Transition from caravan to motorhome
Comments
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agree with CY's last comment...if we were confined to the UK we would probably have a caravan, perhaps towed by a VW Transporter.
small coachbuilts can definitely be an alternative to a PVC. an XLWB Ducato is 6.36m x 2.06, our A-class coachbuilt is 6.40m x 2.12m but with more vertical sides feels far less claustrophobic and is extremely well kitted in terms of winterisation/insulation/self-suffieciency.
small vans can still have everything larger vans have....decent lounge, fully usable washroom/shower and kitchen, along with proper beds and large storage, decent sized water tanks and gas capacity.
layouts will be a personal choice and most are available even in a smaller footprint.
the balancing act is the perceived compromise of less internal space against the ease of use between stops.
our touring style involves a good bit of 'pulling in here for a look' and the mix of a small van and better continental catering for MHs makes this easily accomplished 'over there'....
but if confined to UK....? might be different.
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Hi Ina
Totally agree swings and roundabouts. The weather we had back in November certainly favoured the caravan. Having the car alongside to go out in during the day to towns/cities/villages was most welcome. Seeing those with MH's dressed up in water proofs and wellies, standing at bus stops waiting to go somewhere did not make me feel envious at all.
I don't think we would have used Meathop if we had still got a MH unless it was just for the night. Having said that given its location probably not even then. There are many places that we have now visited that we wouldn't have used with the MH.
Think of all those lovely CL's that we can now use at any time of the year, doesn't matter if there isn't a H/S as long as you have a tow car that is up to the job. However a MH on soft grass is not ideal.
As to packing up the caravan again like you it doesn't take any long than with the MH. During the fair months we leave stuff in the van but over winter we do take most things out, just like we did with the MH. Setting up is no different as we both are involved with jobs. The only time I wish I had a MH still is IF it is raining on set up, otherwise quiet happy with the caravan.
BB you don't need to shell out for a VW, there are many other makes that do as good a job for far less than a VW
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but if confined to UK....? might be different.
That also entered our thinking BB. Although we intend to use it a fair bit abroad. As we don't intend to change it or buy anything else we wanted something we could live with in the U.K, possibly using it for week or longer stops in future years. Ours is also 2.12 wide, but the extra 44cm length we feel, makes it much more livable in when the weather is poor. I'm not sure if we would have gone for the 6.5 version if the driving position was better. As the bathroom was nowhere near as well designed as in the one we went for. I think we would be more likely to give up altogether and go down the route of renting cottages than return to a caravan.
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Like TDA I don't think we've ever had a problem parking up either our previous pvc or present slightly larger coachbuilt. We once nearly drove into an overhead barrier on an IOW car park but that was lack of observation on our part! One of the things I don't miss about the caravan in winter is trying to warm it up on arrival, the M/H is always warm. There are also two drivers, with van towing there was just the one volunteer! To me, all this doesn't really matter as long as you are happy with whatever type of van/vehicle you have chosen. If we give this van up we'll move back to holiday rentals etc but we haven't quite finished with being "on the road" yet.
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We are using more cottages, but only because taking Mum with us. We might get caravan back on road this year, head down to Cornwall. But I know we will miss the hopping around, and parking up whenever we feel like it. It will be more about getting down there, pitching up. Ideal for us will be to leave van down there like we used to do. However, that night mean the MH doesn’t get the use it should.....🤔
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If you prefer to use campsites (rather than Aires etc) I am not convinced there is much difference between motorhoming abroad or the UK other than perhaps the weather or the fact you are in another country, both good reasons to go there! In the same way that some Municipal campsites in France are near to towns and villages or German campsites on the edge of towns there are such campsites in the UK as I have discovered. So I don't see this massive difference between the two. If we go on one of our slightly longer trips in this country and we need shopping en route I pre plan where we will stop using the likes of Google Earth so see how big supermarket car parks are and when I use them I park at the extremities as I often take up more than one parking space. Take overnight motorhome parking spaces abroad out of the equation is there that much difference, I have not found there to be so.
David
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David, i think you're right in that its the ability to pull in (use of aires as you put it) that does make a huge difference...
we are currently on the road, having just travelled down the western route of France and reached the border with Spain... and heading to Benicassim tomorrow....so, ive had a long day in the saddle and its getting dark and i need somewhere to park up...
i could have turned off the motorway a few km back and got to Urrugne and called in at Camping Laroulette but, as its just started chucking it down, i would have checked in, paid and stuck it on the pitch and got my head down early for a good start tomorrow...
but there is a perfectly adequate free 'aire' in Behobia/Irun which we have used several times before...there are currently five (opps another ones just arrived...) vans here.
we, like the rest here, need nothing from a site in order to eat, sleep soundly, shower and then be on our way...in fact the route we are taking is less than a km away..so why would we bother?
we also used the free Aire at Grand-Fougeray last night, a lovely Village Étape, 200m from the aire....a restaurant or two right on the doorstep.
yes, if it were summer and we wanted 'to sit out' and enjoy the evening sunshine and a glass of....
but aires offer a no frills overnighter when no frills are needed.
as ive said before, its not aires or no aires, we just mix and match to suit the occasion, and a couple of one nighters during a damp winter dash to the sun is one of those.
having said that, following tomorrows arrival, we'll be putting our feet up on an all singing site and if the weather stays good, we may stay too.
next time you're 'on your travels' give one a try
ps....about nine vans here now......must say something about how classy a joint this is...
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It seems to me that some "campers" seem to carry out a lot of planning before getting on the road whether they are motorhomers or caravanners. We are the total opposite and tend to "wing it" and are still alive to tell the tale.
