Buying a Camper Van

Herzlos

MX5huggy said:

I think so, being a comfortable size to sleep 4 and the kids won’t want to share a double means it would have to be big and then it stops being practical to nip out in it. 

So you could probably just get away with a basic unconverted van? Stick a curtain and portable loo in, and some folding patio furniture, you've just saved yourself £6k and you've still got a van for hauling other stuff around.
Actually, a welfare unit van might be exactly what you need; it's got about 4 seats in the back with a mini kitchen and potentially a toilet: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Transit-Welfare-Unit/224381591917

AdrianC said:

Not as much rental as you'd think, especially at peak holiday times...

B&Bs are cheaper for occasional use, especially when you include the campsite fees.

Fair point actually. Every time we looked into it it just seemed much cheaper and less hassle to stay in hotels unless we were going to be sharing it with family and having it in use most of the summer.

marlot

MX5huggy said:

Looking at Camper Vans, its more for day trips than weeks touring Europe.
Just looking at a 2005 Traffic that has been converted, has a toilet on board which is an wanted but unusual feature. 
How do you value a campervan? is £9k for the above way out? I would like to to do a conversion myself but the Mrs wants a usable van before the kids move out of the home.  

Check out its MOT history online.  Get underneath and have a really good look for rust.
If you just want a day van, consider something like a VW combi and add a little unit for any cooking etc you want.  There are loads of manufacturers - search for 'pods'

Ditzy_Mitzy

We had a go at the hippie trail thing back in the early nineties, after the golden age but good times all the same.  Vehicle, bearing in mind this was in Australia, was a Toyota Hiace camper van of (presumably) 1970s vintage.  It quickly became apparent that the van, a spartan thing, was pretty useless for camping in the true sense but was fabulous as a vehicle; a rugged long-distance, low speed plodder.  We used to make tea and have simple meals in her, as well as driving unlikely distances between towns.  Overnight stops were generally in static caravans on tourist parks or small hotels.  The van was too primitive, really, to sleep in.  Cargo carrying abilities, luggage and supplies, were far superior to a car. 
The UK, let's face it, is too small and developed for that sort of thing now.  One can drive to most of the key places in a day or so and, of course, find a sensibly priced hotel at the other end.  Motorways connect everything, meaning we've lost the knack of the gypsy-esque back road excursion in a Commer or Transit bus.  The facilities, the inns and little shops and roadhouses, that supported such itinerance are long gone and the old roads forgotten.  It's a shame; lots of us yearn for the romance of the traveller lifestyle. 
There are, of course, motorhomes: big shiny palaces on wheels that are as good as something like a Travelodge.  They are also expensive and require tremendous effort to maintain, set up and take down.  They are best suited to park holidays, which then poses the question as to whether it's worth it at all.  Most parks have statics, which are cheaper and, joy of joys, not one's problem when the holiday is over.  
What do you really want a camper van for?  Would you be better off with a large car?  

daveyjp

If you aren't sleeping in it a larger car/SUV/MPV with a 'brew box' in the boot will suffice for cups of tea and coffee and the occasional meal.

Its what we do when on holiday to brew up whilst out and about.

BOWFER

Guy here recently sold his VW based campervan for a motorhome, he wanted a toilet.
£9k will get you something, but not much.....it'll be old and may need a heap of work (new upholstery etc)
What gets me is how much more motorhomes are compared with the equivalent caravan.
Take a really, really nice modern caravan for £25000
The equivalent motorhome will be £80000, easy.
WHY??
Why is the addition of a van based engine and gearbox an extra £55000?
I've asked loads of people involved, no-one can tell me....

AdrianC

BOWFER said:

Guy here recently sold his VW based campervan for a motorhome, he wanted a toilet.
£9k will get you something, but not much.....it'll be old and may need a heap of work (new upholstery etc)
What gets me is how much more motorhomes are compared with the equivalent caravan.
Take a really, really nice modern caravan for £25000
The equivalent motorhome will be £80000, easy.
WHY??
Why is the addition of a van based engine and gearbox an extra £55000?
I've asked loads of people involved, no-one can tell me....

