Why would you buy a motorhome?

TONUP · 26-03-2009, 13:04

Why would you buy a motorhome? That is my question and it's not meant to provoke any ill feeling, as a caravan was all that was in my budget and still seems to be the most practical means of transporting comfortable accomodation to my chosen destination (for me).

Recently whilst on holiday I watched the huge motorhome owners drive onto site and commence setting up. It appears that the they are split into two groups the ones that set up and don't ever leave the site, or the ones that tow a small car behind them.

Taking the car towers first this seems a bit of a back to front arrangement i.e. you have two vehicles to MOT, tax & insure. You are also faced with all of the reversing and manouverability problems associated with towing a caravan. Moving onto the ones that don't tow a car, they appear to be limited to carrying pedal cycles or possibly a small motorbike. In fact one couple who arrived on site in a really nice Hymer motorhome spent around 30-45 mins getting it level with wheel chocks, only the next morning having to undo all their work to go to the local supermarket, and having to set up again upon their return an hour or so later. Seems like a bit of a faff especially considering you must have to lash everything down in the unit each time.

Part of what I like to do whilst on holiday is explore the local area, which often means using single track country lanes etc, where I rarely see these motorhomes for practical reasons. In my opinion they are denying themselves one of the enjoyable parts of visiting new places.

In looking for the positive aspect of them, are they much more comfortable than a caravan, or better equipped? It seemed to me that to get one with the same level of equipment as my Bailey you would have spend £30k to £40k (or more). Perhaps it is that they are easier to drive than a car/caravan combination? One motorhome owner put an awning on the side of his unit, which looked quite tricky to do and seemed to make it even more planted in the one spot.

I guess I am missing some very simple point somewhere. What are your thoughts? It is probably just a case of having what you want and doing what you like.

Alan

zippy656 · 26-03-2009, 13:16

i grew up with a motorcaravan, now have a caravan, so i think i can see this from both sides.

motor caravan was our secon family car. didnt get used alot.

caravaners, some times have a company car and use that to tow, so they only need a caravan

(RIP) PLANK · 26-03-2009, 13:53

I have allways though the same, if you tow a car then why not just have a caravan?

And whe you are all set up on site (they can be very hard to level) if you need a few tea bags or some thing you have to drive away and loose you pitch and start again when you get back.

having said all that, I htink theywould be brilliant for real 'touring' in remote places just pull in and your ready for the night and move on the next morning!

i realise the impracticalities of them, but i am strangley facinated by them and i know sooner or later i will end up buying one just for the experience of it.

Deleted account DD · 26-03-2009, 14:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by PLANK

I have allways though the same, if you tow a car then why not just have a caravan?

And whe you are all set up on site (they can be very hard to level) if you need a few tea bags or some thing you have to drive away and loose you pitch and start again when you get back.

Agreed 100%

and also when you go across to say the lake district and you want to go explore some of the more remote height and weight restricted parts...........

lacroupade · 26-03-2009, 14:19

Me too - an old mate of mine who sadly now lost his sight used to have a twenty-year old Bedford camper in really nice nick. I think the benefits of manouevrability and so on go a long way to outweighing the advantages of a caravan and it was great just to park up and put the kettle on without having to find 60 feet of parking space to get in and out of.

But not a big one - they are sufficiently daft in my view that its a bit like my view on folks who drive round at 20mph all the time - get a bus or a taxi, sell your car and save some money! Ditto the big campers - get a hotel!.

And BTW, the ones that tow cars along behind them? Every single one of them is breaking the law. Something to do with weight and trailer braking requirements - theres no way they can do it legally apparently, despite what they think - the only person that can legally tow a vehicle in such circumstances is a breakdown truck.

But do you ever see them getting nicked? No, probably because the bobbies prefer to target those of us of obvious lesser means (no offence compadres!) on the basis that they think we are more likely to skimp on maintenance....

SO stick a knobbly tyre on your car and your a criminal (like mafia boss Makeitfit!), but drive a seventy grand motorhome with a whole other car dragging along behind you (polluting the planet, taking up far too much room and generally being a 'giant motorhome dick' (strange picture going through my head???) and you are somehow immune??!!

