I see that new 4-berth motorhomes are available for £30-35k onwards.
This looks much better value for money considering that many cars cost similar amount!
They also tend to hold their values well as motorhomes from mid 90s are not that cheap compared to new ones.
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>> I see that new 4-berth motorhomes are available for £30-35k onwards.
>>
>> This looks much better value for money considering that many cars cost similar amount!
>>
>> They also tend to hold their values well as motorhomes from mid 90s are not
>> that cheap compared to new ones.
buy a van, a sofa from DFS, and a bit of carpet from carpetrite, then see how much more the "motor home" costs.
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Chap I know was determined to buy one as a retirement present to himself with a view to him and his wife taking the slow road around Europe. Wisely though, he decided to hire one first to try out the idea. They liked it up to a point but found that it was a bit inconvenient when they got to places to have to up sticks with everything to go out for a day. They'd strapped some bikes to the back but obviously that only gave them a limited and fairly weather dependent range. I suppose a small motorbike would have been handier. You do see them towing small cars, Smarts and the like. presumably for that very reason. Strikes me then that if you reach that stage you'd be better off pulling a decent sized and almost certainly considerably cheaper caravan with the family car.
In the end that's exactly what my pal did. They ended up "mooring" or "pitching" or "parking" ? it in the south of France and leaving it there and now they drive down to it and sometimes tow it on further afield ( so to speak ). This way they have a luxury mobile home and don't need an extra car. Seems to make some sense to me. Not as much sense as an hotel but there you go!
I quite fancy a narrowboat. They tie up for the night on the canal behind my house. Some very laid back types on them. Sort of bumble at 4mph between decent pubs while keeping topped up with gin from what I can gather.
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We have caravanned for over 20 years & toured a lot in Europe. Like Humph D'bout we fancied a narrow boat few years ago and we live a few yards from a canal and marina so we spent a weekend on one and that was enough.
We found it very confined for space, cold an night, smelly from diesel fumes when the wind was in the wrong direction and when we were on certain stretches where a look out was needed my wife was stuck 40 ft away up the front ! and the kids wanted to spend more time running along the bank ! By the time we had climbed Devizes locks, we were knackered !
We also spent time looking at motor-homes but our friends beat us too it and after a few trips to Italy they decided a motor home was too cramped for 24 hr living and have gone back to a caravan. We love the freedom and can leave the van behind when we go out for the day sightseeing. Our caravans have always held their value very well so no complaints, and always change every three years
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Two people I know have motorhomes. Both are mid sized so no restrictions on where you can go, within reason. They also have a car, but are off virtually every weekend in the mhomes.
I quite fancy the idea of a 'fifth wheel', although you don't see so many here in the UK. Friends in the States have one, and I have enjoyed several trips in it. You can leave it on site (or on the beach at Baja California in their case) and drive off in the pick up somewhere for the day.
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I go cycling up the canal tow path and have a chat with a few old folks who have these boats but many seem to be couples or singles with there easy relaxed way of life, not families with teenagers.
I can see the nostalga with a boat in the summer months not winter but not seen any with a car port on the back..;-)
Camper van for the tight sod is a panel van with windows fitted & you can fit it out quite comfortable with porta loo & extras for not much & try this for a fraction of the price of a motorhome.
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I do wish people wouldn't call motorhomes campervans. There used to be a (UK IIRC) company that sold trailer tents under the campavan name.
I'm easily confused nowadays.
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IIRC motorhomes are different from campervans.
Campervan = essentially a standard van with cooking/sleeping arrangement. Usually no toilet.
Motorhome (also motorcaravan and Recreational Vehicles in USA) = comparatively bigger and have full seating/sleeping/cooking/toilet etc.
American RVs are often as big as coaches!
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It's a van one (well, obviously not one but someone) uses for camping - i.e. short-term accommodation in a non-permanent structure. 'Motor home' is marketing faux-grandeur and implies permanent residence.
We could, if you prefer, use a term that reflects what we actually think of the things; not as road users, you understand, but as neighbours who have to look at them for the 49 weeks a year when their owners haven't parked next to 200 similarly free spirits on a windswept campsite outside Bournemouth. Bleagh! These things were made to be rented, if they really had to be made at all.
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Motor homes look expensive to me, particularly in comparison to a caravan.
A medium-sized, well-specced touring caravan is around £15,000.
Similar accommodation in a motor home costs at least £50,000, if not nearer £70,000.
