Moving from Caravan to Motorhome
Comments
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We have tried both but found motor homes were too limiting. The space is much more cramped especially if you want a fixed bed as the lounge area suffers. When you stay on a site you invariable see most motorhomes never moving and their owners are limited to using buses which means many rural sites are out of the question. Some tow a small car but that seems to undermine the reason for having a motorhome. We found pitching a caravan on a site for a few days and using the tow car to cover the area and then move on works best for us.
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just as there is no 'right' choice for everyone, i guess there is no 'right' way to use a MH or even a caravan....
we generally use it in two ways, often in the same break....stopping at places we might like to visit (prior to the 'sleeping' place) or to collect supplies at a supermarket along the route, but also staying on site for a few days while we explore on our bikes.
i definitely feel more confident about our 'style' of touring when 'away' as its geared up far better for MHs and easy, unplanned stopping....either just for a break or for overnighting.
setting up and moving on is just so easy compared to caravanning neighbours who seem to spend ages (certainly at two of the sites recently visited) packing up awnings, groundsheets, gazebos, cooking tents,outside fridges etc....
just look at the posts we see asking for advice on stop overs when referring to the uk or when someone is in a caravan...this is likely to mean finding a proper site (and booking it) as 'casual' parking/sleeping (or even turning up at the site on spec) isnt generally the norm over here.
when we tour in the uk, everything changes....our tour suddenly becomes planned, with sites booked, timings adhered to, no real impromptu 'touring' as i normally use the word...
if i had to tour just here, id have a caravan.....(possibly).
re: Alans point about space, we dont feel we lack any room, theres just two of us but five seats, a proper table to dine at and our bed is nearer kingsize than double. we also have a 2 cu mtr garage to store all our gear including bikes.....so, not exactly strapped for room, all in 6.4m and 3.5t.
anyway, we're outside as often as we can be, only using the van after dark when abroad or when it rains in the uk......
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Whilst I don't want to change anyones minds one way or the other I am puzzled why people claim motorhomes don't have as much room as caravans. Mine does.
David
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After 30 years Caravanning we bought a new Autosleepers motorhome last year. At 6.3m long it is compact enough to take to places we were nervous of visiting with the large Bailey fixed bed caravan that we ended up with before trading it in. We still stay for up to two weeks on some sites but conversely it is wonderful to be able to move on with the minimum of fuss. No unhitching, manoeuvring, fetching water and so on. Easier to drive and less stress when reversing or driving on narrow roads.
We never used to use the car much for local sightseeing so don't miss that but we do take a little more care in looking for sites near to towns or shops. It has reawakened our pleasure in touring Europe which we were in danger of losing with the caravan. Suddenly we are going "off-piste" again.
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OP you don't seem to have had many responses from people travelling with young children and I'd suggest asking elsewhere as well.
Our friends with youngsters started off with a MH but changed to a caravan within a year. It didn't work well for them at all. We looked at MHs initially when our kids were younger but decided it wouldn't work for us and bought a tent then a caravan.
I'd definitely recommend hiring if you can
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Alan
That is true to an extent as once on a site we don't take the motorhome off site as we feel it is a bit on the large size to do that. However many owners of the same motorhome do take them off site. We tend to stay on sites within easy walking/transport links of places of interest. It will depend on the style of motorhoming you want to do and I take Hitchglitch's point that smaller one is more convenient if you do want to use a motorhome as a vehicle to visit places. In fact we are thinking along similar lines although no decision yet made!!!
David
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I don't know what caravan you have. However our last caravan was a dealer special based on the Swift Charisma 550 with an overall length of 7.3mts. It had a very similar layout to the motorhome we now have except that it had an end bathroom where as we now have a side bathroom. As the Bailey range of motorhomes are quite wide, certainly wider than our last caravan, we feel things are as spacious as the caravan. I would be interested to know where you feel you have more space?
David
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each of those who have gone over to the "dark side"smile have felt the need to mention choosing sites to suit the lack of transport the vicinity of towns public transport etc
That would be a problem to me, at least in the UK, David. We generally stop 5 nights and move. If the site we are on has an adjacent village within a mile or so we may well get set up on site and go out for a stroll there if weather is reasonable.
On the remaining 4 days we may call in on the odd town for a few hours but then move on. We may visit several locations in a day spread out over the day and also try and fit in a stroll. In many areas very difficult to achieve by bus.
