Jasper
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| posted on 5/9/09 at 11:32 AM |
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Motorhomes - so who's into them?
My wife is coming into a bit of money and fancy a motorhome. Unfortunely my Stylus still has to go (I need the cash) but it will at least be a bit of
motoring fun to be had.
We've both fancied one for quite a while, we love the idea of touring through Europe (and the UK a bit!!), going where we want, when we want and
taking our dogs with us.
So, anybody on here got one? We looking to spend around £10k next spring, and don't want anything to huge as it's just us two (the
daughter will be 16 by then so defintiely doesn't want to come with us - yeeehah!!).
I don't know why, but the idea of a caravan doesn't appeal at all.
Any thoughts, recommendations, advice gratefully received.
If you're not living life on the edge you're taking up too much room.
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graememk
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| posted on 5/9/09 at 11:33 AM |
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buy it bring it to stoneleigh and make us tea, coffee, toast and bacon butties.
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mookaloid
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| posted on 5/9/09 at 11:39 AM |
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well I have a caravan and many of the aspects of the hobby are similar for obvious reasons. It's actually quite a pleasant way to relax and
recharge the batteries.
I would love a motorhome with a car trailer to tow my track day car or hill climber to events.
£10 K should get you some thing decent but not particularly new.
Take your time, look at a lot of them before you buy. Then you can understand what you need from one to make sure you get the right one for you, would
be my advice.
Cheers
Mark
"That thing you're thinking - it wont be that."
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Guinness
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| posted on 5/9/09 at 11:39 AM |
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Mate of mine has just bought one to take to race meetings. Tows a two car trailer too! Very nice but cost significantly more than £10k.
Have you driven one or holidayed in one before? If I were you, before splashing the cash, I'd be tempted to hire one, about the same size /
spec as you can afford and then take a trip in it. That way, if you like it, you have a better idea of your actual needs, and if you don't like
it, hand it back and spend the money on something else.
HTH
Mike
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Dangle_kt
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| posted on 5/9/09 at 11:43 AM |
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Me and wife discussed getting one, one of the comments that I found interesting was that if you pitch up at a site, plump in, put up your awning etc.
and then find you need to pop somewhere you have to dismantle everything.
So in some respects a caravan is better - or get a motobike rack on the back and put a 125 scooter on it for nipping around on
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Richard Quinn
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| posted on 5/9/09 at 11:52 AM |
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We've been toying with the idea this year largely because of being able to go away with the dog. I could also put the 7 on a trailer behind
it.
I did have a look at an old (1990ish) Merc coachbuilt jobbie that had fairly low miles and was tidy enough. This would've been well within your
budget.
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Jasper
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| posted on 5/9/09 at 11:53 AM |
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Oh yes, a scooter on the back will be a must ...
Like the idea of hiring one for a trip too....
Spent a lot of time driving large vans around Europe, so that aspect doesn't bother me .... infact I enjoy it.
[Edited on 5/9/09 by Jasper]
If you're not living life on the edge you're taking up too much room.
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keithice
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| posted on 5/9/09 at 12:11 PM |
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parents have got one which I have borrowed for stoneleigh and cornwall. as mentioned above, once parked up you have to dismantle to go anywhere.... I
really don't like the idea of caravans, but we went to cornwall in june and took the camper and parked it and the girlfriend followed in her
car.... so used it in the same way as a caravan... two years ago we did cornwall without the car and the camper was a pain to park and drive on all
the small roads and tiny villages.
When I was 11 years old my family of 5 and the owner of the camper did a road trip from L.A. to detroit covering several thousand miles between
national parks over four months... it was incredible.....
what I am trying to say is:-
If you want holidays in an area... drive there and then travel around and back to where you are camped.. get a caravan...
If you want a route holioday staying a different place each evening... get a motorhome... with a cycle rack as campsites tend to be on the edges of
towns... you can't have a drink then get on motorbike or a scooter
Smile and wave boys.... Smile and wave....
