Moving from Caravan to Motorhome
We are thinking about this. For those that have done it - how was it for you ? We have an 8 yr old and a Spaniel to throw into the equation.
Comments
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The pros and cons have been voiced on several threads - I often think about it but come to the conclusion that I will carry on caravanning as long as possible - even if I need to go down to a tear drop or similar - there just isn't enough space in a motor home the size I would like to drive or live in with my two dogs.
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We love our motorhome and have never regretted choosing it. We were in our 50s when we came to it, never caravanners. We have hired them in nz too. Weather makes a big difference, if you can sit/play/cook outside it feels much bigger 😆
If you have a dog and an 8 year old I'd think very carefully. Most with motorhomes tour on their way to and from sites, it seems to be a different way of holidaying. You'd need a fair size one, ours is 5 berth but I wouldn't want 5 in it 😂. We sometimes take our son's minature golden doodle with us and thats no issue she is secured to a convenient part of passenger seat frame. We are happy to walk, cycle and use public transport- would that suit you? We don't very often hit parking problems but height restrictions are very common.
Plenty for you to consider and ponder. Do let us know what you decide.
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We made the change four years ago and not regretted it. It might be useful for you to give us a bit of background as to why you are thinking of changing? Can't comment of dogs as we have never had one.
David
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If you intend touring, a motorhome is a good bet but your youngster may not be so keen to spend time on the road when they could be in a play area with other children on site. If you intend travelling abroad, then the youngster may not mind the mileage as everything is new.
Our young boys loved the European tours where we crossed into several different countries on two - three week trips.
Check out where your youngster is going to sit in the motorhome, whether the seat is suitable and whether s/he will be happy to sit alone in the rear - or one of the parents is dumped at the rear. It's almost impossible to talk to the rear passenger from the front seats - motorhomes are noisier than cars, motorhomes rattle, and there is a large space to fill.
Not all dogs take to motorhoming, the majority seem to love it - ours did! However, there is a need to properly restrain the dog in a motorhome. Some people use harnesses, some cages; there are numerous options. You can take the dog abroad with you or, as we did, send him on holiday to the local kennels.
Bear in mind in a motorhome you are still restricted on how much you can take in the van. Driving licence entitlement, axle loads, loading margins etc all have to be considered.
I do not normally recommend hire before you buy but on this occasion, with a young child, it may be worth it as it will tell you whether it is a terrible experience.
All that said, we had a great time for many years motorhoming with our two boys and dog.
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As our daughter got older and taller, we had had the MH since she was 3 months old to 9yrs, and found space constraints, making up beds each night and lack of capacity to bring a friend along were beginning to limit our holidays. Granted we had done some mega trips in the UK & Europe when she was young as it was easy to travel.
We also found it a faff to pack stuff each time we went out for the day.
Since we have had the caravan, there is more room, a friend can come away for short breaks easier, and going out for the day is more spontaneous with just the need to jump in the car.
And it's cool to have a caravan.
The older daughter, when at home did not think a MH was cool.
We also went from 4 vehicles to 2. The MH needs insurance as a vehicle, MoT, servicing, all adding to the family budget with all the other expense a growing child brings!!!
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We did this with some trepidation last year after many years with a caravan and spending 40K on a motor home is a big step but is one we have not regretted for a moment. There are very well found arguments for both sides either van or motor home.
What decided it for us was that we no longer want to be sat in one place for 2 weeks we prefer to move about a bit. We also go for lots of short 1 or 2 day brakes and the motor home is better in every way for them.
I no longer want to be driving about on a holiday after all I am on holiday! so we always stay at a site within walking distance of a town or village or bus stop or train station and let the bus or train or sometimes taxi driver worry about it (there are plenty of them used to be a good thread here with list of site after site of them but with new format have lost it)
We have 2 mature Springer’s and have no problems with them apart from the car was used as a kennel when they were wet until they dried of we now dry them of as they come in that is the only disadvantage we have found and all the advantages far outweigh them.
