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Having always had a hankering for a campervan or a motorhome, I think I've come to the conclusion that a small caravan is probably better. This was triggered by seeing the Swift Basecamp SE4
https://www.swiftbasecamp.co.uk/basecamp-2-4-se
We have two small children and live in Scotland and that sort of caravan looks ideal for weekend trips away. Although I'm told it is expensive. I've no real idea on how much a caravan should cost and whether it's good value. I'm thinking 1-2 years ahead as our youngest is only 1 month. There may be more secondhand options by then, as the Basecamp 4SE came out in 2019.
A small caravan makes a lot of sense:
- I can use our current car. We wouldn't be going huge distances anyway
- I don't have another vehicle to maintain
- There's no faff with fitting car seats into a campervan/motorhome (folding bed seats can make this difficult and even unsafe)
- A caravan gives access to sites that tents aren't allowed (e.g. C&M Club sites)
- It's warmer than a tent
- It's more midge proof than a tent
- It would have a longer season than a tent, e.g. trips away in Winter.
- Quicker (?) setup than a tent. I'm thinking while the kids are itching to get out of the car.
At a certain point in time, I would never have considered a caravan, but I can now see the benefits. Have I lost my mind?
Coming round to this thinking too.
The guy on here that imported a Knaus Deseo had it up for sale a month or two ago - I dithered a bit too long and it went. Not enough nice, simple, compact family caravans like that over here.
Eriba is another possibility.
Have I lost my mind?
Yes.
Every way you look at it, caravans are the best option. More comfortable and easier than family camping, cheaper than motorhome and leaves your car usable for the other 99% of the time.
I want one, Mrs S doesn't
Edit, I LOVE that basecamp, caravans like that have been long overdue. Very spendy though/
Is it just the styling that makes it better than a traditional caravan? You might want to compare the cost of wrapping a van and redoing the upholstery etc compared to this. With a family of 4 space will be a key factor in a few years...
Is it just the styling that makes it better than a traditional caravan?
In a way, the overall functional approach makes it more appealing. Different and more subtle graphics are available. I'd prefer just white though.
All of the beds and seats fold up and there are lashing points underneath, so bikes and other kit can go inside. No frilly curtains or carpets. Removable tote crates instead of overhead cupboards. Bunks for the kids. Outdoor shower and BBQ points.
Got to say, I like big caravans, but then I spend a lot of time in it
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I want one, Mrs S doesn’t
There is this too. Hence the research. I've pointed out that I could take the kids away on my own, amongst other benefits
As I'm reading this one of them Swifts has just arrived and pitched opposite us.
Two adults and two small kids might be doable but it will be cosy. Wouldn't want to do it for a long time in bad weather
We recently built an extension, primarily to gain a bedroom for guests and larger living space. It cost a lot of money. I did suggest that for a fraction of the price we could by a caravan, park it on the drive. We would gain everything we needed out of our extension and have the added benefit of gaining a holiday home. I thought it was a brilliant idea. It turned out to be be a surprisingly short conversation.
Every way you look at it, caravans are the best option.
Almost true, but not quite. The one key fact is that you'd be driving around with a caravan.
Apart from that one all important fact, I do tend to agree with you. Make much more sense than a motorhome/ camper, but I still couldn't bring myself to do it.
We’ve gone small tent > VW T5 campervan > caravan > big tent over the past 15 years.
Wee tent was fine for just Mrs a11y and me. Campervan was pure luxury. Ms a11y #1 arrived and campervan still brilliant: more of a squeeze but still perfect. Ms a11y #2 arrived: oh ****. It was too small and awkward when we had bikes / baby stuff / kiddie seats x 2 / etc on board for big holidays. Bought caravan. Took a LOT of convincing but it made sense to us: lots more space, not that expensive (certainly compared to big motorhomes etc), weather-proof, etc. But we sold it a couple of weeks ago.
