Motorhome or caravan?
We have had a caravan for 25+ years (not the same one throughout!). We are now in early 60s and wondering about switching to a motorhome - ideally 6m - 7m max, 3/4 berth (all berths have to suit adults). We'd welcome any responses of positives and negatives of making the change and any recommendations of models to consider - rear lounge or fixed bed preferred.
Thank you
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Before you make the swop how about hiring a motor caravan,?
Remember size for size you will probably not have the space of your caravan
And unless you are willing to use it when on sites to go out you may well be restricted to sites that are close to walkable populated areas or good transport links(we have been there)or another means of transport to use
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It all depends where you are going, which sites or car parks you wish to use, UK or overseas, whether you walk well, or intend to cycle, or rely on bus timetables to get around. ?
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Choosing a MH model and layout is something very personal to the user so I hesitate to make any recommendations.
Most people try to replicate their caravan in a MH and end up with something big and unwieldy. I’d not suggest going much bigger than 6m for parking, manoeuvring and travelling in rural areas. In that respect, having tried coachbuilt and panel van conversions, I would say that a PVC lends itself to parking at beauty spots or in car parks and travelling generally much more easily than most coachbuilts. Whether you will find something suitable in that size range with 3-4 beds is another matter.
Think carefully about how you use your caravan and try to visualise how you would get on with a MH in the same situation. There’d be no tow car to carry excess baggage or to use to nip to the shops. We don’t use public transport but go everywhere in our PVC. We stay for shorter times at each stop and for sight seeing, shopping etc en route between sites. That’s our way and others choose to get about by other means, including biking.
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As said above, it depends if you can adapt your touring to having no car to use on site.
It doesn't work for a lot of people.......
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Swapped to a motorhome four years back and have feet & eBikes as backup transport. First motorhome was 6M and current one 6.4M, both slimline 2.14M. If I was using solely in the UK, I think I'd possibly revert to a caravan but for Europe, it can't be beaten.
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As well as the advice upthread, what sort of bed do you want for the 3rd/4th berths?
with a rear lounge van you'll need an over cab or drop down bed over the rear lounge which makes the other two berths....or even a drop down over the dash as in an A class van like ours at 6.4M...but larger rear lounge A classes are rare and very expensive.
Rear fixed bed vans with front lounge can accommodate extra berths by cushion shuffling in the lounge or with a drop down over the lounge or an over cab.
four adult people will add 150kg to the load plus their extra gear over and above a couple touring, you'll need to check carefully the payload (especially if running at 3.5t. A garage is a must if you want to take ebikes and keep them away from prying eyes and the elements...a proper garage will mean a high rear bed, is this an issue?
a low rear bed will mean a poor garage, certainly not for full sized bikes.
a 6m PVC would be a great size for a couple, nice rear fixed bed with a large storage area underneath, but for four adults? Many PVCs are now available with pop top type roof beds, but for adults in winter? Not really...
where will you tour might really influence what suits best...Uk has narrow roads, difficult parking and might require walking, cycling, busses etc...also poor weather might mean spending long periods inside the van, can a small van cope with a large awning?...
touring abroad usually means more time spent outside, including eating and relaxing..the need for a large living space diminishes. Then again, roads are wider, quieter, better surfaced and parking is generous pretty well everywhere.
lots to think about and hiring makes sense...good luck.
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We caravaned for 20 odd years and 6 years ago changed to a motorhome 6.5m coachbuilt and was the best thing we did , we go away more as it’s there ready to go , we do tow a car ,but don’t take it every time we go away , just the places that we think might be a bit more challenging.
but everyone does things different,so only you can answer your own needs
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I'd stick with a caravan unless you have a change in needs. I switched to motorhoming from caravanning and had reasons - continental touring and events, a toilet and food preparation on day trips. I loved caravanning and I love motorhoming. One is not better than the other, but they are different. Motorhomes are in short supply. So are caravans but you have one of those already.
Three adults in a motorhome means it will almost certainly need to be over 3500kg and thus need a C1 licence. Motorhomes need habitation and mechanical services which are rarely available at the end of the road and could be two hours away in different directions!
Think carefully why you have to change. You might make an expensive mistake.
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What would you consider that is needed for this club to embrace motor caravans touring potential given that it seems a very big majority.are it seems used as a substitute. for a car caravan combination,with mostly the versatility of a almost go anywhere vehicle ready to be used?