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marcjagman
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| posted on 5/9/09 at 12:16 PM |
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I bought one a few years ago, done the camping and caravaning thing all my life. Used it once and sold it, they are such a pain in the arse. When you
pitch up, as mentioned earlier, if you need to pop out you have to pack up before you can go, you can take a scooter etc on the back. Most campsites
don't allow a car trailer with a 7 on the back and then you have to tax, MOT and insure something that is hardly going to be used. Lets face it
a good 6 months of the year it will be sat on the drive. Some people love them but personally I think they are more trouble than they are worth. Buy a
caravan or a trailer tent.
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zilspeed
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| posted on 5/9/09 at 01:27 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Dangle_kt
Me and wife discussed getting one, one of the comments that I found interesting was that if you pitch up at a site, plump in, put up your awning etc.
and then find you need to pop somewhere you have to dismantle everything.
So in some respects a caravan is better - or get a motobike rack on the back and put a 125 scooter on it for nipping around on
This completely echos my thoughts.
We borrowed one some years back. Ducato sized, not a coachbuilt.
Two adults and our wee one who was a baby at the time.
Got on site, pitched up then realised we actually wanted to go places. I suspect that we had the swrong attitude for holdaying with a motorhome.
You either need something big enough to be able to pull a toad / towed behind or just live with it. Pulling a car on an A frame is a whole different
can of legalistic worms.
However, for race meetings, I can think of nothing better than a motorhome with a four wheeled Brian James behind with the car on it.
Actually, I can - a race truck, but that's not going to happen for me.
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MikeRJ
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| posted on 5/9/09 at 01:44 PM |
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Motorhomes and Caravan, the cholesterol of our roads  Can think of nothing worse than trundling along in an aluminium box (or dragging one behind
you) creating a massive queue of annoyed car drivers.
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Jon Ison
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| posted on 5/9/09 at 01:53 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by MikeRJ
Motorhomes and Caravan, the cholesterol of our roads Can think of nothing worse than trundling along in an aluminium box (or dragging one behind
you) creating a massive queue of annoyed car drivers.
I can, an elephant race on the A1.
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Jasper
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| posted on 5/9/09 at 01:57 PM |
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We're in to the whole going from place to place thing, rather than pitching up on a site for a week, so for that reason I'm happy to go
with the motorhome.
My father-in-law has a caravan that I can borrow, I might try that and rent a MH for a weekend and check out the difference.
If you're not living life on the edge you're taking up too much room.
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Danozeman
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| posted on 5/9/09 at 02:18 PM |
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If you get a drive away awning then the going out in it for a day aspect isnt so bad. But id get a caravan so you have your car still.
Look at Hymers when u come to get one. You get alot of vehicle for your money compared to a a van fronted one. Theyr either merc or Fiat ducato
chassis based.
Dan
Built the purple peril!! Let the modifications begin!!
http://www.eastangliankitcars.co.uk
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BenB
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| posted on 5/9/09 at 04:24 PM |
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I did a few trips in a motorhome. Good when you're skint but otherwise it's a bit of a faff.
MPG is attrocious so it costs to get anywhere, the beds tend to be quite small (ready uncomfy), you have to muck out the chemical toilet  and then
after 4 days when you really pong you have to go into the communal showers and try and avoid dropping your soap...... 
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mookaloid
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| posted on 5/9/09 at 05:50 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by MikeRJ
Motorhomes and Caravan, the cholesterol of our roads Can think of nothing worse than trundling along in an aluminium box (or dragging one behind
you) creating a massive queue of annoyed car drivers.
Well I have disagree I'm more often than not held up by other cars when I'm towing the caravan.
Your perception is probably based on the fact that you can't actually see what's going on infront of the caravan and you can't tell
that the caravan is being held up too! (usually)
"That thing you're thinking - it wont be that."
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Benzine
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| posted on 5/9/09 at 06:11 PM |
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I converted a horsebox.  Posting from it now 
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Mark Allanson
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| posted on 5/9/09 at 06:34 PM |
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10k will buy you a very classy newish caravan, or a seedy unreliable camper van.
