A caravan is a great choice for any family or anyone on a budget, as you can enjoy a holiday without the expense of a hotel room, and also save on eating out since you can prepare your own food with your caravan. They're also a good way to enjoy nature, since you typically park them in a campground near a lake or woods or other such feature. When you're ready to buy a caravan, you might wonder if a used model is a good choice. A used caravan may have years of life left to it and can run very well, but note a few things you'll want to examine and remember when looking at a used model so you can best determine if it's a sound purchase for you.

Insurance

Consider the insurance cost when buying a caravan of any style; you may have overlooked this expense when determining your budget for your caravan. A new caravan will probably be more expensive when it comes to insurance policies, much like a vehicle. If your monthly budget for a caravan is already a bit tight, a used model might actually be the better choice so you save on insurance costs.

Upholstery

When checking a used caravan for sale, you may note the outside body and if the appliances work, but don't overlook the upholstery of the interior pieces. If this upholstery is worn, this can mean allowing moisture to collect inside the furniture and, in turn, mold might grow and your caravan would begin to smell musty. This can also mean insects that might could get inside those pieces. Be sure you look for torn spots or spots that are so worn that you can see the inside foam and other material of chairs, bedding, and the like. If there are worn spots, note if you can smell something musty, as this might mean that you would need to replace the entire furniture piece and not just the upholstery itself.

Floorboards

When walking over a used caravan, note if the floorboards seem soft or warped. This often means the caravan had water damage or even a flood, and the flooring absorbed that moisture and got soft. There may be mold or rotted materials under the flooring, if there was a flood. While you might be able to replace the flooring somewhat easily, consider if you would need to examine the underside of the floors for additional damage. Soft flooring usually needs replacing very soon anyway, so don't overlook this expense when considering a used caravan.

For more information, contact a company that has caravans for sale, such as Arrow Caravans.