Why not use your Motorhome
Comments
-
Certainly starved in some areas.
0 -
Back to the OP's observations about going out and about in one's motorhome, one consideration, among others, is that thieves will guess that your 'van will probably contain valuables and consumables!
These desperate days, even clothes or food from your fridge are attractive to some people. There's a limit to how much you can lug around with you on your 'visits'.
At Blenheim Palace we left our 'dog' on guard!
3 -
That's a big red and white sign on your windscreen - doesn't it block the view a bit?
The dog seems to be able to look under it when keeping guard - which is a bonus.
Our dog only drives on the Motorways - he's not very good at bends.
1 -
We've done both caravaning and motorhoming and in the main prefer the motorhome for our current lifestyle. We are time short and a motorhome is quicker to get around in and set up for a night, and we often just use it as a bedroom to visit friends and relatives around the country. We never did this with the caravan for some reason. Even a weekend away was sometimes a hassle however, weeks away were better with the caravan.
If we are lucky enough to get away for longer than a weekend in our current motorhome we'll park up and get around using other methods. I won't drive the motorhome around on a day to day basis as its too large for most car parks and I wouldn't want it broken into or pinched when it's just left in a town car park. The U.K. Isn't motorhome friendly generally speaking. We bought a car with an a-frame this year (an unexpected opportunity not to be missed) and hope to get a tow bar fitted to the motorhome early next year then in my mind we'll have the best of both options.
However, at the end of the day you do what's best for you. Enjoy your life, 🍷 you don't get long 😊
2 -
To me if your not touring everyday a caravan is best, the motor home is a bit big to go sightseeing/shopping, back when I was younger, the motor home was a V W type 2, 1600 cc engine, not too big for site seeing or shopping
0 -
You can’t generalise by saying the MH is a bit big....etc. They come in such a variety of sizes that there’s something for everyone and it’s very possible to use many as you would a car. Some people only own the one vehicle.
Thank goodness we've moved on from the days of only having the T2 campervan.
0 -
Well at least we now know where you stand BB.
For a start you are wrong-the couple that don’t use the MH much have only ever had two MHs. The couple who use theirs a lot were caravanners.
As for your description of my car as ‘large’ and ‘massive’ what do you drive, if you have a second vehicle? My Q5 is only 1 ft longer than our MH owning friends ‘small runaround’ Fiat 500L and whilst it may appear larger it is a foot shorter than my previous A6 Allroad.
In fact is is shorter than an A4 or a Mondeo, for example, so, in my opinion, not massive. In fact not even large but that does not fit with your desire to try to show that your preferences are ‘better’ than mine.
I note that in response to another post you state that you have never caravanned so, as I have never motorhomed that makes our views of equal value so on that note I hope that you continue enjoy your preferred way of ‘camping’.
3 -
"My Q5 is only 1 ft longer than our MH owning friends ‘small runaround’ Fiat 500L ......"
As you know A&J from living where you do across the water, it’s not the length of the car that makes driving in confined areas awkward, but the width.
0 -
Hi TW, at the risk of getting into a very unusual position for a man in wanting mine to be the smallest, my car is 41mm wider than a Mondeo.
If, as you seem to suggest, you know where I live you will also know that it is not served by the widest of roads but, to date, the Q5 has not been a problem.
I could, and maybe have in the past, mention many reasons why I would not have a MH but that’s not the point. We all enjoy ‘camping’, be it in a MH, Caravan, tent, trailer tent, pod whatever and that’s what matters.
1 -
That’s not much narrower than my MH so, yes, we can all get around and enjoy the hobby in our various ways in whatever vehicle we choose and should not meet derision or criticism from any quarter for our individual choices. Sadly, so often the reverse is the case.
By the way, you’ve dropped so many snippets of information regarding your location that I reckon we all know where you live.
0 -
We often use public transport just because we can and what's more you see far more of the countryside and in doing so gives that very different perspective from the driver who just sees the road ahead. Can make for a more enjoyable holiday experience in my opinion.
2 -
BB you always generalise when you spout on about the differences between touring methods. We normally stay between 3 and 5 days and very occasionally 7 nights if it’s somewhere we particularly want to be. Apart from taking in the water barrels and the hitchlock I fail to see the difference. One big difference of course is in the winter you will invariably have to look for hard standings, we don’t!