Rant over!

wildbri · 26-03-2009, 14:29

I have studied all this myself. Having had a split screen vw in the 60's which was great not much comfort but we were young and it was better than tenting ( until it blew a big end in the middle of turkey, but that's another story). WE have a small caravan and like yourself have watched motor vans all over Europe, and also look at www.motorhomefacts.com and read the problems they have with their £40,000 plus vehicles, some doing less than 2000 miles per year. A lot of the talk on the forum is where they can camp for free, they call it " camping wild" but often it is in a super market car park or truck stop amongst the lorries!
In france they have aires where motorhomes can park free with some services, but we have used a camp site by river with few campers on it, on the other side of the river 20 motorhomes so close together there was no room to put out chairs! The motor homers say having a caravan means a lot of setting up but without an awning I can set up in a few minutes and and a caravan with two wheels is much easier to level than a motorhome with four or more. Motorhomes are very nice and it is easy to be seduced by the comfort and luxury but on the road finding some where to park is a different story. Small motorhomes are great in my opinion but if you want comfort, practability and the best value for your money it must be a nice car and good caravan. You take your home with you and your vehicle for shopping exploring etc. Happy camping whatever way you do it, regards....bri

P.S just booked our ferry crossing www.norfolkline.com best price through the caravan club
car, caravan lunchtime crossing £104.00

wildbri · 26-03-2009, 14:45

I have studied all this myself. Having had a split screen vw in the 60's which was great not much comfort but we were young and it was better than tenting ( until it blew a big end in the middle of turkey, but that's another story). WE have a small caravan and like yourself have watched motor vans all over Europe, and also look at www.motorhomefacts.com and read the problems they have with their £40,000 plus vehicles, some doing less than 2000 miles per year. A lot of the talk on the forum is where they can camp for free, they call it " camping wild" but often it is in a super market car park or truck stop amongst the lorries!
In france they have aires where motorhomes can park free with some services, but we have used a camp site by river with few campers on it, on the other side of the river 20 motorhomes so close together there was no room to put out chairs! The motor homers say having a caravan means a lot of setting up but without an awning I can set up in a few minutes and and a caravan with two wheels is much easier to level than a motorhome with four or more. Motorhomes are very nice and it is easy to be seduced by the comfort and luxury but on the road finding some where to park is a different story. Small motorhomes are great in my opinion but if you want comfort, practability and the best value for your money it must be a nice car and good caravan. You take your home with you and your vehicle for shopping exploring etc. Happy camping whatever way you do it, regards....bri

P.S just booked our ferry crossing www.norfolkline.com best price through the caravan club
car, caravan lunchtime crossing £104.00

Terranosaurus · 26-03-2009, 14:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by wildbri

P.S just booked our ferry crossing www.norfolkline.com best price through the caravan club
car, caravan lunchtime crossing £104.00

Was going to mention ferries - must be cheaper with a motorhome as theyt charge by the foot.

Personally don't know whats wrong with a tent, i have a number of them in different sizes - can be set up with the kettle on in under three minutes with my best one (and its not a pop up, this will stay up in any weather) or about 5 in my biggest that i'd take for a family longer holiday - no storage issues, no servicing costs etc. Can leave it behind or tour with it, no restrictions where i drive between sites, more mpg and more mph on the way too and from - perhaps I'm ust not old enough yet to want a caravan, unfortunately Alison is......

lacroupade · 26-03-2009, 14:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terranosaurus

Was going to mention ferries - must be cheaper with a motorhome as theyt charge by the foot.

Personally don't know whats wrong with a tent, i have a number of them in different sizes - can be set up with the kettle on in under three minutes with my best one (and its not a pop up, this will stay up in any weather) or about 5 in my biggest that i'd take for a family longer holiday - no storage issues, no servicing costs etc. Can leave it behind or tour with it, no restrictions where i drive between sites, more mpg and more mph on the way too and from - perhaps I'm ust not old enough yet to want a caravan, unfortunately Alison is......

The Redhead just wants to know "where do I plug my hair dryer in then???"....give me a tent any day, but if I want to hide from the weather and have a brew, I'd love a 'van...

Terranosaurus · 26-03-2009, 14:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by lacroupade

T but if I want to hide from the weather and have a brew, I'd love a 'van...