Cost of having a caravan was niggling at me more and more. Our own circumstances didn’t help as we couldn’t keep it at the house which meant £450/yr storage. Storage yard also had crap access times (8.30-6.00) which prevented early starts or late returns which frustrated. Then there was insurance (£280/yr) and servicing. Additional travel costs: fuel (37mpg solo vs 26mpg towing), ferries to mainland Europe costing more, French road tolls, Swiss vignette (one for vehicle and another for caravan) and the slower speed limits. More awkward to stop enroute for food etc too. And because we had the caravan we felt more obliged to use it for every holiday instead of alternatives such as in-laws hol home, YHAs, random weekends away or even (sssshhh) a package hol. Argh.
So we’ve bought an enormous Vango airbeam tent. We already had all the gear so it’s only been the cost of the tent plus a 2nd hand roofbox (going to look amusing on top of a Transit van but Bikes Inside Matter). Yes, less access to campsites than a caravan. Yes, colder than a caravan. Yes, less midge-proof than a caravan. And yes, shorter season than a caravan. Undecided about setup time vs a caravan as trial run yet to happen (this weekend!). But it means I can now say I don’t own a caravan… but really it was about the costs/convenience. Ability to travel cheaper and faster will be great on future Alps trips and we know from previous experience of a Vango inflatable awning on our caravan that combined with a fan heater a tent can be quite cosy.
As I’m reading this one of them Swifts has just arrived and pitched opposite us.
Two adults and two small kids might be doable but it will be cosy. Wouldn’t want to do it for a long time in bad weather
Better than a tent though in bad weather? Is the one opposite a 4 berth? I think the awning is a must
A bigger caravan negates some of the benefits. We'd need bigger car and I might have to take the trailer driving test, but yeah there will be an upper age limit of the kids in a smaller caravan.
If you're happy with caravan go for it but
A caravan gives access to sites that tents aren’t allowed (e.g. C&M Club sites)
Tend to be horrible sites. Camping and caravan is a better club to join imo.
We recently built an extension, primarily to gain a bedroom for guests and larger living space. It cost a lot of money. I did suggest that for a fraction of the price we could by a caravan, park it on the drive.
We have a caravan site within walking distance and I have thought exactly the same 😁
It dosent say if its a 2 or 4 birth. One person about setting it up so it could make it doable.
Looking at the air vents down the side and then looking at your link it could be the 2 as they are under the smaller side window
And every other road user will hate you 😉
Great info thanks. Yes there is a 'standing charge' of insurance, storage etc, of at least £70 month before you've even used it.
Not sure I'd plan to take it on long trips away. Going abroad would be something else!
What is the depreciation on caravans like?
Motorhomes seem to hold their value very well.
The europeans got some far cooler caravans than we do.
Most of our caravans and motorhomes are aimed at "retirement lump sum" buyers.
On the continent its often family buyers. Normally european vans have the door on the wrong side (yes some sites ban you for this), won't have an oven (!) and often don't have a hob as cooking is done outside the van.
Check out:
Sterckeman
Rapido Club
My favourite: Kip Kompact
Vans that came to the UK you might find:
ABI adventurer (ageing now)
Dethleffs Campy
I sometimes think about heading over to holland and doing a tour of the van dealers to pick one up. But theres always something else I'd rather be doing.
Depreciation is bad on new ones.
Get a used Eriba though and you won't lose much.
The minute theres a sniff of damp in a caravan its worthless, they just fall apart.
Lots of dutch keep them in garages, e.g:
https://www.marktplaats.nl/a/caravans-en-kamperen/caravans/m1594277747-eriba-eribelle-430-caravan-met-hefdak.html
Bought a 6 berth 2007 Ace for 6k about 3 years ago. Have had a fortunes worth of fun out of it.
spends half the year at Innerliethen with a decent awning and towed by my transit custom full of bikes.
Just buy a traditional caravan. Not convinced about those base camps at all, lots of extra money for less caravan.
5k will get you a comfy decent sized 10/15 yr old van. Just make sure it's dry and everything works.
Most of our caravans and motorhomes are aimed at “retirement lump sum” buyers.
