A question for some Motorhome owners

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  • JohnM20
    JohnM20 Forum Participant Posts: 1,416
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    edited May 2021 #32

    Sorry, but no. For us, the cons have it by a long way. Several years ago we went to a show to specifically look just at motorhomes as we thought one may suit us especially as we went to France every year. The conclusion was that motorhomes offered us much less space and in many instances compromises with smaller appliances either down on the floor or at impractical angles. We also considered how we would visit all the sorts of places we like once we got to site. There was also the cost issue. We decided that for what a decent sized motorhome would cost us we could have a substantially bigger caravan and a decent car which, of course we could use all year round. At the time I had a Land Rover Discovery which would take us just about anywhere including some very interesting out of the way places down some very narrow lanes, (without the caravan). I now tow with a Ford Mondeo but still go to out of the way places. 

    In conclusion, I'm sorry but I still can't see the logic in towing a car rather than a caravan.  

  • mickysf
    mickysf Forum Participant Posts: 6,474 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2021 #33

    Each to theirs, JohnM20. But when I have fished to almost the last rays of the sun and lit a proper bbq to cook that catch on that special secluded remote beach watching the sunset, sipped that brandy and climbed into a comfy bed knowing I’m waking up in this heavenly place to watch a sunrise away from the crowds of folk I’ll continue with this habit as long as health allows me.  

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited May 2021 #34

    Being a previous M/Cs owner ,even now with OH  now needing a buggy,, and several looks at what is on offer, the downsides of having another, even a PVC, are by far much more than what we now have, 

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,138 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2021 #35

    At least you thought deeply about it and considered the pros and cons, JohnM, You’re doing what's right for you and that's the important thing.

    I agreed with you earlier about towing with a MH. Having towed a caravan with a car, a car with a MH, and now having just a solo PVC, I can see it from all angles.

  • mickysf
    mickysf Forum Participant Posts: 6,474 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2021 #36

    I think you have hit the nail on the head there JVB. Over the years we have tented, caravaned, trailertented, campervaned, and motorhomed. Each choice has been governed by need, circumstance and finance. I still miss those walking canvas experiences but age now dictates that little bit of comfort. As a single man, married couple, family man and now with grandchildren in tow those needs changed and may well change again. Reasonably good health and a desire to continue exploring and staying in the remotest places now means our toad set up is best for us at present. What tomorrow brings for MrsYSF or myself may dictate a different mode but until then..........

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,859 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2021 #37

    John said:- In conclusion, I'm sorry but I still can't see the logic in towing a car rather than a caravan.  

    That is a fair enough conclusion for someone who prefers a caravan to a motorhome. However the point you miss about towing a car is that you have the choice to do that depending on where you are going, sometimes with the car and sometimes not. Towing a caravan offers you no such choice. In no way am I trying to say one is better than the other and you are clearly more than happy towing your caravan. Some of us have done all that but now prefer the relative simplicity of motorhoming. Later in the summer we are going to the IOW and what we will probably do is hire a car for a few days. That might seem an expensive option but given the cost of fitting a tow bar to the motorhome plus the towing gear of the A Frame I can hire quite a few cars for that cost. So its another option. Providing people carefully consider the type of touring they want to do the choice of outfit should follow on from that consideration.

    David

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited May 2021 #38

    ... ability of the driver to park in the right place. 

    If on a club site you have little choice but to park within a fraction of an inch to the peg (forward or backwards)

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,138 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2021 #39

    "Fraction of an inch" 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤪

  • davetommo
    davetommo Forum Participant Posts: 1,430
    edited May 2021 #40

    I have lost count of times I have seen people back and forth with a watering can filling up the water tank on a Motorhome. Why I do not know.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited May 2021 #41

    I have also seen that in fact on a couple of occasions  have lent our two watering cans to motor caravan owners/users, to top up their tanks,it is quite an eye opener when the "owners "had not even thought of watering cans as useful for  keeping fresh water and toilet flush tanks topped up. ,the problem comes when their waste water tank is needing to be emptied as the waste outlets on many motor caravans are to low to get a wastemaster undersurprised

    The difference with what was the "filling system"a two litre? bottle and what looked like an enema funnel and hosecoolsurprised

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,138 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2021 #42

    Nor do I 🤷🏻‍♂️

  • Graydjames
    Graydjames Forum Participant Posts: 440 ✭✭✭
    edited May 2021 #43

    Speaking as a motorhomer, I find myself in total agreement. I have often thought about towing a car; it would be useful, thought I, to be able to go farther afield and not have to rely on my bike or buses or trains. 

    Then I thought, wait a minute, if that's your reason for getting a tow car, why not buy a caravan and tow that with your car. 

    Not just that, but the kind of car you can tow is no good to me for general and work use, so I would end up with three vehicles with all the attendant costs.

    So I ruled it out!

     

        

  • huskydog
    huskydog Club Member Posts: 5,460 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2021 #44

    I might have been that person you have seen walking back and forth with a water can topping up my water , I do it because it tops up the water and it gives the curtain twitchers something to post about cool

  • Graydjames
    Graydjames Forum Participant Posts: 440 ✭✭✭
    edited May 2021 #45

    As a motorhomer, I empathised with the OP because I see little point in towing a car with my motorhome. I have posted to that effect.

