The reason why we changed to the motorhome
l thought l would give the reason why we changed to a Motorhome.
Last May l was diagnosed with prostate cancer l was immediately sent for a Bone scan which thankfully was clear l was then put on a hormone drug Called Zoladex uncanny really as l worked at AstraZeneca that produced the drug formally good old ICI. In December l went to the Christie for Brachytherapy HD, then in January 15 dose of Radiotherapy. After the treatment we booked an Holiday in the caravan to Ludlow Shropshire, l didn't realise how much it ook out of me hitching up and pitching up at the other end, we sat having a coffee after every thing was done legs down, and leveled, water on, electric plugged in, waste connected, etc. we sat watching the world go by recuperating when opposite a Motorhome pulled up the wife sat watching and remarked how little time it took to set the motorhome up, not more than ten minutes she told me. Now up to now the wife wouldn't contemplate changing to a motorhome l had suggested it a couple of times but was greeted with a big No. l never broached the subject again. The next day the wife said to me when we get back let's investigate changing the caravan to motorhome. We went looking the following week after our holiday, it took us a couple of months to decide the layout and the amount we could afford, never thinking one would turn up a few days later, we were more thinking early next year. l had seen a motorhome in Nottingham that fitted the bill, with in a week we had taken the plunge. We have been away in it twice once to Castleton for a couple of days to try it out and then to Southport a few weeks ago. l am sat writing this post getting ready to leave for a week at Bridlington site one of our favourites, the wife who was sceptical from changing to motorhome absolutely loves it so much so she intends to take the motorhome course next year offered by the CMCC never ever contemplated towing the van. Great news for me
Heethers
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Good luck with your treatment and change of LV we changed to motor caravans between 2000 and 2010 (pvc and coach built)but then reverted to a caravan which gave us more sites to use again as the car was always availble, but since my cardiology problems , we have also given thought to another but smaller pvc if things get to much ,but as the months have gone by, the downside of at has far outweighed the upside of a caravan combination , but it is in the back of our minds if things go wrong in the future,
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Heethers, best wishes from us as well on your health, you just never know what is round the corner.
Glad to hear the change is going well. There are indeed marked differences around MH or van, most noticeably around setting up and getting around. The key is to perhaps compromise on the space you might have had with a van, and get as small a MH as you can cope with in terms of comfort and usability. We knew this before buying ours, as we come from a campervan background, and we have never had a huge van anyway. We love a caravan for long lazy stays on one or two sites, but for touring around, you can’t beat a small MH, travelling light. We have done some fantastic tours in the last four years in ours, filling every moment of every day away. Travel days are now ‘doing’ days, and make the most of short breaks, as well as longer holidays.
I hope the recovery continues well. If you want some information on touring around Yorkshire, or Northumberland, both very special places that suit MH touring, then don’t hesitate to ask. 😁
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Think you've got a lot going for you there, Heethers. Splendid to have got the needed treatment as soon as it was discovered. And for your Good Lady to notice that m / vans might just help your recovery and therefore to change her view , that's BRILLIANT.
Good Luck & Very Best Wishes to you Both
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We swapped two years ago now. As has been said, if prepared to go for a smallish MH and the consequent lack of "slobbing out' space, the addition of a couple of E Bikes can give you a pretty flexible arrangement. It certainly facilitates multi-stop touring.
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Which motorhome did you go for? We have changed our 'mode' several times but each time only as a best fit for current needs. At present we are once more with a motorvan and absolutetly loving it. However, circumstances and life needs may well transpire to evolve again which may dictate a different direction. Not per-say a better mode, just a better moment in time choice.
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Thanks for all your best wishes, had a brilliant week at Bridlington, setting up was by far easier. the weather was fabulous the golf was bril,apart from the wife pipping me on the final round. The e bikes were perfect for Motorhoming, the bus stop just outside the site is convenient. Did not miss the car, most golf clubs accept the motorhome. l enjoyed caravaning but now we are glad we have changed to the MH, we were packed up and ready to leave in 15 minutes instead of the an hour and half, plus travelling is far less stressful. l know their are advantages to both its what suits you at the time, maybe we should have done it 4 years ago it would have meant more trips away. Once again thanks for all your support hopefully this time next year l will have the all clear, fingers crossed.
Heethers
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Mickyfsf we went for a Autotrail tribute T625 2015 model we are slowly putting our own stamp on it. With it being an entry level MH it did not come with a door fly screen which we found is a must, we will be having one fitted for next year which is on order from our local dealer. It came with internal silver screens which we don't like, we have ordered the outside ones from Silverscreens west Yorkshire £199 arriving Friday, we were thinking of having Remis blinds fitted but dont require them now, they were expensive and were told they didnt stop condensation anyway a bit like the silver screen internal blinds. We chose the 625 as it has a rear lounge which we prefer.