You seem to have forgotten to pay for the tow car... Many people wouldn't need a large 4x4 for their everyday car, but if they want a large caravan, then they ain't towing that behind a Jazz...

You're also way out on your prices. That "extra" £55k alone will give you damn near £10k change from buying a complete brand new camper. Not much over half your wet-finger number.
https://www.lowdhams.com/new-swift-campervans
...or, for less your £25k caravan price, you can buy a few year old van and get it fitted to your taste.

£80k? Brand new Hymer on a Merc chassis-cowl... That's fairly top-end kit.
https://www.lowdhams.com/new-hymer-b-class-modern-comfort-i-motorhomes

We spent a couple of years travelling around the continent and further in a campervan...

Talking to people on campsites, the caravanners used to work on a day to move sites, distance pretty much irrelevant, by the time the awning was down, everything was stowed, hooked up, etc etc. Our record was bed to road in 15 minutes.

With a camper or moho, you have a network of "aires" across most of the continent - free-to-use albeit usually unglamorous places to park, some for breaking a long journey overnight, others on the edges of city centres. Or many car parks allow overnight camper/motorhome - but more rarely caravans.

Ferries in a van are far cheaper than towing a caravan - because you're taking up half the length... Motorway tolls are cheaper.

The flipside is, of course, that it's far easier to strike out from a single base with a caravan, because you use the car.
To which the answer is... electric bikes.

Many camper and motorhome buyers spend the entire winter "on holiday" - when you're doing that number of nights per year, the cost argument against hotels is very different. Also, there's a very different culture when you're on a campsite to in a hotel - much more open, friendly and conversational.

Then, of course, there's the "going to an event" angle. If you want to visit, say, a music festival for a weekend, but don't want to kip in a tent...

ian16527

I think the prices are to pay for the warranty work. They made of tissue paper plywood to keep the weight down
I have worked in the industry designing caravans and campervans. A lot of labour overheads involved. I was one of the minority that actually owned a caravan who worked there.

BOWFER

AdrianC said:

BOWFER said:

Guy here recently sold his VW based campervan for a motorhome, he wanted a toilet.
£9k will get you something, but not much.....it'll be old and may need a heap of work (new upholstery etc)
What gets me is how much more motorhomes are compared with the equivalent caravan.
Take a really, really nice modern caravan for £25000
The equivalent motorhome will be £80000, easy.
WHY??
Why is the addition of a van based engine and gearbox an extra £55000?
I've asked loads of people involved, no-one can tell me....

You seem to have forgotten to pay for the tow car... Many people wouldn't need a large 4x4 for their everyday car, but if they want a large caravan, then they ain't towing that behind a Jazz...

You're also way out on your prices. That "extra" £55k alone will give you damn near £10k change from buying a complete brand new camper. Not much over half your wet-finger number.
https://www.lowdhams.com/new-swift-campervans
...or, for less your £25k caravan price, you can buy a few year old van and get it fitted to your taste.

£80k? Brand new Hymer on a Merc chassis-cowl... That's fairly top-end kit.
https://www.lowdhams.com/new-hymer-b-class-modern-comfort-i-motorhomes

We spent a couple of years travelling around the continent and further in a campervan...

Talking to people on campsites, the caravanners used to work on a day to move sites, distance pretty much irrelevant, by the time the awning was down, everything was stowed, hooked up, etc etc. Our record was bed to road in 15 minutes.

With a camper or moho, you have a network of "aires" across most of the continent - free-to-use albeit usually unglamorous places to park, some for breaking a long journey overnight, others on the edges of city centres. Or many car parks allow overnight camper/motorhome - but more rarely caravans.

Ferries in a van are far cheaper than towing a caravan - because you're taking up half the length... Motorway tolls are cheaper.

The flipside is, of course, that it's far easier to strike out from a single base with a caravan, because you use the car.
To which the answer is... electric bikes.

Many camper and motorhome buyers spend the entire winter "on holiday" - when you're doing that number of nights per year, the cost argument against hotels is very different. Also, there's a very different culture when you're on a campsite to in a hotel - much more open, friendly and conversational.