For that you have a large vehicle which must be unwieldy, rear overhangs of a metre or more are common.
Upon arrival on site, some setting up would be required, most of which would have to be undone should you want to go out anywhere.
It's easy to see why some owners tow a small car.
If you are going to do that, you might as well save a lot of money by towing a caravan, which also gives you a decent car to go out in when you get there.
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£70,000!
That's 700 nights in a decent hotel with proper beds and an en suite
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Good point about transportation when you are parked up, towing a car round can be a nuisance but we did find an alternative.
We seriously considered a used coach built motohome a few years ago, built on the very robust, durable and quite economical Mercedes 814 7.5 ton truck chassis, built for a small motocycle racing team, with a hug boot at the back.
The body was identical to a horse box, may even have been one converted new and very strong, having overheard storage above the tilt cab, and full quite large living and sleeping accomodation, having a step frame long and high 'boot'section behind the rear wheels to accomodate several bikes plus gear, barn rear doors.
It sounds a rough and ready vehicle, but was far from that.
What really tempted us was that the boot would have accomodated a Smart or other very small car, possibly a real Mini, and strong enough being horse box to carry it....something the seller hadn't thought of surprisingly.
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>> What really tempted us was that the boot would have accomodated a Smart or other
>> very small car, possibly a real Mini.
>>
A Smart or a Mini?! Pahh!
When we were looking at campers there was an enormous German built motorhome on show, about the size of a large coach, that had a raised floor and enough room between the axles for a Mercedes SLK, on a slide out platform/frame!
Not really camping though, is it?
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...that had a raised floor and enough room between the axles for a Mercedes SLK, on a slide out platform/frame!...
I saw pics of something similar.
The car was driven in from the offside, towards the kerb, so needed to be short.
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This motor home costs £61,500:
tinyurl.com/6coahld
In room and spec terms it's about the same as this tourer for £13,000:
tinyurl.com/6e3r9sg
If anything, the tourer has more room.
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Wouldn't it be more appropriate to compare (car + caravan) with motorhome?
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...Wouldn't it be more appropriate to compare (car + caravan) with motorhome?...
As you wish.
This nearly new Mondeo would make a brilliant tow car:
tinyurl.com/65as3mt
It adds £15,000 to the bill, making the motor home only twice as expensive.
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Watched big motorhomes being manouevered on an Auvergnat campsite during my french sojourn. Levelling and unpacking didn't seem much quicker than getting our Rigidome tent up. And then everything has to be stowed to go out for the day.
They were warmer than us at night though!!
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Wouldn't it be more appropriate to compare (car + caravan) with motorhome?
Only if the camper van (ya boo!) is a replacement for the car. The reason most campers spentd most of the year flattening their tyres and batteries is that their owners have a car to use the rest of the time.
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...The reason most campers spentd most of the year flattening their tyres and batteries is that their owners have a car to use the rest of the time...
And because most owners find the motor home impractical for day-to-day use.
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Lest anyone get the impression that I'm arguing in favour of draggable caravans, I'm not. They belong in the same category as floor sanders and concrete mixers, to be rented for a specific occasion, not owned and left to stand expensively and obstructively idle for most of the year.
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I assume the motorhome and caravan haters have tried them both and are fully equipped to make an informed decision.
You forget everyone has a choice, and that choice is not necessarily the same as yours would be.
Just think, if all the motorhome owners go shopping in Sainsbury's at once you'll be moaning that they take up too much room.
Live and let live, for goodness sake, it's variety that makes the world go round.
Pat
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I assume the motorhome and caravan haters have tried them both and are fully equipped to make an informed decision.
No need, Pat. The Try Everything Once Except... list was amended in 1975 to add caravanning to incest and morris dancing.
But if you read this thread carefully you'll see no-one's really arguing against caravanning per se; just that tying up large amounts of money and real estate in an asset that's used so little makes poor sense.
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>>just that tying up large amounts of money and real estate in an asset that's used so little makes poor sense<<
You see it's exactly that point I disagree with WdeB.
I think everyone has a right to choose what they spend their hard earned money on without criticism.
That includes making a bad financial choice if they so wish, and it makes them happy.
Pat
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I think everyone has a right to choose what they spend their hard earned money on...
No argument from me so far.
...without criticism.
Pardon? Are you really suggesting that you have a right not to hear personal views that don't correspond to yours? If that's how sensitive you are, Pat, I'd tactfully suggest that an open discussion forum isn't the place for you. By all means put your case to the contrary - that's what discussion is all about - but please don't try to silence me because I don't agree with you.