Heethers
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We've been using a combination this trip. One night on an Aire and the REmis blinds are excellent and in the warmer weather condensation isn't much of a problem. However, on a couple of sites where shade was limited, the silver screen did really help to keep the temperature down and was much more effective than the REmis.
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Hi H, the thread title attracted me and having seen the content would like to wish you all the very best with your health issues.
The issue of MH v Caravan set up has been discussed, and been the basis of much mickey taking, with our MH buddies for many years.
There is no doubt that for the 'chuck the bag in and go' holiday the MH is likely to be best but that's not how we holiday so no matter how attractive a MH seems its not for us however I would also argue that many comparisons do not look at like for like as the speed of set up is largely due to many MHers not bothering with steadies or an awning etc and for longer stays were MH do use these things there is not a great difference in the time taken.
We are just back from a rally whilst there were discussing the 'chores' that are involved with a guy who has just gone to a MH. Both myself and his friend did not see the setting up as a chore but just a part of what camping involves.
If these tasks become difficult for whatever reason then we may rethink but cant see how a MH would allow us to holiday as we do now and due to issues we have bikes are and public transport are unsuitable.
BUT you are enjoying it and that is all that matters!
I
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Allan and Jean
All I can say is that our setting off and setting up routine has changed substantially since we changed to a motorhome. I don't see it as a competition between the two. We caravanned for 30 years and I suppose for the last 5 of the 30 years we were thinking about changing and amazing during that thinking period actually purchased a new caravan! Where we live we could never guarantee that it would be easy to get the van out of the back garden and onto the road in order to hitch up the car so that was always a worry. Now I just drive out of the back garden and can park virtually anywhere. Rather than time saving it is less stressful. It also means it easier in reverse when we get back home. If people keep their LV on the drive or in storage I expect none of that would be a problem. There is also no checking or changing of tyre pressures, no checking nose weight, wheel torque, road lights etc. Some of those things do need to be checked occasionally but not every trip. On site we put out the Fiamma if it's sunny and wind it in at night. Caravans do have the advantage of having more space to store things as you also have the car. Having a car is also useful for getting around but we tend to visit sites where a car is less essential and it generally works out for us. Now that we have found a motorhome whose size and layout suits us better than the previous one I can't see caravanning being back on the agenda for us.
David
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A and J writes....
"There is no doubt that for the 'chuck the bag in and go' holiday the MH is likely to be best but that's not how we holiday so no matter how attractive a MH seems its not for us"...
we have a MH but dont really do any chucking of bags, we dont even have bags...taking a bag to a Mh sounds like something you'd do with a van in storage, something we just couldnt live with.
having the MH at home means we can pack gradually for a long holiday or just add a few clothes for a short break and just go....as the van gets used regularly usually without more than a fortnight since the previous trip, its always primed (with water, etc) and ready to go.
yes, you can do this with a caravan at home (but water would usually be drained as no tanks and towing with water is seen as a no-no) so there are IMHO less 'chores' with a MH, when setting up on site. We really arent far away from 'pull onto the pitch and handbrake on'.
we might top up our tanks with water on the way in (but no inside tap spluttering, priming ritual to go through, every stop) if staying a while (although on a uk site, usually less than a week) and that negates the daily caravanner water trundle.
but, for us, the main advantages of a mh go far beyond the ease of set up and into the ease of touring without the issues of a large box in tow.
a good deal of our continental touring (itself the greater part of our total vanning) involves impromptu pulling over into aires and other non-site locations, where we are self reliant for water, power and waste.. discovering places that werent identified as part of any planning, merely turning the wheels in that direction because 'it looks nice/interesting' and then deciding where/if we should stay (or not)....this might be an overnighter or sometimes several days.
sometimes our 'destination' hasnt been identified and we could take several weeks heading slowly in a particular direction, stopping many times....so this ease of 'touring' is important to us.
if i want to see a town, ISTM to be better to pull in there (at the local town centre aire) as we pass through rather than have to park a caravan somewhere else (wherever the site is located, along with associated check in, water fills, plug ins and other caravan setting up 'chores') and then come back later (by that time, possibly the next day) in a car....
and when weve finished, we can just stay the night without returning to the camp site (which might even be in the wrong direction for continuing the tour) and/or we could choose move on without having to head back there to collect the caravan....
we couldnt do this type of one/two night impromptu touring as hassle free with a caravan in tow.
