How To Buy A Used Caravan: Inspection Checklist For Buyers

Hello!
Welcome to our video on how to be inspect a used caravan. The purpose of this is to provide you with a checklist of areas to closely inspect, when looking at a caravan that is for sale. It is not intended to replace the services of a ‘professional caravan engineer’, but should help you identify any obvious faults, so that you can then, if you choose to do so, instruct a caravan engineer to fully survey a caravan that you are interested in.
Checklist download link:
www.dropbox.com/s/w4tjua771xs...
Like mentioned in the video, the caravan featured is currently for sale. If you are interested in viewing it, please get in touch. - UPDATE: SOLD!
If you have any suggestions on areas that may have been missed, or areas that you feel should have been included in the checklist, let me know in the comments. I can then update the document and upload the new version to Dropbox, so that you know that you will always be getting the best, possible version of the checklist.
If you would like more information on a particular area of inspection, then do get in touch. I am always delighted when somebody comments and love responding to them.
Hope you enjoy the video and find it helpful. Feel free to check out our other, caravan-related videos and content.
Best wishes,
Jamie, Stacey & Pixie the Border Collie
____________________________________________________________________
Who are we?
We’re Jamie & Stacey McNeill, two, 30-something professionals, who’d had enough of the rat race in summer 2018, when we quit our jobs and sold our house, in order to live full time in a touring caravan in Wales.
Our channel shows our journey living this way, the highs, the lows and everything else in between. We also use our platform to advocate to others, the benefits of living a lower stress, more balanced lifestyle.
We have built our KZbin reputation to date on honesty and integrity - you won’t find us using ‘click bait’ titles or nudity to draw in ‘cheap views’. We’re here for the long-term to show that this way of living can be a lifelong change for you as well as us.
If you’d like to make contact with us, we’d be delighted to chat with you. We read and respond to every video comment, so feel free to raise a question or anything else that’s on your mind.
Best wishes,
Jamie & Stacey

[@kevingrady5316]

Excellent presentation and 100% helpful. Cheers from the land down under!

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

Thanks, Kevin. Glad to have been of help. Love Australia. Haven’t been since 2001, but hope to visit again soon. Do the caravans available in Oz differ much from UK caravans? I know that in the USA they’re quite stylistically different. 😀

[@OuterHeadDebris]

I'm looking to buy my first Camper & even though this is caravan-specific, it's been so, so helpful. Thanks so much for this, really impressive video.

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

Ah wow! That's so awesome to hear. So glad we've been useful to you 😊 Good luck on your camper van buying adventure 😁

[@paulwest6262]

What a great check list, i bring a jack and spin the wheels to listen for bad wheel bearings, also while walking up and down inside the caravan feel for soft flooring or creaking crackling sounds (delamination) signs. Even after I've done these checks i still have had to spend time and money fixing things.

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

Hi Paul, Thanks for commenting. There were many additional things that I could have included within the checklist, however I tried to cover the ‘essentials’ to best aid people who are new to caravanning. However, I should have included the floor internally - especially as our caravan floor has also delaminated and is springy! We’ve had to spend a bit of money on repairing our caravan. It’ll be a great buy for someone in the future (if we ever sell it). Thanks for watching and I hope that you enjoy our other videos! Jamie

[@myownlittlethymeandspace]

This video will be rewatched and rewatched while I save up my caravan funds - thank you for great info to buying a caravan - I will download your checklist nearer the time of when viewings/inspections can commence :)

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

Awesome. Glad to have been of help 😀

[@vince_martyn]

Wow you have put together a superb checklist there. I thought I would mention, our 2011 Swift Challenger has only low voltage lighting, none at 240v. There are LED reading lights and the over cabinet lights were 12v tubes but they were unreliable so I changed them all to LEDs. With a smile in mind, I am going to point out you didn't suggest checking the caravan brakes are not stuck on. For the especially keen, it's possible to reasonably be sure the 240v fridge and water heating is working using a clamp meter and a hookup lead that makes the insulated live wire available for clamping to, even though this is safe to do, there are not going to be many members of the general public with this sort of test equipment to hand. Thanks again.