Back to the financials. Suppose a trailer caravan costs £15,000 and has a service life of ten years. A hire company can rent it out for 100 days a year at an equipment cost of £15 a day. Add some office, maintenance and storage costs and a decent chunk of margin and it can charge £50 a day to its customers.
From the customer's point of view, a two-week annual holiday and a couple of long weekends amount to maybe 25 days a year when they want to use a caravan. So over the same ten years they might pay £12,500 for the same benefit, without the hidden cost of tying up a five-digit sum in a depreciating asset, or the real costs of maintenance, tyres and insurance, or having to store it at home between trips.
So there must be something emotional going on if the 'free holidays' proposition doesn't stack up. Most of us don't worry about renting a holiday cottage - and I still would rent even if I could afford to buy one - so why do caravanners feel the need to own theirs?
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>>...without criticism.
Pardon? Are you really suggesting that you have a right not to hear personal views that don't correspond to yours? If that's how sensitive you are, Pat, I'd tactfully suggest that an open discussion forum isn't the place for you. By all means put your case to the contrary - that's what discussion is all about - but please don't try to silence me because I don't agree with you.
<<
WdeB, I am suggesting that people have a right to spend their hard earned money, and make the financial decision which suit them best, without criticism from anyone.
Nothing more, nothing less and I would appreciate it if you take what I write at face value and not try and twist my words into someting entirely different.
If you want the case to the contrary, then that is it.
I feel that everyone's circumstances, preferences, needs and finances are different and none of those reasons should be of concern to anyone else.
It seems the main reason for dislike of motorhomes and caravans is that some people find it objectionable to see them parked on others driveways, but again, that is their right.
>>So there must be something emotional going on if the 'free holidays' proposition doesn't stack up. Most of us don't worry about renting a holiday cottage - and I still would rent even if I could afford to buy one - so why do caravaner's feel the need to own theirs?<<
Now you've hit the nail on the head with the word 'emotional'.
It's the convenience of being able to decide at 4pm on a Friday to go away for the weekend without having to make a booking previously. Having it packed and ready to go with no preparation. Being able to get a map out and decide to turn left or right at the end of the road, to determine where you end up.
None of us consider them to be 'free holidays' as you call them, we do however love the 'freedom' they give us.
Now, your criticism of caravan/motorhome owners hit a nerve with me for a very good reason.
Four years ago we had two holidays booked for that summer, both paid for when at the last minute Mr pda found another lump. The merrygoround started once again and we managed 3 days of the 2 Weeks we had booked in Cornwall at a luxury flat overlooking the harbour at a cost of £900 per week.
It became apparent that the holiday we had put together in Galway in September with flights, cottage and car hire would have to be cancelled and once again the majority of the money forfeited as air travel wasn't allowed and he had to be within 4 hours of Addenbrookes until January of the following year.
During that dark time, and with very limited finances we made a decision for me to stay at full time work for an extra year when we'd already planned for me to stop due to Arthritis causing me problems and getting worse.
The goal for that decision was to buy our own, brand new caravan to enable us to go away when the times were good, but to be close to home if we needed to be. To be able to go when Ian was well enough at a moments notice but cancel if all was not well and not lose money.
But most of all we wanted to 'own' something and be the master of our own fate with holidays after the turmoil of the previous summer and the disappointments and worries that had gone with it.
The decision to work for another year got us the caravan in just 8 months and the other 4 months equipped it to the spec we wanted. It wasn't wast to do, but in our opinion it was well worth it and a decision we've never regretted.
We've since gone on to swap that one for another brand new one thanks to the better health of Ian and my part time training.
The reason for telling this tale is to demonstrate that the decision IS a personal one and I really don't think anyone has the right to criticise us for making it.
I wouldn't expect anyone else to make the same choice, but we both know that when I can't work at all our income will be greatly reduced, but we will always be able to go on holiday in a caravan owned by us.
Pat
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Good luck to anybody who can afford a motorhome and people who like to travel with a caravan.I was tempted to by a motorhome.Circumstances change and we visit various places in our car.York is one of my favorite places not far for us to drive.
Make every day a good day Pat.>:)
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"It's the convenience of being able to decide at 4pm on a Friday to go away for the weekend without having to make a booking previously. Having it packed and ready to go with no preparation. Being able to get a map out and decide to turn left or right at the end of the road, to determine where you end up."