It is right for us but you have to make own mind, possibly hire one as they are a big investment to get wrong.
Lots will agree and lots will disagree at the end of the day it is what’s right for you that is most important
(Might add the change in club name is a pointer in what is going on with motor homes they are on the up)
Just my thoughts
Roy
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We often consider this. Our thoughts always return to the fact that changing to a m/h would severely affect our ability to tour around the local area.
We could, of course, use the m/h itself to travel around, but driving a small bus around local villages, narrow lanes and then finding somewhere to park, just does not appeal.
We could use public transport of course, if only it went to where we want to go, when we want to go there......and accept that a chunk of the day would be taken up with standing at bus stops, train stations etc. After paying a significant amount on fares. And that, with the car, we can change our minds, go somewhere else, go somewhere that buses don't go (or only go once a week) but with public transport, we would be very tied.
In the end, the lack of flexibility settles it for us.
Contrary to the view that caravaners are people who stay in one place, we caravan because we like to get out and about in the area.......beyond where we can walk / ride bikes.
I like the 'self contained' aspect of motorhomes, but for us they would be far too restrictive
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Someone asked me the other day if I "tour" with my caravan - I guess they thought I sat on a site for a week or more at a time. I certainly do tour seldom more than 3 nights in one place exploring the area and then moving on - sometimes I think I should slow down and sit a while but it doesn't happen too often! I often think and look at MHs and always come back thinking one big enough to suit me would be the devil to drive down the country lanes on my "mystery tours". At the moment and for the forseeable I will be staying with the tow!
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We could use public transport of course, if only it went to where we want to go, when we want to go there......and accept that a chunk of the day would be taken up with standing at bus stops, train stations etc. After paying a significant amount on fares. And that, with the car, we can change our minds, go somewhere else, go somewhere that buses don't go (or only go once a week) but with public transport, we would be very tied.
In the end, the lack of flexibility settles it for us.
Contrary to the view that caravaners are people who stay in one place, we caravan because we like to get out and about in the area.......beyond where we can walk / ride bikes.
I like the 'self contained' aspect of motorhomes, but for us they would be far too restrictive
Twenty years ago when my wife was alive we would tour for 6 or 7 weeks during school hols in addition to other breaks. We would book the Saturdays in advance and stay 2, 3 or 4 nights on sites. Slowed down now with OH and so generally 5 nights per site. We often travel down roads when solo that I would not wish to take a motorhome.
If I had not met te present good lady ad become an item 5 years after my wife's death I was intending to get a panel van, fit a swivel passenger seat or drivers as well and do it out. Now OH would prefer the space in a caravan.
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Campervans are cool.
Motorhomes are OK but not very cool.
Caravans are definitely uncool.
Not my view but the view of a small child (and probably his mum as well) who spoke to me when I was err...........cleaning my campervan.
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We have been travelling up and down to Spain and Portugal in motorhomes for quite a few years but this winter we did it in a caravan. Travelling was a little slower but more comfortable and less noise and once on a campsite we had a lot more room than a motorhome and to say nothing of the convenience of having a car.
But having said all that we did a lot of touring over the years and if you are constantly moving from a site or an aire (I will miss the aires) a motorhome would be a lot more convenient .
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We made the change in December 2016. We thought long and hard about it but decided to take the plunge when we were thinking of changing our tow car.
One benefit to us is that we will now visit sites that previously we would probably think twice about because of access issues we didn't feel confident about. After all the motorhome is only like driving a large car. It's also much easier to get home and store by the house.
We've had to get rid of "stuff" as there's much less space and you do have to be much tidier. I'm very tidy anyway but my hubby struggles a bit and I struggle with "his" untidiness. But at the end of the day we have never run short of anything or missed anything we have thrown out.
