Pampam Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 Bought a caravan tonight off ebay , will always be a motorhomer at heart , but the caravan wont be such a drain on the finances when its stood in storage , although its gonna be on the drive for now cos we havent got a towbar on the van : it only cost a less than a tenth of my last motorhome , so i wont worry so much about not having the time to use it . Its a hymer and i was very impressed with it cant wait to get out and about with it , cheers pp:) ps its taken me over a year to get husband to change his mind from disliking caravans to actually wanting one lol and i dont think he actually realises it ...... Slowly slowly catchee monkey :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chas Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 I think that touring in this country you have made the right decision, but as you know its all about swings and roundabouts. Good luck with your future camping breaks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terry1956 Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 A few years back, we also sold the motorhome and got a caravan.the reasons much the same as yours.went to Italy with the van, came back and sold it. The reason for this was that the caravan was too set up for camp sites.having never used a campsite in many years of motorhoming, I had know idea what hell holes they are. So have gone pvc, use it as a second car, also as a van for my hobby, for us, the best of both worlds.but a hymer caravan is a good van, and we sold ours for what we paid for it, so unlike motorhomes.michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 Genuinely wish you good luck Pampam, I'm sure you have not taken the decision lightly and only by trying it will you ever know for sure whether it is right for you. Personally, we have tried twice to change to a caravan, mainly for reasons of being able to let other family members use it but it never really worked well for us. Even tried a camper/caravan combination! So we will stick to motor homing and will probably never try a caravan again. The main advantages for us were the extra space and having a car to use but these were completely overshadowed by the restrictions on where we could stay, setting up and packing up (usually in the rain!) and not conveniently being able to either just get in and go or just stop where we landed up. We are hoping our son and his young family will get a caravan next year and we will give them every assistance to try to get it right then look forward to spending some time away with them. Good luck with it though, hope it works out. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 david lloyd - 2015-09-10 11:21 AM Even tried a camper/caravan combination!... David We've briefly considered that in the past(possibly a little Eriba?)...but as we manage well enough with our basic camping/day-van and pop-up awning combo, I couldn't envisage when we would actually opt for taking the caravan as well....? Pam... I recall you saying that you had bought a Transit, although I'm not sure what "configuration"? (windowed crew-van,"mini bus"/people carrier or "just" a panel van?) but stating the obvious, just remember that SOME sites/locations can get a bit pernickety when it comes vans towing caravans. I'm sure you'll have fun with it (better a caravan that's being used, than a motorhome sitting, being a garden ornament for 10+ months of the year :-D ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 Good luck Pam and enjoy! Bet you'll be back though sooner or later! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowtelse2do Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 Hi Pam. I hope you like the dark side and hope it suit's your requirements. We did not like tugging so have returned to the fold after 20 months. Now selling the van and car and we will use our campervan as daily transport. Good Luck. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peacock312 Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 Hi,we crossed over last April,reason is my wife's poor mobility now meant we were unable to move off campsites much,our Beloved Adria was too big at 7.5mtrs to go any where. We have camped in UK on and off all summer,it works well but setting up and moving on is a pain as well as fetching water every day and dumping grey waste etc. no 20 gal freshwater tank now! We've wintered in Spain for last 11years and are leaving December via Portsmouth/Bilbao route so fingers crossed as we don't know how it will compare in winter in a Baily Pegasus gt65 15 model not winterised! Finally,the comparison in quality of our m/h and this caravan is vast,but I suppose at 17k compared to about 60k it's not fair to compare,otherwise we love it for the mobility it gives on site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 peacock312 - 2015-09-10 5:26 PM Hi,we crossed over last April,reason is my wife's poor mobility now meant we were unable to move off campsites much,our Beloved Adria was too big at 7.5mtrs to go any where. We have camped in UK on and off all summer,it works well but setting up and moving on is a pain as well as fetching water every day and dumping grey waste etc. no 20 gal freshwater tank now! We've wintered in Spain for last 11years and are leaving December via Portsmouth/Bilbao route so fingers crossed