Nah I dont buy that. That is an oversimplification. Some degree of location planning is required, specially at busy weekends. Unless you want to camp on a layby off the bypass. Which is usually not legal.
You also cant keep a weekends clothes in a caravan all the time, they would go mouldy.
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From experience if we decide to go at 4 pm on a Friday we can be away by 4:30.
Packing a few items of clothing is not a major task
The other big advantage for us is that campsites which allow dogs seem to be far more plentiful than nice hotels which allow dogs
If it doesn't work for you fair enough but we have done a quick getaway several times & had a lot of relaxed weekends we might not otherwise have had.
You can always find a club site near where you want to be with space at short notice
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>> Packing a few items of clothing is not a major task
Clearly you have never met Nicole.
>> The other big advantage for us is that campsites which allow dogs seem to be
>> far more plentiful than nice hotels which allow dogs
Now that is a good point. However we book pet friendly cottages.
But seriously, leaving anywhere in the south east on a late Friday afternoon? Hours of stress awaits.
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>> motor home impractical for day-to-day use
Holidaying anywhere via car/flight and staying in hotels is the most practical way. But I think those who buy motorhomes, they do it for the experience/fun rather than practicality.
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Maybe, but they don't take the van to work or to Sainsburys either, do they? They have a car for that, which is precisely what Iffy and I are getting at.
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...which is precisely what Iffy and I are getting at...
It is.
I know of two people who each bought a small motor home in the hope it would replace the family car.
Both found it would not.
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OK, been watching this one, we have run ours, a van conversion so not coachbuilt, but 6 berth, for 24 years and my wife's parents had it for 11 before that, so we have a reasonable amount of experience
It does replace the second car for many people and functions very well as the load lugger for DIY, tip trips etc.
Ours also functioned well as a family vehicle when the kids were young as it was actually very handy to have all their gear with us when we were out for the day. Now that there is just the two of us it's still handy to go off into countryside etc & have tea making facilities, cold drinks etc on board with us.
I also find it kind of funky to drive, mine is a classic car with extra features, may not be everybody's choice but this one has been in the family 35 years so far, can't think how often we'd have had to change a towcar in that time.
For us it has been and still is a great vehicle as part of the fleet.
Note this one has never been the main vehicle or even the second vehicle for us, total mileage including a few years not used when we were looking after infirm parents, is still only a bit over 71k.
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Sounds like owning a motorhome is a bit like owning a boat, tearing up £50 notes without the cold shower quite so often.:)
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>> Sounds like owning a motorhome is a bit like owning a boat, tearing up £50
>> notes without the cold shower quite so often.:)
>>
Only if you buy a new plastic gin palace (in either case), they last far longer than the average car so there are plenty of older ones about which, in most cases, you can use for a few years and if you look after it, still get pretty well all of your money back.
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>> there are plenty of older ones about
Everyone living (or travelling) inside the London LEZ with a motorhome registered between 1973 and 2001 will need to get rid of it by next January, if it's a diesel:
www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/lez/17700.aspx#tkt-tab-panel-2
Last edited by: Dave_TDCi on Mon 26 Sep 11 at 16:23
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Big coachbuilts may be a problem, van conversions should be OK, not that I go near London in mine. This sort of anti classic legislation with a random date of 1973 to define classic is a bad joke, high time the rolling exemptions were reintroduced (Mine is 1974)
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A motorhome is not interchangeable with a caravan except to those without experience of either.
We have a small caravan which has been excellent value, and far from a financial disaster. It has got us all over the UK and will be going further afield when we have more time. We use it as a base for our daily exploration of an area, and it stays put for anything up to a week at a time. I'd get very frustrated trying to do that with a motorhome - we also like to visit 2 or 3 towns on some days and motorhomes aren't great for that.
I have a good pal (retired) who is on his second motorhome (he got the majority of his money back on the first one after 5 years). He and his wife go off for about 3 months each year, taking in southern or eastern europe, Nordics etc. Their interest includes remoter areas where wild camping is appropriate, rather than dedicated sites. They would not contemplate a caravan any more than I would a motorhome. They don't drag a car.
Are they expensive? Unless you use them, yes. More people probably make mistakes with mortorhomes than caravans, and anyone who has only a vague idea about going off where and when they like, rather than a defined idea about how they will use it based on their interests, would be better advised to hire before buying. There are a lot of used motorhomes with very low mileage.