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We thought about a motorhome when we reached 70 - but it was probably too late by then as we didn’t walk far or cycle at all. So we downsized to a small caravan (body shell 4.2 metres, shipping length 5.2 metres) which was as easy to hitch up and tow as taking a trailer of rubbish to the dump. And with minimal kit (no awning, no aquaroll, no wheely waste thing, no barbecue, no satellite dish, etc.) setting up became a five minute job, and we carried on around Europe easily enough.
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If the sites could all be moved much closer to town centres please and vans allowed to park a few inches from each other.........
You know, like an aire thingy.....
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Try THS sites with C&CC. usually close to towns, but spacing is as UK. No EHU, cheap as chips.much of our UK summer touring is done on these along with CLs, but as others have said, if venturing over the water, touring (in the true sense) can't be beaten in a motorhome...but I also agree with ET that a small caravan with little kit is great too.
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i had motorhomes for over 30 years then sold when i retired to wales thinking we didnt have to go anywhere, anyway, 5 years ago we bought a swift 2000 model but after a couple of trips found floor giving way to damp, so moved onto a 2009 swift but wife not keen on towing so that was sold, then last year we decided to go back to motorhoming and managed to get a bailey approach lovely van but a bit on the wide side for our narrow lanes, had a couple of trips out but hated it, problems trying to park, heavy (compared to car) on fuel, extra tax and insurance ( twice price of caravan). went to cornwall and had strong winds, seemed be blowing into every area of the bailey, and on way home got diverted onto a single track lane which was a nightmare with cars trying to get past us, when we got home i put it for sale and sold within 24hrs, to a dealer for what i paid, so i then bought a coachman vip 460 and we love it been away a few times in it, and we have the car for touring the area. yes you can get a bus, but when theres a cold wind and rain its not pleasant waiting outside. plus we needed a food shop and i could not park the motorhome on the supermarket carpark. there are downsides to both motorhomes and caravans, if not sure hire a motorhome for a trip and see if you could live with that choice, as now they are a lot of money.
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With my Carthago Compactline A class being a sylph-like 2.12M wide and only 6.4M long, I haven't found a supermarket carpark I couldn't get into yet. I've also managed to squeeze into some pretty tight parking spaces elsewhere. I agree that the Bailey range of motorhomes with their ample girth would doubtless cause problems. As they say, small is beautiful.
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Even a 6m van will overhang a single bay lengthways, CY, but at least the slimmer width means you don't need 4 bays.
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We now have after many years of just about all types of camping units from tents upwards a15yrs young Autosleeper. PVC and a trailer that takes all we need for OHs. mobility problems and what I would have had to load and off load from caravan. and car at each site stop,
The PVC is easy to drive and park as it is just over 5mtrs long and not wide (also helps now OH has a blue badge)so can also be used a the daily runabout
It is just a suggestion as another option to consider(Maybe not as old?)but I was not going to spend large amounts at our age on anything newer as at this time all pre owened LVs are holding or increasing in price compared to a couple of years ago
Ps when showing a clip at Balmoral yesterday an identical outfit went past complete with trailer
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If I'd gone through the exercise of considering swapping to a smaller MH (slim coachbuilt or PVC) I don't think the inclusion of a trailer would be part of the solution.
However, I can see why you've done it, but you tour from site to site and have somewhere to park the trailer, we shop on tour, use village parking facilities etc so the hassle of a trailer (where can I leave it or, if I can't, why do I have to tow it everywhere..) would rule it out.
there are many clever vans that can pack in sleeping accommodation for four as in the OP (even 2 fixed doubles) along with open lounges, decent toilet/showering facilities and huge storage in a garage and between double floors.
there is also the capacity to support much self sufficient services with big battery lockers, large waste and fresh tanks and roof space for plenty of solar power, all in 6.4M.
how do i know this? I have such a van.
if being self sufficient isn't a priority and it's sites all the way, one might wonder if a MH has any advantages over parking a caravan on a pitch and getting about in a car beating in mind the perceived disadvantages a single vehicle have in the mind of someone coming from a caravan.
as posted above, one isn't 'better' than the other but each have advantages in particular touring 'modes' and its this understanding of real requirements that will drive out the 'solution'.
I wish the OP good luck but a MH is a hefty investment to suck it and see.. the upside is that prices are really high at the moment and changing one's mind later might not be the financial disaster it might have been a few years back.
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I try to find a bit of grass verge over which to hang the moho's arse.
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