Definitely
On the continent its often family buyers. Normally european vans have the door on the wrong side (yes some sites ban you for this)
Pitch orientation and being able to tow it out if there's a fire?
RE: Swift Basecamp
Is it just the styling that makes it better than a traditional caravan?
There is a lot more going on than stickers. Bike racks internally, wide back door, storage based on bags, outside hose, washable surfaces etc I could see mrs_oab and I getting one when the lads leave home.
So much cheaper than a caravanette, less faff of space/kit moving compared to a small caravanette such as T5.
Knaus do one similar.
I think there's one from another manufacturer that's 20 odd years old now, but I can't remember the name.
RE:damp in vans. How come you can buy a watertight yacht or dinghy, yet new caravans (the Swift Basecamp noticeably) seem to be riddled, with some huge design faux-pas. I helped friends a couple of years ago who had a pretty new, £9k caravan. It has a roof seam where the water drained. It had window design that guided water towards the joint between wall and window frame - of different materials so different expansion. It had a floor that appears to be painted wood, not GRP and foam.
Funnily enough they had three areas of damp....
Vans that came to the UK you might find:
ABI adventurer (ageing now)
We have an abi adventurer, its very old and tatty but it sleeps 3 in the dry and is good fun. Only paid £500 for it.
I think a family of 4 would struggle in a Basecamp, they do look good though are a fair bit heavier than ours.
Another one to look at are Tab but they are 2 berth also. Might suit us now the boy is getting older and would sleep in a tent outside but thats no good with young kids.
It has a roof seam where the water drained
Ours has this its crazy, its clearly leaked in the past but now has a massive amount of sealant over it and seems fine. Shit design though.
yet new caravans (the Swift Basecamp noticeably) seem to be riddled, with some huge design faux-pas
Having never bought a caravan, but having fond memories of my parents, I liked the look of that Basecamp, but then saw your comment. Can you elaborate for me?
A Google is scary, but I'm sure many vans have issues. It just seems amazing that a big manufacturer with a long history has to recall a new product as they can't keep them dry...
Apparently now sorted.
https://www.google.com/search?q=swift+basecamp+damp
And every other road user will hate you
Yes but if you ride a bike you're used to that already.
Euro vs UK caravans: @wzzzz speaks the truth. I couldn't get on board with a typical retirement home UK caravan, hence buying a Hobby Vita Veneto 495UL. Struggling to post pics but it was pretty cool (for a caravan). Wasn't beige/white for a start. Door being on 'wrong' side wasn't an issue.
Depreciation: 2010 Hobby cost us £10k 5.5 years ago. Sold for £6k last month but had an impending £1-4k repair looming due to damp…
Ahhhhh damp. Don't go secondhand caravan shopping without a damp meter. Not for the beds (ewwwww but probably some truth given the average caravan owner age) but water ingress can be a significant issue on some. Ours was a surprise to us - water coming in 'somewhere' around the front panel and initial inspections couldn't locate the source at all. Significant investigation was needed and costs completely unknown so we jumped ship. Buyer intended fixing it himself.
And CAMC sites: we liked them. Draconian rules at times but generally nice sites. Even our Transit + Hobby combo didn't deny us access to any campsite.
And every other road user will hate you 😉
Only if you're towing it with a Lada. Decent motor for the job & they won't.
We've just had a wet & windy week up near North Berwick in ours. One thing we noticed up there is how many car parks have height barriers on, especially any right by the coast. 2.02 mtrs, just enough to get something like T5 under but no way to get a MH or van conversion in.
'cycle or walk' I hear you say. Aye right, in a force 6 gale & hoying it down.
Another thing. Wev'e met up 3 times with a mate of mine & his mrs with their MH & each time wev'e gone further afield in our car so they didn't have to pack everything away.
Caravan every day.
Just got back from a weekend up visiting my folks in our caravan. It was a cinch, site was £14/night, we were out in a field instead of paying £120 to be in someone else's house in a B&B. About 45 mins set up and tear down with not much stuff and no awning.