I'd pay for a night in a hotel/B&B with the money I've saved by not having a caravan or motorhome - and thats just on site fees.

zippy656 · 26-03-2009, 15:01

caravan and site fees are cheaper then a B&B for us 5

Terranosaurus · 26-03-2009, 15:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by zippy656

caravan and site fees are cheaper then a B&B for us 5

Night for night undoubtably, I was meaning across a year I save enough to have a couple of hotel/B&B nights if need be.

zippy656 · 26-03-2009, 15:19

depends how meany time you go away

26-03-2009, 15:52

I wouldnt have the space to park a caravan , but I could park a motorhome on the road.

zippy656 · 26-03-2009, 15:54

i had to dig up some of the front garden. so we could get on in. you could always store one some where else

as we are talking about caravans, I cant see the point of a seasonal pitch. can any one enlighten me as to why??

26-03-2009, 13:04	#1
TONUP Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: England Posts: 755	Why would you buy a motorhome? Why would you buy a motorhome? That is my question and it's not meant to provoke any ill feeling, as a caravan was all that was in my budget and still seems to be the most practical means of transporting comfortable accomodation to my chosen destination (for me). Recently whilst on holiday I watched the huge motorhome owners drive onto site and commence setting up. It appears that the they are split into two groups the ones that set up and don't ever leave the site, or the ones that tow a small car behind them. Taking the car towers first this seems a bit of a back to front arrangement i.e. you have two vehicles to MOT, tax & insure. You are also faced with all of the reversing and manouverability problems associated with towing a caravan. Moving onto the ones that don't tow a car, they appear to be limited to carrying pedal cycles or possibly a small motorbike. In fact one couple who arrived on site in a really nice Hymer motorhome spent around 30-45 mins getting it level with wheel chocks, only the next morning having to undo all their work to go to the local supermarket, and having to set up again upon their return an hour or so later. Seems like a bit of a faff especially considering you must have to lash everything down in the unit each time. Part of what I like to do whilst on holiday is explore the local area, which often means using single track country lanes etc, where I rarely see these motorhomes for practical reasons. In my opinion they are denying themselves one of the enjoyable parts of visiting new places. In looking for the positive aspect of them, are they much more comfortable than a caravan, or better equipped? It seemed to me that to get one with the same level of equipment as my Bailey you would have spend £30k to £40k (or more). Perhaps it is that they are easier to drive than a car/caravan combination? One motorhome owner put an awning on the side of his unit, which looked quite tricky to do and seemed to make it even more planted in the one spot. I guess I am missing some very simple point somewhere. What are your thoughts? It is probably just a case of having what you want and doing what you like. Alan

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26-03-2009, 13:16	#2
zippy656 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Devizes Wiltshire Vehicle: Nissan Note Ntec 1.5 Posts: 14,138	i grew up with a motorcaravan, now have a caravan, so i think i can see this from both sides. motor caravan was our secon family car. didnt get used alot. caravaners, some times have a company car and use that to tow, so they only need a caravan

26-03-2009, 13:53	#3
(RIP) PLANK Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Central England, in the Heart of the Black Country Vehicle: T2 2004 TDI SE LWB Posts: 7,740	I have allways though the same, if you tow a car then why not just have a caravan? And whe you are all set up on site (they can be very hard to level) if you need a few tea bags or some thing you have to drive away and loose you pitch and start again when you get back. having said all that, I htink theywould be brilliant for real 'touring' in remote places just pull in and your ready for the night and move on the next morning! i realise the impracticalities of them, but i am strangley facinated by them and i know sooner or later i will end up buying one just for the experience of it.

26-03-2009, 14:19	#5
lacroupade Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: All hail to the Glove of Love... Posts: 9,212	Me too - an old mate of mine who sadly now lost his sight used to have a twenty-year old Bedford camper in really nice nick. I think the benefits of manouevrability and so on go a long way to outweighing the advantages of a caravan and it was great just to park up and put the kettle on without having to find 60 feet of parking space to get in and out of. But not a big one - they are sufficiently daft in my view that its a bit like my view on folks who drive round at 20mph all the time - get a bus or a taxi, sell your car and save some money! Ditto the big campers - get a hotel!. And BTW, the ones that tow cars along behind them? Every single one of them is breaking the law. Something to do with weight and trailer braking requirements - theres no way they can do it legally apparently, despite what they think - the only person that can legally tow a vehicle in such circumstances is a breakdown truck. But do you ever see them getting nicked? No, probably because the bobbies prefer to target those of us of obvious lesser means (no offence compadres!) on the basis that they think we are more likely to skimp on maintenance.... SO stick a knobbly tyre on your car and your a criminal (like mafia boss Makeitfit!), but drive a seventy grand motorhome with a whole other car dragging along behind you (polluting the planet, taking up far too much room and generally being a 'giant motorhome dick' (strange picture going through my head???) and you are somehow immune??!! Rant over!

