by Chris Jefferies
Much of the debate in our forum recently has been regarding what caravanners can do without – would you go without an oven? Can you live without a shower?
Removing these luxuries reduces the weight and makes a caravan much easier to tow and indeed, this used to be the norm with manufacturers of yore.
For this week’s Used Caravan of the Week, we have tracked down a caravan that fits this brief, in the form of a very well-preserved Abbey from the 1980s.
With no oven, shower or even toilet, this dinky tourer offers back-to-basics caravanning, with the flipside being an unladen weight of just 635kg, meaning most road-going cars could tow this with ease.
History
As a brand, Abbey Caravans was retired in 2009 by its owners Swift Group, but these well-built tourers can still be regularly found on the used caravan market.
This particular example is the two-berth Executive 360, which features the classic layout of a convertible double in the front and an offside bathroom in the rear, along with a nearside rear kitchenette.
Despite the fact that this ‘van is well into its twenties, the eBay listing describes it as being “generally in good condition” and the accompanying images certainly bear testament to that.
Kit and Caboodle
Spec levels are a little more basic than you may have come to expect in modern caravans, with no toilet in the washroom, but the seller assures us that there is room enough to fit one.
What you do get is a twin-burner gas hob and grill, an Electrolux three-way refrigerator, and a Carver Trumatic SB1800 gas heater, with instruction manuals included for the last two.
For further peace of mind, you also get service documents dating back to 2002, to help you spot the potential pitfalls before buying.
The front living area is definitely the main selling point, as it can be converted into a very spacious double bed, which is “large enough for three people” (at a push).
Ample shelving space is provided by seven overhead lockers, as well as two underseat storage lockers and a wardrobe with a three-quarter length mirror on both doors.
What’s more, a distinct effort has been made to bring this tourer up to date, with white hubcaps, a re-laminated floor and a brand new fitted carpet throughout living room and kitchen area.
Other things worth noting are the faulty smoke alarm and a small amount of damp, although this has been rectified and the seller claims it is “now 100% watertight”.
Granted this could hardly be described as a luxury choice, but anyone looking for a compact starter caravan should seriously consider this little Abbey, as it looks like a great bargain.
