Motorhome - Campervan

[Smiffy49 590]

Been thinking about getting a Motorhome or Campervan next year, so wondered if anyone on here has ever owned one?

Nothing fancy or expensive, just a two berth with enough room for the two dogs.

Can anyone offer any advice on the pro's & con's of buying private or through a dealership?

Does anyone have any interesting or enlightening stories to help me with my quest?

Thanks in anticipation of your help !

Smiffy

[darkazana 1,736]

Never owned one ourselves, though have been considering getting one to tow our caravan so that on our days off from the site we can go away for a few nights.

We always get our caravans from dealers now because they will px (we px'd a car for a caravan last time) and will give you a certain amount of warranty. Buying private can be cheaper but it is usually sold as seen with no come back. Main dealer around these parts with a good reputation is Brownhills in Newark, but they are expensive. having said that they look after you, as do Lowdham Leisure. Most caravan dealers stock motorhomes too, the other reputable dealer I know of in Notts is Kimberley Caravans.

Do have a really good look around before committing to one, there is an awful lot to choose from.

Pros of Motorhomes, no towing (unless you take a small run around with you) and can get to places which are more difficult to access when towing a caravan, like the wilds of Scotland and Wales. You can literally get up and go. They offer the freedom of camping with much more comfort.

They have water tanks on board so you don't need to be fetching and carrying water, you just fill up the tank and dump the waste at a Motorhome service point on site. Though you will still have to empty the toilet cassette, unless you only use the site facilities.

Good for short stays.

Probably better if you are wanting to travel abroad too.

It is great fun whether in a motorhome or caravan, and you will find other campers mainly very friendly and helpful. If you do go ahead find a campsite relatively close to home for the first trip out, so that if you have forgotten anything it's easy to nip back, and get a "motorhome using this pitch sign" to leave on your pitch if you go out for the day, otherwise you'll get back and find someone else on it.

Cons pricey and expensive to run. There is no such thing as a cheap motorhome, depending on what you call cheap, a decent one second hand starts at around £12000 and then you need all the accessories to go with it, such as electric hook up cables, leisure battery, awning if you want one etc. Having said that they do not drop their value so much if looked after.

Most motorhome owners prefer to stop on sites/places which are near to shops etc so that they don't have to drive it everywhere, unless they take a run around car with them, or at least have a good bus service.

With two dogs a two berth is going to seem cramped on rainy days, and wet dogs in a small space..... And as they are like cars you can't leave dogs in the motorhome on a hot day if you are visiting somewhere that is not dog friendly ie a stately home, so you may be restricted in activities.

Places to stop at should be checked out in advance as nowadays lots of campsites get booked up in advance, look at joining a club, most join both the Camping and Caravanning Club and the Caravan Club as that way you can cover most areas of the country. Both clubs have their pros and cons and are cheaper if you are a member. CCC offer age concession prices out of the high season, but also have a rising scale of tariffs now if you late book and a sur charge on hard standings, which are better pitches for motorhomes in wet weather. CCC is known as The Friendly Club and you can arrive on most sites up to 11 at night (Don't expect them to be over friendly if you turn up off road, ie without a booking, at that time of night!) They restrict movement on site between 11pm and 7 am which can be tricky if you want to make an early start. Caravan Club have better facilities and do not restrict your movements, though they will only pitch up to 8pm, any later and you are in the Late Night Arrivals if they have one. Both clubs are dog friendly. and both clubs will be more than happy to help you with any problems so don't be afraid to ask.....all the wardens are experienced campers and they all have endless knowledge.

If you join a club you get good insurance and breakdown cover with them.

And I could go on but you are probably asleep by now! However if you need to know more about the logistics of campsite camping I will try to help.

Hope this has been some help, sorry I haven't any particular stories but if you enjoy people watching it's a great way of doing it!

[StephenFord 866]

Yes, do get an awning - preferably free-standing. You can leave this on site with the "motorhome using this pitch" sign - and besides it gives all the other campers an hour or so's free entertainment (sometimes more) while you are putting it up and taking it down !

[darkazana 1,736]

Yes we usually warn "newbies" that we'll be round later to watch.They tend to have lots of "darling" moments!

[LizzieM 9,524]

I was dragged over to Lowdham Caravans last weekend to have a look around all they had for sale. My husband has been saying for several years now that he wants to walk The Pennine Way and as I'm a moaner when I have to walk more than 4 or 5 miles he's on about him walking and me driving a motor home from A to B each day. Not sure I even want to do that though! I'm hoping he'll go off the idea before he forks out several thousand on a vehicle. Must admit though that what we saw were very nice but they were pricey, in excess of £20k for the size we were looking at.

[NewBasfordlad 3,599]

Have you thought of hiring one for a couple of weeks first just to ensure you actually enjoy the experience.

[mick2me 3,033]

[Smiffy49 590]

#7 Really like this one ! What about the dogs though?

Smiffy

[StephenFord 866]

What size dogs are you talking about? (!)

[Michael Booth 7,364]

Excellent post, darkazana (#2). A while ago I went to stay in the New Forest as my youngest son was living near there. I took a 6 berth Motorhome and really enjoyed it. It had everything you could have wanted, including air conditioning, heating, large fridge, TV, comfortable beds etc and it was very spacious. We went to the Isle Of Wight and it's so handy to just pull in somewhere and have a meal in the Motorhome or get your head down for an hour. In the evening, during my holiday, we'd stop at a nice pub and I'd ask the Manager if I could stay in their car park for the night if we had a meal and drinks. I was never refused by anyone. A Motorhome gives you so much freedom and I'd recommend one for your holidays.

