simpson's]

I agree with the points on here all very valid. But most important, find your site first - the site owners will source you a suitable van. We toured round every site on the East Coast of Yorkshire over several week ends before deciding. Sure enough the site we chose had the van we wanted at the price we were prepared to pay. Owning a static will bring loads of pleasure along with a few niggles, but hopefully nothing drastic (fingers crossed). Good luck

[springhay]

I agree with the points on here all very valid. But most important, find your site first - the site owners will source you a suitable van. We toured round every site on the East Coast of Yorkshire over several week ends before deciding. Sure enough the site we chose had the van we wanted at the price we were prepared to pay. Owning a static will bring loads of pleasure along with a few niggles, but hopefully nothing drastic (fingers crossed). Good luck

Out of interest - can I ask where you settled for? I know we all need different things from the sites, but I'm always looking for my next one!
Thanks

[The Simpson's]

Owned by Highfield Caravans - www.highfield-caravans.co.uk

[Tiamaria589]

Owned by Highfield Caravans - www.highfield-caravans.co.uk

wow that is certainly some link- lots of info on it,

[Johnny Mac]

Wow, plenty to think about there, thanks guys, it certainly seems like statics give a lot of pleasure. We will take all your opinions on board and do our research before buying.
Thanks again John.

[stefan bennett]

New Or Pre Owned
Well firstly it all depends on what is affordable I guess. A brand new model comes with manufacturers warranty. And pre owned units are often “sold as seen”....

Lets put this in perspective... lets use an amount of money purely for example purposes.

Lets say £30,000 pounds.... well ,we have a choice, we can either purchase a new Ford Fiesta with our pretend money or a second-hand Mercedes Benz with a few miles on the clock.?

I guess we would all buy the used Mercedes if we were a car mechanic and Knew exactly what, if anything, needed attention and even knew roughly what it was going to cost to put right.

As for the brand new Ford Fiesta It should, if anything ,have only teething troubles that the manufacturer will put right under warranty.

Difficult choice then unless you are a caravan repair man or even a
manufacturer of course.

On saying that, There is something to be said for buying pre owned top of the range...quality without the full cost. It has been the way I have bought my cars for years and I still to this day don't know how to change a spark plug!

Below is a rough guide and by no means definitive list of things to look out for when buying a pre-owned caravan holiday home.

Check the floors of the caravan by walking on them and applying a little pressure, ensure there is no “spongeiness” which is a sure sign of flood damage and no obvious signs of holes etc. Bathroom floors are particularly prone.



Check For Leaks especially at seams, window and door frames, corners and vents. Discoloured and stained wall boards are often a clue as is mould and fungus ( although this can be sometimes caused by condensation on single glazed units).


Check the draw bar and chassis although caravans can if need be chained and moved without a drawer bar it makes it difficult for loading on and off a caravan transporter wagon.

Some drivers may refuse to take them on grounds of safety. Ensure that the draw bar hasn't rusted through, make sure that all the lagging is correctly fitted to the underside of the caravan, and that the chassis itself is in a fit state of repair, mainly rust free and serviceable.

Electrical Checks. This should be done automatically by the park operator after purchase and during siting. Its worth checking the certs though.!

Gas Equipment Checks.....As above ask to see certs!


General State of repair Have a good look around at the general state
of repair, if its looking particularly mistreated and shabby maybe its
better to look at another holiday home, especially if there is any major
or obvious amounts of outside panel damage ,as that can be costly to repair. That's assuming matching panels can still be obtained from the manufacturer.

[springhay]

Ahahahhaha !! And how many potential owners have you seen crawling underneath, checking chasis, door frames and vents? Come on ladies own up - size, curtains and upholstery, cooker and fridge.......or am I being daringly honest -- it's all I looked at!

[Tiamaria589]

Ahahahhaha !! And how many potential owners have you seen crawling underneath, checking chasis, door frames and vents? Come on ladies own up - size, curtains and upholstery, cooker and fridge.......or am I being daringly honest -- it's all I looked at!

size first, then the number of toilets and the number of bedrooms.. thats it really, never looked at pipework or chassis or windows :D

[Maddy]

I did crawl underneath ( although being short and ours a long way off the ground I could almost walk)
I'd not even consider a merc I'm much more a fiesta person.

[dasboot]

Oh i made damn sure the mother in law got under ours and give it the onceover.I always carry a spare pair of dungarees in her size for such tasks.

[springhay]

Be careful now everyone or we'll start a car wars !!!

[TURNER]

Not suggesting this as advice but have to agree with springhay and tia maria, I looked at layout and decor although we did decide that the park was what we wanted and were lucky that they had the van that we thought we wanted, had to do a lot of our first choosing via the internet but of course when it came down to buying we looked at everything in person.