In the first part of our new series, former PC editor Nigel Donnelly joins the hordes hunting for cheap caravans, and bags a 1998 Bailey from the classified ads
WE HAD FINALLY admitted to ourselves that we’d outgrown our old VW campervan.
You don’t mind sleeping in a wonky 4ft bed, skipping across a field for a wee in the middle of the night and dressing while bent over when you are limber enough to do it.
Now, the truth was that the prospect of a weekend in the camper was becoming a chore. We didn’t want fewer holidays. We wanted better holidays.
We had reached the point where a pretty campervan photo on Instagram mattered less than a proper bed, our own toilet and some heating.
Decision made, we sold the camper, paid for some boring but necessary house repairs, and then found that what was left in the purse was a skinny budget to go caravan shopping.
That budget meant we were browsing at the murkier end of the market. We couldn’t afford to look at caravans on dealer forecourts. We were looking around Gumtree, eBay and Facebook Marketplace, with around £2500 to spend.
The hunt is on
It’s a competitive market, too. People like us, searching for something to use for touring, are up against folks looking for building site offices, temporary accommodation while building a new house, and enterprising DIYers who want to strip out a caravan interior to transform their Transit into some bougie mobile bunkhouse. Caravans are often sold before you’ve responded to the advert. You need to be quick and lucky.
After a few weeks of combing the classified ads, something promising popped into view.
On Facebook Marketplace, someone was selling a ‘Baily Delamere 5 berth’. The name not being spelled correctly helped, because it meant that it wouldn’t show up for those searching for a ‘Bailey’. If it had been easier to find, others might have got there first.
In addition, there weren’t many photos – just three exterior shots and a close-up of a damaged water inlet. Classified ads are all about the pictures, and a caravan without interior photos could mean it doesn’t have one.
With so few caravans at the price, however, we decided to take that risk. It was local, too: only 10 minutes away. If it was rubbish, at least we hadn’t wasted much time and could pick up a bottle of wine on the way home.
The owner responded, which is the first hurdle to overcome. Many enquiries go unanswered. He promised to get in touch when he was ready, as he was still preparing it. A couple of days later, as good as his word, he messaged to ask if we were still