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

Hi Vince, Thanks for commenting. To confirm, are you saying that none of your lights are 240V? It makes sense given how far LEDs have come. Thanks for the jest about the brakes 😂 With regards to testing the 12V fridge, I welcome your suggestion, but like you say, too complicated for the average user. Thanks for stopping by! 😀

[@melaniereis3671]

Couldn't have come across this at a better time.. Picking my new caravan up in 2 weeks and i will print this to follow the checks when i get there 😊

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

Glad to have been of help. Feel free to point any other questions my way.

[@yogibaird4881]

Great advice for a Newby thanks

[@robjones9811]

Something i came across while researching my own problems with my van, if you have or are purchasing a van with a plastic back panel check it for cracks some are thinner than others and the cracks can be higher up than you think and the smaller the crack the more water can be pulled in.

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

Definitely. Some manufacturers have tremendous problems with plastic panels and stress cracks. It's not on, really.

[@Trevrack300]

Brilliant video thanks for the checklist

[@mikebro2557]

Thanks for giving me this KZbin link, it was quite intuitive, we are so glad we checked it out as we never realised there was so much to look out for. We will definitely take your advice before parting with our cash, we will also pass this KZbin info on to other people we know who are thinking on the same lines. Once again, thank you very much, you have been very helpful.

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

Thanks for your kind words. I'm sure that there is more that could be added to the list, but this will give you a good head start when looking. Hope it helps!

[@martinbennett9578]

Very Thorough! Great insight.

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

Glad you have found it useful! There's always more that could be added to the list, but it gives you a head start! Good luck!

[@privateprivate4384]

Well Done! Perfect Advice.

[@bigeein]

This is great, thank you so much for the in depth check list

[@chrisharding7322]

What a find, abolutely brilliant video and downloadable checklist. Thanks so much Jamie & Stacey for all your effort.

[@DariusUK]

Excellent video!!! Probably the best and most detailed of hundreds I’ve already watched Many thanks

[@Alice-zc6kw]

Thanks for the comprehensive info! I must admit I'm now a bit more scared to buy a caravan, lol! but I need one in the next 10 days or so!. Yesterday we went to a caravan trader in Scotland and another visitor with a notebook came just after us. He bought 80 caravans!! so I guess the caravan trade is alive and kicking. All the best with your channel (subscribed!)

[@CaravanningwithourWesties]

Great tips found them to be very useful. Thanks for sharing 👍🐶🐾😀

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

Glad to have been of help! ☺️

[@joshmuz9018]

Oh man I'm gonna turn up and say to the seller hello I just have a small list with 463 items to check please. Would you mind running me through all this for the next 7hours. Haha

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

Ha ha, yea there's a lot on there, but any decent seller would allow you the hour or so to have a good look at everything. If the seller helps you, you'll get through it even quicker. Good luck!

[@davidharvey8812]

@@TheMcNeillsonWheels An hour ? Ha ha

[@wayne6220]

Very helpful. Thank you.

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

Glad to have been a help 😀

[@KcwPortreath]

Great video for a newbie caravan purchaser!

[@dominobeauty]

Thank you very helpful

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

Glad you found it useful! Feel free to check out our videos. 😀

[@normamatheson6819]

Thanks Jamie, very informative video. We are hoping to purchase a tourer and this video has given me the confidence to go ahead 👍

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

Thanks for the lovely comment! Did you manage to download the checklist okay?

[@normamatheson6819]

@@TheMcNeillsonWheels yes thanks. Very handy to have when viewing a caravan. 👍

[@tofty21]

This is brilliant fir a wannabe caravan owner like me. Thank you!