PS it’s not a competition you know
3 -
We also use public transport,when its available,but then we also now have the tow vehicle next to the c/van, when we fancy a trip away from the bus/train routes,and as we have got older the more we appreciate the decision to go back to tugging,after having the two motor caravans up to 6yrs ago
0 -
these threads are always very 'interesting' where caravanners come out in force to tell all of us motorhomers how restrictive their vans are and how they cant possibly be able to 'visit, sightsee, tour' effectively if they dont have a car...
it only takes a post or two to put the other side of the coin (and perhaps highlight a few of the disadvantages of a caravan) and those caravanners start to get all 'humpy' for some reason.
no, our hobby isnt a 'competition' (whatever that means) but when i see condescending posts suggesting that poor MHers have to be collecred at bus stops by well meaning caravanners, i get a bit peeved...
and the other thing is where caravanners with large vans (and equally large awnings) fill their pitch completely, and then think it's perfectly ok to park their equally large towcar on another pitch....
in fact, i think one of Alanandjean's photos demonstrated this perfectly if i remember rightly
and i wouldnt call a 500L a runabout.....like the latest Mini, its a fat, bloated thing.....nothing like a 500.
ive given away my larger car, to a deserving cause
so we manage very nicely with the van, the 500, the ebikes and our legs.BTW, Oneputt, in the winter we 'invariably' have to look for the factor 30
....i think you just three putted that one.....2 -
yes, large units (of all types) need to appreciate that it would be much harder to book a pitch if we all used two of them
1 -
Very enlightening & logical WTG. It’s good to read a post without the usual digs at the ‘opposition’👍🏻👏🏻😊 thanks.
0 -
You hit the nail on the head when you say we only use the motor caravan in europe, and sometimes in the uk,if we still did europe by LV then we would possibly think about another motor caravan, but not at our age in this crowded little island
0 -
The early morning summer sun caresses the village of Giverny.
The tempting smell of breakfasts cooking in Motorhomes touch the nostrils as we wander through the fields with our dog on his first outing of the day.
Our own breakfast consumed and we walk for a few minutes to the gates of Claude Monet's garden as they open for our benefit.
The crowds are yet to be disgorged from the dozens and dozens of buses and hundreds of cars that will soon arrive and we can wander the Gardens devoid of the hurly burly of the imminent throng.
Caravanners?
No sign of their vehicles but just the motley crew of the Motorhome fraternity, a free nights accommodation behind them, and a few early car arriver's meandering along the crowd free paths amidst the beautiful and emotive gardens created for our enjoyment.
The others?
They will join the packed and noisy throng who have travelled to try and see what mankind and nature has been transformed into but the influx of the selfie contingent will ensure their visit is not, by any means, as enjoyable as the visit we have earlier undertaken as we now relax outside our vehicles in the hot warmth of a beautiful Summer day.
And later today we will move on to find another place to stay overnight …...... perhaps......
0 -
I've read the posts with interest and I have no interest in trying to change people's choices. Surely everyone makes a choice based on their needs, how they want to tour and so on. Hopefully they make an informed choice before they buy, read up about it, talk to people, perhaps a trial run with hiring an outfit (which we did) and then enjoy their new 'toy' ( no offence here with toy, I think of all my leisure purchases as toys, be it new cars, cameras, caravans, computers, but not coffee machines or any kitchen appliance).
Yes there are differences between MH and caravans, yes I can see advantages and disadvantages to both, and if I was rich enough I would have one of each to suit the site, town, distance, what I wanted to do once there...
But, at the moment a caravan suits us (myself and Mrs C - not the geordie us) better. We like to be able to detach the heavy part of our outfit and visit places with the car's nimbleness and acceleration fully restored. The advantages outweigh the disadvantages for me. For those with motor homes I would think that it's the other way round. Everyone spends their own money on the manner they see fit. I really don't care what's pitched next to me or how anyone uses their outfit, totally up to them.
1 -
I am beginning to think a few of us belong to a rather elite little group! Nothing to do with choosing a motorhome, or a caravan, or a big tow car, or a little runaround.
More to do with being able to make our own minds up about what suits us, as individuals, in how we choose to take a holiday, where we take a holiday, and when. And blindly ignoring a lot of the piffle about do it this way, do it that way! But at least it keeps the OP amused!
Edit: we posted together Corners, I agree with your post!
0 -
Only done a couple of short trips in the MH so far, one of which was to a site that we had visited previously with the caravan. Initial assessment is that the MH has saved some hassle - getting on/off drive, setting up. Actual activity whilst away was comparable whether we had a car available or not. Longer term assessment - watch this space.
0
