It really depends on two things: the miles you will do and the weight you will tug.

Very few UK caravans (other than the gin palaces) top out with a gross laden weight of over 1500kgs and many reasonable sized ones even with fixed bed are looking more like 1300kg. Small caravans (particularly older ones without so many silly gadgets) are often under 1000kg, sensibly laden.

If you are a low mileage driver like me, under 15,000 miles per year, then mpg is nothing to worry about. You can happily get an old volvo - 20 years old, and so long as it is any 2.3 litre or the 2.0 litre turbo it will tug a sensible sized van with ease. If you get one with only about 100,000 miles or so on the clock it will be reliable robust and comfortable and bush mechanics can service most of it (be careful about the lockup auto box). A volvo like that will do about 250,000 miles before it is starting to be worn out. Maximum towing weight 1800 kg (if you have a volvo towbar and do not go over 45).

You will only need to pay about 300 to 400 pounds for it - and think how much servicing and fuelling you can do with what you save! Any boy racer shop will put a modern sound system in it for not a lot of money.

The snag is that unless you get a diesel you will struggle to see 30mpg with no van on, and most likely struggle to get even 20 mpg with a van on. Your tax will be expensive, but insurance cheap.

IMHO you will more than gain on the swings what you lose on the roundabouts.



If you want something more modern, the Skodas with AWD are pretty cheap second hand, the 2 litre turbo petrols go like rockets and the 140bhp diesels surprisingly urgent.