Then, of course, there's the "going to an event" angle. If you want to visit, say, a music festival for a weekend, but don't want to kip in a tent...

This doesn't tally at all with my findings.
Firstly, you can buy a really nice caravan and a really nice car, and still have change from a motorhome.
Remember people rarely have the motorhome only, they have a car too, no-one goes to work and Tesco in a motorhome....
So caravan + suitable towing car, or motorhome + car for day to day running around - is there any difference?
And £25K does not get a you decent size motorhome a "few years old", nothing like it!
Size for size, the cost difference between caravans and motorhomes is simply staggering....really blows my mind when the literal difference is an engine and gearbox.

lordmountararat

I have owned six camper vans and motorhomes over the last 35 years or so. My current one is 20 years old but was high end when new and is in really great condition, quite cheap to run on petrol/LPG. I'm over 70 so restricted to 3,500 kg and cannot tow, so a caravan would be out. Not everyone enjoys the life, so hire one first to see if it is for you. Also be aware that some campsites do not allow self build motorhomes/campers. Badly converted ambulances are an especial no-no! 

If you just want something for day trips you could do a lot worse than a Mazda Bongo; they have a huge following these days.

burlingtonfl6

BOWFER said:

AdrianC said:

BOWFER said:

Guy here recently sold his VW based campervan for a motorhome, he wanted a toilet.
£9k will get you something, but not much.....it'll be old and may need a heap of work (new upholstery etc)
What gets me is how much more motorhomes are compared with the equivalent caravan.
Take a really, really nice modern caravan for £25000
The equivalent motorhome will be £80000, easy.
WHY??
Why is the addition of a van based engine and gearbox an extra £55000?
I've asked loads of people involved, no-one can tell me....

You seem to have forgotten to pay for the tow car... Many people wouldn't need a large 4x4 for their everyday car, but if they want a large caravan, then they ain't towing that behind a Jazz...

You're also way out on your prices. That "extra" £55k alone will give you damn near £10k change from buying a complete brand new camper. Not much over half your wet-finger number.
https://www.lowdhams.com/new-swift-campervans
...or, for less your £25k caravan price, you can buy a few year old van and get it fitted to your taste.

£80k? Brand new Hymer on a Merc chassis-cowl... That's fairly top-end kit.
https://www.lowdhams.com/new-hymer-b-class-modern-comfort-i-motorhomes

We spent a couple of years travelling around the continent and further in a campervan...

Talking to people on campsites, the caravanners used to work on a day to move sites, distance pretty much irrelevant, by the time the awning was down, everything was stowed, hooked up, etc etc. Our record was bed to road in 15 minutes.

With a camper or moho, you have a network of "aires" across most of the continent - free-to-use albeit usually unglamorous places to park, some for breaking a long journey overnight, others on the edges of city centres. Or many car parks allow overnight camper/motorhome - but more rarely caravans.

Ferries in a van are far cheaper than towing a caravan - because you're taking up half the length... Motorway tolls are cheaper.

The flipside is, of course, that it's far easier to strike out from a single base with a caravan, because you use the car.
To which the answer is... electric bikes.

Many camper and motorhome buyers spend the entire winter "on holiday" - when you're doing that number of nights per year, the cost argument against hotels is very different. Also, there's a very different culture when you're on a campsite to in a hotel - much more open, friendly and conversational.

Then, of course, there's the "going to an event" angle. If you want to visit, say, a music festival for a weekend, but don't want to kip in a tent...

This doesn't tally at all with my findings.
Firstly, you can buy a really nice caravan and a really nice car, and still have change from a motorhome.
Remember people rarely have the motorhome only, they have a car too, no-one goes to work and Tesco in a motorhome....
So caravan + suitable towing car, or motorhome + car for day to day running around - is there any difference?
And £25K does not get a you decent size motorhome a "few years old", nothing like it!
Size for size, the cost difference between caravans and motorhomes is simply staggering....really blows my mind when the literal difference is an engine and gearbox.

And after ten years your car is worth a quarter and your caravan is not worth anything yet the motorhome will still be fetching crazy money.