Fast forward to now and after looking at hundreds of vans over the years, (combining when we were looking to buy our own plus all the shows we attend each year with our Family Travel Journals<\/a> & Caravan\/Camper Log Books!) and we have now seen a lot of good, bad, amazing & ugly rigs. Yep, I think we\u2019ve almost seen it all!<\/p>\n So if you are searching for your first caravan where do you start? There are so many questions that you need to ask yourselves, here are just a few.<\/p>\n What type of van do we need? Yep, all these questions and more! As people who\u2019ve \u2018been there, done that\u2019 there are a few pointers we came across that might come in handy for you.<\/p>\n 4 things to establish straight away:<\/strong><\/p>\n These are the four questions that will shape your purchasing decision. Once this framework is in place your decision will actually become simpler as your parameters of search will definitely have narrowed!<\/p>\n Here\u2019s more thought provoking questions to consider that fall in under question two!<\/p>\n How much time will you spend in your van?<\/strong> Is the interior that important?<\/strong> Do you need head room?<\/strong> How long are you prepared to spend setting up?<\/strong> Can you live without a toilet? Or ensuite?<\/strong> Does this van have good storage?<\/strong> Look at the outside of the van. Does it have a front boot? Or does it have a tool box on the A-Frame? What about a tunnel boot? Our tunnel boot doesn\u2019t go all the way but it is perfect for a couple of camping chairs, 2 pool noodles for summer, fishing rods and tackle box for the girls, annex and posts if we need to take them. Storage is a sanity saver \u2013 make sure you know your storage needs!<\/p>\n Interior layouts?<\/strong> Do you like an L or U shape couch around the dining table or do you like the \u2018caf\u00e9\u2019 style? We currently have an L shape, but the more vans we go in to, the more we like the caf\u00e9 style. Although, in the end, we can count on one hand how many times we have eaten at the table \u2013 we are always outside. Funny how something you think you need may not even be important once you get on the road!<\/p>\n Appliances or not?<\/strong> D\u00e9cor and design?<\/strong> And the list goes on! But we hope this is a starting point that makes your decision a little easier. What have we missed? What were your families MUST have additions when you were choosing your rig? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Other articles you might be interested in: Caravan Packing Tips<\/a> and Handy Items we always have in the van<\/a>\u2026<\/p>\n
\nDo we want an ensuite?
\nShould we get bunks?
\nWhat size bed do we prefer?
\nWill we require a washing machine?
\nWill our van go off-road?
\nHow long is this van? Where will we store it?
\nWhat capacity can our car tow?
\nIs this van in our budget?<\/p>\n\n
\nWe needed to know it\u2019s towing mass \u2013 no point looking at vans that were too heavy for our car\u2026or do we buy another car? Eeeeek!<\/li>\n
\nFull van, pop top, camper trailer, motorhome, off road? Ensuite? Bunks?
\nThis list can get quite long but you need to have a checklist to make the right decision.<\/li>\n
\nDo we buy brand new\u2026or second hand?<\/li>\n
\nFor us, the answer was yes. Having a few comforts started to become important (despite that we began our thought process as that \u2018we\u2019d just need a basic bed<\/em>!\u2019) when we realised we were travelling with children who could be in the van for an extended period of time. What if the weather turned and we were all stuck inside? We were very new to the experience, and had never camped before, so we started to take a bit more notice of the \u2018space\u2019 inside and how it would work for our family. All of a sudden some creature comforts seemed more important than we had realised! Were we soft? Probably, but we had never really \u2018roughed\u2019 it before\u2026<\/p>\n
\nThe biggest issue we faced was surprisingly one we had not thought about. Hubby Wayne is 6\u20194 tall and many of the vans we looked at saw him knocking his head or hunching over\u2026. so \u2018head room\u2019 was added to our list of musts \u2013 seriously, I couldn\u2019t have handled the whinging!<\/p>\n
\nFor us, the purpose of our caravan was to get away quickly and at every chance we could. We are not big lappers (yet\u2026) and no plans to set off for a few months (yet\u2026) so we needed a van that we could set up with minimal time. We have watched a few friends set up their camper trailer and tents and sometimes this can take hours. This is more than fine if you are setting up for a few days, but most of our planned trips would only be 1-2 nights. For us, time was of the essence and the quicker the better. For this reason, we ruled out most pop tops and camper trailers.<\/p>\n
\nWe went around in circles for months about an ensuite! Did we really need one? Such a luxury for caravan life! A few friends with caravans told us they wished they had a toilet when their kids were younger. In the end, we were still on the fence\u2026but the van that we loved just happened to have an ensuite and that\u2019s how our decision was made. (In truth, we have loved the ensuite, having the toilet has come in handy, especially when we have stayed at a park where the facilities have been a long way away.) The girls and I like to shower at the park, it is a novelty for the girls and part of our caravanning fun! Wayne likes to shower in the van. Another bonus is when we travel in the winter (we try and use our van all year round\u2026) we can shower and pee in the comfort of the van\u2026. hahaha. Nobody likes a cold behind!<\/p>\n
\nWhere are you taking the van? What will it be used for? If you only want a van for a quick getaway you may not need all the bells and whistles. If you are buying your van to do big trips then storage is the key. Cupboards up high, cupboards down low. Cupboards everywhere. You can never have too much storage for all your belongings on the road.<\/p>\n
\nAs a family we obviously needed bunks. Many of the manufacturers now will cater for two or three bunks. Make sure you consider are they sturdy, secure and have a good ladder up\u2026all-important factors with little ones.<\/p>\n
\nDo you need a full size fridge? With 4 big eaters in our family, this comes in super handy and you\u2019ll need to establish how much food you\u2019d like to store or will you shop daily? Do you want a washing machine? We weighed this up \u2013 washing machine vs storage space\u2026we chose storage and I don\u2019t regret it for a moment!<\/p>\n
\nI didn\u2019t think this was that important in the beginning\u2026but truth be told you do have to look at it every day! You can always add some colour and flair with throw rugs and cushions if you want to bring some personal touches! I prefer the light and bright d\u00e9cor but whatever you choose make sure you can live with it, even better if you love it!<\/p>\n
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