Motorhome / Caravan
Comments
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one other point to Ginny regards licensing, payload and loading space....
if you guys are of a certain age, you may not have C1 on your license, in which case you will be limited to driving vans of 3.5t max weight.
that seems a lot (after a caravan) but many vans of medium size (7m+) can weigh 3t (or more) unladen, which gives only 500kg or less payload.
with a largish tow-car, most payload concerns are addressed but with a MH you have to carry everything you need in one vehicle.....from the passenger, to fresh water, to food and bedding, clothes to books, pots and pans, all outdoor kit, gas, etc, etc....
so payload is something that needs careful attention.
chassis upgrades are available but taking the van over 3.5t will require a C1.
of course, even with the correct license, larger vans on heavier chassis might have large payloads and more space but will be compromised on getting about and parking.
so, yet again, that word 'compromise' comes to mind.
ps....on the subject of size...some MH are slimmer than caravans or full width MH (2.35m).....PVCs are 2.05m wide, our MH is only 2.12m and this reduction in width makes driving a lot easier..
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I'm too feeble to walk or cycle or manage without a car. I'm too poor to produce £60,000 for the sort of Motorhome I like. I go to places where there's no public transport. Decision made.
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David so much of your post reflects the way we think, especially your last sentence.
Almost everyone who has a MH talks of 'freedom' yet we both feel that we have more 'freedom' now that we have gone back to a caravan.
We are free to choose sites in remote places, nice and quiet not crowded. In the last 4 trips ( all of many weeks) we have made since going back to a caravan we have visited places we would never have gone to with our MH, couldn't have got one up some of the mountains and certainly couldn't have cycled there.
We do stop for 1 night when in travelling mode, we don't bother with water barrels or waste containers. A bucket is good enough for the Dutch then its fine with us too.
We can stay anything from 1 night to 14 nights, we don't find setting up a problem, thankfully OH is great at getting the van on the pitch, sometimes just where I want it without having to use the mover. Over there as you know you can pitch anywhere and anyway you like which is great with a caravan. Not always so good with a MH if the ground is not level (this is what I was referring to Tinny)
If you are using sites like the C&MC then a MH is less of a problem pitching, we used to drive front ways into most pitches as this usually levelled the MH up without the use of ramps, however it did upset some folk as we were now facing the wrong way
Time will tell if we go back to a MH but for now we are both happy with the caravan, would like a bigger one with fixed beds but can't find anything that ticks the boxes.
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Yet isn't it strange how many in the same situation choose to go to a MH because of these reasons. Fine if all you want to do is drive to a place and sit around but if you want to visit things while there not always possible with a MH.
We tried the stopping off en-route, didn't work for us, we tried the take the MH out for the day to sight see, didn't work either. Just couldn't do with having to pack stuff away all the time.
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perhaps 'freedom' is an ambiguous word and can mean different things to different people in different circumstances...
from a touring perspective i would use the word when being 'free' to pull in somewhere along a sunny beachfront, get out and stretch the legs and, if this turns out to be somewhere with a bit of interest or character, then spend the night there.
similarly, a countyside parking spot might look inviting so we might have lunch, investigate on the bikes and then stay or move on depending on what we find.
perhaps 'flexibility' might be a better word than 'freedom'? but we feel very comfortable about impromtu stopping which isnt apparent with caravanners....certainly where we tour it will be MHs in the forests, nr the beaches, in the hills etc.
folk mention about 'choosing sites with.....' but part of our flexibility is not to choose a site, but to park exactly where we want to be, seaside, hills, towns or countryside....
as i said earlier, dont think we do this and only this.....we love being on a top class Continental site with all the bells and will spend ages round the pool just as we might on a hotel/cruise break...we just happen to have our van with us.
when first introduced to our 'secret site' in southern France we initially booked a week expecting to move on....after a week of the fantastic facilities and location, we booked another week, and then another, staying nine weeks and totally chilling out....terrific.
so, mix and match, long stay or quick move on, site or not....all part of our wonderful 'flexible/freedom' filled hobby.
we are all so lucky to be able to do it how we like and it would be pretty boring if we all did it the same way
lets hope we can safely get back out there sometime....
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Some interesting comments which probably point to the style of touring and where and for how long you want to camp as being the key decider as to whether you have a caravan or a motorhome. Probably because I am getting older I feel far more relaxed driving a motorhome than my latter years of towing but that might not apply to all. We rarely spend a week on a campsite and often it's between 3 and 5 days on average. I do find I have to do a bit more research stopping en route for fuel or shopping but Google Earth is often your friend on that score. Since owning a motorhome we have rarely taken it off site for a day visit although we did just that last year when we visited Felbrigg Hall which was a success and something we will repeat. I did email them beforehand to check about parking and got a very friendly reply even suggesting the best place to park. We quite enjoy using public transport and our bus pass saves us a lot of money albeit only in England. We sometimes use a taxi.
David
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As you say if we all did the same thing it would be boring, what works for you just doesn't suit us.
We do stop off mid journey in very nice locations even with the caravan, have something to eat, go for a walk, have a look around and like you if we like what we see we stay for a few days. As you know we didn't take to aires so it doesn't make any difference to us MH or caravan we just find a nice site somewhere.
