Transition from caravan to motorhome

agree with CY's last comment...if we were confined to the UK we would probably have a caravan, perhaps towed by a VW Transporter.

small coachbuilts can definitely be an alternative to a PVC. an XLWB Ducato is 6.36m x 2.06, our A-class coachbuilt is 6.40m x 2.12m but with more vertical sides feels far less claustrophobic and is extremely well kitted in terms of winterisation/insulation/self-suffieciency.

small vans can still have everything larger vans have....decent lounge, fully usable washroom/shower and kitchen, along with proper beds and large storage, decent sized water tanks and gas capacity.

layouts will be a personal choice and most are available even in a smaller footprint.

the balancing act is the perceived compromise of less internal space against the ease of use between stops.

our touring style involves a good bit of 'pulling in here for a look' and the mix of a small van and better continental catering for MHs makes this easily accomplished 'over there'....

but if confined to UK....? might be different.

Hi Ina

Totally agree swings and roundabouts. The weather we had back in November certainly favoured the caravan. Having the car alongside to go out in during the day to towns/cities/villages was most welcome. Seeing those with MH's dressed up in water proofs and wellies, standing at bus stops waiting to go somewhere did not make me feel envious at all. 

I don't think we would have used Meathop if we had still got a MH unless it was just for the night. Having said that given its location probably not even then. There are many places that we have now visited that we wouldn't have used with the MH. 

Think of all those lovely CL's that we can now use at any time of the year, doesn't matter if there isn't a H/S as long as you have a tow car that is up to the job. However a MH on soft grass is not ideal. 

As to packing up the caravan again like you it doesn't take any long than with the MH. During the fair months we leave stuff in the van but over winter we do take most things out, just like we did with the MH. Setting up is no different as we both are involved with jobs. The only time I wish I had a MH still is IF it is raining on set up, otherwise quiet happy with the caravan.

BB you don't need to shell out for a VW, there are many other makes that do as good a job for far less than a VW 

but if confined to UK....? might be different.

That also entered our thinking BB. Although we intend to use it a fair bit abroad. As we don't intend to change it or buy anything else we wanted something we could live with in the U.K, possibly using it for week or longer stops in future years. Ours is also 2.12 wide, but the extra 44cm length we feel, makes it much more livable in when the weather is poor. I'm not sure if we would have gone for the 6.5 version if the driving position was better. As the bathroom was nowhere near as well designed as in the one we went for. I think we would be more likely to give up altogether and go down the route of renting cottages than return to a caravan.

Like TDA I don't think we've ever had a problem parking up either our previous pvc or present slightly larger coachbuilt. We once nearly drove into an overhead barrier on an IOW car park but that was lack of observation on our part! One of the things I don't miss about the caravan in winter is trying to warm it up on arrival, the M/H is always warm. There are also two drivers, with van towing there was just the one volunteer! To me, all this doesn't really matter as long as you are happy with whatever type of van/vehicle you have chosen. If we give this van up we'll move back to holiday rentals etc but we haven't quite finished with being "on the road" yet. 

We are using more cottages, but only because taking Mum with us. We might get caravan back on road this year, head down to Cornwall. But I know we will miss the hopping around, and parking up whenever we feel like it. It will be more about getting down there, pitching up. Ideal for us will be to leave van down there like we used to do. However, that night mean the MH doesn’t get the use it should.....🤔

If you prefer to use campsites (rather than Aires etc) I am not convinced there is much difference between motorhoming abroad or the UK other than perhaps the weather or the fact you are in another country, both good reasons to go there!  In the same way that some Municipal campsites in France are near to towns and villages or German campsites on the edge of towns there are such campsites in the UK as I have discovered.  So I don't see this massive difference between the two. If we go on one of our slightly longer trips in this country and we need shopping en route I pre plan where we will stop using the likes of Google Earth so see how big supermarket car parks are and when I use them I park at the extremities as I often take up more than one parking space. Take overnight motorhome parking spaces abroad out of the equation is there that much difference, I have not found there to be so.

David

David, i think you're right in that its the ability to pull in (use of aires as you put it) that does make a huge difference...

we are currently on the road, having just travelled down the western route of France and reached the border with Spain... and heading to Benicassim tomorrow....so, ive had a long day in the saddle and its getting dark and i need somewhere to park up...

i could have turned off the motorway a few km back and got to Urrugne and called in at Camping Laroulette but, as its just started chucking it down, i would have checked in, paid and stuck it on the pitch and got my head down early for a good start tomorrow...

but there is a perfectly adequate free 'aire' in Behobia/Irun which we have used several times before...there are currently five (opps another ones just arrived...) vans here.

we, like the rest here, need nothing from a site in order to eat, sleep soundly, shower and then be on our way...in fact the route we are taking is less than a km away..so why would we bother?

we also used the free Aire at Grand-Fougeray last night, a lovely Village  Étape, 200m from the aire....a restaurant or two right on the doorstep.

yes, if it were summer and we wanted 'to sit out' and enjoy the evening sunshine and a glass of....

but aires offer a no frills overnighter when no frills are needed.

as ive said before, its not aires or no aires, we just mix and match to suit the occasion, and a couple of one nighters during a damp winter dash to the sun is one of those.

having said that, following tomorrows arrival, we'll be putting our feet up on an all singing site and if the weather stays good, we may stay too.

next time you're 'on your travels' give one a try  

ps....about nine vans here now......must say something about how classy a joint this is...

It seems to me that some "campers" seem to carry out a lot of planning before getting on the road whether they are motorhomers or caravanners. We are the total opposite and tend to "wing it" and are still alive to tell the tale.

If we do ever change to a motorhome I cannot see us changing the way we operate and would simply glance at a supermarket car park before deciding whether to enter or not.

I'm not saying planning to the nth degree is wrong but just that it wouldn't suit us.

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As a caravanner who basically tours, rarely stay on sites more than 3 days, sometimes visit POI with the van and occasionally parks in service stations/Stelplatz etc I don't really feel the need to change to a MH.  Still all to their own