Proportion of Motorhomes?

Grumblewagon
Grumblewagon Forum Participant Posts: 246
edited May 2016 in Club Membership #1

My OH has often commented that there seems to be an increasing number of motorhomes on club sites.  This made me wonder what the approximate ratio of motorhomes to caravans is in the CC.

Is there a figure for this?

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Comments

  • MichaelT
    MichaelT Forum Participant Posts: 1,874
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    edited May 2016 #2

    I would say only the CC can give a near enough exact figure but only if a member has indicated he is a caravanner or M/Her but for a rough guestimate go round a site, count the number of M/H and divide byt he number of pitches (assuming a full site so do
    it at wekend) to give a rough idea.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2016 #3

    There are more MHs and it's becoming increasingly common for caravanners to move over to MHs as they get older. As for the proportion, it really doesn't matter to me.

  • Grumblewagon
    Grumblewagon Forum Participant Posts: 246
    edited May 2016 #4

    I doesn't really matter to me either, I'm simply interested to know roughly what the Caravan / MH split is.  I would guess about  2 : 1.

  • MichaelT
    MichaelT Forum Participant Posts: 1,874
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    edited May 2016 #5

    I doesn't really matter to me either, I'm simply interested to know roughly what the Caravan / MH split is.  I would guess about  2 : 1.

    Write your comments here...no much lower, based on my storage site (400+pitches) I would say more like 15:1 in favour of caravans. 

  • huskydog
    huskydog Club Member Posts: 5,460 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2016 #6

    But ,why would you want to store a motorhome????

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2016 #7

    Absolutely. Very few MHs are put in storage as people know the benefits of keeping them running and they tend to be easier to park at home.

  • Djep
    Djep Forum Participant Posts: 1
    edited May 2016 #8

    Where we live we are not allowed by the council to park our MH outside our flat. Hence it's in storage, but she usually comes out a lot. 

  • Hakinbush
    Hakinbush Forum Participant Posts: 286
    edited May 2016 #9

    Do you know, Ive often wondered about that in my storage there is so many motor homes when they go away they leave thair little car in thair place, I mean its taxed, Insured, why leave it in storage I used to leave mine in the garden or even outside the
    house when I could'nt be bothered to put it away, just wondered like...

  • Navigateur
    Navigateur Club Member Posts: 3,880 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2016 #10

    For part of the run down from Fort William to Glasgow I was counting towed caravans and motor caravans.   It was 3 to 1 in favour of motor caravans, but unfortunately I lost mental count of the proportion of motor caravans that were not UK registered.  There
    were no non-UK caravan towing vehicles.

  • Grumblewagon
    Grumblewagon Forum Participant Posts: 246
    edited May 2016 #11

    When it comes to keeping your MH at home, I can see two problems. One is discrimination - saying that you can't keep a MH at YOUR OWN home.  I'm surprized that this hasn't been challenged successfully in the courts.

    A bigger problem is that in the UK, new houses are the smallest in Europe.  They rarely have a garage big enough for a couple of bikes or a driveway big enough for a 'Smart' car. 

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,860 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2016 #12

    Last time I looked at the stats sales of caravans are at least twice to three times that of motorhomes. However there has been an upsurge of motorhome sales in the last couple of years and its likely they will pass the previous high of sales set in 2007. What you have to be careful with in making assuptions by what you see on campsites as there will be reasons why you seem to see a lot more. I think this is down to the type of use. Having made a pretty hefty investment in a motorhome owners will want to maximise use. Whilst there are caravanners who do the same there are as many who only use them on bank holidays and a main summer holiday. So whilst it might appear that there are more motorhomes its often because they are being used more often. The Club is in an idea position to provide us with all sorts of statistics on this subject?

    David

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2016 #13

    Counting MHs and caravans on the road can be misleading. You will only see caravans on the road when they are journeying to/from sites but that's not the case with MHs. The MHs may be on an outing from the site, as might caravanners, but the caravanners
    will have left the van on the pitch.