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the typical 'end washroom' is a popular design that gives the impression of lots of room...a dedicated space for washing and changing.
however, this design compromises one of the big plusses we want in a MH...a rear garage for storing valuable bikes out of sight and weather...
whilst we are happy to spend many days using our van shower (plenty of room and water to support this) a 'palatial' bathroom doesnt take preference over more practical things.....storage is (literally) a big thing when you just have a single vehicle to travel in.
if i wanted a large box to sit on the site and wash in, id have bought a caravan (or a villawink)
as it is, for many MH owners, that single box has to provide more functionality than this, which is where compromise might come in.we can sit five round our moveable table for dinner, so two seems 'palatial'.
both beds are larger than a std home double, 'palatial'...
how much space does one (or two) need?
re Jays reference back to the OP and their need to tour with a child and dog, Id certainly be thinking more caravan, mainly with regard to off site transport with the car.
our van is 2.12 wide, so one of the 'new breed' of slimmer, lighter vans, with virtually an identical 'footprint' to the long wheebase PVCs.
compare this with the latest Baileys at 2.49 (37cm difference) and you can see how different vehicles can make life easier (or more difficult) to drive, pitch and park.
there are so many elements to making a decision, one mans meat etc...
even hiring may not be the whole answer, as a smaller van might take away some of the anxiety re driving a MH, but might not have the space a caravanner is used to.....
obviously, the reverse is true.....a large spacious MH might seriously compromise the ability to (confidently) take the van off site for trips.
interestingly, both here and abroad, ive seen continental tourers taking even 7 and 8m vans off site with their families to visit places.
their view, perhaps a bit different to ours, is that this is their so.e touring vehicle and so they will use it......resolving any parking issues later...
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We have a Bailey Pegasus and as i said size for size we have more space, and they do not take their motor caravan off site(it is their 4th)as they tow a car if they go anywhere on their own ,but when we and others are going together with them the car tends to stay at home ,but are now seriously considering going back to a caravan ,when on site our caravan tends to be the "community hall"
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Well said EasyT. We hop in the car and go to a town/village and find there isn't a lot there and go on to the next place or 2. We decide to have a BBQ on a nice day and pop to the butcher/supermarket for supplies. We have been on some lovely sites where there is no public transport or towns very near. We have seen people from the site standing in the pouring rain waiting for a bus. We have done shopping for people in a motorhome.
My main fear is if my husband can't drive one day (I don't}. Then we can always go on a seasonal pitch and use the caravan like a static. Of course then we will need the public transport etc.I
I can't imagine being in a small motorhome after the space we have in the caravan. Still as everyone says - horses for courses - and on the continent I could see the point of the motorhome.
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Alan
Its 7.5 metres long and 2.4 metres wide, so one of the larger coachbuilts on the market. We probably went for it because it was similar to our last caravan and despite what JVB suggests I don't think there is any less room in it than the caravan, in fact the extra width is quite noticeable. With a car/caravan combination you do have the car as an additional receptacle for the storage of things whereas with a motorhome you have to get everything in the one vehicle so a good opportunity to de-clutter and I would accept you have to be more disciplined in deciding what is really necessary on board as you have to be equally mindful of the weight. Experience is a good teacher and any future motorhome is likely to be much smaller.
David
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its interesting, this obsession with driving a car everywhere....pop to the paper shop, the butchers, visit the next village etc....drive, drive, drive..how many short car trips (less than 5 mls) are done in a week with a caravan?
no wonder we are all getting larger and less fit as a nation....doesnt anyone (notwithstanding those who are unable) walk or ride a bike?
i can assure you ive never waited at a bus stop in the rain nor asked anyone to do my shopping for me.
having a MH doesnt suddenly mean youre incapable of managing yourself....
when we are touring and move on to visit the next area, if we like it we stay, we dont have to go back to the previous site to collect a caravan
out and back, day after day, covering the same roads....no thanks.
as we can pull into virtually any continental town and park up, visit and sleep over, i feel this is a far more versatile approach than having to keep returning to the same spot.
still, ive never had a caravan.
yes, they are roomier as they dont have an engine, gearbox and cab dash to accommodate which costs about 1.5m in space but does a couple really need 8 mtr of van?
personal preference, of course, but in my view just a bigger space to sit in when its raining....
perhaps in 20 years or so.......through probably not.
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One of the bonuses of owning a motorhome is the flexibilty of use as a day van either at home or away. So if the OP purchases a van that isn't too big there are more options, a day at the seaside etc with all facitilites. For instance we can take our van down to the coast for the day, park up somewhere nice and enjoy a relaxed day out. With a car we'd have to find facilities nearby.
I also find the flexibility of moving on fairly swiftly with a motorhome is good. When we had a caravan the palaver of setting up awnings etc made me feel we'd got to stop somewhere longer than needed. Nowadays if I wanted a "fixed" holiday a seasonal pitch caravan would suit but for ease of movement a motorhome is our choice. We've never felt cramped in our motorhomes, it's a different mindset with different possibilities. I like caravans too, they all have pluses and minuses.