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

Awesome! Glad you found it useful. It’s not perfect and certainly doesn’t cover everything, but gives a newcomer an excellent inspection strategy to help you overcome common pitfalls. Good luck with your caravan journey. Do pop back and let us know how you get on.

[@jamespartridge4809]

Great vid, just bought the same van as in the vid, got really tucked up with it. wish i found this video first. im a hgv mechanic but got caught up in the moment of buying a caravan and got caught out with things i should of known.

[@victorkent768]

Very good well might have to watch more

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

Great to hear it. Feel free to ask any questions you need to.

[@DeanDoherty1990]

Absolute legend. Well detailed and explained. I'm handy around a car and done a few timing belts, so I probably didn't need to watch this video. Although I watched it all anyway as a backup. Your step by step visual will definitely speed this job up today. Cheers 👍🏻

[@alisterwest6987]

Hi one thing worth mentioning check the windows for misting between the inner panels this is more to point out to a trick from a dealer I bought a caravan from the price ticket was on the front glass hiding an internal seal problem (Mist) we called in to finalise and pay in full 9'995 pounds over the same area was a sold sign we never noticed it at all the weather was heavy rain so caravan was a bit dirty after a 20 mile drive home few days later I cleaned caravan saw the mist thought it was just staining so like an idiot tried hard to remove it realising the problem rang the dealer he said windows not covered in guarantee and when weather warmed up it would be OK it was just the cold it is still there 12 months later 🙄 just going to have to get it fixed myself supposed to be a good dealer 🤔any sale tickets pull them off the window and take a good look might just save you some cash happy caravaning all👍

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

Sounds like you were really unlucky there. It's a fairly common issue on caravans. How are you planning on fixing it? I know some people drill small holes in the outer pane to help with airflow and drainage. I'd recognise that you'd be reluctant to do this on a £10k van though.

[@beverleypearson2646]

That was a sneaky and underhand trick 😡 Let me guess……. Glossop Caravans by any chance?

[@raymonddavenport4049]

very good

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

Thanks!

[@karlwarnes6062]

Jamie,thanks that was very informative.Watched so many videos wish i had seen this first.about to start our caravan journey and wanted to know what to check for,done a lot of property surveys but not one caravan. Going to look at a Fleetwood heritage 640 eb,any thing specific we should look out for.Have downloaded the check list,thanks.

[@douglasgreen437]

Incredible...

[@lisaf.2206]

Excellent video so helpful with all the information in one place 😊 you have one of these checklists for buying a campervan?

[@paulrangeley4143]

Very good checklist video thanks - wish I've found this before I bought, hopefully on delivery I've not missed anything :-/

[@eridulife]

Fantastic content. I really appreciate it :) I am buying a second hand caravan, budget is £2000, and after watching the video, asked the private owner to provide VIN number so I could check on cris, it turned out he is not the registered keeper. Is there any other proof of ownership I could ask he to provide? Thank you

[@chrishollingsworth1980]

Great presentation as usual, I followed your caravan renovation which was a great help: but please change that background music it’s so annoying

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

Thanks for your kind words. Will look to change the music 🤣

[@pedrovaleira5]

Hi McNeills, your video is very good, thank you for all your tips. I have a question if you could clarify me please. Can I park a caravan anywhere? I don’t have a drive way, can I park on the closest car park with no problem or do I have to pay the local council for parking? Something like permit holder... Thank you

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

Hello and thank you for your kind comments. In the UK, any trailer or caravan is only considered legal on the road when attached to a motor vehicle. Therefore, you would not be able to store it on the public highway. The easiest place to store it would be a caravan storage yard. With prices from around £30 / month, they're secure and safe.

[@pedrovaleira5]

@@TheMcNeillsonWheels thank so much for your quick reply, all the best 😊

[@georgesimpson5247]

great list you have i never caervan me and my partner thinking having oneno i know wot to look four

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

Glad you have found it helpful 👍

[@HitchHikersBlues]

Christ.... That's quite the checklist 😮😂

[@HitchHikersBlues]

I'm thinking of buying my first caravan. It'll be from a dealership for me. What brand do I go for? A lot of people are saying bailey and swift because there's no wood in them.