Yes it's noisier when travelling but with a bit of thought you can eliminate the majority of rattles and the radio turned up gets rid of the rest.
When we discussed the change we agreed that it would only work for us if we could get around when on site without taking the motorhome. We are prepared to go away on long weekends and walk/bus-it but on longer holidays, whilst we are now more prepared to move a couple of times in a week, we would want access to a car. Some motorhomers hire these. For us we swapped the tow car for a small car to be towed and had an A-Frame fitted. We know we won't be able to use this everywhere in Europe but we haven't yet toured abroad even with the caravan and if we do go abroad we'll probably get bikes. Some would argue that if you tow you may as well tow a caravan. But for us towing a small car is much less stressful as weather conditions don't affect things in the same way.
Think hard about the lay-out. We're not sure we have the right one for us but it is our first step on the motorhome ladder. We miss our awning but are learning to live without it. Like most caravanners we will live with our current motorhome for the time being and then in a couple of years probably change it for a different layout that suits us better.
We have a small dog and he fits very well and loves travelling in a crate at the back of the cab seats. But he is very laid back and we know that not all dogs take to it.
In summary motorhoming works well for us at the moment. We are more likely to nip off for a weekend, I can pick my hubby up from work and get straight off, the motorhome is much less cumbersome and we will visit areas that we would have avoided with the caravan. And we are planning to go abroad in 2018 😊
Hope our experience helps.
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We had caravans for years ,then had two motor caravans first an Autosleeper campervan then an Autocruise coachbuilt, if you want to tour and move every couple of days as long as you are a "tidy" person they can be ideal especialy over the channel ,in the uk we found once we had done most of the sites with PTA or within walking distance to local attractions,it was not so good with the ever increasing restrictions on parking (height barriers etc), and as we got older and no longer went over the channel, we found the conveniance of having a car ,plus much more space for the length,we returned, as quite a few do, to towing,and have not found a downside in doing so
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We swapped to a motorhome four years ago after about 30 years as caravanners. By that time there were many things about caravanning that was starting to cause us hassle and annoy us. We were fine on site but the travelling and getting ready to travel was starting to cause a degree of stress that was not there years ago. We wanted the simplicity of what a motorhome offered and it is perhaps this point that only those that have changed will understand I expect. I realise some people, having changed, go back to a caravan but I suspect in such cases maybe they had not thought about what they would miss from owning a caravan. That is fair enough and we all learn from experience. Even when we caravanned we tended only to stay 2 to 5 days on a site and the only time we stayed longer was when we were in the South of France on a beachside site. When on site we tended to leave the car on site and either walk,cycle or use public transport both in the UK and abroad. Changing is, of course, not a panacea. It is impossible to quantify everything that your will gain or lose. One essential piece of advice is to think long and hard about and look carefully at the pros and cons and both experiences have pros and cons and work out what is best for you.
David
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we changed last year to a M/H and it hasn't made any difference to places we visit , we have transport when we get there, it's the M/H
We were tidy in the caravan and always put things away ,so now is no different and it's only a few minutes before we are ready to drive off
For those who haven't had a M/h ,never say never , you don't know how your circumstances might change
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If you have done both caravan and motorhome, then it is easy to realise what the advantages and disadvantages of touring with both are, and individual circumstances will determine which suits best. A lot depends upon the size of the outfit in use as well. Chosen wisely, either offer a great holiday experience.
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We changed to a MH about 6 years ago after many years of caravans (and tents) as my OH has always wanted one, having driven a hired one to Le Mans 24 hr several years running with all his work mates! As we are now retired and the kids grown up we like to tour around, mainly abroad choosing sites where I can use a mobility scooter to visit villages etc. As others have said, so much depends on how you like to holiday and where - we find the UK is not very MH friendly - eg the need to book sites, parking etc. so we have short visits to well researched UK places. I was initially concerned with having to pack up each time we moved or went out but found no problem with this as you soon get used to where things go and can do this very quickly. We love the MH and OH much prefers it to towing.