Caravan - you can leave it at the site while you explore, easy to level up, comfortable
Campervan - Contantly setting up putting away, lack of space, and you have to drive it around for the rest of the year
No contest
My caravan goes to Silverstone at least twice a year (from Penzance!), relatives can stay in it when the vist, and I can drive my golf to tescos
instead of a dirty grat campervan!
If you can keep you head, whilst all others around you are losing theirs, you are not fully aware of the situation
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Jasper
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| posted on 5/9/09 at 06:54 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Mark Allanson
10k will buy you a very classy newish caravan, or a seedy unreliable camper van.
Not sure where you get that idea, a mate has a £10k Hymer (German made, top quality), 5 berth, all mod cons, immaculate, turbo diesel, 28mpg, 60k
miles on the clock, FSH, central heating, nice shower, and a scooter on the back, it's really lovely.
In fact, there 's almost identical for sale here:
MH
Anyway, the whole caravan / motorhome thing seems to be very reminiscent of another hot topic on here - BEC or CEC
If you're not living life on the edge you're taking up too much room.
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Mark Allanson
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| posted on 5/9/09 at 07:09 PM |
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The Hymer bit may be fine but it is all sitting on a 14 year old Fiat
Seriously, try a campervan out first, and then try a caravan, I did. I only spent £600 on a caravan, best value ever
If you can keep you head, whilst all others around you are losing theirs, you are not fully aware of the situation
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motorcycle_mayhem
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| posted on 5/9/09 at 07:26 PM |
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I have similar(ish) thoughts, currently have a Hi-Top LWB Transit Van with a bunk in the back, and space for all the race related stuff. Car sits in
an enclosed trailer behind (that's your cholesterolic caravan). Sometimes the moped keeps the car company, useful for nipping off the site. It
seems the best option, since the van can be used for other things.
I've thought (a lot) about a 7.5T, which really appeals, i.e, one lump all together (AKA your motorhome). Apart from the fact it'll be
idle a lot of the year, running costs are higher, I don't like the risk of having everything hanging on one engine.... comparison with having a
spare tow car around.
So, I stick with the van/car-trailer. Which is like your caravan solution, seems more flexible.
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Ninehigh
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| posted on 5/9/09 at 10:35 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by motorcycle_mayhem
I've thought (a lot) about a 7.5T, which really appeals, i.e, one lump all together (AKA your motorhome).
So have I, shame I can't drive one but SWMBO can
Any idea what kind of size them things are inside and outside? I doubt it'll fit on the drive!
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MikeRJ
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| posted on 5/9/09 at 11:04 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by mookaloid
Your perception is probably based on the fact that you can't actually see what's going on infront of the caravan and you can't tell
that the caravan is being held up too! (usually)
My perception is based on living in the South West, which appears to be some kind of mecca for Caravans and Motorhomes. In the summer a queue of cars
with a Caravan in the front on the B road part of my commute is an almost daily occurrence. To be fair it is made far worse by the incredible number
of drivers who trundle along at 35mph, 2 feet from the back of the mobile holiday accommodation but make no attempt at overtaking.
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Ninehigh
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| posted on 6/9/09 at 12:19 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by MikeRJ
quote:
Originally posted by mookaloid
Your perception is probably based on the fact that you can't actually see what's going on infront of the caravan and you can't tell
that the caravan is being held up too! (usually)
My perception is based on living in the South West, which appears to be some kind of mecca for Caravans and Motorhomes. In the summer a queue of cars
with a Caravan in the front on the B road part of my commute is an almost daily occurrence. To be fair it is made far worse by the incredible number
of drivers who trundle along at 35mph, 2 feet from the back of the mobile holiday accommodation but make no attempt at overtaking.
My perception is based on the M56 coming out of wales on a sunday evening. I set the cruise control to 60 and have caravans passing me!
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