Motorhomes holding their value - great if you have a shitload of cash lying around, not so good if you want cheap used!
What car do you have dmorts?
Our little t@b is euro configuration with door on wrong side. Most sites are fine with it even caravan club ones. Only site that had an issue was a caravan club one at fort William and it seemed to be just us that they didn't like.
What car do you have dmorts?
VW Touran, so larger caravans would be out. Unless we changed car, but that's unlikely
A Touran would tow most medium sized vans I think unless they have lightened them up a lot.
They seem to make caravans in weight classes. 1100kg ish for smaller cars, 1400 ish for medium cars and 1700 ish for SUVs. But even as cars have got slightly lighter so have the caravans.
For example a Touran 2.0 TDI is listed as 1635kg, and the MTPLM of a Bailey Phoenix 650 (a good spacious family layout with fixed kids bunks) is 1394kg which would be fine. Aomyou don't need to go for a 'small' van at all. Many many options for your car.
We have had all the combos from tent to caravan and back to tent, now have a 20year motorhome. Our kids are now adults so with our 2birth motorhome it is easy, it has a fibreglass one piece shell so hopefully little chance of water ingress. When the kids were smaller the caravan was ideal used it loads both in the UK and Europe the ability to get everything in the van and the car made for fantastic holidays. We started going further afield in Europe and went back to a tent so we could move quicker across Europe staying only a couple of nights at each place with a Decathlon Family pop up tent so quick up and down. Tents are definitely a LOT cheaper to own and buy. Now the motorhome suits us, it is not much bigger than a standard MWB van but it is comfortable and the retro seats are growing on me. When we were getting the MH the other option was an Eriba caravan, but my wife didn't want to tow.
A Touran would tow most medium sized vans I think unless they have lightened them up a lot.
It's the 1.5 Petrol, 150bhp engine. It's no slouch but might not be as good as towing as a diesel engine.
For example a Touran 2.0 TDI is listed as 1635kg, and the MTPLM of a Bailey Phoenix 650 (a good spacious family layout with fixed kids bunks) is 1394kg which would be fine
How does the caravan to car matching work....?
All of the beds and seats fold up and there are lashing points underneath, so bikes and other kit can go inside.
. OK, but be aware you only have 136 kg total load capacity in there. I believe that includes your clothes, bedding, food, your pans, crockery etc.
Caravans (all trailers) are sensitive to how they are loaded and how they steer - sticking 40 kg of bikes in the wrong place could make it horrible or even dangerous.
No frilly curtains or carpets.
I get that. But those can easily be removed from other vans and replaced with functional finishings.
Removable tote crates instead of overhead cupboards.
Which should make the joinery cheaper!
Bunks for the kids.
I'm sure this is not the first van with bunks. There is a weight limit on the top bunk which would stop you using it with 1/2 the people on this site (just in case you have any plans to use for "lads trips" too.
Outdoor shower and BBQ points.
you can retrofit those sorts of things to any van.
Better than a tent though in bad weather? Is the one opposite a 4 berth? I think the awning is a must
If you need an awning every time you use it, even for one or two nights, I would think you basically have half the inconvenience of a tent. You'd get a trailer tent for a fraction of the price.
A bigger caravan negates some of the benefits. We’d need bigger car and I might have to take the trailer driving test, but yeah there will be an upper age limit of the kids in a smaller caravan.
mmm... £20k for a van, but won't spend £400 for the licence to use it - seems like you are restricting yourself. I'd also be certain that your current license and vehicle combo will cover that - including any future vehicle. e.g. my (post 97) license and car would cover it - but if I bought a bigger car ironically it wouldn't!
How does the caravan to car matching work….?
Cars are rated to tow XXX weight, but it's recommended that the (fully loaded) caravan be no more than 85% of the kerbweight of the car - so at 1500kg you can get a van up to 1275 MTPLM (Maximum Technically Permissible Laden Mass)
You CAN go higher but it gets trickier, and depending on your licence / towing combo you need to be wary of being illegal. You also need to be wary of where you put your gear, as above - this video is a good example of what can happen if you get the trailer weight in the wrong place
Good points. My entry point to this whole thing is seeing the Basecamp caravans first, so I don’t know what that particular model gives you over the more traditional caravans.