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Hi BB,
its interesting this obsession with being able to stop anywhere rather than on a proper site.
no wonder we cant move in the summer for all these large MH clogging up our small roads.
we dont need to wait at bus stops and we can get our own shopping AND go again if we want or need to.
i have never been able to manage myself.
when we are touring we don't need to go back for the van as it is.....on the back.
out for a day worrying about height barriers and parking restrictions-no thanks.
as we can pull into virtually any continental campsite and park up, visit and stay i feel this is a far more versatile approach than having to keep moving on to another spot.
still, i've never had a motor home.
yes, they are smaller as they have an engine, gearbox and cab dash to accommodate which costs about 1.5m in space but does a couple really have to make do with a shorter van?
personal preference, of course, but in my view just a smaller space to sit in when its raining.
perhaps in 20 years or so.......through probably not.
Smiley,smiley!!!
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I agree with you brue but the challenge lies in finding a family friendly MH that's small enough to use as a day van. There are plenty for couples with perhaps an occasional small grand child but OP has an 8 year old who in no time at all will be a strapping young teenager. My youngest hit 6ft at 13 for example.
I do hope the OP finds something suitable but I'd recommend a lot of looking before buying and some serious thought about the style of touring that they prefer or hope to do.
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I'm also basing my opinions on past experiences JayEss.
I remember the fun my sister and brother in law had with their little campervan, trundling off with their two boys to French campsites. Sometimes they managed to squeeze in a tent too but they never managed to fit their labrador in, she had lovely holidays with friends! Sometimes we had joint holidays, we all stayed in a rented cottage once and shared the van in the day time for outings etc. As their boys got bigger the tents became more important, two in the van, two in the tent and later groups of friends joining in too with their vans and tents, teenage surfing holidays etc.
But the difference for all of us was they could have very long holidays and we had short ones. So if you've got the time and inclination owning a small campervan or a larger version it will be a great way to enjoy all sorts of venues near and far. The same goes for a caravan (and the dog!) It's as JayEss says, a case of finding something that suits everyone involved.
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Here's one who's moved to a MH, David, and not once in 3 years have I mentioned choosing a site to suit the need for secondary transport. The reason being is that, for us, there is no need. We use the MH as outlined by Brue. Simple. However, as Jay has said, a family size MH is a different matter.
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Our M/H is 6.4M long and 2.2M wide and so far I have not found anywhere where we cant go with it , ok sometimes you have to wait in a passing place to let other traffic through, and will often look at bus routes, as if the bus can get through then I can ...............
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out and back, day after day, covering the same roads....no thanks.
Doesn't quite work like that for many BB.
We spend 5 days on a site and there are 4 major points on the compass. No need to keep going down the same road.
I can't understand why anybody wishes to watch television BB and requires a satellite dish lest they miss out on their daily dose of TV but we are all different.
David's MH looks nice but I could not get it onto my drive if I wanted. Husky's I could but I require a caravan of about 5.4m internal. I would not get that out of Husky's van I suspect in a suitable layout.
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a & j, interesting (knee jerk?) response....
when we visit a town or city, i wish to park in the place i am giving my custom to....not a dozen miles away....
this doesnt stop us cycling many more than a dozen miles to see somewhere else....
we called into Avranches on the way back from Spain....it could have easily been somewhere else.....but we just drove into town, parked at the aire (mh only, im afraid) did some exploring then a lovely lunch before setting off again for the ferry.....lovely town, but didnt see any caravans.
amazingly, the aire at Avranches is at Avranches....
i love it when sites like the one at Bishop Sutton call themselves 'Bath' when its 13miles away and 30 mins even in a car.....
so when i visit Bath, i park in Bath
im not suggesting that having a caravan is somehow bad, just not for us, we prefer to stop where we want, not where site planners say we should.....and we dont wild camp (much)....
obviously each to their own but i wish folk wouldnt suggest that MH users are hindered in 'getting about and visiting places' .....this is just not the case.
however, if the OP is used to jumping in the car for even the shortest trips then im sure staying with a caravan might be the thing to do.
i wish him luck in his quest....and you in yours
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Why is the "palaver" of an awning an issue as they are an optional "extra" to put up if needed,we have an omnistore wind out awning on our caravan the same as motor caravans,which we extend as "needed"with the same detachable sides that can be used for a longer stay
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obviously each to their own but i wish folk wouldnt suggest that MH users are hindered in 'getting about and visiting places' .....this is just not the case.
Depends whereabouts one wishes to visit. There are many towns and villages where parking would be extremely difficult with a large motorhome. People assume that there is some hindrance in getting out and about visiting people when motorhomers frequently say that they choose a site where they can manage without the motorhome.
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As stated in numerous threads about motor caravans on this forum,continental Europe with one is by far more suited to them ,than this overcrowded little island, with more and more restrictions being introduced to diswade motor vehicle use, and "out and back every day on the same road/roads will be the same where ever you are if pitched for a few days,in the same spot
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