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We caravanned went to motorhomes for twelve years now back to a caravan, personally I prefer the caravan, the motorhomes mean`t a smaller cheaper car now we have a large luxury car which is used all year round. One other point is if you spend a lot on a motorhome you feel as if you have to use it all the time which is fair enough if thats what you want. We`ve mixed caravanning with trips to NZ, Australia and in May we are in the USA for three weeks as well as six weeks caravanning in France this year. In the end its horses for courses.
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We changed to a MH 18 months ago. We couldn't store the caravan on the drive, the MH fits on, and is much much easier than having a caravan in storage. We are able to travel without worries in high winds, but tend to book sites that are less isolated than we used to, but not always. We take less "stuff" ... you learn to manage. We still go out in the van some of the days... fairly easy really, you need to plan ahead a bit more and find a suitable car park or whatever, but an unexpected benefit is that you always have all that you need with you for the day. With a caravan we used to stay for a week then move, now we stay for 3,4, or 5 days max then move on but for a shorter distance than with a caravan so visiting an area is done from more base camps than we once did. Would we go back.. no way
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Quite right easy T lots of van owners do move about but we have found it easy for us to have a motor home as I said it is what is right for you that matters not anyone else and if I am using public transport or walking then what on earth do I need a car on site for.
For us any extra cost has been more than offset by replacing the large tow car for a small very fuel efficient car for everyday use. Yes I could have got a smaller van and smaller car but not as small as the car I now use.
It is just perfect for us that's just my thoughts but it is a lot of money to commit if you don’t find any benefit from a van over a motor home.
If it is perfect for someone to have a van instead of a motor home that’s right for them just pointing out our experience which is what the original question on the thread was about.
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an oft occurring theme, no single 'right' answer. however it takes some experience to understand if a MH might be right for you (one) yet that is hard (and expensive) to come by....you could hire bit will that be for a long enough period to really understand....?
we have just had nearly 10 weeks away through France into Spain and return and we couldnt have 'casually' (without planning) stopped where we did on the route down, using aires and (recognised) carpark stopovers.
our time in sites varied between 6 and 14 days and our exploring of vinyards, orchards and tracks was delightful on our bikes and driving (a large towcar or small towed car) was the last thing on my mind.
if i was confined to the uk, i guess at some point we might consider (say) an Eriba and car, or even a panel van conversion, but as it is, we are now on a slimmer/shorter/lighter version of our MH which passed its 5000km shakedown with flying colours.
when i see the many posts asking for 'sites open on journey xxx' or similar, im so glad we dont have to consider this when travelling, there are so many stopping places for a MH to choose.
however, if in the UK only, my view might change as we get (even) older.
good luck with any decision.
ps, if you do think seriously about a MH please check the 'weighbridge/tyre pressure' thread for my link to a sorry tale of a MH that just isnt workable at 3.5t.....
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If we moved to a motorhome OH would want the same space as we have now with our side dinette with full length front bunks. I would not wish to even attempt to enter some of the small town and village car parks in the UK that we do when solo with our tour car - plus I would have to use a storage site. If I was on my own then I might consider alternatives.
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So it's not for you, Easy. That's fine as we all choose what suits the individual but if one day the compromises are outweighed by the advantages, then you'll know the time is right.
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We did c/vans for years,then in 2002 had a Campervan(too small)so in 2004 a coachbuilt Autocruise motor caravan which we did 56000 miles touring,all in the UK ,but,as we got older we more and more missed the versatility of the car/c/van combination ,so we have been back to c/vans since 2011 and cannot see us going back, the next move will be to let trains or coaches do the driving to our breaks ,more likely the train as we do not pay on them any where
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We did it , we liked it but in the end the negatives outweighed the positives for us and when we changed we went back to a caravan.
We go to a site and stay there so maybe we werent using it 'properly'.
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