Does It Exist ??
Comments
-
We would probably fit in a sixth category.
6. Those of us who happily swap between caravan, campervan or motorhome as we pass through those major milestones of life and the needs/requirements these different stages bring. The recent addition of our first grandchild and with another on the way they may also enter into the equation when we decide which form of 'caravanning' we next take.
0 -
care to share how small, TW? again, all useful stuff for those browsing the MH section for 'interest'
1 -
for what?
if you're jnterested in any costs (MH, tow car, caravan) there are plenty of manyfacturer and dealer websites around.
what do you have in mind?
0 -
David, i was (in the question posed to DaveFL2) asking what were the drivers to cause him to comsider the change...not, particularly, as in your post, what changes folk actually went through, or not.
as in the OP, when he says 'decided we might try a MH'...this sounds like something one might decide over breakfast, which tie shall i wear today? lol
surely there must be some reason why folk 'decide they might try a MH' after they've been serious caravanners for a while...
as i said somewhere....we were never caravanners and were 'lent' a MH for a 7 week period after ferrying some pals to Scotland for a charity cycle ride......'here, take this, and pick us up in Cornwall....'
we were hooked but had nothing to compare it with.
those who caravan for years and have the benefit of their car with them (for some, the only advantage i could ever see with a caravan) and for them to consider the change to a MH must be driven by something?
however, folk do change for their own reasons, i was interested in Dave's.
TW mentions one reason, the onset of age, and with it changes in mobility, confidence etc...
ive seen some threads where MHers change to a caravan because they want/need a car to get 'more independence'.
ive also seen threads where caravans are being changed because the effort/stress of setting up/awnings/towing/water barrels etc is becoming too much and a small one box MH seems much more simple....
id be in the second camp, and if we werent able to cycle, perhaps we'd go down to a (even) smaller panel van, or 6m slim coachbuilt, the way TW might be going?
we all have different reasons for our choices, this thread might help the OP more if we understod 'why the change' and he understood 'why we did'.....
0 -
5. Those of us with an everyday car and a ten year old Caravan who don't have the money to buy the sort of £80,000 Motorhome which is oh so regularly proposed to us in this forum. Is this still the rich man's Club?
0 -
I just have a very simplistic view of the option 'BB'
At the moment we are fit and able and love walking, but it can't last forever.
I look upon caravanning as the most suitable option for us whilst we are fit, and motorhoming for when we are not.
Disclaimer: My opinion only and not meant for everyone
It's a good thread and good reading
0 -
In my opinion, Dave, you have a very realistic view.
It's better to be aware of what can happen, do your research, and prepare rather than one day wake up and find you're struggling to the extent that it's easier to stay at home and do nothing.
Good on you for thinking ahead.
0 -
An AS 6m PVC, BB.
About 18" shorter and, the really important bit, 9" narrower than the previous MH.
There's still scope to downsize again if and when.
1 -
We have gone the the oposite way when we were "fit"and younger we had for a period motor caravans, but have found it more convenient now we have gone back to a caravan and even more so since I was "advised"with our age and health to have a motor mover fitted
0 -
BB how are you and Mrs BB getting on with the traverse bed and climbing over each other for the loo at night?
We had a caravan with French bed and the climbing over was a pain as was trying to make a bed with only access to 1 side (conventional mattress that was hard to bend over to get bottom sheet on) so went for Island bed caravan and subsequent MH.
For next van we are considering twin singles or raised Island bed to get a larger garage (even though we have a fair sized one now) and want a bigger paylaod to carry 2 bikes upright in garage.
We are still young enough to get a lot of years out of a heavier chassis so not so worried about size more comfort as we are hopefully going to be in it for longer tours etc.
0 -
Agree, in 2014 I bought a new tow vehicle and new caravan which came in at £52k. Could have bought a nice motorhome for that, so one or the other doesn't cut it with me as the end result whatever priced or whatever age is the same, a damned good holiday.