    It is a pity, however, that this has degenerated into a "let's all have a laugh about stupid motorhomers" thread.

    I now have an aqua roll and pump to keep my water tank topped up because my current van has a 12 volt external socket. Prior to that, I would fill up my water tank at the start of a break, or on arrival at a site, but thereafter would top it up with a watering can. Once you are pitched up the last thing you want to be doing is driving to a service point so it is a simple procedure to put two or three 10 litre watering cans full every day - depending on usage. By far the easiest way.   

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited May 2021 #46

    Is that an echo ..... echo .... 😞

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited May 2021 #47

    Curtain twitchers are quite handy when some years ago, at Bolton Abby site a Young couplesurprised which we found out on their first trip, were getting them selves into a real tangle getting on to the pitch, After about 10/11 attempts  without success ,it was as if a whistle had been blown as 5 of us all appeared from our LVs at the same time to help themcool

  • mickysf
    mickysf Forum Participant Posts: 6,474 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2021 #48

    All this only serves to prove we are all different. Different needs, different desires, different experiences. As the saying goes, don’t knock the next man until you have walked in their shoes.

    I know what suits me today, what tomorrow brings may be very different!

  • peedee
    peedee Club Member Posts: 9,387 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2021 #49

    The practice of towing a car will in all probability die out in the UK when local authorities and sites of attraction improve parking facilities for motorhomes. On the Continent where it is unusual not to find parking  for motorhomes I have rarely found the need for a car.

    My local NT properties have just started to do this, hopefullly this is being rolled out nationall across most NT properties so things are improving.

    peedee

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited May 2021 #50

    We have never as far as I can remember, had a problem parking at most NT   properties that have parking with either of our MCs or with caravans in the past,  just needed a phone call to the venue to check

  • Unknown
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    edited May 2021 #51
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  • peedee
    peedee Club Member Posts: 9,387 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2021 #52

    Neither have I but these are dedicated parking spots for motorhomes.

    peedee

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited May 2021 #53

    Or there is some space in our coach parking area ,it was nearly always the reply we got with either type of LV we hadwink

    We took a disabled freid of our to Waddesden? Manor and they parked us at the House with our Autocruise MC to enable easy access

    We were directed through a private entrance via their radio communications system, 

  • Unknown
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    edited May 2021 #54
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  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited May 2021 #55

    It is very noticeable in the UK, that MCs are these days it seems, getting to outnumber at times(off peak when families are not there)caravans on sites that are close to populations and or Good public transport close by

  • young thomas
    young thomas Forum Participant Posts: 11,356
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    edited May 2021 #56

    "We also considered how we would visit all the sorts of places we like once we got to site."

    ...and here, in a nutshell, is one of the key differences in 'caravan thinking' as opposed to 'MH thinking'...

    MHing, for us, is more about using the van to 'visit thise places'  between stops (sites, aires etc) not going out and back retracing steps to/from a fixed point.

    a NT/EH site en route can be visitd without going to the site and dropping off a caravan...

    a stop off can also provide a start for a walk or cycle ride, again without needing to get to the site.

    if town A has a place of interest then drive and pitch there, followed by the next place of interest, B. 

    no driving out and back repeatedly for a fortnight, just a gentle flow from place to place...

    of course, sometimes its great to park up and enjoy a stay at a well equipped site, feet up just like caravaners but without the aqarolls.

    as we do most of our touring abroad, the combination of easy pull ins, less restrictive parking, aires system, top class full facility sites and great weather fits perfectly with our move-on, move-on, stop for a bit, style...and a MH is, without doubt the easiest way for us to do this.

    however, if i was confined to cornwall, or the uk in general....it might be another story...

     

     

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,138 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2021 #57

    .....it need not be. Some of us are living proof of that.

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,044 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2021 #58

    Not for us it isn’t BB, (I liked your post) we do exactly the same as you write above in the UK, No one sees us scuttling backwards and forwards with a watering can on a Site, because we simply won’t be on the Site, but out somewhere taking our mobile cafe and private loo and shower out with us.

    There’s a great deal of difference between Motorhomes used on Club Sites (high% of ex caravan tuggers choosing to use them as a four wheeled caravan) and those like us and Tinny and others who tour, hopping from Site to site, out doing something with our MH every day. The wise choose an outfit that ticks all the important things they want to do, with as few compromises as possible. Catching a bus was never included anywhere on our list of compromises. That’s why we can still enjoy the vast range of Sites the Club provides, and not just the urban ones.

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,829 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2021 #59

    Ttda, That’s fine for your small sized, go anywhere motorhome. But people buy bigger ones and find they can’t go around day by day in that way - they realise the limitations- so they tow a car. 

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited May 2021 #60

    Or as the vast  majority of MC owners it seems, that stay on club sites and as posted are used as four wheel caravans ,without the convenience of a car as well ,and look for those sites that they do not need to move once pitched 

    We are on a 40? Pitch  site and it is about 50/50 Cvans/motorcvans, and not one of the Mc have gone "out for the day"   

    How do we know? With OH not very agile now we have been "curtain twitching" most days

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited May 2021 #61

    Ps two mc have arrived with their partners driving a car which both vehicles would be to big to go on  A frames or trailers