I've started to look at other small caravans for comparison. This is a whole new world to me
but it’s recommended that the (fully loaded) caravan be no more than 85% of the kerbweight of the car
Yes, although with modern cars this can be stretched slightly. But you won't need to, dmorts. You have manynoptions. But as above it's about car weight not power.
You do have to know a bit about towing a caravan. Basically get the tyre pressure right (often really high), get the nose weight right (buy a nose weight scale) and experiment with what works. If you have a rear washroom for example make sure the toilet is empty because otherwise it sloshes about which will wag the back of the van. Most vans can have suspension dampers fitted, it's a very easy bolt-on DIY job and it really helps.
We now know where all the stuff goes in our caravan to get the nose weight right. But if it needs fine tuning we have some of the gear in a tote whose position can be adjusted.
I don’t know what that particular model gives you over the more traditional caravans.
Smaller, bike storage inside, theoretically suitable for parking up at random locations #vanlife style.
We moved from campervan to folding camper to caravan. I love it and find little downsides compared to a campervan the main one is the last day is driving home it is harder to stop somewhere on route but that only affects the longer distance breaks. The extra more useful space even in a small caravan is much better. Set up time is not hugely different once you know what you are doing.
We bought a small four berth Adria Altea 390DS brand new eight years ago for £9k and we have had nearly 500 nights in it, including in the garden where we keep it. It was a great space away from the house during lockdown. It is still in great condition and I would be surprised if it was worth less than 5k now.
Ours had bunks, I took the top one out to make more room on the bottom bed. Top bunks are not usable for long, kids quickly get too big for them.
Adria's do not suffer from damp but many British vans still get it after about a year which is just crazy.
You mention having a 1.5 petrol engine I assume that is the VW one. It should manage a Basecamp, I think they have about 184lb ft torque so it will feel a bit slow but it will make progress, I think steady is fine and stability is more important so try to keep under the 85%. My Adria is a little lighter full potential weight but it can take over 200kg more payload so I will have been well under the maximum and I used to tow with a 1.6 Tdi Golf with similar torque levels.
It costs money to maintain them and for many people store them so they are not the cheap holidays people expect although if you keep the van as long as we have it works out well. Definitely join the CAMC we prefer it to the Camping and Caravanning Club but it is ten years since we were members of the latter. We have just come back from the CL below near Nairn. £5 per night for all of the family for basic setup and no electricity, small solar panel keeps the battery topped up and gas usage for the fridge is very efficient. We are the nearest van below
Regarding nose weight if you have a small van like ours with a long european style A-frame at the front it really doesn't matter how you load the van it has so little impact.
find little downsides compared to a campervan the main one is the last day is driving home it is harder to stop somewhere on route but that only affects the longer distance breaks.
We put food and water in the van and stop in laybys if we aren't going on motorways, and sometimes if we are. We just have a tote and a bag to move out of the way so we can sit down. We don't un-hitch of course so no need to put legs down.
It costs money to maintain them and for many people store them so they are not the cheap holidays people expect
We don't have our van serviced. I just pay attention to it as we go along. I don't think you need to spend hundreds. It can be cheap holidaying; our two weeks in Cardigan cost something like £14/night in campsite fees for a fantastic spot on the edge of the mountains in a CAMC CL. Two years ago we stayed in a main CAMC site and it was £45/night for a sterile field with a tarmac loop in it. And the CL had a trampoline 🙂
We put food and water in the van and stop in laybys if we aren’t going on motorways, and sometimes if we are. We just have a tote and a bag to move out of the way so we can sit down. We don’t un-hitch of course so no need to put legs down.
We do this too, I was meaning more along the lines of 'we are passing Pitlochry, lets have a good look around town and maybe have a walk up a hill' I am never comfortable leaving the van on a carpark etc.