Staying for 9 weeks
we find it hard to stay anywhere even for a week or two. Which is the main reason we moved to a MH in the first place. I guess as we have tried both types of LV and that we are not interested in wilding, we have picked the best out of each mode of transport and it works for us.
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We went through the decision making about 5 years back, OH was initially keen on a MH, I was not so keen. We were considering it as we needed to change our towcar within a couple of years.
We visited several dealers, got all the brochures, saw a few MHs we did like but sadly could not afford, and eventually came to the conclusion that we preferred the space of the caravan, and the convenience of the towcar for going out and about.
We are not cyclists, and prefer sites away from larger towns, so public transport is not always available.
The MHs we liked were rather big for taking out on a daily basis, especially in U.K. We could have got a trailer for our Smart Car and taken that with us, but that can also be a problem.
We wanted to be able to be totally self contained, so we could use CLs here and aires abroad, so for us the shower space and washroom overall was a deciding factor, a decent kitchen space was also important, and we wanted a fixed bed that was easy to access.
We do tour with the caravan, usually no more than 4-5 nights anywhere, do not use an awning, only a canopy, and even that we do not always put up.
We got a lot of good info and advice on here, particularly from BB (on sizes and weights) and TG (on towing a trailer), other people often flag up things you may not have considered.
We have kept the old caravan (we cannot even find a new caravan we like now!), but invested in a new towcar in early 2017.
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"Just couldn't do with having to pack stuff away all the time. "
This is for the benefit of Ginny as we all do things our own way, TG, and I’m not having a go but there really isn’t anything to pack up for us other than putting the kettle and cups away and unplugging the ehu.
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"I'm too feeble to walk or cycle or manage without a car"
....and as TG suggested, this is the double edged sword for many...
some in your situation stick with what they know as the thought of being without a car, even for getting the morning paper, is too much to contemplate..
this might lead to some of the caravan set up and service processes eventually becoming more difficult (compromise)
for others, 'advancing years' means that very difficulty with setting up a caravan (and beloved awning), toting water/waste and an increasing fear of towing on todays roads.
for those, this might lead to buying a small MH/PVC which, while easier to drive, might have a trade off in terms of space on site (compromise)
fortunately, we have no issues with setting up (theres so little to do) nor getting about.
weve both played sport all our lives and still have the physical fitness (and inclination) to expend energy as part of our daily enjoyment.
when in the UK we cycle to NT locations (and get a free cuppa for doing it
), walk miles each day, and when away play many a game of table tennis to keep things sharp.in 'better times' at home we do a 'treat' shop at Waitrose which is a 20 ml round trip, just for something to do....
i wouldnt dream of taking the car there, nor any other trip of that sort of distance, we just dont use the car in that way.....if it were inclement we would do the ride another day
notwithstanding the cost issue, i guess a lot of this 'decision process' is about 'what you can/can't do' along with the other technical and process reasons.
im sure that, when we become a bit older we might look at some different options...
however, my pal, who vans with us from time to time and was a semi-pro cyclist and owned a bike shop, said to me one day...."if ever it it gets to the stage where i cant get out in a bike.....you know what to do"
i know what he means.....
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i remember a nameless CTer commenting on a post like this where he suggested he left stuff all over the place in the caravan 'just like at home'....
when i finish with a paper/magazine/book it goes back in the cupboard/locker 'just like at home'....
clothes get put away or in for washing, even ipads and gadgets have a home....
we check that drawers are locked, seats get swivelled, gas off (though not specifically necessary) and away we go....
chairs can be left on site, or if moving on they will have been stowed the night before, so theres actually nothing to put away....its already 'there', all the time
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ive explained why we hardly need a car at home, so why would i need one when away relaxing?
...and, from my posts, you'll see i certainly am comfortable with our MH.
...or didnt you read them?
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options, like cruises
you know what to do.....hopefully itll be legal by then
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Access has been the deciding factor with our choice. We have plenty of room to store a caravan or M/H at home but we have an awkward steep driveway. Longer vehicles can bottom out and having successfully managed that type of exit our village roads also present problems. We have to negotiate a T junction where local parking can seriously interrupt our onward journey. A few CLs have presented similar problems, right angled farm gates etc. Plus the fact that we have two drivers instead of one as I didn't want to tow. Too many worrying moments with a long caravan outfit made the motor home idea more attractive. We've enjoyed several different caravans and two motorhomes. I think the M/H wins slightly because we don't want to stay any length of time anywhere and it's easy to set up and move on. 🙂
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Lots of good advice and experiences above. We are in the fortunate position of having both a caravan and a motorhome. The caravan is permanently on a site in Italy and we use the motor home to travel backwards and forwards to it twice a year. We rarely holiday for long in the UK but have a few weekend away in it in the winter. We take our time on the journey to and fro and have a mini European holiday in the MH at different locations on each journey. We could spend the 4 months in Italy in our (7.4m) motorhome but we prefer to spend it in the caravan which has more space and, to us, feels more ‘permanent’. We mostly use our bikes for transport whilst in Italy and during our mini holidays in Europe. We also find public transport more usable in Europe than in the UK. So in summary; We find the caravan better suited for long stays in Europe and the motorhome better suited for long journeys and short holidays. If we were to spend most of our holiday time in the UK then the above may not hold water since cycling in the UK is more dangerous (few dedicated cyclepaths) and public transport in the UK is, in our experience, less organised. Ginny: In short It’s horses for courses’ but hopefully there’s lots of food for thought for you.