0 -
Michael, without getting too personal, 'fine, thanks'
its only me that pops out to the loo at night, OH sleeps like a log....so i sleep on the outside and dont disturb her....same as when we had the french bed Bolero, didnt find it an issue.
weve had the raised twin singles but, despite there being a 'pull together' option it wasnt like sleeping together, which we (both
) prefer.IMHO, from purely a sleeping perspective, raised island beds would be best as you also have a garage.....but, it generally lengthens the van and often the beds can be a tad short and restricted at the curved bit...
however our small van has a rear bed 2.00m x 1.45m and the cab bed (also transverse, which we tried out for fun and its great) is even wider at 1.60m..
we agreed a long time back that the most important feature in any vans we had would be the bed(s) and we left making them up behind many years ago and this one is as comfortable (and as big) as any we've had.
ive still got a few years before im 70, so i can drive upto 7.5t, but we find the light chassis better (more comfortable ride) than the previous heacy chassis and we can run the tyre pressures at realistic values which help the ride rather than crucify it.....
also, we are subject to 'car' speed limits which means we can make progress as quickly (or slowly) as we like.....and of course, we're not subject to those continental 3.5t limits which are springing up more..
so, smaller has become better for us.....but not for everyone, im sure.
anyway, good luck with your ongoing vanning....
0 -
After having caravans for 35 years we changed to a m/h 5 years ago. It took us a fair few years to find one that ticked our boxes but we must have got it right because we still love what we have. We keep looking at new ones (you have to) so far we have not seen anything that we would like to change it for.
We are not keen on the continental style vans, we find them too cramped. So much space is wasted on the bedroom area there is little left for the galley and lounge.
We have had every kind of bed there is except island. Compromise is the big thing be it m/h or caravan. We like the feeling of space so are happy to make beds up at night, I think it takes about 3 mins to do. We do have a wide van but have not found it an issue. We have Truma Combi blow heating and are very happy with it much better than the ones we had in the caravans.
To answer BBs question why did we change. OH had been looking at them for awhile even before we retired, it just wasn't possible then as we both needed cars for work. We rarely stay anywhere more than 5 days, we also wanted to get back to touring abroad so it made sense to change to a m/h. I also would not tow the caravan but am happy to drive the m/h.
Would we move back to a caravan? Yes, when the time is right. Once we have stopped touring Europe and spend more time in the UK. Do we regret changing to a m/h? No. Will we buy another one? Maybe who knows
0 -
well youve certainly put it to plenty of use, many more happy tours
0 -
Again thank you to everyone who contributed to this thread.
I thought I might report back with our thoughts.
We decided we might look at changing to a motorhome after our discussions turned again to changing our main vehicle.
Its going to take about £20k to get us back up to something newish that will pull our caravan and suits our needs. And every time we contemplate a change of vehicle we have to consider what its towing.
So this time my mind must have been "thinking outside the box ??!!".
Why not sell the main vehicle and caravan and put the circe £20k to it and buy a M/H leaving us with a perfectly acceptable fuel efficient "second" car for every day use.
We have scoured all the M/H manufacturers websites and local dealers and now realise that the size and comfort of our caravan interior is not something we can replicate easily in a M/H without going massive.
We love the space we have in our caravan and don't at this stage want to give that up as we cannot see a M/H that ticks all the boxes.
We still at this stage have our health so towing and setting up the caravan is not an issue. That may / will change and a M/H may then be more desirable.
So no convert to the "dark side" on this occasion but we now have a new passtime for keeping ourselves awake whilst travelling.
