Heydon newbies
Hello, we are Judy and Peter, living just outside Heydon, 6 miles south of Holt. And we are total caravanning newbies!
The inspiration came from Millionaire Motorhomes, but on the basis of expense and other factors, we've decided we'd like a caravan. But are a bit overwhelmed with both the choice and the limitations. Where to start??
Already we have some ideas about what we do and don't want. We know we need two separate sleeping areas front and back - he snores and jiffles! So we want a (probably) central washroom so that we can individually use the loo overnight without disturbing the other. A large fridge including a large freezer for the dogs' frozen food. TV conveniently situated in the lounge.
We don't want an 8ft wide van as the lanes near us are quite narrow and twisty. Fine unless you encounter a monstrous agricultural machine or a truck. Don't want an island bed that has to be pulled out for sleeping.
We'd prefer wet central heating. A shower with reasonable power.
We've seen many vans that have lots of these features but none so far that include everything. One bugbear I have with central washrooms is that the shower is almost always over the wheel housing, which then intrudes into the shower base.
Adria is a favoured brand so far tho it's very early days. We would have gone to the current show at the NEC but couldn't find dogsitters. We've organised now to go in February but would like to have a much shorter short list before we go!
Don't have a fixed budget but of course there's a limit, probably something like £35K, but would prefer under £30K, and would consider secondhand.
Any hints, tips and tricks from those in the know??? Thanks!
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All caravans are a compromise, so you need to prioritise the features that are most important to you. For example, if you intend using sites with full facilities then the shower in the caravan becomes less important. We tend to use ours for drying coats and storing the washing.
Most Island beds pull out for night use, and slide back for day use, but why not just leave it pulled out. Caravans and Motorhomes are limited in space and are designed to be flexible, so expect to have to move things about at bedtime. I think its part of the fun. If I wanted everything to be in its rightful place, I'd stay in a hotel
Same with the fridge. I can't think of any that have a large freezer, so you may need to look into getting a small portable one that plugs into the car when travelling and into the exterior socket when pitched.
The NEC in Feb, or any other show, is your best starting point as you can leap from caravan to caravan and manufacturer to manufacturer. Get there early, and use the whole day.
In the meantime, visit as many dealers as you can, and prioritse your needs.
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Part of the attraction and fun of vanning is that it’s different from home. Don’t get hung up on trying to replicate your house on wheels but pick something you can comfortably adapt to.
All the extras add weight and/or length to a caravan which can then bring downsides by way of difficulty manoeuvring and the need for a big grunty tow car.
Check out the available pay loads on the caravans you look at as some are puny. A big fridge/freezer will hold a weighty amount of food, for instance, before you add things like clothes and bedding.
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Echo the above two comments, if you haven't go to a local dealer and have a good look round various layouts from various manufacturers and actually sit and lie down in them. And there will be many new caravans in your price bracket.
Look carefully as TW says at payloads and perhaps ask about plate upgrade.
And also buy local, there may be a better deal further away but any advice, servicing and/or snags are easier to deal with when your dealer is a few miles away.
And again if you haven't start looking into accessories, ie how to get water in and out, storage, motor movers (essential in my view though most new caravans come with them now) and insurance.
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Based purely on what I have read and discussed with caravan and motorhome owners over the last decade or more, plus what I have seen and my own experience with a British built motorhome I strongly advise you to avoid buying "British".
Continentals whilst installing much the same equipment (fridge freezer, cooker, heating and hot water systems, etc.) seems to be better constructed, robust and problem free, although their layouts don't always appeal to the British dream.
Just a personal opinion and good luck with your search.
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Weight of your van will be critical, as will your tow car. A few years ago a colleague bought a new caravan, his first. He had noted that his car had a maximum towing weight and thought that would be ok. The outfit was very unstable, not helped by him being new to towing. I recommended him to assess whether it fitted within the recommended 85% weight window and found he needed to change his tow car, then all was well. The Club I believe still operates it’s matching service.
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Just a few observations based on our experiences. A central washroom is a definite 'no' for us, because once that door is closed between the two areas, you might as well be sitting in a 12' caravan. Far too claustrophobic for us.