and, as you suggest, while 'travelling' we dont deploy awnings nor steadies (neither are required) which makes pitching/parking/leaving a very simple operation, in tune with our 'pull in, couple of days to explore, next stop' style.
as the mileages arent necessarily large between stops, and the setting up is so easy, its not in the least tiring to drive perhaps an hour along a coast (or the next stop on a large river or inland somewhere) to check out the next area/town.
i guess with a caravan, and a long way to a destination, stops have to be planned and arrival dates met, with the 'schedule' dictating where you have to be and when....
great for us on a a two week cruise or package holiday, but with three months or more of living away from home, there will be other drivers that dictate the direction the journey evolves into.
we'd see site bookings as a restriction/hinderance rather than an advantage.
having said that, we also use Continental sites (sometimes with bookings, sometimes for several weeks) as 'destination' sites/locations over there hold far more interest, when we want a rest after travelling for a while.
the MH suits us fine there, too.....again no awnings (other than a wind out for shade) as we sit outside when sunny or inside when it gets cooler...sitting in a tent attached to the van holds little appeal.
we have plenty of 'transport' options too......ebikes, legs, trains, busses, site organised excursions, hire car etc....oh, and the MH which is quite small and slim.
its great that Heethers has found a touring machine that seems to be in tune with his style, making some of those 'tasks' (mentioned earlier) a lot easier.
despite the fast rising number of MHs, the high number of caravans certainly shows that the 'drop the van, explore in the car, repeat for two weeks, hitch up the van, head for next area or, for many, go home' style of touring is still very popular.
but, as you say, each mode isnt for everyone....
however, if i was confined to the uk (the most MH unfriendly place weve ever been) i would have a small caravan as the MH infrastructure I'm used to on the continent, which makes real impromptu touring so easy, isn't in place.
as well as Heethers and DK, i enjoy posts from CY and SteveL who have both made the change fairly recently.
different modes mean different advantages for different people, its a good job we all have a choice.
ps, DK....our MH garage has over 2cu mtr of storage so more than many a large estate car (merc e class 1820 cu cm with all seats down)
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I agree that it’s what suits the individual is the important point. We caravan because we don’t ‘tour’. The idea of a few days here and there to visit places of interest doesn’t fill me with joy. We prefer to get set up and relax, popping off to ‘places of interest’ on a whim because we have the car available. I cannot walk far with hip and foot problems, I do not like public transport as it can be too infrequent and unreliable (if it exists at all) in more remote areas. I have seen MH’ers standing at bus stops in the pouring rain and knew that wasn’t for me - on our way home I will add, otherwise we may have offered a lift!!
We pitched (on a no facilities site) next to a medium sized MH earlier this year towing a small car for occasional transport as his wife was disabled, it was set up with awning etc, and didn’t move for the full 7 days we were there. Unless he didn’t like towing a caravan I couldn’t see why they used a MH, their choice of course.
There have been times when we have considered a MH but the extra cost and our preferred touring style just wouldn’t work for us.
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You may very well think so……😋
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on a more serious note , there is a very good letter in this months magazine "Tech?No!" very poignant, i thought and without wanting to quote the whole letter, the contents are something i can very much to relate to, being a tugger with just sufficient home comforts to keep life simple, e.g. no television for starters. Interestingly during our last 2 weeks away there were quite a few Mh owners quite disgruntled at the remoteness of the site, the lack of public transport and how their Ebikes were of little use due to the distances involved in getting into nearest town etc, I know they should have done their homework before using the site, but this sentence from the post above made me smile
I have seen MH’ers standing at bus stops in the pouring rain and knew that wasn’t for me - on our way home I will add, otherwise we may have offered a lift!!