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caravans, motor homes and narrowboats only appeal to the folks who WANT to find relaxation and not spend all day moaning on internet forums.
i have a narrow boat at 50ft and is plenty spacious for us 2 with the children. the only reason one would be tired climbing staircase locks is if you were trying to ush the process which says you are not suited to narrow boats. they are in no way cold in the winter. just the opposite and it you were cold its because you specced the wrong heating.
i have a 4b motor home and use it all year round mostly off site and enough room for 2 adults and 2 children and with a drive away awning on a pitch we can put all our stuff in there and still use the motor-home for sightseeing.
i also have a 20ft outboard powered fishing boat that also gets used weekly all year round.
you need to slow down your pace of life to appreciate any of these recreational vehicles.
a decent motor home can be had used for 20k , also used narrowboat can be had for 25k in excellent order and a caravan for 10k nearly new.
so i have alll these toys for the price of a good luxury car
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>>i have a narrow boat at 50ft
>>i have a 4b motor home
>>i also have a 20ft outboard powered fishing boat
I've got a KIA Pride. ;>(
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I've got a Focus Pocus.>;)
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Despite my reservations, I fancy trying a motor home for a week or two's touring.
But hiring one costs £100+ a day - the price of a night in a good hotel.
Of course, comparing the cost to a hotel shows I've already missed the point.
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>> Despite my reservations, I fancy trying a motor home for a week or two's touring.
if you're going to do it, get it right first time
www.yorkshireclassiccampers.co.uk/intro.html
no connection other than membership of the same forum (guess which one)
Last edited by: commerdriver on Mon 26 Sep 11 at 20:42
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And now for something completely different...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsrDKdpcj9Q
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OH NO! I wasn't expecting the Spanish inquisition.
Apologies to John Cleese et al.
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...if you're going to do it, get it right first time...
cd,
Thanks for the link.
You'll not be surprised to learn I had in mind hiring a £50K gin palace.
But the prices for the Commers are reasonable, and they are not far from my caravan.
A weekend tootle around the dales for £150 is tempting.
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>> But the prices for the Commers are reasonable, and they are not far from my
>> caravan.
>>
>> A weekend tootle around the dales for £150 is tempting.
>>
If i wanted to tootle around in something classic, it would be a VW splitty, not a converted greengrocers van,
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>> If i wanted to tootle around in something classic, it would be a VW splitty,
>> not a converted greengrocers van,
>>
There's a man with more money than sense, you just don't get it do you.
Some day, over a pint, I will tell you why a real British classic is far better to actually use and drive, in every way, than an overpriced VW beetle based fashion item.
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>> you just don't get it do you.
No you dont do you.
Both your breadvan and the splitty are crap to drive, If I wanted something nice to drive I would buy a car.
BUt if one is saddled with a crap van then one might as well have a bit of class, something with a little style, something of theatre.
All of which is not attached to a commer.
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...Both your breadvan and the splitty are crap to drive...
Not crap Zero, just different.
Either would be good fun around the dales and North York Moors.
But the VW would be less likely to overheat in the permanent traffic jams you are used to.
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>> ...Both your breadvan and the splitty are crap to drive...
>>
>> Not crap Zero, just different.
If you have driven an old van, you would appreciate that crap is appropriate.
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...If you have driven an old van...
I've driven both Commer and VW vans, and a few others I've probably forgotten.
Enjoyed all of them in their own way.
But then, I also like driving old agricultural tractors.
As has been said a few times on this thread, you either get these different types of vehicles, or you don't.
You don't, others do.
Vive la difference.
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you dont spend a week driving and living in an agricultural tractor. An hour at most for fun.
Hundreds of miles in one of those crap vans is not fun., Holidays are meant to be fun.
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...Hundreds of miles in one of those crap vans is not fun...
Which is why the Commer hire website talks of a 100 mile radius limit, cruising at 40/50mph, not suitable for motorways, etc.
Which is why I envisage my trip as taking in relatively few miles on rural roads which are generally free of traffic.
An hour would be enough for fun on an agricultural tractor, although a day spent in the saddle doing real work - ploughing, haymaking - is very satisfying.
It comes back to where we started, you either get these vehicles, or you don't.
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>> ...Both your breadvan and the splitty are crap to drive...
>>
>> Not crap Zero, just different.
Z you need to get out of the playground name calling routine
The Commer and other old vehicles are different to drive, if you don't like it then fine, you are welcome to your opinion.