SWMBO googles the model number of every M/H that passes us - looks at the internal layout and bemoans that "that layout wouldn't suit us either." That seems to confirm to her that we have made the right choice.........for the minute
0 -
further to the quoted earlier post and again as a 'warning' to those considering the larger vans on 'inadequate' chassis,
....i see Bailey are equally 'naughty' (downright misleading?) with their latest Autograph range, the 79-4 being reviewed in MMM this month.
to the reviewers cedit, they spell out the issue but failed to go further and actually weigh the van (for fear of total manufacturer embarrassment) preferring to leave it to the customer (presumably) after theyve bought it....
the issue?.....the same as Swift a ove in trying to market an 8m van (with 2.3m rear overhang) on a 3.5t chassis.....
now, the tested van had been uprated to 3850, BUT being on the light chassis, the axle weights remain at 1850 front and 2000 rear.
the unladen weight (miro, with no water...) is a staggering 3392kg which, on the face of it gives 458kg of payload.....cushty? NO.......
applying a sensible axle ratio of 40/60 f/r in line with length and overhang, this gives an axle loading of (front) 1356 and rear (wait for it) 2035kg.....
so, before even Mrs New Purchaser gets into the passenger seat the van is overweight, add the OH and its now 80kg over, add a tank of water and its 130kg over.......and you havent even put anything to do with motorhoming in the motorhome!
can manufactuters really get away with this by printing some gobnldegook disclaimer like 'weights are the responsibility of the owner......' etc?
this van, like the Swift (and any other similarly dimensioned van CANNOT run successfully on the light chassis....
Auto-Trail is no better.....
SO.....anyone heading for the NEC get any starry eyed salesman to weigh the van....there will undoubtedly be a set of weighing pads on the Hymer stand as they always have one of their vans mounted thus.....
good luck out there.....
0 -
if you look at a publication like 'Promobil' (from Gemany, where else..) it includes a lot more data in its reviews, seemingly pulling far less punches when latching onto areas that are obviously iffy.....(compromising safety, etc)....
marketing vans like the Swift and Bailey upthread, and then tossing the responsibility for keeping it legal (when its hardly possible) back to the customer is 'dubious'.....(to say the least).
a typical Bailey customer comes out of a Bailey caravan and looks to replicate what they have with a shiny MH...
the Autograph fits the bill perfectly, in all areas but one...
its big, long, wide, has loads of room, looks like a Bailey caravan on the outside and inside......what more could a new buyer want?
oh, you cant drive it as its (virtually) overweight before you turn the key
im confident there are owners of the previous versions (not quite as long) some on CT for sure, who are in this position but darent weigh their vans as theyd rather not know......
even the new '75' shorter versions have MIRO of 3145 (on a 3500 chassis with no payload upgrade) and, adding a passenger and water brings this upto 3300 roughly.
apply the 40/60 rule to the axle weight distribution and you have a rear loading of 1980kg, so a 'spare' capacity of 20kg!
this includes no factory fitted extras or customer chosen items like bike rack (and bikes), sat system, twin batteries etc...
for anyone going to the NEC.....take care, out there....its shark infested waters.......
1 -
The up to date Truma blown air heating is superb in our opinion. We have found it very easy to set the required temperature and there is very little noise. Having enjoyed it in two caravans it is on our must have list for the new motorhome. I cannot understand why folk should want or need the complexity of a wet system.
3 -
This is one of the most interesting and helpful threads I have come across. My thanks to all for sound and common sense advice.
All of the above shows how personal is the matter of preference and choice. After forty years of caravans we know we need parallel seats with kitchen and bathroom at the rear as this is the only caravan layout which works for us. We don't like the fixed bed - tried it and disliked it - and consider a few minutes spent turning the seats into a double bed well worth what some consider a bother. Sleeping in single beds is not an option for us.
The most helpful aspect of all the above is to have the smallest motorhome with which you can manage. We have - at last - identified the one we would like and have visit to the factory due towards the end of the month.
0 -
We downsized in January from a 7.2m coachbuilt MH to a 5.99 PVC - an Adria Twin 600 SP. This has a large transverse fixed bed and side dinette. We admit we bought it quickly after giving up M'homing after a family crisis.
We are now seriously considering 'upsizing' again. We are both almost 70 and like our creature comforts.