very noble, but note the word "may"
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The point about changing from a caravan to a motorhome, especially if you have caravanned for some years shouldn't be done on a whim and without a great deal of thought otherwise it will end in tears. In the latter years of our caravanning we were tending to stay on sites for shorter periods and also tended to select sites near to local facilities and tended to leave the car on site, either walking or using public transport. I quite like the latter as you often strike up some interesting conversations. It does take a bit of planning but with the aid of the internet it's surprising how much you can prepare and of course now you can download the local bus services app to your smart phone so you have live arrival and departure times. Unfortunately it just doesn't rain at bus stops in the UK
My mobility is not brilliant as I have a problem knee but I strap it up and off we go, if it starts to hurt I sit down for a minute and then up and off. Also a good excuse to stop for a coffee! I have been thinking about the idea of towing a small car. Margaret is not so keen as she feels the cost could just be invested in the odd hire car here and there, perhaps she has a point. It wouldn't surprise me that there are quite a few motorhomers around who don't like the prospect of towing a caravan so opt for a motorhome and car as the next best option. There is no way I would try and persuade anyone to change from a caravan to a motorhome unless they had thought very long and hard about it.David
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Bolero boy great post, .We have just decided to go to Hawes end of the month Monday to Friday, would not of contemplated it with the caravan to much hassle, all we need to do is throw a few clothes in most of the food is already in, just need to had freezer stuff and food for the fridge. Has l have my MH on our property, we hook the water hose up, filled with in 3 minutes hey presto on our way. We will never forget the caravaning holidays they were great but circumstances have changed. l agree with Alan Jean that caravaning is better for 2 to 3 week holidays where you stay in one place and relax, use the car to visit places. We now only do 4 days and at most 7 to 10 days. One thing l would not do is to tow a car at the back of the MH, may as well tow a van
Heethers
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Great topic, interesting reading, being a recent MH owner, have done so many short breaks this year lost count, even used an overnight in pub car park,we also have a local shore we visit for one night stops on a whim. Enjoying life on the road.
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if you tour in the right places, thats homework enough....there are many parking places right in towns, as close as any caravanner can get, without the drive from the campsite.
yes, i have used the odd bus stop (not in the pouring rain, though) and the odd pick up point for an excursion, actually the same coach as caravanners use....see, we arent fussy.however, despite what some think, mh have engines and can get to (and stay in) places that caravanners cant...good spots to avoid the ones who look down on poor MHers at bus stops and who 'dont tour' in their touring caravan.
as for being paid for promoting MH. fraid not, just desribing how we tour and how we dont need a car as we get where we want to be in the MH so dont have the hassle of droppng off the trailer before we can actually do any exploring.
as said, we have lots of time to explore lots of places and wish to do it at our own pace without being driven by bookings or other agendas like having to find a campsite.
yes, we do have long stops on sites (really good ones) periodically, where we walk, swim, sunbathe, cycle, dine and sample the local wine etc, sometimes for weeks but the exploratory/touring bits prior to that and after that are best done, for us, in the MH.
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thanks H
i wish you the best with the change....you know it makes sense, lol
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we have a MH but dont really do any chucking of bags, we dont even have bags...
Respect...I tried it and it looked like this!!
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lol....
what did jean say after she returned to the van and all her gear had been sold?
i bet you made enough to cover the ferry cost...
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Heethers – Good to know you’re both spending time away in your new LV and to wish your wife well on her Motorhome course next year. You never know she may just be driving it before then. Best of luck to you both.
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Thanks everyone for the posts and all the best wishes, l am sat here waiting for my Silver Screen external blinds being delivered between 11am and 12 noon, we were given the internal ones by the dealer who sold us the MH for no cost to us. After using them for the last 3 occasions we decided to invest in the outside type made by the original company Silverscreens a tad bit more expensive but the reviews were excellent both online and people we have talked too. We first thought of having the Remis blinds fitted but the cost soon put me off, also motorhomers l talked to onsite told me they used the outside ones during Autumn, winter and spring seasons along with the Remis blinds as they alone don't stop condensation. We will try them out at Hawes at the end of October, just a thank you to the lady at Silver Screens really helpful on advising us, she ask which MH we had, the year, Model and type then told me which one we needed, when they would be delivered, true to her word just 3 days from the order being placed. We now have a set of Milenco internal silver screen blinds going spare, will place them on the club Classifieds but don't hold much hope, got my 3 year old Isabella Magnum on their no takers only want 350 for it. normal price l believe 1100, no matter it will go eventually. Back to the motorhome we have found that we must have a door fly screen fitted after the hot week we had in Bridlington, flies were a nuisance, so it will be fitted in January. We are hoping to go to the show at Birmingham, not to buy but pickup some ideas, one of which are the flip up shelves can't seem to find who makes or sells them. Slowly but surely we starting to put our mark the MH, once again thank you for all your posts, thoughts and ideas. we are sure we have made the correct decision.
Heethers
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We saw a motorhome as a natural progression from a caravan once the children had moved away and I had retired. I don’t think motorhomes are ideal for families due to the more limited space although on the continent it is more common as you can live outside due to the better climate.
The differences have been well debated and the most apt and often repeated expression is to say “the advantage of a motorhome is that you take everything with you. The disadvantage is that you take everything with you”.
I terms of set-up, just one point, steadies on motorhome are not essential (we seldom bother with ours) and there are only two (rear). Of course, you also generally have a wind out canopy, two minutes to set up, and not an awning, half an hour to set up. But that’s not comparing like with like.
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