I have always had huge respect for your contributions to this forum & its predecessor but lately you seem to be taking on the grumpy old man role and it does not suit you.
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>> I have always had huge respect for your contributions to this forum & its predecessor
>> but lately you seem to be taking on the grumpy old man role and it
>> does not suit you.
Its the truth as i see it. Its funny how a blinkered view can not appreciate that.
If you have to admit that the drive is "different" and not "good" or "fun" that, to me indicates a certain reticence. Why not just come out and say "yeah it's not relaxing or fun, in fact its a bit of a bind and hard work"
Given that, its not unfair to expect some other reward, like a bit of romance or sense of occasion. That would be the splitty. Even you cant say the Commer has romance or sense of occasion. It is at the end of the day, just an old, not very good, commercial vehicle.
Just to be fair, I have spent 7 days and 100km with a brand new Fiat 500 around Sicily. That had a sense of theatre and romance, but it was crap to drive. A bitter bitter disappointment in fact.
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>>>but lately..
Lately! You obviously weren't paying attention previously.
More amusing voice of reason than grumpy old man I'd say. Anyway there is huge pleasure to be had in owning/using/doing things others think bonkers.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Tue 27 Sep 11 at 11:25
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...Anyway there is huge pleasure to be had in owning/using/doing things others think bonkers...
Reminds me of a milkie I used to know who reckoned driving his float around London was much more fun than a car.
His proudest boast was being ticked off (but not nicked) for speeding by a copper when he let the float run away with him on one of the steep hills around Highgate.
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you'll be telling us next his name was Ernie.
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...you'll be telling us next his name was Ernie...
Maurice, although it being London, everyone called him 'Mol'.
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>> Just to be fair, I have spent 7 days and 100km with a brand new
>> Fiat 500 around Sicily. That had a sense of theatre and romance, but it was
>> crap to drive. A bitter bitter disappointment in fact.
typo 1000 km.
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>> Even you cant say the Commer has romance or sense of occasion. It is at the end of the >> day, just an old, not very good, commercial vehicle.
Romance & sense of occasion are personal things, to us the Commer is fun & especially for ours has been part of the family for 30+ years. Our kids grew up taking holidays & weekends away in the Commer & loved every minute, even the trips on the recovery vehicles!
It is good to drive & I always enjoy it, partly because it is on leisure trips but partly because it is relaxing to drive and it is always fun to watch people's reactions when I go by.
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>> OK, been watching this one, we have run ours, a van conversion so not coachbuilt,
>> but 6 berth, for 24 years and my wife's parents had it for 11 before
>> that, so we have a reasonable amount of experience
>>
Hi Commer D. Post a couple of pics please....seriously, sounds good to me. Don't worry about Zeddo and the 'at 'e chewed, he is stuck in the Sarf east.
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Both my friends found it would!
Motorhome goes to Tescos, nursery, cinema, night out at the curry house.
Oh, and most weekends away.
It works well for some people.
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>>Note this one has never been the main vehicle or even the second vehicle for us, total mileage including a few years not used when we were looking after infirm parents, is still only a bit over 71k. <<
SWMBO had a Commer caravan like that once. She reckons that if you drove it flat out, seven days a week, for 50 years you still wouldn't manage to put 100k on it ;-)
I was standing on a street corner a few years ago and saw a huge motor home drive past, towing an enormous trailer loaded with a BMW 5-series Touring.
I guess it's like almost everything else - you either get it or you don't...
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Brother and sister in law have a Mercedes diesel motor home which they bought when he retired and they spend several months touring Europe and stopping where the fancy takes them.......they have covered thousands of miles.The way of life suits them.
He has a full motorbike licence and so they can go off for the day and leave the van but also will rent an apartment if they get fed up with staying in the van.
When in the UK they can and do set off at the drop of a hat as the van is kept in a specialist storeage park 10 minutes from their home.
The last I heard from them a week ago they were in Corfu......
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Very similar, slightly newer so different shape rear lights and reflective number plates, but the same Autosleeper conversion. look on that forum for Buttercup, there are some pictures there.
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Ahh found a pic... looks nice after the restoration.
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I always find it slightly ironic the way caravanners refer to the 'freedom' they have by owning one.
Freedom? The fact you have to pack/prepare this thing, hitch it and find a site near where you want to be (booking in advance recommended if its during peak season) - unhitch it and hook yourself up to power etc to make sure all of your mod cons work.
Then on returning home you have to empty/clean it, and in many cases tow it to a secure place for storage unless you're leaving it on your drive.
