Transition from caravan to motorhome
Comments
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we have been caravaners for more than 45 years! Oops where does the time go. We are 73 and 74 but Helen has mobility issues and at times uses her small mobility scooter. We have been thinking of changing to a motorhome for the simplicity for me to set off and get settled down at the site. The MH we are looking at is about 7m so maybe not so easy to park on days out. It's a dilemma as there are benefits from both choices. We would appreciate advice from anyone who has similar disabilities and how to overcome them.
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Helen and Norman,fortunately we do not,yet,have mobility issues like yours but we are long term motorhomers and are well past 21 -so who knows?During Lockdown I have followed Motorhome Vlogs on YT and I came across "Dud and Ellie".The lady of the couple has mobility issues but they really get around in their Bailey and good on them👍.They may give you some ideas.Good luck .
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Disabilities are an individual thing, everybody is different and has different needs so it would be hard to offer you specific advice. What suits one may not suit another. That said, it would appear you want to carry a scooter with you rather than relying on other means and that you can manage with a standard production motorhome. Your hesitancy or problem would mainly appear to be how can I transport the scooter?
There are compact portable scooters available, you could shop around and see if you can find one that is better suited to being carried in a motorhome. You may find it advantageous to buy a motorhome having a garage in which to store it, or it might be possible to carry it on a rack designed for that purpose. These racks are mounted on the rear of the motorhome and you need a good payload on the rear axle to achieve this. A garage would be a better solution. You will also need to think about whether you will be able to use public transport with a scooter. Lastly you can always consider towing a small car which can be used to transport disability equipment and used for local trips at your destination. Towing a car gives you lots of options and this is one of our solutions.
Dud and Ellie appear to only carry a wheelchair inside the accommodation area of the motorhome. This is what we do but we can also carry equipment in our towed car or on a rack mounted on the rear of the motorhome. What configuration we use depends on where we are going and how we intend to tour.
peedee
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Helen and Norman, Alas, we do have mobility problems, and for that reason stayed with small caravan / big car.
We saw active couples cycling and walking from their Motorhome, but realised that was no longer possible for us. We never wanted to sit on a campsite all day, we wanted transport to go to shops, pubs, gardens, National Trust houses, restaurants, seaside, and visit friends . We could do most of that with a smaller panel van conversion, but that wouldn't carry wheelchair or mobity scooter. It never seemed practicable for us to drive a larger Motorhome every day from place to place and find somewhere to park it, and public transport was non existent at most campsites we liked.
The change might work for you, but at our age and with our mobility problems it would be ridiculous to attempt it.
Good wishes to you.
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I can appreaciate what you say Eurotraveller but for us the caravan was just too much to handle. At the time I changed to a motorhome, movers did not exist, that would now overcome one of the major disadvantages of owning a caravan for us but as my wife is non ambulent, access to, and the size of a caravan needed became a problem. We switched to a motorhome 20 years ago and have no regrets.
peedee
www.wheelgotravelling,info
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My oh is now in the situation whereby she has dificulity walking ,and we also are not sure about the future 78/76yrs ,at this time we still tow a caravan and OH has a small mobility scooter ,which can be taken apert to ease transporting,we also have a collie who travels in the rear of the car,,so we still have the problem of transporting the scooter,
Next week will be the big test as it will be the first time away since last year, and now with the scooter we have a cycle rack that bolts to the tow hook of the car that i have tried and the scooter less battery can be carried on that, when c/van on site if we go out
The other option is we May go for is a panel van conversion (white van man size) we can then use as our daily transport as well, with a trailer for when we go away as more kit would need to be carried,
One thing we would not do again is have a motor caravan that could restrict our choice of sites or areas we can go (we have had one)
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It was in 1999 i convinced myself to make the move but didn't take delivery of my first motorhome until January 2001. When we had a caravan the powered jockey wheel was the only thing I was aware of to easily move a caravan and these were prone to problems especially on soft ground. My problem was I had to turn my caravan around in a gravel driveway. I have since had the driveway blockpaved and a parking space created for the motorhome but I still have to maneuver back and forth in the drive to get out. I have had a bad back for a long time and frequently suffer from over doing it.
peedee
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Helen and Norman
It's a shame in a way that you didn't start this as a separate discussion as I think it has raised some interesting points. As an ex caravanner I am of the view that motorhoming is far easier than caravanning, especially as you get older. My own mobility has worsened in the last 10 years due to hip and knee problems but fortunately I can still walk reasonable distances if for instance the site is on the edge of a town or village or there is a bus service. However if there is the need for one of the passengers to use a mobility scooter even being on the edge of a town with transport available might not be an option. If it is practical a smaller van conversion type motorhome would allow you access to most places as in truth the footprint is not massively bigger than say a large 4X4. I think you would have to look for an external storage solution for the scooter. There are many adverts in not only the Club magazine but the likes of MMM magazine which might be worth a look. Good luck with whatever you decide.
David
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Hi, The comment re public transport caught my eye. We have a caravan so not an issue but yesterday I was looking at sites in the York area and the website of one made a big thing about access to public transport.
Looking on Street view, to size up the site and approach, I noticed that the bus stop is on a road with no footpath and set up on a kerbed area that would be impossible to access if one had mobility issues which tend to be more likely as one ages.
Our closest friends, and holiday companions, have a Autotrail MH and for my wife just getting up into it can be a problem and at 8m long parking up somewhere can be an issue
I was looking at sites as part of our mini tour, of where we will stay a max of 4 nights on a site, to see family and friends we have not seen due to Covid.
My wife has reluctantly agreed to this, due to the reason, but dislikes the constant setting up and moving and, besides other reasons, that would put us off a MH-our norm is, as you mention, to get to the furthest point ASAP and do any 'meandering' on the way back.
As you have gone for it I am sure many on here can advise how to make the most of it and as you say maybe its a mindset thing.
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Its worth noting that on the Continent finding parking near to attractions is rarely an issue. Motorhome parking provision is the norm over there and as long as you have the scooter, visiting attractions should not be a problem. It is set to get better in the UK as well with Scotland taking the lead but it will take time.
peedee
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If switching to a MH is for mobility, setting up, issues, rather than it being a chosen method of touring, then I think it’s going to be difficult to achieve absolutely everything required without some form of compromise.
A large MH might more easily take a mobility scooter, but it’s going to be more faff to tour with, and more likely to be left on site, with the owners relying on public transport. This will limit Site choice.
If you go for a smaller MH or PVC, it might require a more compact, break down mobility scooter, or seeking out a tourer that could carry a bit more payload, one way or another.
This is an example of a small folding mobility scooter that would easily slip into the very small washroom of our 5.5m MH, giving you the ability to drive out each day, park up a whole lot easier, and take a mobility scooter out to wherever you go.1 -
As per cyberyacht we`ve owned a number of caravans with a period of three motorhomes midway. Motorhomes are very good for the continent but not so good in this country the main thing we found was to ensure you stop where public transport is good in the UK.
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.....or use your MH for transport. We have never had to resort to using public transport.
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