[@gabrielmanaila]

Great. Thank you for it. I love caravans,but i can't aford one.

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

Damn... Sometime soon, I hope.

[@GothicRockGoddess]

I've started searching on Google for the MTPLM of caravans for sale that I'm looking at. Much more likely to be accurate (or just backs up what the seller has said it is). :-) It's loo-vrers. Or loo-vers. :-) How was this caravan? It looks almost exactly what I'm looking for, though is a bit over budget... :-D

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

😂 I wondered how long it would take for someone to pick up on that! You sir, are the first! Yep, the MTPLM is where it’s at. The most useful figure 😂

[@GothicRockGoddess]

@@TheMcNeillsonWheels LOL, I'm a Ma'am, not a Sir...! :-D

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

Gosh, I am a comedy of errors today. I do apologise! 🤭

[@GothicRockGoddess]

:-D :-D :-D

[@danuk2005]

Hello. I'm not sure about the condensation between the windows is a point that should be on your list. This is something that can occur on caravans a day out of the factory. And does not pose an issue as it dissipates when warm and with it being on your check list may put off buyers of a caravan for a non issue

[@raulaldea724]

I wanna buy a used caravan but u don’t know which documents I need to do after buying it can you help me please. 🙏

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

Hi Raul, If you're buying a newer caravan then CRiS registration is what you need. If you're buying an old cheap one, that it will likely come with no proof of ownership. However, you could register it yourself with CRiS, if you want. Hope this helps.

[@HitchHikersBlues]

The music is funny

[@lisabreeze1984]

Hi we have chance of purchasing a friends caravan which is an old bailey ranger 2000 470/4, friends are getting older and want to give up their caravan, we towed it home for them all ok but when checking over we have found out that the wooden floor is rotting in the rear corners underneath, is this a big issue and costly to fix if it can be fixed, any help would be very much appreciated 😊

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

It all depends on how much you have to pay to buy the caravan in the first place as well as your own ability to fix it. You’ll often find old caravans that have a small damp problem being scrapped as the cost to have somebody else fix them is more expensive than what the caravan is worth. However, if you’re willing to put the work in yourself, then they are usually worth repairing. It’s very difficult to say for certain given the limited information from your message. I always prefer old caravans, as even two or three-year-old caravans have been found to have damp in them. At least with an older, cheaper caravan, if damp is found, then you are not out quite so much money. Hope this helps, feel free to get back in touch and if I can, I’ll help any way that I can. Jamie :-)

[@lisabreeze1984]

The McNeills on Wheels thanks for your reply, we can purchase it for £1000, is it a big job to fix and I really wouldn’t know where to start but I’m ok doing abit of diy but thought I may need someone in the know to fix the damage. My dads pretty handy too

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

Hi Lisa, Go through the checklist, work out what you can from there and then take your dad to look at what needs repairing. Our caravan is damp but we can live in it as it is, though it will need attention in the coming years.

[@ummhamza1021]

Hi, I clicked the link in order to download the checklist but it sais it has been deleted. Any chance I could have a copy? Thanks a lot.

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

How strange. Reply with your email address and I’ll send it over. Thanks.

[@ummhamza1021]

[e-mail] Thank you!

[@sheelavmckee8991]

How do I privately message you guys. Would really like to have a conversation about caravan life etc.

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

My email address is on my about page.

[@sheelavmckee8991]

@@TheMcNeillsonWheels omg sorry I'm so dumb on these things. I went on to your about page and I can't find an email address 🦧

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

@@sheelavmckee8991 [e-mail] Sorry, it doesn't appear to show on mobile!

[@sheelavmckee8991]

@@TheMcNeillsonWheels thank you! Just found it on my lap top. 😁😁

[@so-roadkill]

So i have a question how do you go about car insurance do you have a home address ?