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited May 2016 #14

    Doing the survey on trunk roads/motorways might give you a more accurate figure as that would mostly exclude the day trippers. We did this ad hoc assessment travelling to and from Cornwall a couple of years ago and IIRC it was about 2 to 1. You seem to get
    a higher ratio of MHs in Scotland.

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,044 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2016 #15

    We tour all year round. Definitely more MHs (UK registered) on roads in colder months, although there were plenty of vans at Ferry Meadows in February as well.

    We also have a caravan, and a MH, to further fudge the statistics!Happy

  • Navigateur
    Navigateur Club Member Posts: 3,880 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2016 #16

     sales of caravans are at least twice to three times that of motorhomes.

    Unfortunately that tells us nothing unless we also have figures for the number taken out of service.

  • Kennine
    Kennine Forum Participant Posts: 3,472
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    edited May 2016 #17

    As someone who has owned several caravans a camper van and a motorhome over the years I am aware of the advantages and disadvantages of each. Nevertheless,  I accept people choose their particular type of holiday, based on their particular lifestyle at the
    time.  Everybody to their own. Diversity is what it's all about and long may it continue. 

    Smile

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,044 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2016 #18

    Scotland in my opinion lends itself very nicely to MHs. Long distances around lochs and mountains. We found it a bit of a drag sometimes with van, going out in car for day a fair distance, only to have to drive all way back each outing. We did move sites,
    East to West, and then down onto Kintyre, but a bit of a drag towing, if you will excuse the pun! Tours are lovely in MH! Mobile cafe, mobile birdwatching hut, mobile beach hut! Marvellous! Sitting on a site doing not a lot each day, a caravan is more spacious
    though!

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2016 #19

    As someone who has owned several caravans a camper van and a motorhome over the years I am aware of the advantages and disadvantages of each. Nevertheless,  I accept people choose their particular type of holiday, based on their particular lifestyle at the
    time.  Everybody to their own. Diversity is what it's all about and long may it continue. 

    Smile

    But this is about numbers, K, rather than pros and cons.

  • young thomas
    young thomas Forum Participant Posts: 11,356
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    edited May 2016 #20

    I doesn't really matter to me either, I'm simply interested to know roughly what the Caravan / MH split is.  I would guess about  2 : 1.

    Write your comments here...no much lower, based on my storage site (400+pitches) I would say more like 15:1 in favour of caravans. 

    possibly, all the motorhomers are on the road or at a site...

    i would imagine more caravanners than motorhomers 'shut up shop' at the mid/end of September and dont get their van out again until around May....

    IMHO, out of 'season', if you took a straw poll on site there would be a distinct favouring towards MHs...

    in season, numbers would likely reflect more caravans about, perhaps bringing them up to around 50:50 ish with MH?

  • JollyKernow
    JollyKernow Forum Participant Posts: 2,629
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    edited May 2016 #21

    Hi all

    I think that motorhome ownership within the club now runs at around 35% give or take.

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,860 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2016 #22

     sales of caravans are at least twice to three times that of motorhomes.

    Unfortunately that tells us nothing unless we also have figures for the number taken out of service.

    Of course it tells us something! It tells us that more people are buying caravans than are buying motorhomes although market evidence suggests that the gap between the two is gradually closing. There will of course be a number of caravans and motorhomes
    decommissioned each year but as they are likely to be unused leading up to that point the difference it makes to the 'feel' of how many there are of both is likely to be insignificent? I suspect the OP is talking about active use.

    David

  • groovy cleaner
    groovy cleaner Forum Participant Posts: 208
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    edited May 2016 #23

    in my past life we had a Autotrail Cheyenne 696 and it was too big to park at home ,we had a new house which had a long drive but was a shared one so kept it in storage ,now I keep my little camper at home and use her as a car ,so wherever I go I take my
    bed with me and I use it in the winter too ..