The high transverse bed means I have to use a small folding stool to get up into it. It is a real pain to make- I have to crawl all over it. If my Husband needs to get out to make a cup of tea it is very difficult to get past me.
The washroom is very small and cramped. Pulling your trousers up is not easy!!.
The narrow width up the middle of the van means it is impossible to pass each other unless one stands back by the door or ducks into the washroom. For this reason the washroom door is nearly always open!
We also find the big sliding door is heavy and hard to close. I nearly always fail to pull it properly tight . It is noisy too.
I must add that I weigh 9st 9lbs and my husband is 12 st 7lbs so neither of us is very big. We probably chose the wrong layout, but we have always had a fixed bed.
So just be careful you don't go too small and make sure you spend time in any van you like, bending down to the grill and the bottom of the fridge , and moving around in the washroom
1 -
as has been said many times, squeezing a towcar and a caravan into one manouvrable vehicle thats easy to park but has enough space to lounge, sleep, eat, wash, shower, cook etc is always going to be difficult.
somewhere along the line some of the above functions might be compromised to accommodate others.
personally, i think the Adria makes a pretty good fist of being all things to all men, including a fixed bed....but for some (yourselves) perhaps a squeeze too far.
however its not just the size of the vehicle, but the specific type of layout that can cause compromises...
lounges (front or rear) with make up beds put strain on storage space, theres more to store (all that bulky bedding) but less space as sofas are often full of heaters, batteries, PSUs and water tanks etc....but the lounging space might be larger.
a fixed bed solves the storage issue at a stroke, less to store (the bedding says on the bed) and the space under is usually large and uncluttered.
some front lounge PVCs like Murvi turn out quite spacious vans but, again, are compromised on the storage of bulky 'stuff'.
some rear lounge PVCs have an open lounge but make poor use of the cab end of the van, especially the comfortable cab seats...
so vans of 6m or so can have different issues as a result of the preferred layout, despite their universal 'advantage' of being a small self contained unit.
our van's layout is not unlike that of the Adria mentioned, just 40cm longer and 6cm wider, yet every area feels much larger, due mainly to the more vertical sides of a coachbuilt (no tapering of sides as they rise) and a slightly higher roofline.
we checked out (several times) a similar PVC and found it just a tad too small, despite some really innovative design.
so, as mentioned above, finding the right size van to meet your priorities is very important but might also throw up its own compromises.
FWIW, Adria have brought out a slightly longer version (6.36cm) of the Twin which has a full 'across the van' washroom/shower ahead of the rear bed, where that extra space is put to reallygood use.
good luck to all you downsizers....we much prefer being 'smaller than we were'
0 -
Smaller for us is definitely better and the advantages outweigh the drawbacks but that’s our view and others will find differently.
We looked at the Murvi you mention, BB, but the very cramped kitchen area was a step too far. One thing that attracted us to the Warwick was the positioning of the kitchen opposite the sliding door which allows adequate space to bend and reach into the fridge and oven.
By their very nature, PVCs will always have less room widthways than coachbuilt models and we just have to learn to move one at a time.
Now, let's hope no more drawer fronts fall off......
0 -
Got my eye on a Warwick 😉. Tried that layout in NZ and loved it. Prefer the kitchen at the sliding door end. Good to know it works for you here, weather has been summer when hired so able to keep door open. Which length do you have?
0 -
Your current van sounds attractive. What is it?
My head hurts already and we're not doing it seriously if at all yet 😂. Just browsing and getting a eel of what' out there. Sadly no dealers locally. In fact all a good hour or more away so it makes viewing difficult, would be so nice to potter off for an afternoon every now and then lol.
0 -
Hi, B2. Ours is the shorter Warwick Duo, not the XL. It’s a shade under 6m long.
0 -
B2, we have a german van, a Carthago c-compactline i138.
its the smallest model in their range (apart from the PVCs) at 6.40m and only 2.12m wide.
if you want more info i have some further notes...
0
