Dear all - you look like a friendly helpful lot so....I would really appreciate some advice please
I have owned campervans and had my bank balance reduced accordingly lol....and I am now looking to buy an Eriba caravan, preferably a 320 Familia as I do want a loo in it and it will fit on my small driveway :) I have seen an ad for an Eriba Familia GT Tourer, 2006 with a loo, heater and it looks OK...BUT I am used to checking out campervans, but not a caravan and not an Eriba...
Is there a checklist somewhere of things to check out before parting with my hard earned cash? I will be towing it and looking after it all myself so really don't want to make a big mistake!! I have a Volvo V50 1.6 diesel ecodrive car, does a genuine 70mpg but has no tow bar...so I am thinking: get a tow bar put on it rather than replacing the car as it's very economical...what kind of a tow bar should I make sure I get?
Thanks ever so! lots of questions...

to the forum and pretty much what Colin has said regarding checking out the Eriba. There is the usual of course age and condition tyres, damage etc. Morphy

to the Forum. I think most of the possible problems have been highlighted although I think Colin forgot to mention a spongy floor particularly near the door. If you’re at all unsure do you have a friend with caravan experience who could possibly be a second pair of eyes? One of your best “tools” is your nose! Eribas shouldn’t smell damp or fusty.

Thank you very much
My car is too old and weird looking ("gheko green" ) to bother about detaching so the cheaper permament will do fine
I'm alright checking for internal damp, got the t-shirt for buying a damp camper a while back...only need to do it once!!!
:)

good tip - i have a great "nose" for funny smells
Thank you :)

OK thank you
sounds like they are well made and not a nightmare of potential issues, which is what I am after
:)

One thing I would say is that if you're doing this on your own, get a mover. It is a life-changer.

yes I intend to, I'm only 5 feet 1.5 and have a bad back so its an essential for me, not to mention i'm not sure if i'll be any good at reversing and manouevring...although i ahve driven a 4 tonne bus aorund Europe

Thank you everyone, I really appreciate the welcome. It would be lovely to make some camping friends :)

regarding the towbar wiring it is well worth getting the proper volvo kit as it will come with the correct module that just plugs into the existing wiring in the boot, and has all of the right grommets. You will also need to get this programmed so the indicator lights on the dash work properly. These cars have fairly complex wiring so just clipping the wires on with scotchlocks isn't an option. Volvopartshop.com is worth checking out. The cost is a little more than a full 3rd party kit but not that much more.

I did our S40 some time ago. With the right wiring kit it was a doddle to fit, and fitted a swanneck towbar. Also a doddle to fit.
The S40 1.6 drivE towed our Triton ok, although it was always fairly hot afterwards, I think the fuel consumption was around 35-40 mpg when towing. Should be better though with a famlia. Have let the S40 go now but it was ok whilst we had it.

Thank you. I think a volvo tow bar though would cost me more than the car is worth!

Here is a basic check list which will cover looking for a second hand Eriba...


Buyers guide check list