My caravan history
Discussion
I bought my caravan on a whim. I was on my way to my local Asda for an emergency buy of red wine and spotted it for sale in a car park beside the main road. This car park is usually used to sell cars on the cheap, so I was intrigued by the caravan. I have camped all my life, going from hiking in my youth, to off-road biking with tents across Rannoch moor, to being married and ending up with three kids and a wife camping using a Volvo estate , 6x4 foot trailer and a large tent.
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/0HXwm3GB.jpg)
The caravan was a Swift Corvette and the bloke wanted £600. It came fully equipped, it even had a new awning.I had a look and drove it home. Had to drive back to Asda to get the wine after I put the caravan on the drive.
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/hpRcO9wq.jpg)
This was in 2008 and in 2010 I discovered some damp damage, so I elected to repair it. The local caravan shop wanted a minimumof £1500 to do the job, so I hit the web and researched ways and means.
I took the offside skin off and replaced the frame, put it back together, put new ply inside, papered it, replaced the internal fittings and ended up with a good waterproof van for £140 in materials.
water ingress damage after stripping sky light in bathroom.
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/Dh2p7ctB.jpg)
Damage to frame
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/ykMK2P00.jpg)
Old interior
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/K5AwY6ha.jpg)
New interior being built of old 4mm ply interior door skins and papered.
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/Na4x8Gwz.jpg)
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/153hkgXp.jpg)
Old bathroom
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/EJjByMHy.jpg)
New repair
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/rpEIb3Fw.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/XQwf6pyc" Target="_blank">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/XQwf6pyc.jpg)
Picture showing it all back together and side back on!
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/iLWCGpuZ.jpg)
I don't have more photos due to losing an un-backed up disk, (tut), and being hospitalised during the rebuild due to contracting endocarditis, which sapped my energy somewhat.
This is a photo of the van while I was in hospital, it was covered in snow.
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/sUgXLbBq.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/XQwf6pyc" Target="_blank">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/XQwf6pyc.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/XQwf6pyc" Target="_blank">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/XQwf6pyc.jpg)
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/0HXwm3GB.jpg)
The caravan was a Swift Corvette and the bloke wanted £600. It came fully equipped, it even had a new awning.I had a look and drove it home. Had to drive back to Asda to get the wine after I put the caravan on the drive.
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/hpRcO9wq.jpg)
This was in 2008 and in 2010 I discovered some damp damage, so I elected to repair it. The local caravan shop wanted a minimumof £1500 to do the job, so I hit the web and researched ways and means.
I took the offside skin off and replaced the frame, put it back together, put new ply inside, papered it, replaced the internal fittings and ended up with a good waterproof van for £140 in materials.
water ingress damage after stripping sky light in bathroom.
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/Dh2p7ctB.jpg)
Damage to frame
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/ykMK2P00.jpg)
Old interior
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/K5AwY6ha.jpg)
New interior being built of old 4mm ply interior door skins and papered.
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/Na4x8Gwz.jpg)
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/153hkgXp.jpg)
Old bathroom
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/EJjByMHy.jpg)
New repair
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/rpEIb3Fw.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/XQwf6pyc" Target="_blank">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/XQwf6pyc.jpg)
Picture showing it all back together and side back on!
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/iLWCGpuZ.jpg)
I don't have more photos due to losing an un-backed up disk, (tut), and being hospitalised during the rebuild due to contracting endocarditis, which sapped my energy somewhat.
This is a photo of the van while I was in hospital, it was covered in snow.
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/sUgXLbBq.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/XQwf6pyc" Target="_blank">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/XQwf6pyc.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/XQwf6pyc" Target="_blank">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/XQwf6pyc.jpg)
Edited by StuartGGray on Thursday 14th June 19:06
PeanutHead said:
Thinking of starting a what car for van thread, although a Volvo always looks the biz after the 4x4s.
Apparently VW Passat estates are good tow cars.... My FiL has one and is a big caravanner. My BiL also has one, and he tows lots of heavy stuff around.They have a high kerb weight for the class of car, meaning you can tow larger vans without going over the 85% rule.
Although IANAV (I am not a vanhead)
First van was this Bailey Pageant Vendee.... Bought second hand from a chap in Telford
![](http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm244/lunablack_2008/00cfc03d.jpg)
Decided we liked caravanning so upgraded to an Ex Demo Bailey Virginia... This really was a step up for us, and very posh inside...
Did all my towing with a Jeep 4.7V8 on LPG.....made pretty light work of a single axle van... And even fully loaded with awning, bikes etc etc didn't have much of an effect
![](http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm244/lunablack_2008/49472e38.jpg)
![](http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm244/lunablack_2008/39d4d581.jpg)
![](http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm244/lunablack_2008/27472d42.jpg)
![](http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm244/lunablack_2008/e8eeb592.jpg)
![](http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm244/lunablack_2008/5bff808c.jpg)
![](http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm244/lunablack_2008/c85fa90f.jpg)
Then sold the van, and got a motorhome![smile](/inc/images/smile.gif)
![](http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm244/lunablack_2008/Trips/llyn%20brenig/IMG_0574.jpg)
![](http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm244/lunablack_2008/Trips/winter%202011/fb301dd2.jpg)
![](http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm244/lunablack_2008/Trips/winter%202011/IMG_1126.jpg)
Just need some decent weather now![cool](/inc/images/cool.gif)
![](http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm244/lunablack_2008/00cfc03d.jpg)
Decided we liked caravanning so upgraded to an Ex Demo Bailey Virginia... This really was a step up for us, and very posh inside...
Did all my towing with a Jeep 4.7V8 on LPG.....made pretty light work of a single axle van... And even fully loaded with awning, bikes etc etc didn't have much of an effect
![](http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm244/lunablack_2008/49472e38.jpg)
![](http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm244/lunablack_2008/39d4d581.jpg)
![](http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm244/lunablack_2008/27472d42.jpg)
![](http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm244/lunablack_2008/e8eeb592.jpg)
![](http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm244/lunablack_2008/5bff808c.jpg)
![](http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm244/lunablack_2008/c85fa90f.jpg)
Then sold the van, and got a motorhome
![smile](/inc/images/smile.gif)
![](http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm244/lunablack_2008/Trips/llyn%20brenig/IMG_0574.jpg)
![](http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm244/lunablack_2008/Trips/winter%202011/fb301dd2.jpg)
![](http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm244/lunablack_2008/Trips/winter%202011/IMG_1126.jpg)
Just need some decent weather now
![cool](/inc/images/cool.gif)
PeanutHead said:
Loving the work you did, have you got much use from the Van and how do you compare it to camping.
Thinking of starting a what car for van thread, although a Volvo always looks the biz after the 4x4s.
I wish I'd started caravanning earlier. I started because of age, camping was getting too sore. A caravan is already prepped, and the bed is easier to get out of. I used to use a tent and a bike and sleep on rocks. Not anymore I'm afraid!Thinking of starting a what car for van thread, although a Volvo always looks the biz after the 4x4s.
We do manage to get out most weekends, a favourite site in Callander is only 45 miles away by road, but a million miles away from home. Longer periods of a week or more, we usually go to the west coast of Scotland.
I've had a fondness for Volvos ever since I stared a family, I've towed trailers and boats with them, so it seemed natural to get another one for the caravan. The Citroen ZX 1.9d and the Mondeo 1.8i both struggled a bit with the Swift Corvette to my mind.(don't I just love saying I have a Corvette on the drive, especially a Swift one
![hehe](/inc/images/hehe.gif)
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