Secondly, don't discount two single beds - plus 'nose strips' and earplugs (we have the same issues as you!). Our last van had a fixed double and we hated the inconvenience when one had to get out of bed in the middle of the night for the loo. One of our better decisions.
I agree re Alde heating - but only from the point of view of reliability. The Truma alternative, whilst an excellent heating system is prone to expensive failure of the electrical heating elements and it's a workshop job to get it repaired.
Powerful shower isn't an issue. If your van doesn't already have have it, change existing pump(s) to Whale High Flows and fit an Ecocamel shower head. I did this to our Knaus just after we got it and now the shower is about as good as the ones at home.
I agree with your choice of manufacturer and if I were looking for a new van, Adria would be at the top of my list. I don't like the new offerings from Knaus after they discontinued production of the Starclass.
Hope this doesn't throw another load of spanners in the works
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We’ve had Swift caravans, not perfect but our current Elegance 565 has two wide single beds and a big rear washroom. Even if we are on a big site with facilities we prefer our own shower and loo, particularly with Covid still about. It has a lifetime water ingress guarantee so no major problems with fear of damp.
Let’s face it all caravans will have to go back to the workshop (even our neighbour’s Adria has had irritating problems) so a good dealership is vital, do your research.
Don’t forget, if you buy a new caravan, then you will need to budget quite a lot extra for all the kit that goes with it, such cutlery, crockery, pans, bedding, gas bottles, waste tank, fresh water tank, awning etc., depending on what you want but don’t buy it all at once. A tow bar doesn’t come cheap either.
if you haven’t towed before consider a towing course as well. I never had one but when I started towing, vans were much lighter, traffic easier and more tolerant. Make sure your tow vehicle is up to it, it’s more than just the 85% rule, you need enough power (torque) otherwise towing is a misery. Take advice.
Hope you have a great caravan journey, we’ve been all over the UK and Europe as a family and now as a couple. it’s been great.
Peter.
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It is not an 85% RULE, but purely a recommendation. Previous discussions on this forum, and others, has challenged the 85% recommendation as being out dated given modern cars and caravans with towing aids such as ATC.
However I agree with the comment about a towing course.
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I'm going to side with TW here but also go a stage further...if you've been inspired to 'motorhome' and this might be your ultimate goal, TW's comment about replicating your home would also apply if, down the line you were looking at moving to a MH you'd need a mighty large MH to replicate an island bedded, centre washroom caravan layout...probably towards 8mtr.
now, I'm certainly not suggesting you don't buy a nice Adria and have a ball in it, and you may become (and remain) staunch caravanners, but there is the feeling that you get less for a lot more in a motorhome and a change down the line will certainly open your eyes....not only to cost but to a probable layout change.
TW himself has downsized substantially over time to find the best blend for him and if what you saw (and aspire to) on TV was folk zipping about in a MH calling in from place to place 'on a whim' then it works best either in a country geared up for MH (France, Spain etc) or with mega room (USA, NZ etc) or with a smaller van that's easy to set up and move on.
however, if it was the bling of a large comfy van with feet up sofas, spending much time in and around it then, as you suggest, this will cost you, with a caravan offering lots of room and comfort for a much lower outlay.
however, it won't be as easy to zip about in the style you see and read about on TV...with a largish caravan there will be more planning involved and short stays might become a chore with the setting up and packing away....
not trying to put you off either MHing or caravanning, but, in this country, with the current popularity, organising is more necessary....
perhaps the caravan is seen as a 'stop gap' till you feel more like moving to a MH...but MH is a different 'style' of touring, not right or wrong...
enjoy the search, many caravanners with loads of advice but it might just be worth taking a few mins to consider the end game and then how you might get there...
good luck.
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It’s fine to concentrate on what sort of outfit you want, but don’t forget to think about where you want to go, and how you want to move about with this touring outfit. Sticking an outfit on one site for say three weeks is a whole lot different to hopping around for three weeks, even if it’s just a couple of sites. GB touring, or overseas touring primarily?
A good starting point is to agree on a list of must haves (and that might not just be design of outfit, but things like storing it, setting up/packing away, having it serviced) things, aspects you cannot do without.Then look at desirables, not essential qualities, but things to make touring life easier, less expensive, no hassle. Can you see any compromises, other ways of solving what you think might be a problem, but with a bit of thought is easily resolved.
