to motorhome or not to motorhome (or caravan)

YORKSHIRELASS

Deleted_User wrote: »

We were looking at folding campers yesterday and kind of ruled them out as we could not see many advantages over a normal tent and they seemed quite expensive.
Have you had any issues with security? The bottom of the door is solid with a lock but the upper half is canvas with a zip?

Hi, there are a lot of advantages over a tent. The beds are so much more comfortable and warmer as you are off the ground. In fact the camper is much warmer generally than a tent. You get a proper fridge, sink and cooking area and with the additional of an awning you have plenty of space.

The other big advantage is that you can pack all your camping stuff into the cupboards in the camper and leave it there. We even keep some basic cooking ingredients, toiletries and toothbrushes in the camper through the summer. The main unit can be set up in less than half an hour and we have done overnight stops when we have been going a long way.

As for security, well it is no different than I tent I suppose. We have camped for 10 years as a family and never give security much thought. If we are going out we put all valuables in the boot of the car but that's it.

Google blue sky holdings for more info on folding campers. Its definitely an option to think about.

Heather25

I owned a VW camper 40 years ago and loved the freedom of it. Now I'm living back in Central Scotland, my husband and I bought another one last year. Most of the summer we were enjoying the beautiful west coast and lochs as wild campers. But retirement has offered us the chance to camp for longer periods and we are upsizing to a Motorhome. A caravan would mean that we would have to stay in sites and that's not for us.

Mummyel

ooh following with interest, we were planning on hiring a motorhome for a week or so during the half term. Not sure whether it's going to be hard work with a 3 and 7 year old heading from East Sussex to Scotland...Are we mad?!

bertiewhite

gettingtheresometime wrote: »

The only think I would say in the motorhome v caravan debate is that we see a lot of people either towing cars or motorbikes as you have to drive the motorhome to where ever you want to go otherwise.

I have had this conversation with my wife and I think we came to the conclusion that we'd be better off with a caravan rather than a motorhome for the same reason. We could park up, un-hitch and then use the car to go off doing stuff.

Another disadvantage of a motorhome is having to tax something you aren't using that often - not an issue with a caravan.

Or is my thinking flawed?

RickyBlue

We bought a camper van a couple of years ago and have not regretted it.
We like to go walking and visit interesting places, so the ability park easily was important to us.
Our van is only 5.4 meters long so we can park in most normal car parks and supermarkets etc.
Ultimately, it is how you want to use your camper / caravan that will help you decide which is best for you.

For us the advantages are:
1. Easy to drive and park and we can set off with little notice or preparation.
2. We can arrive on site and set up in a few minutes
3. We often use our van just for the day, which means we have somewhere comfortable to rest /eat / change clothes etc after a walk or day out. Same applies when on holiday but away from site.
4. It is easy to stay at non-official locations (wild camping) especially in scotland
5. Although only 5.4m long, our van has a double or 2 single beds, a full kitchen, hot water and a small washroom with toilet and shower.
6. We often use our van as a second car.

Disadvantages are:
1. We have to tax/insure/mot the vehicle
2. The cost of the camper van was much more than a similarly aged caravan, although we don't need to run a large tow car for day to day driving

Our camper van suits us because of the flexibility it gives. For us a larger motor-home would be worse than either, because of the difficulty in parking, restricting you to longer periods on a camp site. But this may be exactly what you want, so it is how you want to use it that is most important.

System

We had a Motorhome for a couple of years, more as a trial for our son who is autistic. Changed to a caravan, never looked back. Much more room, far cheaper to buy, cheaper travelling around as well as you're only lugging the weight to the site. My Mondeo towing a 26ft 1.5 tonne twin axle camper van at 33MPG got the same MPG as the Motorhome did but once free of it its getting an extra 20MPG. I'd hardly consider a Mondeo a large tow car.

fred246

We had a nice family car that could tow. In 2006 we paid £6K for a second hand caravan. Worth about £2K now on ebay. Maintenance - 4 new tyres. Few bits & bobs. Say £1K. £416 a year.
Our relatives - new motorhome 5 years ago £42K. Worth £32K now. They tell us it costs £3K a year to keep it on the road. Tax, insurance, main dealer servicing. Cost £5K a year.
We go away together. They have to fill it with food before leaving as they can't go to shops. It takes 4 parking spaces together and is too high for height barriers. Once we get to a site they won't leave it as they have to pack it all away and you can't park it at most tourist attractions.
Our relatives have got levelling blocks but the motorhome is never level. It's a problem with young children as their food and drinks can end up on the floor. We have a mover on the caravan so it's levelled to perfection every time.
People with motorhomes say they are good for wild camping. The OP has a young child. Would you rather stay on a site with toilets, showers, swimming pools, entertainment etc or on a lay-by at the side of the road with cars and lorries passing? I've slept in lay-bys in my caravan and never really liked it. Can't imagine I'd enjoy it much in a motorhome.
Even if you have to take an extra driving test to tow a caravan it should be worth it financially. Courses are available. People with horses have to take it to tow a trailer. I have seen £600 quoted for lessons & test. Would be a good investment.

13Kent

Just booked a Haven site in Cornwall for the first week of Easter hols in our touring caravan for 2 adults 2 kids and a dog, £89. The cheapest accommodation on the site was a safari tent for £329 or a chalet £599

fred246

Our children used to get 2 weeks off at whit. Most schools only had one. A few years ago on the second week Haven were charging £4 a night for Perran Sands. The popular week before was £40 per night. We stayed 5 nights for £20. I think Haven like to have people on site. They hope you will spend a lot.

13Kent

I think a lot of schools don't finish for Easter until the week after, so as you say I think that's why. Our kids will be happy with the pool and the beach and some 2p's for the arcade. The cheap site fees give us a little bit extra in the pot to have a few treats! I think we paid about £35 a night at a site in the summer which didn't have as many facilities.