Forget the stresses of finding accommodation for your holiday, take your own caravan. The possibilities are vast, there are many caravan sites around, some of them in very sought after beauty spots which will only add to your holiday experience.

To take a caravan holiday is very cheap, but to actually buy one isn't quite so cheap. If you are going to get your own caravan then you might want to consider second hand as its going to save you a lot of money, there are however many things that you should take into consideration.

First and foremost should of course be?how does it look? If it looks tatty and neglected then the chances are it's not just the paintwork that's suffering. Some bad paint work can be fixed up easily so you don't need to reject a caravan just because of a bit of peeling paint. In fact you might even want to consider giving it a fresh coat of paint anyway.

There are a lot of newspapers, magazines and websites which you could search for used caravans for sale that folks are marketing, so take some time to investigate and once you have found some which are interesting, make a time to go and look at them. Check the interior, unless you are specifically planning on doing a restoration job then you want something half decent. A common problem is seats that are worn thin from years of use, these can however be replaced easily and without great cost so don't be too put off by this.

Make sure that you test out all of the appliances within the caravan, especially the electrics, if possible you want to have the caravan connected up so you can test that all the electrics work properly, as this can be a real pain to sort out not to mention expensive. You should pay attention also to other fitted equipment and ensure it's all in good order.

If everything in the interior checks out ok then give it a thorough inspection outside. During your inspection pay close attention to any exposed bare metal and see if it has corroded, if so how bad? More serious rust can definitely be a problem and a reason not to purchase. Minor problems can be fixed easily so don't let that put you off. You should also check the construction of the walls, are they stapled together or sealed with glue also? They need to be sealed properly to keep the water out, resealing it yourself can be done, but preferably avoided.

When you go to view a caravan, take a lamp along with you so that you can do a proper inspection of the underneath as this is critical. Check the condition of the wheels as well, tyres are easily replaced so don't worry if they are worn. The main thing to look out for underneath is corrosion on structural points, excessive corrosion should make you think twice, as you will need to have some welding done most likely.

Before you make a final decision make sure to look at the towing equipment as this needs to be in sound working order.

With some due diligence you will find many used caravans for sale that can serve your needs, so make sure you spend some time finding the right one for you and it will provide you with years of fantastic pleasure and experiences!