Good luck with whatever you choose, but do a lot of research, don’t buy on a whim, and don’t get sucked into dealer speak. There are some absolute sharks, buying issues only resolved by going to court, long, long waits for remedial work to be done, so tread carefully and ask lots of questions before committing large sums of money.
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Thanks everyone for your very helpful replies. Sorry I haven't been back here before now - been too busy choosing a caravan, and all that goes with that!
We did end up with the Adria Adora Tiber 2024. Haven't brought it home yet but have been busy preparing! First got the towbar fitted to Peter's Mercedes S Class. Then he had a short towing course, including theory and on-road towing. He was quite nervous in anticipation, but it all went reassuringly well!
Have also stocked up with quite a load of basics such as melamine crockery, tumblers, cutlery etc. Next on the list are bedlinen, a TV, something to dry towels on etc etc etc!
Dealer is closed until 2nd at which point we'll complete insurance and plan our first trial few nights away. Maybe just up the road to Sandringham. If we can organise cat care! The dogs will come with us!
We're excited, if a little apprehensive. But looking forward, not just to caravanning itself but also to the various opportunities the Club offers. I'm fascinated, for instance, that the club has a choir. How does that work?!
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I'm fascinated, for instance, that the club has a choir. How does that work?!
I think you'll find that they tend to sing in unison.
Not sure if anyone has mentioned this but you may be able to increase your payload by upgrading the axle limit. Speak to your dealer as I'm not sure what Adria do with regard to that. Our axle limit was increased by 50kgs which gives us a healthy 209 kg payload.
Good luck with your new caravan.
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Eventually the choice came down to two – the Adria Adora Tiber 2024 and the Swift Challenger Grande 635 SE 2023. They both had much going for them but the deciding factor was the bathroom door arrangement. In the Swift, the bathroom door needed to be kept closed to the lounge. This had the effect of making the lounge area very small. In the Adria, on the other hand, the door could be closed over the washroom area, i.e. the basin and toilet, while the glass shower doors remained visible, thus retaining clear sight from one end of the van to the other, if desired. Of course, both the washroom door and the bedroom door could be closed together or separately as required.
So the van has been selected and paid for and this has inevitably let to many more purchases of essential items! Bed linen is proving problematic for a genuinely kingsize inline island bed. Most sites quote sizes for double beds, with a 4ft 6″ width, as opposed to the Tiber’s 5ft width.
Nearly ready to go now! Husband has had a towbar fitted to his Mercedes S Class and has undertaken a half-day towing course. He was sleepless with anxiety the night before. No idea why. Especially when he’d happily, and successfully, taken on learning how to drive large touring motorbikes. Until, that is, he had an argument with a suicidal pheasant and decided, with a tad of encouragement from moi, to give up biking. He still misses it. Anyhoo, the towing course – half theory, half on-road – went reassuringly well.
Insurance, and all its requirements, is being sorted as I type. We’ve even just this morning decided we need a weight gauge. We are required to fit a tracker so a suitable device has been organised. And I’ve ordered a couple of clothes/wet towel airers to fit over the van’s windows. So much to think about and learn!
Then there’s a cover. And how to fit it. And …….
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Thanks for the update, J&P. Enjoy your van.
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I also think you have made a wise choice J&P - looks a nice van.
You asked in your original post if we had any hints tips or tricks - how about this one.....
If you intend using your van all year round - as we do - one of the best mods I have done is to fit an electric towel rail. I just don't know what we have done over Christmas when it was either blowing a gale or lashing down with rain or more usually, both! They don't draw much power (about 500w) but using it meant we had dry towels every day, whereas without it, we wouldn't. It also takes the chill out of the bathroom.
They're a bit heavy so the internal wall you fix it to would have to be reinforced but it looks like there might be room in your toilet enclosure and a matching panel could be fixed on the other side. ( With ours, it was very easy - fixed to the outside of one of the wardrobes in the bathroom and reinforced with two pieces of ply on the inside). Quite an easy DIY install but I'm sure your dealer could do it (for a fee!!)
Just a thought.
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