Things motorhomes need that caravans don't
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We are the same where we are as a lot of the"scenic" lanes are not motor caravan "friendly "a campervan yes,although we have wonderfull views from the site ,there was a couple in the information room this morning trying to find public transport or traffic free cycle routes
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perhaps they were just trying to 'do their bit'....
....not everyone thinks its a great idea to jump in the car just to pop out for a paper or a pinta.....just to the local shop.
...those without any alternative to their large towcar might feel like they have little choice...whereas we tend to look at 'engines' as the far end of the choice spectrum rather than the default.
we can easily take our van (pretty much) wherever white van man can go (we are only about 6cm wider) but id rather explore other options before starting the engine unnecessarily....
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of course it does, and this has to be a huge factor in making our choices.
some find caravans (especially the waterworks) too much of a struggle due to 'mobility issues' and move to an easy to operate MH.
its horses for courses but this 'no alternative transport' issue is only an issue if you want it to be.
ive seen several vans (MHs) going out for the day already....some do this every day so it cant be that difficult.
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i didnt mean anything to do with the toilet blocks
and whether you could make it....but humping water, managing awnings, hitching up, aprehension re towing are all 'physical' reasons ive seen for folk feeling a caravan is 'too much' for them and have changed....
however, we are all different and perhaps many seem to 'survive' with a MH is down to 'attitude' rahter than levels of 'ability' or not?
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aprehension re towing
Tha'ts an interesting pint BB but I felt a lot safer towing than I do driving the MH and would go much faster on average than I do now. Maybe its the height you are at and being cosseted more in a car not sure. However we much prefer the MH overall. We try not to drive out but visit somewhere en-route then walk out from site (will get bus if available). Never had issues parking a 7.5m van but it can be a struggle to find a place sometimes.
As for water we fill up before leaving home and dump on exit from site (if a weekend visit) but do have a fiamma roll and a watering can for longer stays rather than drive round to the MHSP.
Will see how we get on for our 3 week summer tour but planning on sites for 5 days so should be able to fill up on arrival and dump on exit and use site facilities so only use van for washing up, toilet flush and teeth cleaning etc.
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As you have not ,as you keep saying had a caravan ,then you cannot even speak about the reasons people have them,only summise, in preference to motor caravans and as we have had both, can probably have a better idea of both sides, and just one of the reasons we stopped using a commercial vehicle as transport was as TF i have severe lower back problems, and also as all our water works are wheels there is no "humping"of all three
ps off to catch train now😃
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Sorry, One, but we don't need that.
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Ok, we have both, a caravan and a MH. Love them both. MH brilliant for tours, stopping at variety of sites, sometimes each night. Carry water and waste onboard, lasts at least three days before we need to top up or empty. Easy to park, we have been across Dartmoor with its tiny lanes, up onto the Long Mynd, up 1:3 hills on NY Moors. Travelling around and visiting places not a problem. Plus we carry bikes, because we like cycling!
Caravan.... pitch up, bit more space, nice for a longer stay on one or two sites. Bitch to tow if it is windy, we have a brilliant tow car so hills not a problem, we treat all the water and waste carrying as exercise! Could do as AD does and use site facilities, but we like small no facility places, so don't mind doing water and waste.
Both choices are great, both suit us depending on what sort of holiday we are having. In truth, we like taking the MH out, because we dine in some gorgeous locations in comfort, have our own facilities always with us, and prefer the linear tour, rather than a Hobbit stay (There and back again!) on a daily basis with the van! If we wanted to spend a longer time, say two weeks plus in a single place, then van would be better, although we no longer enjoy towing in truth.
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i dont need to have owned a caravan to have read posts on forums
the issues that those posters may have had with 'watwr works'or other aspects of our hobby which caused a change of heart is their business, not ypurs or mine.
im just commenting on what i have seen posted by others....
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interesting, Michael....
not had too many caravanners pass me on the Mway at 70
using autoroutes abroad, i cant say i could feel any 'safer, less apprehensive' when driving the van, its great to bowl along, enjoying the scenery.
back home, Mways are far more frenetic, crowded, full of boy racers and my speed is a lot lower.
however, i think i feel 'safer, less apprehensive' than i would if i were towing a caravan (which seem far more susceptible to wind and bow waves than the MH) BUT as my old mate JVB will no doubt recount, i have never owned a caravan.
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so, why do you think all those who have changed from a caravan to a MH (popular subject matter on this forum and others) actually did it, if they were perfectly happy with managing a caravan (plus awning, barrels, towing etc, etc)?
we dont seem to get the same volume of posts asking for advice about changing from a MH to a caravan, do we?
either way, the thread is about whats needed (or not) in a MH but perhaps not in a caravan....my answer is that a MHer needs a lot less than a caravanner....i dont need a towcar for one. thats pretty fundamental
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wonder why there is such a vast difference in van v MH for club members. 70% caravans, 30% Motor homes. Wonder if and when they will ever catch up?
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Sorry - a misunderstanding. I thought you meant on site.
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I suspect quite quickly to be honest. We saw more MHs out and about than caravans last week, although that could be because vans were already sited of course. But 10 years ago, most you saw were overseas visitors, been a real boom in numbers in quite a short time. We started off with a touring camper van, so after 25 years, we have just completed the ownership circle. Gone back to our early touring about roots.
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With the amount of motor caravans that seem to be pitching up with a car in tow or on a trailer or with the OH driving the add vehicle,it seems there are numerouse owners,who are not that able to use their vehicles,as some expect, and it shows as you say by the posts about changing, it a very difficult choice to give up the space afforded by a caravan and freedom and versatility of the tow vehicle 😊
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We sometimes take our Jeep with us JVB, but that's because some of the locations we visit you can play nicely off road, in mud, crawling over rocks, etc......Plus it has proved handy on CLs for hauling out caravans that have got stuck!
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Actually, I think it might be RWD, as is ours.
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I agree that It may well be that you've SEEN more M/H's out and about, but perhaps, as you say, that's because the caravans are left on site and not needed when going out, as most M/H are. We're on our 3rd site on this trip and by far the number of caravans outnumber the M/Hs on site....none on 1st over 2 nights, 1/none out of 4 units over 6 nights on 2nd, and 1 out of 5 over the last 3 nights.
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Incorrect I am afraid. We carry waffle boards, so our drive wheels never get stuck. Plus we have the common sense to look at the ground conditions before driving over it. Waffle boards would work for caravans as well. What puzzled us, is why those with 4x4 tow cars unhitched and try to move van with motor over on soft ground, all they had to do was reverse unit into place! But no, unhitch, twirl van wheels on soft ground, van sinks, grass ruined! Tsk.......
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Could be right Nellie. We were only MH on at Lockton this time, but it wasn't full. Lots of MHs seemed to be following Tour I think. Maybe why we saw more than usual.
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coming down the M5 last Monday, there were loads of vans on the road but the MHs outnumbered the caravans by about 3 to 1.
re: purchasing, last (complete) NCC figures i could find (2014) caravans still oitsold MH in the uk by 2 to 1.
theres been a huge shift towards MH though in the last 3 years.
i also suspect many new MH owners dont think of CC as a first stop for sites/membership, hence the CC getting involved in a rebranding to make themselves seem more approachable.
itll be a while yet before MH outnumber caravans within CC (its an old institution
) but there will be parity in uk sales soon and this will inevitably filter through even into the realms of CC.0