No that's true, and we have had issues with that. We pulled into the back of a car park on a business park to go to a supermarket on the way somewhere, and the security guard moved us on cos he presumably thought we were travellers or something. As if we even remotely looked like staying FFS.
If you want to be different and don't want a caravan... https://www.opuscamper.co.uk/
(Note thats over priced - you can get this much cheaper - but not quite as trendy looking: https://www.ventertrailersuk.com/savuti-off-road-camping-trailer/)
Adria Altea 390DS
That's quite similar to the Swift Basecamp 4SE in a lot of ways and half the price!
dmorts
SubscriberAdria Altea 390DS
That’s quite similar to the Swift Basecamp 4SE in a lot of ways and half the price!
If you are considering secondhand then models after 2011 had the better layout. Also it was known as the Shannon for a couple of years.
Other options might be Eldis Explore 304.
Adria 432 getting a bit heavier, fixed bed and bigger second bed if the kids are happy to share but longer term may be better than bunks. Lack of windows so not the best for taking in the view.
Tab four birth again poor windows.
Adria Eden heavier again
Desio very square so heavy on fuel in wind
Bailey Discovery
Adria Altea 390DS
These look great. Should be towable by most on a post 97 license too without extra tests.
We've a 6 berth bailey Orion. Fixed bed. Side dinette/bunks and front double. GRP shell.
1380kg mtplm.
Granted it's got sacrifices to make it so light for a 6 berth but it's comfy for our little family.
With the right vehicle you wouldn't need a test.
It was 20kg over the legal limit for me so I spent the cash. Didn't learn anything but at least I can tow most things now.
I personally would not like a trailer tent. Two key advantages of caravans are warmth and quiet.
Ours has an electric and gas heater, with optional blown hot air, which means we don't need to be huddled into a sleeping bag we can sleep however we want; we use a normal duvet and the cushions are pocket sprung. And the van being rigid doesn't flap in the wind, and it blocks out a lot of campsite and other sundry noises like cars.
All on a £2k used van.
Liking the Eriba line, but convincing Mrs TiRed is not going to be an easy sell. Do any have inbuilt showers of any form? Our diesel CRV looks fine for towing. I've been working on a MH or even a narrow boat (we've hired many), but it's proving hard.
Check out the hymer Nova caravans.. I would get these if I was serious.. was good second hand models with a quality interior. Still prefer a Motorhome but they do make sense.!
I think Euro vans that they build for the UK i.e. with the door on the proper side also are build with UK specs in mind e.g. cookers and showers and stuff.
For example a Touran 2.0 TDI is listed as 1635kg, and the MTPLM of a Bailey Phoenix 650 (a good spacious family layout with fixed kids bunks) is 1394kg which would be fine. Aomyou don’t need to go for a ‘small’ van at all. Many many options for your car
And yet if he drove a touran 2.0 TDI and towed that van he would be 54kg on the illigal as he is limited to 3500 combined MAM the kerb weight of 1635kg is irrelevant.
With a 1.5tsi at 2090kg and that van he would have 16kg to play with.
I would be sweating at a check point in that combo for sure.
Of course spending 325-400 quid on a days towing course would negate all of that and you'll probably learn a thing or two about towing a van. Dinnae be one of them eejits who for some inexplicable reason can not reverse a caravan onto their pitch.
Yes or the ones who wobble down the motorway with under inflated tyres, one lower than the other for added effect.
Euro vans often have much longer drawbar than UK vans.
This could be seen as a waste of space in storage..... But you can get bike racks to mount on the drawbar...
NBT..... Love that video!
Clearly shows that even without driver input, a correctly loaded trailer/caravan has the ability to self-cancel a snake.
Brilliant, Brilliant BRILLIANT!
Shows really nicely why loading up correctly is vitally important.
I'm gonna show everyone I know that video. Thanks.