Not my idea of freedom! Last minute call to a hotel/b&b, dump a bag in the car and off I go for a weekend away! And I generally don't need to empty the toilet in the hotels I choose!
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>> always find it slightly ironic the way caravanners refer to the 'freedom' they have by owning one.
Although I neither drove a motorhome nor towed a caravan, the MH option seems easier (albeit more expensive). Caravan just seems too difficult - just as you mentioned.
If wild camping is not frowned upon, then a MH is definitely freedom. But having to book a campsite everytime start a journey somewhat defeats the whole purpose of freedom. But you can't avoid that to fill/empty water/waste tank.
I read that continental Europe is more MH friendly compared to UK.
>> generally don't need to empty the toilet in the hotels
Well, I never had to clean the toilet in any hotel :-)
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I've hired caravans and also borrowed a motorhome a couple of times. The motorhome was slightly better but still involved a good degree of preparation (filling water tanks etc, ensuring gas bottles full, and so on)
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...The motorhome was slightly better but still involved a good degree of preparation (filling water tanks etc, ensuring gas bottles full, and so on)...
For a caravanner, the 'before' and 'after' is all part of the hobby.
As is browsing caravan shops for those little accessories to improve the experience.
I have my static set up for low maintenance, but part of the enjoyment of having it is doing the various small tasks.
The trick is to have enough to do to make it diverting and interesting, but not so much as to make it a bind.
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>> For a caravanner, the 'before' and 'after' is all part of the hobby.
>>
>> As is browsing caravan shops for those little accessories to improve the experience.
I think thats spot on Iffy. I'm a tent man for now but Mrs B's retirement plan includes a caravan. Putting it up, pottering round and keeping it tidy are part of the pleasure. Visiting the communal wash up is a social activity rather than a chore - though having kids old enough to delegate the task helps!!
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>> Not my idea of freedom! Last minute call to a hotel/b&b, dump a bag in
>> the car and off I go for a weekend away! And I generally don't need
>> to empty the toilet in the hotels I choose!
>>
It pays to take industrial ear defenders to many hotels and b&b's at weekends, that way when the late night boozers stagger in crashing about, giggling, swearing and slamming doors at midnight you won't be disturbed.
Don't remove the defenders till at least 3 am though cos the after the jolly bit of boozing takes over at 2am and the rows start, these usually go on till about 4am till the chavs eventually fall asleep.
Woe betide you though if you should happen to get up at 8am and have a wash etc or flush the loo before going down to what's humourously called breakfast, the hungover neanderthal still with the unsatisfied previous nghts urges will soon be blearily eyed out of the door and remonstrating with you...better that than the unmade-up croydon facelift from hell should appear though.
There's a lot to be said for having you own shell to curl up in at night when out and about.
The hellish passengers of hotels and b&b's have aided and abetted our journey into recluse land.
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>>I always find it slightly ironic the way caravanners refer to the 'freedom' they have by owning one<<
Have you also noticed snakey that caravan owners don't try and change others into thinking it would be right for them...that's the true meaning of freedom:)
I can't have breakfast when I want in a hotel or a ciggie, either!
Pat
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I know where GB is coming from - I've stayed in some hotels that were ruined by irritating drunks and thats in UK and europe. I've also stayed on campsites and been kept awake by drunks/barking dogs etc. The worst offenders on the campsites seem to have been middle aged groups getting rowdy after a few bottles of wine an a few games of canasta!
I'm not against caravans in general - apart from they shouldn't be allowed on the road :-)
I'd just rather rent one in situ, or a cottage/chalet/carefully chosen hotel/b&b
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Both campsites and hotels can be poor experience depending on circumstances.
However, most good hotels have quite good sound insulation.
I have been to camp site (in tent) just once and didn't really enjoy it. The whole experience seemed primitive. Didn't feel comfortable with so many dogs around my tent. It looked no better than refugee camps. I also hated the queue in the morning for toilets!
I hope experience inside MH will be much better :-)
But again these are all down to personal preferences.
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Dogs around your tent? Where was you on a gypsi site.
I used to go camping as a youngster tent on the back of my bicycle and of with my mate Jan.
Whent camping once with a family member,got up in the morning freezing cold.I made some baked beans on one of these gas thingys.He kept complaining about my cooking so I punched him up the nose.I was sixteen.He left the tent and cycled home,never mind I had the beans to myself.>:)
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I am praying for the day when I can spend Perhaps a week at home without work related matters and play catch up on chores here. The thought of a holiday....any 'holiday' (away) is quite frankly, very off putting at the moment.