26-03-2009, 14:29	#6
wildbri Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: south lakeland Vehicle: terrano 1997 tdi Posts: 940	I have studied all this myself. Having had a split screen vw in the 60's which was great not much comfort but we were young and it was better than tenting ( until it blew a big end in the middle of turkey, but that's another story). WE have a small caravan and like yourself have watched motor vans all over Europe, and also look at www.motorhomefacts.com and read the problems they have with their £40,000 plus vehicles, some doing less than 2000 miles per year. A lot of the talk on the forum is where they can camp for free, they call it " camping wild" but often it is in a super market car park or truck stop amongst the lorries! In france they have aires where motorhomes can park free with some services, but we have used a camp site by river with few campers on it, on the other side of the river 20 motorhomes so close together there was no room to put out chairs! The motor homers say having a caravan means a lot of setting up but without an awning I can set up in a few minutes and and a caravan with two wheels is much easier to level than a motorhome with four or more. Motorhomes are very nice and it is easy to be seduced by the comfort and luxury but on the road finding some where to park is a different story. Small motorhomes are great in my opinion but if you want comfort, practability and the best value for your money it must be a nice car and good caravan. You take your home with you and your vehicle for shopping exploring etc. Happy camping whatever way you do it, regards....bri P.S just booked our ferry crossing www.norfolkline.com best price through the caravan club car, caravan lunchtime crossing £104.00

26-03-2009, 14:45	#7
wildbri Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: south lakeland Vehicle: terrano 1997 tdi Posts: 940	I have studied all this myself. Having had a split screen vw in the 60's which was great not much comfort but we were young and it was better than tenting ( until it blew a big end in the middle of turkey, but that's another story). WE have a small caravan and like yourself have watched motor vans all over Europe, and also look at www.motorhomefacts.com and read the problems they have with their £40,000 plus vehicles, some doing less than 2000 miles per year. A lot of the talk on the forum is where they can camp for free, they call it " camping wild" but often it is in a super market car park or truck stop amongst the lorries! In france they have aires where motorhomes can park free with some services, but we have used a camp site by river with few campers on it, on the other side of the river 20 motorhomes so close together there was no room to put out chairs! The motor homers say having a caravan means a lot of setting up but without an awning I can set up in a few minutes and and a caravan with two wheels is much easier to level than a motorhome with four or more. Motorhomes are very nice and it is easy to be seduced by the comfort and luxury but on the road finding some where to park is a different story. Small motorhomes are great in my opinion but if you want comfort, practability and the best value for your money it must be a nice car and good caravan. You take your home with you and your vehicle for shopping exploring etc. Happy camping whatever way you do it, regards....bri P.S just booked our ferry crossing www.norfolkline.com best price through the caravan club car, caravan lunchtime crossing £104.00

26-03-2009, 15:01	#11
zippy656 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Devizes Wiltshire Vehicle: Nissan Note Ntec 1.5 Posts: 14,138	caravan and site fees are cheaper then a B&B for us 5

26-03-2009, 15:19	#13
zippy656 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Devizes Wiltshire Vehicle: Nissan Note Ntec 1.5 Posts: 14,138	depends how meany time you go away

26-03-2009, 15:52	#14
Darwin Guest Posts: n/a	I wouldnt have the space to park a caravan , but I could park a motorhome on the road.

26-03-2009, 15:54	#15
zippy656 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Devizes Wiltshire Vehicle: Nissan Note Ntec 1.5 Posts: 14,138	i had to dig up some of the front garden. so we could get on in. you could always store one some where else as we are talking about caravans, I cant see the point of a seasonal pitch. can any one enlighten me as to why??