This could be seen as a waste of space in storage….. But you can get bike racks to mount on the drawbar…
You can but I can't see how that wouldn't wreck the nose weight at least for a bigger van. I mean ideal nose weight is 5-7% at least on a UK van, and that would be 75kg on a 1500kg van. Then another 25kg of bikes would that over the draw bar limit for most non-SUVs
We picked up a 18 year old Avondale Dart a couple of years ago. It was a bit of a spur of the moment purchase. Never regretted it. We have used mostly caravan club sites but to be honest we are done with them. Too daily mail for us. The van was £1500 included all the kit including awning and full gas cylinders. It is hearing aid beige. We are always the rattiest van on any site. The kids play spot the van worse than ours. The shoppers at Totnes Morrison’s gave me very dirty looks when I was waiting for MrsDts to come back out on Saturday😀 (for clarity it is behind a blue Ranger pickup, maybe understandable!)But it is warm, the heating works, it has a fridge to keep drinks cold and it is dry. We are not precious about it. I guess that pretty good for a 20 year old caravan. We do intend to rip out the sludge coloured curtains and soft furnishings. Cheap holidays really. Looking for a site for Oct half term.
Contrary view.
Get a 500kg or 750kg trailer a good quality six or eight berth tunnel tent and some decent camping furniture and cooker.
It's easy enough to book pitches with electric hookup and get a good electric chiller box and low wattage kettle.
Have much more space, much less to store (volume wise).
We've got room in our 8 berth tent for two kids to each have their own bedroom and a shared one for us. Somewhere around 15m2 of open plan living space where we have a four seat table and bench seats plus four camping chairs and a coffee table and folding storage unit plus the porch bit we cook in.
To get that space in a caravan I'd need/want a monster of a 4wd to tow it, it would be an arse to store too.
I get caravans have a number of other benefits as others have pointed out though. Just worth considering the alternative (we did go through this a bit a while back). 🙂
Dirty looks in Totnes Morrisons carpark?
You sure it was Totnes?
You know Totnes is twinned with Narnia, right?
Semtex, I did see what I thought was deer at the side of the road on the way in, perhaps it wasn’t a deer?
RIP Mr Tumnus.
Sod packing away a massive tent and all its furniture in the rain!
Poke that.
Even packing and hitching the caravan sounds like a pain in the pissing rain 🙂
I hitched in the rain last week, coming home from Eden Valley. Sat in wet pants for three hour towing south into a ferocious headwind. It wasn;t pleasant 🙁
Taking down an awning in the rain is a pain, but you can check the forecast and do it the night before if necessary. You just have to do stuff like empty the waste and toilet, it's nowhere near as bad as taking down a tent.
Definitely so much easier sorting caravan in the morning you're leaving than a large tent, we have been lucky most times we're away and manage to get the awning down dry and it's just hook-up etc to do. We're on our second caravan over 10 years and we wouldn't change it to go back to a tent for family hols. Been a godsend this summer with having our own facilities on board too. Even taking costs of the van, insurance etc into account, we're still better off than renting cottages for the six weeks we normally go away in a year, especially in the South West and unlike a tent we have heating etc so we can go away year round.
and unlike a tent we have heating etc so we can go away year round.
I'm told by people who go to campsites that there is electrickery available now and the luxury tent users have heaters too!
In the rain we just sort everything in the van then do the water tanks and electric cable all with the awning up if it's already wet. Wet stuff into the back of the van (transporter not caravan) awning down and into the van. Hitch and go.
Really interesting thread this. been thinking about a caravan myself, also always dreamed of a camper but the idea of a tourer is growing on me...
we currently have a large-ish tent that we use 3 or 4 times a year, but im increasingly jealous looking at the set-ups up the tourer pitch end of the campsites! we camped over BH, paid for 4 nights but sacked it after 3. i could probably handle longer but the majority had had enough...
where do you folks peruse or purchase the vans from, any preferred dealers or websites? when ive googled any of the models mentioned here there does not seem to be many results...
also love the idea of having an extra guest bedroom on the drive at home!!
the Adria Altea 390DS looks just the job.
the luxury tent users have heaters too!