Always fancied a camper though but thought caravans a better option overall, but with a minimum of 150bhp in front.
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It's basically down to ' Each to his own '. I tow my 17ft van at the speed that the government has told me not to exceed. If that holds anyone up then blame them, not me. I do pull in to a convenient lay-by if I've a few behind. Many are mimsers, though, and stay behind me holding the rest up. Of course, there's always the Micra in front of me that they can't see !
Just got back from a long weekend in Delamere Forest with caravanning friends. Not many hotels where you can sleep under canvas (plastic now) in the awning. All snug on a blow up bed with a good duvet and listen to the sounds of the forest as you nod off. It's our choice, we don't object to people using hotels, so don't object to folks who camp !
I enjoy the hotel experience and have done self catering many times. Big modern hotels like Ibis or Novotel tend to be noisy places...I suspect a lot of it is down to the construction, a smaller, old hotel is much better in that respect.
I loved wild, cycle camping as a teenager and still like to get all the kit on the motorbike and set off for a week or two......now there's an artform, packing all your gear on a two wheeler ! Part of the fun !
Ted
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I had a succession of 3 caravans when the kids were younger. Starting cheap and then going upmarket. Ideas of plenty of weekends away never materialised due to other commitments, poor forecasts etc.
For me the pain was the maintenence, preparation, and cleaning. Everyone of them leaked to some extent which involved more maintence - I did it all myself. Spares were expensive and difficult to source from manufacturers. Not the reasonably efficient system that cars have. And we live in the biggest caravan manufacturing area in the country. The aluminium and plastic bodies were wafer thin and easily damaged. New vans are nice but there are only so many layouts and the fittings have around for donkeys years. Construction quality is questionable.
Further costs of insurance and storage. Running a suitable towcar the rest of the year.
Caravanning suited us when the kids were young but no matter how big the van space is a premium and they can become claustraphobic.
When the weather is good they can't be beaten and the kids made many friends on the sites where we had to hunt them down to feed and bed them, but we had a succession of poor summers and its no fun when its raining. The kids get wet, filthy and trample mud and grass about.
Yes we had some good holidays but there is nothing better than just handing a cottage key back at the end of the holiday. I can still see an attraction and maybe when the kids have flown the nest maybe I'd like to tour the country in a motorhome at a leisurely pace.
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My historic experience of motor home conversions is fairly limited. I have driven a Commer (1700cc?) which I thought was underpowered and not a particularly enjoyable experience, but another, a Bedford 2500cc, was pure joy.
Nowadays for us it is hotels or guest houses that are highly recommended by friends, relatives, or the various internet booking sites. The other options seem too much like hard work.
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......"For me the pain was the maintenence, preparation, and cleaning. Everyone of them leaked to some extent which involved more maintence - I did it all myself. Spares were expensive and difficult to source from manufacturers. Not the reasonably efficient system that cars have. And we live in the biggest caravan manufacturing area in the country. The aluminium and plastic bodies were wafer thin and easily damaged. New vans are nice but there are only so many layouts and the fittings have around for donkeys years. Construction quality is questionable.
Further costs of insurance and storage. Running a suitable towcar the rest of the year."
We are on our 11th van and never had one that has leaked or had questionable build quality! yours must of been lunars !or Sprite, notorious for leaks !
WE change our regularly and in fact one recently I sold privately for £500 less than I paid for it new, after 10 months of ownership and many weeks away
I keep ours loaded so 5 mins to hitch and go. Just off now for 10 days for £174.00 for 3 adults!
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Bailey Caravans is pushing a one-piece aluminium bodyshell which they reckon won't leak:
tinyurl.com/5taj95q
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Cant remember the first one but it was a good few years old and cheapish but got my leg lifted it was wet through and rotten. Steep learning curve. Second was an ABI Dalesman 3 years old and the last one a Coachman again 3 years old. Its front panel developed a crack eminating from the horizontal aluminium strip that joins the roof to the fron panel. All out of warranty.
If you go down the route of changing every three years its very much like a car. All covered by warranty. But there is a large financial commitment in the first instance.
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How about one of these - VW Camper with no rust or reliability issues:
www.firebox.com/product/3644/VW-Camper-Van-Tent
"You’ll be the envy of the campsite!"
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Price of motorhomes compared to cars - Zero
