Buying a Camper Van

AdrianC

MX5huggy said:

If the car does not fit inside the motorhome, it’s not really up to snuff. 

We met a couple in Sicily with a car inside the back of their HUGE, very luxurious motorhome. They spent five months every winter on the same site. (Have to admit, buying a house in the area would have made far more sense to me, but...)

Took us a while to figure out where they were from - the nationality sticker on the back was FL.
Liechtenstein.
We think they had to get the moho away, because it overhung their country both ends...

Even with a normal-size camper, the possibilities for carrying a pair of mopeds or ebikes inside are greater than for a car and caravan combo. Many people I know use campers or mohos because it gives them the possibility of towing a car trailer with a track car on it.

Ibrahim5

With a caravan you can easily travel with bikes on the cars roof, inside the car, on a tow hitch carrier or inside the caravan. Never tried an ebike as I can pedal myself quite easily. Could easily put mopeds in the caravan. I know a lot of people who tow a caravan with a 4x4 and then go off roading in the 4x4. I don't really but it's as daft as suggesting that motor homers drive around with track cars on the trailer. It's possible but not common.

NBLondon

AdrianC said:

 Many people I know use campers or mohos because it gives them the possibility of towing a car trailer with a track car on it.

I've seen that at classic car shows - trailering the classic rather than running it on the road and then staying overnight in the van. I've also met (online) a guy who is into off-road camping; where the base vehicle is a 4wd.  Mild version starts with a 4wd van with raised ground clearance (MB Sprinter usually); medium version starts with a Land Rover LWB; extreme version with something military...

NBLondon

BOWFER said:

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....?

I wasn't suggesting you didn't know the difference - but not every body does.

If we are comparing like with like - and starting from scratch - then the question is how much of that £50K differential is taken up by the need to buy a suitable tow vehicle.  If you want an equivalent luxury spec SUV to pull your luxury van then that's not going to give you much change.   If you've already got the tow vehicle - the sums are different.

What we don't see much of in UK is the Demountable Camper Shell that can be transported on the back of a pick-up.  e,g, https://www.northstarcampers.co.uk/index.html   Presumably because we don't have so much of the pick-up culture as the US does; but if you already drive a double-cab - then this is another way to go and is presumably easier to drive than towing a van.  Seem to be in the £20-30K bracket though.

lordmountararat

The real difference between motorhomes and caravans is that motorhomes are cool and caravans definitely are not cool. (Dons hard hat!)

facade

lordmountararat said:

The real difference between motorhomes and caravans is that motorhomes are cool and caravans definitely are not cool. (Dons hard hat!)

I thought it was that motorhomes are stolen more often than BMWs and fiestas

Ibrahim5

Most families run a car. They don't normally keep them that long. When you change you get a car capable of towing. So you end up with a nice family car. You then just buy a caravan. That's the only outlay. The only big expense and the issue to avoid is damp but that is the same with a motorhome. When you want a holiday or short break you just book a campsite. Roughly £30-40 a night for a family. On the campsite you have play areas, swimming pools, cafes, shops, golf courses, tennis courts, pedalos etc etc. When you get there the caravan comes off and you have your normal car to explore. If you buy a motorhome you also buy another vehicle which must be insured, taxed and MOTed. It will have injectors, DPFs, DMFs, engine warning lights etc etc. When you arrive on site if you want to go anywhere you have to pack everything up and then you can't park it anywhere. You can't even go to the supermarket. Anywhere that has been 'traveller proofed' is off limits. Can't use a normal car park. Motorhomes may be better if you don't use campsites but would children prefer a campsite or living in a layby next to a Scottish Loch? Caravans are best for families. Maybe a small motorhome for a pensioner couple exploring Europe for months. The silly bit now is that families seem to be buying motorhomes. I think the main impetus is the requirement for younger people to pass a towing test. Also maybe the 'trendier image'. However in money saving terms it's a big disaster. It would be cheaper to take the test so you can tow a caravan.

Stubod

..interesting debate, we were going to get another caravan when we retired, but after months of looking we gave up, they all seemed so big, and I didn't fancy having to buy a bigger car to tow it. Then thought about a camper/moho, but keep thinking about the negatives around what to do once "on site", as we like to get out and about to see things. (ie pitch caravan then go off to various places). In the end we are thinking about just going B&B / hotels instead. Would be interested to see any financial "break even" points?

burlingtonfl6

I bought a Mobilvetta 3 years ago for 66K
I've just sold it for 65K. 
They hold they're value like money in the bank under normal circumstances but when you factor in covid, people have got profit in ones they bought a couple of years ago.
Anyone thinking of buying a motorhome and getting a bargain you're a year too late. Lockdown last year was when the deposits on them were being taken. Demand is sky high as are prices and stock is at an all time low.
I've had emails from the suppliers telling me I won't be getting any new ones until at least this time next year due to Ford and Peugeot supply issues.
15 grand buys you a chicken shed on wheels and 20 grand barely gets you into a newer shape ( 2007 on) Peugeot.

Ibrahim5

They both depreciate slowly but the motorhome has much greater annual running costs. MOT, tax, insurance, servicing, expensive mechanical repairs. The caravan running costs are negligible. A couple of tyres every 7 years.