How do you use your van?

[Brock]

Having followed the airedriveways link, it had me wondering whether motorhomers do just want a place to sleep at night or are there others, like me, who consider where we sleep is part of the experience.

We tend to drive to a site for a few days and then explore without the van. We do c6,000 miles a year (we both work and have care commitments) and often see vans for sale with lower mileage.

So what do you do with your van during the day?

[duetto owner]

when we arrive on site use public transport to get about.

 

we have learnt not to trust a site which says 500yds from bus stop. we now ask how often and where to after one C&CC site had similar only to find the bus ran only 3 times a day making it no so worth while.

[tonyishuk]

Having a small (ish) M/home. we tend to use it as a beach hut, bird hide, sleeping quarters and general baby changing roomk for our grand son.

 

On site we leave an awning marking our pitch, if staying over a couple of days or just pack up and leave for the day and return to the pitch if free, or another if not.

 

Pays to use a motorhome all year, as it keeps the wheels turning and bits oiled as they should.

 

We would rather brew up in the M/home than have to pay £5 for a couple of coffees and doughnuts, the £fiver can go on diesel !

 

Rgds

[new to the game]

We use our van for everything as we have no other vehicle, even though its 7-7metres long we have never up to now had any problems.

[new to the game]

We use our van for everything as we have no other vehicle, even though its 7-7metres long we have never up to now had any problems.

[colin]

Well it would depend on curcumstanses, if we are going to say cornwall or scotland then on a friday night we will leave late then park up in services or truck stop, then if touring will stop at small sites for a day or so depending on area and drive van around, but I like to go to a certain campsite each year pull on the handbrake and not move for a week instead walking or cycling. One thing I'm not keen on is large sites.

[J9withdogs]

We are all so different, aren't we?

 

I tend to use CC sites near to towns so that I can leave the doggies in the 'van and walk into town.

 

The dogs are the reason for getting the van; they are both 'rescues' and there is no way I would put them into kennels while I go away on holiday.

[SAS]

We drive ours out of the campsite in the morning and stay out until late evening. Try to park in a picturesque spot to do the tea then go for a walk or just veg out before returning to campsite for the ablutions.

[Hymer C 9.]

We wild camp and use sites - if we are traveling/touring and can find a suitable place we will wild camp quite happily but if we are staying in a area we use a site get our bikes off and explore the area on them. There is no right or wrong just what suits you. As long as you are out there using your van thats what its all about. Carol.

[messerschmitt owner]

my van is currently full of 30,000 antique postcards, a scooter, bike and 150 or so bottles of wine, having just been used for a ten day trip to France, with two postcard fairs too to help offset the fuel costs.

 

Mine is a business vehicle, which also gets used for pleasure, and next trip away is to Godmanchester for a two day fair where we will drive there thursday PM, stop in a services, then camp on site for two days before wending our way back home via some tourist attractions.

 

Sometimes we go away to a camp site (normally certified) for a weekend, but otherwise it is used for multiple day events during the year.

 

Last night we parked and slept in central london, the night before in Haywards Heath and the previous eight days on a variety of aires in France (and with two nights in overnight car parks). How nice it is to be self contained.

[breakaleg]

We use ours in a pretty adhock way, sometimes we will stay in laybys or a carpark, providing there are no signs, saying no overnight parking(and it feels safe to do so) or we will use CL'S, some are in wonderful locations or large camp sites, if convienent to the town (I can't walk for much distance, without it becomming very uncomfortable.

 

in the winter months it mostly CL's with hard standing and electric, but no matter where we are, we always use our own toilet/shower.

Pete

 

[dragonflyer]

We use our motorhome in most ways possible, except removals.

 

We follow a hobby of kite making and flying, attending Festivals in UK and even Europe.

 

We use it as day transport/support vehicle when visiting attractions. As previously mentioned on this thread the saving on catering pays towards the diesel. It is also very cosy to retire to in pouring rain, unlike a car which steams up.

 

We tend to holiday in Europe because

(1) we now have a new van - our previous one being almost 20 years old.

(2) we are attracted by the aire/stellplatz whilst on journeys and always finding somewhere to park without height barriers.

(3) we are welcomed by cities and villages, unlike here in UK.

(4) we find it less expensive.

 

We occasionally visit an area in UK and settle for a week or so on a campsite just lounging around looking at the scenery and maybe a little cycling or walking.

 

We have on the odd occasion wild camped in UK due to camp sites being full and/or difficulty with booking for one night in transit. We try to avoid camping and travelling during school holidays as sites are full.

 

We enjoy the freedom of going with the flow.

 

Joyce

[Rapido-lass]

For starters, we use our motorhome and certainly will not be one that has low mileage! We use it all year round for various different uses.

 

Road trips for our holidays where we tour rather than pitch up for days unless we want to do alot in 1 area where we can then walk or use bikes. We normally stay bankholidays, easter and christmas on a site and walk with the dogs in the surrounding countryside. And finally weekends away as a get away from it all, and these are a mixture of Cl's, sites and wildcamping. We also visit family and friends and park outside or on a driveway, it makes visiting with dogs so much easier.

 

The motorhome is ready to roll except for the fridge food, so it makes a quick get away. We often will take the motorhome out for a day as this offers us toilet facilities, shelter with a change of clothing if needed, and somewhere to eat or drink which as others have said means the money goes in the tank not at the cafes!

[jo scott]

Our ideal is where the site is within 30 - 45 minute walk of pubs and bus stop. Then we'll hook up (or not, according to the facilities) and hopefully not start her up again until we're ready to go home.

 

If we're across the channel aiming for somewhere specific that's a day or two away, we'll use aires or france passion sites that still offer a walk out to somewhere, though that's less easy with the latter

 

Mind you we've just decided, given our finances, to stay this side of the water for a year or two. There is so much in Gt Britain to explore and we're often guilty off dashing over to europe to find a lesser version of what we have at home.

 

By leaving the m'home on site and using either local buses or shanks pony we gain in several ways.

1] we get to see the countryside without being behind a wheel

2] we know that by using the local buses, we are helping to put money into the local economy and support what it often a threatened service

3] we get to chat to local people who often point us in the direction of sights and events less known

4] and finally, by walking everywhere, we can eat the occasional plate of fish and chips without gaining weight . .in act, I lose weight when we go away as our m'home plates are smaller than at home.

jo

 

www.broadstairsfoodfestival.org.uk

 

:D