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,644 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2016 #24

    Absolutely. Very few MHs are put in storage as people know the benefits of keeping them running and they tend to be easier to park at home.

    Not true TW, one only has to go and have a look at caravan storage spot to see how many M/Hs are stored. Would guess that it's about the same proportion as on sites. Not everyone lives on a 5 acre plot of land.Wink

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2016 #25

    Absolutely. Very few MHs are put in storage as people know the benefits of keeping them running and they tend to be easier to park at home.

    Not true TW, one only has to go and have a look at caravan storage spot to see how many M/Hs are stored. Would guess that it's about the same proportion as on sites. Not everyone lives on a 5 acre plot of land.Wink

    No more do I, Nellie. In my experience MHs in storage are far fewer than caravans so, although it may be true at the storage sites you've seen, it's not necessarily so everywhere.

  • mickysf
    mickysf Forum Participant Posts: 6,474 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2016 #26

    I think it is also down to which sites too, take York Rowntree for example, the number of caravans to motorhomes has been about equal when we've been there! Also surprised by how few there  of either caravans or motorhomes actually put up awnings even when on awning pitches!

  • Kennine
    Kennine Forum Participant Posts: 3,472
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    edited May 2016 #27

    However way the facts are portrayed, the truth is that nobody knows exactly the proportion of M/homes to Caravans there are in this country.  Nor do we accurately know the proportion being used within the CC. 

    We can all speculate as much as we like but our speculation is still a guestimate.

    Does it really matter --- I think not.

    KCool

  • mickysf
    mickysf Forum Participant Posts: 6,474 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2016 #28

    However way the facts are portrayed, the truth is that nobody knows exactly the proportion of M/homes to Caravans there are in this country.  Nor do we accurately know the proportion being used within the CC. 

    We can all speculate as much as we like but our speculation is still a guestimate.

    Does it really matter --- I think not.

    KCool

    Very true, K, afterall we are all caravaners, motorised or otherwise!Happy

  • BlueVanMan
    BlueVanMan Forum Participant Posts: 382
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    edited May 2016 #29

    I asked the question of the Club a year or two ago and was readily given a figure which was about one-third motorhomes two thirds caravans. I would guess (and it is only a guess) that that proprtion will have changed a bit (more M/H) in recent times but
    I don't know. 

    Legally a motorhome, campervan, dormobile etc (a self propelled vehicle) is called a motor caravan (look at your V5) and historically that may be one of the reasons why the club refers to us as "caravanners"  (and thinks when we book that we will have a
    towcar and may only have one axle and call our vans "outfits" even though they are not wearing apparell a motor-cycle and sidecar or a car and caravan combination ) Smile

    I have some of the ethos of a caravanner but much more of the ethos of a campervanner because ideally I like to travel far and fast and not to book sites. In the UK this is not easy but in Europe it is very easy. In Europe Motorhomes vastly outnumber caravans.
    That said I have seen and have great admiration for caravanners who take (sometimes large) caravans into remote places.

    So although there are too many name permutations to call our "camping units" caravans, A Class, Coachbuilt, raising roof trailer caravan etc etc Perhaps we could use "Caravan" Motorhome" or Campervan" the latter to denote a smaller motorhome type vehicle
    which would at least give some idea what sort of user we are.  

     

  • peedee
    peedee Club Member Posts: 9,387 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2016 #30

    I believe there are something like 250,000 registered motorhomes in the UK, obviously not all are members of the CC. The DG of the Club, in an interview recorded on U-Tube, which I cannot find otherwise I would give a link, stated 2/3 years ago that 30 percent of club members were motorhome owners. Given the faster growth in motorhome sales it is most likely more than that now. You certainly see more motorhomes on sites than ever there were 5 years ago.

    peedee

  • MichaelT
    MichaelT Forum Participant Posts: 1,874
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    edited May 2016 #31

    But ,why would you want to store a motorhome????

    Write your comments here...because of either a covenant in the deeds, no room at home or for security!