as we don't know how it will compare in winter in a Baily Pegasus gt65 15 model not winterised! Finally,the comparison in quality of our m/h and this caravan is vast,but I suppose at 17k compared to about 60k it's not fair to compare,otherwise we love it for the mobility it gives on site. We have similar problems, re-disability and vehicle length, we have temporarily fixed it by getting an A-frame, and tow our disability car behind our Motorhome, we only tour in the UK, so if not fully legal, it is not illegal, in the UK anyway. Not enough 'tow weight margin' for a trailer unfortunately. Suits us at the moment, and cheaper than selling up and starting again. Not to say we won't 'cross over' again, It's having to own a large towcar that is holding us back. Must admit the 'campervan/caravan idea appeals to us, especially the missus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 Good luck PamPam. As another poster commented it's all swings 'n roundabouts and at the end of the day what best suits an individuals needs. I've been a tugger in the past and my last caravan was this; http://oi60.tinypic.com/1268geh.jpg http://oi58.tinypic.com/8xitz7.jpg A very comfortable 2 berth with oceans of space and sep shower room. One of the last coachbuilds from Buccaneer if anything it was quite a heavy van to pull. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peacock312 Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 You no longer need massive four by fours to tow modern caravans,they are getting lighter each year and by compromising on unnessary items you don't need you would be surprised what smaller cars can legally handle. We have a Renault Megane estate grand tourer,it's tow load is 1300 to 1500kgs.we tow a Bailey gt65 Genoa,miro 1100kgs,mtplm 1285 kgs,gas bottles etc. are now inc. in miro,payload is 185kgs,but remember we can put up to 300kgs in car,plus driver passenger only. The car engine is only 1500cc or 110brake. The caravan is two berth,and just under 20ft shipping. The car handles the van extremely well,pulls up any hill in fourth gear,and cruises at about 60mph on motorways Ten years ago,this would have been impossible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 Caravans do appear to be much lighter now days :-S ............My brother has a Valencia Unicorn?.......which he tows with a BMW coupe (!) ................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 peacock312 - 2015-09-10 8:14 PM You no longer need massive four by fours to tow modern caravans,they are getting lighter each year.....pelmetman - 2015-09-10 8:35 PM Caravans do appear to be much lighter now days..... This is true and apart from al-ko chassis you have to ask yourself at what cost has that weight saving been made at? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 But at least you can't hear a 'lightweight' caravan, aka flimsy, banging and crashing about over every wrinkle in the road! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 I hope you enjoy your caravan Pam I'm sure you will, we couldn't go back to caravanning as it was too much like hard work for us ;-) but as I think you are younger and fitter you will be fine, after all it is more or less the same if you don't mind staying in one place for longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowtelse2do Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 Tracker - 2015-09-10 9:30 PM But at least you can't hear a 'lightweight' caravan, aka flimsy, banging and crashing about over every wrinkle in the road! That's true, I just turn the hearing aids down. :-D Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vino Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 For Peacock 312 off topic Noticed you have been going down to spain for the winter for 11 years Any suggestions where you stayed for any length of time as for the first time are considering going this winter ourselves many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peacock312 Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 Hi Vino. Over the years have stayed at many sites,coastal,from Barcelona to end Portugal. Get a ACSI book there are plenty of sites for long or short stay,staying under a week is usually verry expensive compared to thirty days plus. Really no need to book in advance before xmas but always check by email. Calpe,Benidorm,are two examples of sites close to towns.many excellent sites out of towns but you have to hire car or use public transport often not very reliable. We now go on our own but in past have used caravan camping,caravan clubs who use premium sites in good locations at good value,will also book ferries for you. We use ports.bilbao route now,one night on boat,one stop at Zaragosa,then straight down to coast and warm sun! Go and enjoy,it's very addictive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peacock312 Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 Bulletguy look at how much goes into a modern camper,and still it weighs under 3.5 tons, Modern materials like aluminium,plastics,etc.are much lighter but just as strong and effective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliB Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 Nice one Lass. Enjoy being out and about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 peacock312 - 2015-09-11 9:26 AM Bulletguy look at how much goes into a modern camper,and still it weighs under 3.5 tons, Modern materials like aluminium,plastics,etc.are much lighter but just as strong and effective. I remember reading an article somewhere concerning Hymer mh's where older model vans were actually commanding higher prices than later used models, simply due to build quality. Plastic is a good material in that it's dirt cheap to make which obviously appeals to manufacturers looking to keep costs down. I'm not sure swathes of the stuff looks particularly attractive though! I always think it makes any vehicle be it a mh, camper or car look errrm well...........cheap!