We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. See the Community Noticeboard for more info. Thank you for your patience.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

Buying a Camper Van

Options
1356711

Comments

  • BOWFER
    BOWFER Posts: 1,516 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Second Anniversary Name Dropper

    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.
    This is true, I've noticed that.
    But it's a moot point if the purchase price is beyond you in the first place.

  • AdrianC
    AdrianC Posts: 42,189 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    BOWFER said:
    This doesn't tally at all with my findings.
    Mine are based on first-hand experience and on links I supplied.
    AdrianC said:
    ...or, for less your £25k caravan price, you can buy a few year old van and get it fitted to your taste.
    And £25K does not get a you decent size motorhome a "few years old", nothing like it!
    Did you read what I actually wrote? Buy a van and get it converted.
  • NBLondon
    NBLondon Posts: 5,698 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    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....
    Are we all using the same definition of "campervan" and "motorhome"?  I've not been in one since family holidays as a kid - but I would assume that a "motorhome" means a coach built living structure built onto a chassis/cab and a "campervan" means a panel van body with interior fitted out for living.  So the former is more expensive as it costs more to build.

    If the price differential for equivalent living accommodation is really that much and you were up for conversion work; you could presumably buy a caravan shell and carrier vehicle (pickup/ tipper ?) and merge the two.   (There was a classic example of this on George Clarke's Amazing Spaces - 60s caravan body on Morris Minor pickup - or this one I once saw at a show https://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/motorhomes/news/unique-rover-p5b-caravanette-up-for-auction ).






    I need to think of something new here...
  • BOWFER
    BOWFER Posts: 1,516 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Second Anniversary Name Dropper
    NBLondon 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....
    Are we all using the same definition of "campervan" and "motorhome"?  I've not been in one since family holidays as a kid - but I would assume that a "motorhome" means a coach built living structure built onto a chassis/cab and a "campervan" means a panel van body with interior fitted out for living.  So the former is more expensive as it costs more to build.

    If the price differential for equivalent living accommodation is really that much and you were up for conversion work; you could presumably buy a caravan shell and carrier vehicle (pickup/ tipper ?) and merge the two.   (There was a classic example of this on George Clarke's Amazing Spaces - 60s caravan body on Morris Minor pickup - or this one I once saw at a show https://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/motorhomes/news/unique-rover-p5b-caravanette-up-for-auction ).






    I'm clear about the distinction between the two, I'm aware a motorhome is effectively a caravan built onto chassis cab.
    Which is precisely my point,.
    I've got friends with motorhomes and caravans, I've been in them and been to showrooms with them (there's a huge motorhome place at Errol near Perth in Scotland).
    Around £25000 can get a you a brand new caravan of a pretty damned decent size, kitted out to very tasteful levels.
    Like a nice boutique hotel room, no horrible patterns on the fabrics and garish colours.
    Getting a motorhome of the same spec is easily £70000-£80000, easy
    That's built onto a Peugeot or Fiat chassis
    Again....why....?
  • Grumpy_chap
    Grumpy_chap Posts: 18,266 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    I often think that I'd like a smaller camper / day-van until I see the prices. 

    I am surprised there is no provider for an aftermarket "pod" that can be fitted and removed to a regular MPV SUV-type vehicle to make this type of thing, so that the back-row seats are used and somehow a table over the middle-row.  There are structures I've seen that fit in the boot of the Berlingo (and similar) but nothing for a normal regular family car MPV / SUV.
  • Ibrahim5
    Ibrahim5 Posts: 1,268 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Name Dropper
    Motorhomes and caravans generally have much less depreciation than cars. A motorhome is another vehicle to service, tax and insure. A caravan is just a trailer that only needs the occasional tyre. The mechanicals of a caravan cost nothing in comparison to a motorhome. The cooker and fridge etc are the same in both. So caravanning ends up a fraction of the price. Buy a caravan for £5K and it will be worth £3K in 10 years time with nothing else to spend.
  • Herzlos
    Herzlos Posts: 15,879 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    What always amuses me is the folk in motorhomes towing a small car around so that they can go places when they arrive. It just seems nicer and easier to do it the other way round and drive a nice car with a caravan on the back.
    I've always favoured caravans because we're less likely to be touring and more likely to use the caravan as a base so we set it up once and leave it alone for a week or 2, taking the car where we need to go. If we did the same in a motorhome we'd either need to bring a car along as well, or pack stuff up to take the motorhome. Then there's the hassle of actually going anywhere in the motorhome because it won't fit into a lot of car parks or spaces.

    But every time I run the numbers I still get back to just staying in hotels; it's cheaper and more comfortable.
  • MX5huggy
    MX5huggy Posts: 7,163 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    If the car does not fit inside the motorhome, it’s not really up to snuff. 
  • ontheroad1970
    ontheroad1970 Posts: 1,697 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Name Dropper
    MX5huggy said:
    If the car does not fit inside the motorhome, it’s not really up to snuff. 
    https://empirerv.co.uk/
    How many cars will you tour from yours?  The S class?
  • Ibrahim5
    Ibrahim5 Posts: 1,268 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Name Dropper
    It will be interesting to see what happens to prices. They are sky high at the moment for both caravans and motorhomes. For current owners it's amazing that they are selling for the same price now as you paid 5-10 years ago. Will there be a big drop in prices when international travel re-opens?
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 351K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.6K Spending & Discounts
  • 244K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 598.9K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 176.9K Life & Family
  • 257.3K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.