Well that sounds eco-friendly!
im increasingly jealous looking at the set-ups up the tourer pitch end of the campsites
What triggered our first caravan purchase was returning to a soggy tent at a wet Sleepless in the Saddle at about 1am - cold, muddy, tired, and walking past a caravan and seeing the warm cosy people inside laughing and drinking and having a great time. The following year we got one, and returning from my again wet muddy lap to a heated caravan and a hot shower to then slip between clean actual sheets and a duvet was absolute bliss.
It's more than just warmth of course. In a caravan or bigger motorhome you have a proper sink with hot and cold water that you can stand at to wash up for example; you have a fridge, you have a wardrobe so all your clothes are hanging up or sorted, you don't have to rummage around in bags, all your stuff is in overhead bins, and you don't have to pack any of that kit away when you move on cos it's already part of the caravan. I never thought we'd use an oven in a caravan either, but it means we can grab supermarket pizzas or ready meals if we want, which is pretty handy.
where do you folks peruse or purchase the vans from, any preferred dealers or websites? when ive googled any of the models mentioned here there does not seem to be many results…
The Euro models talked about here are pretty rare, especially the smaller ones. I've bought all my vans from eBay - but there's a lot of junk about so it can be difficult. If they're not local you have to ask the questions like 'is it damp? Does everything work?', bid, then pay on collection IF it's okay - if you ask the questions first then you have grounds to walk away if they've lied.
This has turned into a very informative thread.
What are the things to look for in a second hand caravan? Not just damp, wear and tear, but things like GRP panels, types/levels of insulation
I've started to have a look at some secondhand caravans (still way off purchasing though). One thing I've noticed is that quite lot look like someone has just thrown my Grandparent's front room, wholesale, into a much smaller room 😀
we bought one in June after a lot of debate and searching.
started with a £4K budget and ended top spending £8.5 to get a decent one!
Can not stress enough that you need a damp meter, 80% of the caravans I looked at had damp.
Many dealers appear to be very economical with the truth/crooks, we ended up buying privately and went for the Cris check before purchase.
Take time to look at loads of different layouts, we started off wanting a fixed double but it takes up so much space and you often get a shite bathroom as a result.
we got an Elddis 554, twin fixed bunks, huge bathroom with fully lined shower, more storage space than you will ever need and comfy front double when made up.
Would highly recommend and awning too, space for bikes, changing and for chilling in the evening
What are the things to look for in a second hand caravan? Not just damp, wear and tear, but things like GRP panels, types/levels of insulation
Well, over a certain age, say 2009 or so, they are all made the same way. So it's just a layout you can deal with but the main overriding factor is damp. They are made from panels that have wooden struts and polystyrene sandwiched between lightweight ply on the inside and alu on the outside. If water gets into this badly enough it rots, and you're in trouble. It can be fixed, but it's a pain.
From 2009 I think Bailey introduced wood-free construction and whilst early ones did leak, stuff just got wet and nothing rotted. So the leaky ones were patched under warranty. Since then most manufs have followed suit, so things are a lot better. But really, aside from that there is nothing to choose between manufs. Most of them have the same three classes of caravan - more basic, lighter and cheaper; medium; and heavy and luxurious.
There are damp-free ones at the lower end, but you need to be luckier. First van was a bit rubbish (very old), second was a badly leaking van with a cover-up job repair that I. had to gut and fix (always buy a van that's been used by holidaymakers who are selling it, never get one that's 'being sold for someone else' from a field), and the most recent one is great and was only £2.3k.
Also bathrooms improve dramatically about 2009-10 onwards. And you want window blinds on all windows. Especially in Scotland in the summer 🙂
As for the upholstery - grit your teeth and bear it! Having said that, more modern ones improve, and in the last year or two they've FINALLY started using tasteful plain fabrics instead of flowery dreadfulness. It's almost worth £18k just for that.
Also, if you fancy it, you can rip up the carpet in an old van and lay laminate style vinyl strips. Makes a massive difference to the niceness of a van. And finally, you can get the cushions re-covered too, would cost you about £5-700 but might be worth it for an otherwise good van.