[Bazza 123 34]

They are called teardrop campers and are becoming very popular for short stays,I've actually owned one.During the las t 12 years since retirement I have travelled to the 4 corners and bits in between this land we call OZ and travelled thousands of kms both with caravans and a campervan and the Teardrop camper.For 12 months we lived in a 14 foot caravan with 2 small dogs travelling around and have to say one of the best times of my life driving on freeways winding roads and dirt roads.Saw lots of prangs with folk and their 22 footers (I call them aluminium road blocks)these people had no idea about towing and would frighten the life out of any respecting truck driver trying to maneuvre around them.So what would I recommend definatley a campervan easy to drive and get around I had a Long Wheelbase VW Transporter diesel with a turbo charger it was an ex ambulance converted to a camper with popup roof twin beds a small galley,we had a pull out awning(a must)a self erecting toilet come shower tent (stand alone of course)but mostly we used the campsite facilities.Now cost they are expensive to buy and because there are plenty of secondhand ones around here in OZ so hard to get rid of and we lost a bundle when we sold,but dealers will hang on to them till they get their silly prices,the guy that sold us ours actually came from Nottingham and his father ran a dealership I think it was somewhere near the old Wheatcroft Rose Farms,having said that he was top price but a very good unit.So there my 12 year experience hope it helps.

[benjamin1945 16,246]

One of my sons bought one this year, he paid £8000 for it privatly, and its lovely, i think its the luck of the draw when you buy that way,but he seems to have been lucky,he practicaly lives in it.

[darkazana 1,736]

Hiring one is a good idea as NewBasfordlad suggests. A bit expensive, but not as expensive as buying one and finding out it's not for you. Some companies also have a deal with the Camping and Caravanning Club so that you can use their sites at members rates, not with the Caravan Club though.

[dgbrit 258]

I had a Ace caravan well made think it was 16ft,

Still into camping but in style 38ft with popout add the boat & its 65ft long.

The popout on a trailer or motorhome almost doubles the interior space I wouldn't buy anything without it.

[darkazana 1,736]

Ours is an Ace Award Brightstar ( 21ft a 2 berth), and yes I agree a lovely van. it's 10 years old now but doing well considering we are living in it for 6-8months a year, mind you the awning with annexe for kitchen area helps!

[littlebro 234]

Have you thought of hiring one for a couple of weeks first just to ensure you actually enjoy the experience.

I 100% agree, same if you are contemplating a canal boat or static van. I have known a few who have tried living the dream but it works out not for them. If everything works well you will also have a better idea of what vehicle etc to buy.

Different to regular cars, motorhomes, caravans and boats etc are 'lifestyle' purchases and can easily part you from your well earned/saved cash in no time. The good thing is that if you buy quality they do not lose value like daily use cars do.

Another thing to think about is off-road parking when not in use.

[dgbrit 258]

What ever you chose it helps to be handy seems like you always have something to hook up or DUMP !

Then when you get back home there is always something to fix,clean or empty.

Generator is also nice so if you get a site with no hookup you can still run your stuff like A/c. A nice quiet one also helps.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

First RV we had was a small "popup" camper trailer, was light, had a water tank, small kitchen with three way fridge, it would sleep six and was easy to tow. We did a three week tour of South Australia, going south and straight up the middle of Victoria, taking in the fortified wine producers, and sampling some of the best ports in the world!! We toured Ned Kelly country, then back home.

Next one was a "pop top" caravan, a lot more comfortable, again not heavy, but around 14 feet in length, I'll post a couple of pictures of both later.

The one we have now is a 27 footer, dual axle with electric brakes, scared the crap out of me going down steep hills when I saw a huge Semi starting to pass me on freeways!!

I did find out why off a trucker why they passed me pretty slowly, he told me they cause a vacuum between the trailer's, so to avoid dragging the caravan into them, they just slow down, once passed, pedal to the metal again...

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

The "poptop" caravan..

This was the camper we had first.

[Trevor S 2,003]

Ayupmeducks....That last photo above was not taken on the top of the range above Talbingo, NSW (nice steep climb) on the way to Khancoban and Cooma??????

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

We were on our way back from my Cousins in Victoria, it was a road that was unsealed for most of the way, I'd have to dig a map out to find out what it was called, but it came out just north of Bairnsdale and we are at the junction of a sealed hwy, to the left as you look at the car, that hwy goes down a very steep hill down to the coast, around fifteen miles if my memory recalls..I think the one my car was parked on was the Monaro Hwy, but as I say, I'd have to get a map out.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

Just checked, we used to go from home at Bathurst to Canberra, head south to Cooma, turn south on the Monaro Hwy and come out at Cann River, then down the coast a few miles, turn north at Orbost and head to Swifts Creek, then turn off there for Cassilus where my Cousin and his wife live.

[Trevor S 2,003]

Thanks Ayupmeducks, I thought it might have been on the Snowy Mountains Highway.

Know which way you travelled...been that way a few times.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

We did try the road you mention, but it was way too far, plus in winter the snow can get a tad deep. The trip was around 600 miles and usually took around 10 to 12 hours.

[Trevor S 2,003]

God's country up there. Been trout fishing in most areas, Blowering, Talbingo, Eucumbene as well as the rivers and streams.

But you are right, the snow can come down unexpected up there and get quite deep.

Going down the range into Talbingo can be a bit slippy in the snow. Where your car was parked reminded us of the truck bay at the top and where we used to ask about the condition of the climb.