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Thank you everyone for your replies. As you have stated we have a lot to consider before making our decision. Obviously we cannot look at any motorhomes at the moment. Without having a look at some re layout etc the decision is not imminent.
In answer to your questions we do not tour abroad with the van but do spend time in England, Scotland and Wales. We appreciate your comments re public transport, we also have put this on the long list of things to consider.
For us one of the main reasons to change would be being able to be more spontaneous with our touring or even just a couple of days/nights out somewhere. The ease of just making a decision to go off for a break/adventure. We are lucky our caravan is at the top of our garden but it still takes time to ‘set off’.
I suppose we just fancy a new adventure.
Take care everyone and keep safe
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Also you don't need to spend a large amount of money on a new or younger M/H.
There are some good older lower millage second hand MH's out there, it just takes a bit of searching for the right one( I paid less than £6000 for mine) which with less cost may leave a larger budget for modernising or making small changes.
Molly has all the facilities onboard, is only 5.3M long and sleeps 4 (two doubles, one fixed over cab) with 35,000 miles on the clock when bought, oh and its petrol which means no issues if I need to drive through Bristol or similar.
Great for us and easy to manouver, these days with large vans parked everywhere, Molly dosn't look out of place when we(will again) park in the street visiting family etc. in fact we will probably do our weekly essential shop in Molly this weekend.
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Having had a MH for 6 years I know there is more to packing it up and going out for the day than you make out. We've tried it more than once and its not for us. Each to there own as they say
We do like to move on frequently even with the caravan and really don't find it an issue.
BB, again packing up is a bit more than just swivelling a seat. If going out for the day there is the bikes to stow away or secure on the pitch if not taking them. Chairs, tables, BBQ, Fiamma, ramps if used, all have to be either packed away or left on pitch. Been there remember, not to mention if you have waste water on board you will want to dump it before driving off.
We do put things away in the van when not using them, you have to but some things we do leave out like the tv, kettle, mugs etc. Books lived on the corner shelf when on site but went in the top lockers when travelling.
Each MH is different, as is each person/couple what suits one doesn't suit another.
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I said I was posting for Ginny's benefit,TG, and that we all do things differently.
I was 'making out' nothing and told the absolute truth as it applies to me. Please don't presume to know how I do things.
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As TG has pointed out, it isn't perhaps quite as simple for many of as BB describes. We do occasionally take the MH off pitch for the day but it is a bit of a rigmarole, even if you leave your table & chairs on the pitch. Little things like removing cooker racks and grill pans unless you want to drive accompanied by the percussion section of the London Philharmonic. It's all down to the planning, I suppose.
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Hi cyber, never having had a MH dont know how long it takes to pack up but, whilst it seems quicker, would not want to be doing it every time we needed to go out.
However, I have traveled, albeit a short distance, in our friends MH and my memory is as you describe it-rattles and noise!
One of their frequent purchases is tea towels which are used to dampen the noise and it was clear at the time that what, to me, was loud and distracting hardly registered for them.
I must though admit to being intolerant of vehicle noises which, I think, is due to years of having less than reliable cars where any noise usually meant trouble and expense!
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It's because we do things differently, CY. Chairs live on the bike rack and are replaced after each use, we have no table, cooking pans are always kept packed in their special drawer and only removed to use, cooker shelves always have clothes pegs keeping them in place which are only removed when the oven is lit.
For me, it really is as simple as I stated and going out is no trouble at all.
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Obviously we cannot look at any motorhomes at the moment. Without having a look at some re layout etc the decision is not imminent.
Hi ginny, just a thought that you may not have looked at the caravanfinder.co.uk website which has videos of MH, links to YouTube and caravan tv which is on sky or can be viewed at the website. You can even buy a virtual reality headset to help.
Something else to fill all this time we have!
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It would appear that you and BoleroBoy use your motorhome in the same way we did 😥. Everything was used and put away after use with the exception of kettle and fruit bowl, possibly a few leisure items, books, papers or knitting. Much as we do indoors, certainly less room for clutter in the motorhome 😂.
We have scissor chairs that lived under the bench whilst travelling, these were popped in the cab overnight along with the table which travelled on the over cab bed. Just the EHU to disconnect.
We used ours as mobile picnic/dinner/coffee place. Eating drinking and doing the dishes in some fantastic settings 😀. On route or on days out.
Yes there are pluses and minuses of both motorhome and caravan. It's about adapting what you use to your style. Personally I wouldn't tow, and it's down to me now. Once things settle again I've not ruled out buying another motorhome/van conversion, but by then I'll know how much additional adapting of life generally will be required 🤣
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Thanks, B2. I was starting to think nobody believed me when I said how simple it is, or can be.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
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