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 Bulletguy - 2015-09-11 4:18 PM peacock312 - 2015-09-11 9:26 AM Bulletguy look at how much goes into a modern camper,and still it weighs under 3.5 tons, Modern materials like aluminium,plastics,etc.are much lighter but just as strong and effective. I remember reading an article somewhere concerning Hymer mh's where older model vans were actually commanding higher prices than later used models, simply due to build quality. Plastic is a good material in that it's dirt cheap to make which obviously appeals to manufacturers looking to keep costs down. I'm not sure swathes of the stuff looks particularly attractive though! I always think it makes any vehicle be it a mh, camper or car look errrm well...........cheap!! I wonder what these new campers will look like in 20 years time when the stick on plastic wood starts curling at the edges, or they need a replacement hinge or door? :-S ........... At least with Autosleepers of a certain vintage, all you need is a bit of sand paper and a tin of varnish to refurbish your cabinet work ;-) ............. That's of course assuming the motors of these new campers are still viable in 20 years? >:-) .......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pampam Posted September 12, 2015 Author Share Posted September 12, 2015 Thanks to you all for your well wishes , must admit am a bit apprehensive , but looking forward to getting out and about again , even if its just down the road to clumber park , pepe i too have thought about the van & caravan combo , i have rejoined the caravan club , so am hoping i wont have problems (will let you know) i purposley avoided hobby fendt and tabbart for the reason i think you might be referring to : also it will be on my front drive over this winter and i live on a main road , so i bought a van what i thought might NOT be appealing to our roaming brothers : we have always had a van (we prefer them to cars) apart from when we had an iq when we had motorhome : incidentley if id have bought a newer van they have fresh and waste water tanks so similar in set up to a motorhome eh? Am off to show at nec in october youll recognise me ill be the grey haired bird being dragged quickly past the motorhomes by hubby lol:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 Pampam - 2015-09-12 6:07 AM Thanks to you all for your well wishes ....//..... ....pepe i too have thought about the van & caravan combo , i have rejoined the caravan club , so am hoping i wont have problems (will let you know) Mornin' Pam(& Mr Pam) Although we haven't used a "main" site for a while now, I have seen "ordinary" van & caravan combos on CC sites in the past, so there certainly doesn't seem to be a blanket, "computer says no" type ban. ;-) (probably best to cover over the "Pam's Tarmacing & Tree Pruning " livery though, eh?.. (lol) ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 pelmetman - 2015-09-11 10:27 PM Bulletguy - 2015-09-11 4:18 PM peacock312 - 2015-09-11 9:26 AM Bulletguy look at how much goes into a modern camper,and still it weighs under 3.5 tons, Modern materials like aluminium,plastics,etc.are much lighter but just as strong and effective. I remember reading an article somewhere concerning Hymer mh's where older model vans were actually commanding higher prices than later used models, simply due to build quality. Plastic is a good material in that it's dirt cheap to make which obviously appeals to manufacturers looking to keep costs down. I'm not sure swathes of the stuff looks particularly attractive though! I always think it makes any vehicle be it a mh, camper or car look errrm well...........cheap!! I wonder what these new campers will look like in 20 years time when the stick on plastic wood starts curling at the edges, or they need a replacement hinge or door? :-S ........... At least with Autosleepers of a certain vintage, all you need is a bit of sand paper and a tin of varnish to refurbish your cabinet work ;-) ............. That's of course assuming the motors of these new campers are still viable in 20 years? >:-) .......... Just watched a programme on the Travel Channel about "Extreme RV's". They visited a factory building 'high end' RV's costing half a million dollars. 60" Plasma in lounge, 50" in bedroom, another 50" for outdoor viewing, Full size US fridge, washing machine, dryer. Power shower which shone lights to colour each bead of water......pretty eh? *-) But in order to keep the weight down all the worktops were thin ply fitted with a piece of beading to the outer edge to give the appearance of thicker more solid tops! That illustrates where i was coming from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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