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

This is a question that we get frequently, which is covered in our Q&A. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZ2Zi4WpoLB3eM0 Basically, you use a friend’s or relative’s address as a correspondence address. Hope this helps. Jamie

[@so-roadkill]

@@TheMcNeillsonWheels ty so mutch this helps alot the other thing I struggled on was the car waight lol it has 2 different 1s on the front panel plate of 1650kg and 2950kg i was told the smaller waight is the unloaded waight and the big 1 is what it is allowed to pull along with its own waight so in guessing if i take the 1650kg and my caravan waight of 1000kg that means I have a load waight of 300kg left and I'm 100% legal to pull 1000kg caravan within my 3500kg restriction

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

hired_ assassian I recall you saying that you drove a Cavalier. On older vehicles, the plates aren’t always as easy to interpret as more modern vehicles. Same with older caravans. You may need confirmation from the DVLA and possibly even have them update the logbook, as it is from this that the authorities will go by. As for your caravan, is 1000Kg laden or unladen? You could always put your caravan on a public weigh bridge to get the unladen weight and then have a plate made up to show this, plus 200kg for the laden weight. Then, keep all the paperwork. Sadly, it’s not straightforward with older vehicles and vans.

[@so-roadkill]

@@TheMcNeillsonWheels yea im getting that feeling won't be pulling the caravan with my cavalier as my storage was just burnt down with the cavalier in so we are now looking at a 2005 2.0 diesel ford mondeo

[@lenykeijzer1244]

Hello, I could be interested to buy an englisch caravan in england, I live in france so what do i need to do for paperworks???

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

Bonjour Leny! When caravans are bought and sold in England, there is no official government paperwork. Some newer, more valuable caravans are part of the CRiS scheme, though this is not mandatory. You’re welcome to contact me on Skype if you need help - [e-mail]

[@lenykeijzer1244]

@@TheMcNeillsonWheels hi its leny again, thanks for your answer. So if I buy 1 caravan, how can I bring it to France and het the papers on my name. Do you also send caravans to france or Portugal??? In case, have you got an idea of price to bring it to southern france, Perpignan, or Algarve, portugal

[@lenykeijzer1244]

Yep me again, leny pleade tell me what is the CRiS scheme???

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

"So if I buy 1 caravan, how can I bring it to France and get the papers on my name." Simple, you come to the U.K., buy the caravan, hitch it to your car, then tow it home. Once back in France, you would have to register it with your government. "Do you also send caravans to france or Portugal???" "In case, have you got an idea of price to bring it to southern france, Perpignan, or Algarve, portugal" I don't sell caravans! I am just some guy who lives in a caravan and makes videos. You'd have to email a caravan dealer for that.

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

"Yep me again, leny pleade tell me what is the CRiS scheme???" www.cris.co.uk/

[@LordJasonKing]

Is it sold?

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

It has just sold on Thursday! Sorry!

[@LordJasonKing]

Xx

[@caravanwullie7339]

How do I find ur checklist pls It's ok if found it lol Cheers guys

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

Great stuff! Hope that you find it useful!

[@c40uk98]

Bet that caravans selling for more money today lol

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

Quite possibly!

[@afairdealfortaxidrivers4359]

Caravan warranties aren’t worth the paper they’re written on!.

[@stevie007]

Even though I have unsubscribed and do not wish to receive any more notifications concerning your Chanel !!!! I still constantly receive from KZbin ( Videos you may like ) Could you please possibly stop this your end.

[@TheMcNeillsonWheels]

😂 By commenting and interacting with our video, you’ve told the KZbin algorithm that you’d like to see more! Nothing we can do from our end, I’m afraid. Perhaps cancel your KZbin account and start again if it’s bothering you that much! We’ve got another video coming out soon. Look forward to hearing from you then! Cheerio!

[@so-roadkill]

RUDE !!!!