If we do ever change to a motorhome I cannot see us changing the way we operate and would simply glance at a supermarket car park before deciding whether to enter or not.
I'm not saying planning to the nth degree is wrong but just that it wouldn't suit us.
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Don't know about free ones. However, on the camping car park ones the barrier decides. It knows how many are on site and denies further arrivals. Having said that there is no way I would want to use them when full, they would be far to cramped. Out of season when at most they were half full and on one occasion there were four of us on an Aire for one hundred, they are great.😀
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On the note of Aires...are there websites to search for Aires on route? Sorry if that’s a stupid question but haven’t been with amotorhome before, only a caravan so have never been looking for them.
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Here are links to some of the websites I use for continental MH aire searches :
The top two are the ones I use most of all and there are smartphone apps available for use on the move.
Hope these are of interest.
Jim
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Another is https://www.campingcar-infos.com
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It does fit ,what happens when cars park either side ? Have you got sliding doors ?
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Ray, my 'classy' was tongue in cheek....its a car park with MH parking, as was our stop the night before.
the reason it's regularly busy (and my comment) is that it's at 'junction' of SW France and the east turn up and over the Pyrenees....its a convenient pver nighter prior to the haul to the Costas....
despite it being 'busy' i wouldnt say it was over crowded...ive seen far worse...
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Yes thanks Mickysf and everyone for replies. Have some good tips and ideas now. Will give it some more time with the motorhome and hopefully become converts!
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Didn't mention this before but we found one significant change for us came about soon after our swap to a motorcaravan and the realisation that gettaways were so much easier. Being able to store the MC on our driveway helped and it was constantly maintained at the ready with at least two meals on board, clothing and other essentials. This meant that the decision to 'go' for an impromptu night or weekend was always there and we could be on the road within seconds of arriving home from work. We had several favourite CLs within at most an hours drive which helped, a couple close to excellent pubs and restaurants, one connected to a pub and one on a fishing lake. We even, on occasions, would take advantage of a spell of particularly good weather and off we'd go and then commute to work from the campsite. Had some fabulous summer evenings walking the dog and just chilling. Made the working week so much more appealing.
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Yes definitely agree with the easy get away compared to the caravan...that is a big plus!
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We used to do that when we worked in London ,come to Ferry Meadows on the Thursday and commute to work on the Friday,which used to then miss the rest of the weekenders arriving on the Friday
It was easy as the car was left in the staff carpark at Peterborough station.
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This is, potentially, one of the biggest impacts of making the trip to a van.
I love a van, and I actually love the fact that I don't have a car with me. It has forced me to walk massively more than I used to, and also to explore smaller areas more intensely. I no longer camp in Yorkshire and pop to the Lake District for a day out.
I guess this is an issue only you can decide. If walking, for health reasons, is not an option, then you have a simply choice.
1. Tow a small car.
2. Go back to a caravan. Personally, in that circumstance, I would do this.1 -
or 3. Don’t buy such a big MH😁
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Or 4......,,,
Many years ago, when electric bikes first became available, I tried one out. It was okay but the range was not that fabulous and battery longevity not that great so put this idea out of my mind. Recently a friend was going on about how much they have evolved and how much better they are today. He lent me his for the afternoon. Wow, what a change and so easy to use/ride. If you can still balance even the just slightly less mobile like me would manage one all day I would think. I may even consider this option again. After all, anything to keep us going in the great outdoors into later life can only be a good thing, can't it?
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This, I think, will be our next move. Although our current van is not huge, by current standards, I reckon I will squeeze into something smaller.
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It is clear from all the comments and our own experience that the best choice of outfit is dependant on many factors. We have enjoyed most forms, from tenting with an MG Midget when we were first married to a Bedford CF campervan, an Eriba caravan, then of all things a Winnebago RV towing a car (on a trailer) to finally, as a retired couple, a Swift 8.1 metre motorhome (still, occasionally with a car on a trailer).
We use the car on specific tours when we are visiting friends and family around the UK although we have taken it with the RV to the Continent. Otherwise, we are happy to use our bikes, walk or use public transport when available.
The shear convienience for us to arrive on site in any weather, warm and cosy, pull on the handbrake and put the kettle on far outweighs the alternatives. We can then be entertained by those nearby who take considerable more time to set up (you know who you are!).
However, the important factors that allow or restrain ones choice of outfit are many. The number in the party who can drive perhaps, the physical fitness or age will play a part, the type of driving licence(s) held, the means to store or park the outfit, the budget to buy/maintain/insure it before the personal preference of floorplan/features is considered. And these can change over time in our experience.
At no time did any of our camping choices limit us to where we went and luckily maybe, we never had an issue on narrow lanes with our large outfits. We came to realise that HGV milk tankers and large horse boxes use narrow lanes too, and they seem to manage.
We will tend to avoid the service points at camp sites when there is a queue. An Aquaroll with portable external Whale pump is usually quicker in this situation and a waste trolley likewise. In any case our present outfit will happily travel with suffient fresh water to avoid the need to load up immediatly upon arrival anyway.
We have yet to change to electric bikes and I have read with envy some of the comments posted on this topic. We are of an age when these would be an asset but realise they are heavier and will need accommodating/lifting onto bike racks.
I hope these comments help B&B consider there future decision(s) and I wish them safe travels.
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Mickysf, your post encouraged us to look at electric bikes ... I also had one years ago and it wasn’t that great. Have just been for a couple of test rides and couldn’t agree more that they seem to have come a long way. WOW!!! All I can say is hills? What hills? Am just looking to order one and hope this will make a big difference to us getting around ... 🤞
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