Gone back to a caravan

Oh, only just noticed your new avatar, Rosy Bandgirl !  Did it come with your new kit ??

yes after owning several caravans / motorhomes over the years, we have enjoyed both,  hence wanting to buy a motorhome after a break from travelling holidays, we did the cottage holidays even got a couple to do this year which were booked before we bought the caravan, one in st davids one on the isle of skye,  trouble with cottages are the one you want is not vacant when you want it. and some might not meet your cleanse expectations, plus the prices are shooting up, we just went away for a few days and enjoyed the caravan and being on the llyn penisular we were able to get down the little narrow roads in the car, and we get more mpg even towing, 

I totally get what you are saying about rented accommodation (i.e. availability and cleanliness).  We very rarely use hotels/ B&B etc.... a rare exception is when we go across to Lewis & Harris.  As we can usually only go for a shorter period of time (5 nights accommodation, this time), it's not really worth the reduced MPG when towing, and the extra ferry cost and site fees on top... plus the extra time it takes when towing.

The other issue of Caravan v Motorhome...  At present, personally, I can't see us wanting to swap to a motorhome.  Caravanning fits the way we holiday...  we like to set up on site and explore the area by car.  We do a bit of walking (although a bit limited), but I drive to where we want to walk, and I'm not a fan of relying on public transport.  After saying that, I 'totally get' that there are so many folk who holiday 'the motorhome way'.  It's just thinking it through before you purchase, and like the OP  not being worried about changing between one and the other. 

Whichever way you go, I think it's probably fair to point out to anyone considering caravanning or motorhoming, that either isn't a cheap option.  If you want to save money on holidaying, buying a motorhome or caravan, plus all the 'necessary equipment' (🤣🤣), upkeep, (+ storeage?) and site fees on top doesn't necessarily make it a cheap option.  It the 'lifestyle' thing...... and when I use my caravan, it's as clean as I make it.... and anyway, it's only my dirt!!  🤣🤣🤣🤣

David

We switched to a Motorhome six years ago which was then an opportunity to downsize our large SUV for a smaller electric car which suits our lifestyle more. No going back now because it would mean buying a towcar far larger than we need for everyday use.

We are fortunate in that we have both. 

After 40 years of caravanning we bought a Bailey MH had it for 6 years, it had its ups and downs.

We couldn't find another MH that we liked so changed it for a new caravan. 

We knew we would go back to a MH in the future, once we had decided what that would be, didn't want to rush it as it would probably the last one.

At the end of the first lock down in 2020 the dealers were desperate to sell and we were again fortunate to find locally the MH we were after. It was a bit earlier than planned (only had the caravan 20mths) but we decided fate had shown us the way to go. Dealer not offering a good trade in on caravan so we decided to keep it and sell privately. We did however get a good discount on the MH for no trade in. 

During 2020 and 2021 we toured in the UK as we were not allowed abroad. This re-enforce our opinion that caravans are far better for UK touring.  So instead of selling it we decided to keep it for UK use. The MH for abroad use. We have now done 2 long trips with the MH in Europe which have been great. 

In our opinion its down to where you go, how long you like to stay and how fit you are. If you are not able to walk or cycle then a MH is probably not going to be for you, unless you keep the size small  so you can go anywhere a car can go. 

We have thought about selling the car and caravan now that European travel is allowed but anything could happen in the future. So for the time being we will keep both. Storage is not a problem as we have plenty of space for them all. 

One thing I don't think has been mentioned is the ease of motorhoming compared with caravanning. I appreciate that its a personal thing but we are far more comfortable with the motorhome as for us its much simpler leaving and setting up. We are both in our mid seventies so I expect our next move, at some point, will be move to a less intensive style of holidaying not involving caravans or motorhomes 

David  

I remember the first trip in the Motorhome. Turned up on site, found a pitch and drove on to it. Engine off, handbrake on, fridge switched itself on to gas, water in the tank might as well have a cuppa. Eventually plugged in the hook-up cable and wound out the canopy, 5 minutes in total.

Watching people spend ages erecting awnings, rolling Aquarolls and dragging waste containers brought back memories.

Long stay versus short stay, comfort versus convenience etc. etc. We enjoyed our caravan days, particularly when the children were with us, now the Motorhome suits us but I do agree with Tammygirl, for the UK a caravan has many advantages. Touring without booking over here is almost impossible so the mobility of a Motorhome is somewhat negated.

Hitchglitch wrote:  "Watching people spend ages erecting awnings, rolling Aquarolls and dragging waste containers brought back memories."

Not us HG...  We just use a wind out canopy these days (like the ones on motorhomes... 🤣🤣).... and we use serviced pitches.  We don't even take the aquaroll or wastemaster these days - we use a Colapz Fresh Mini kit and flexi-wastepipes... 👍👍👍

David

David, I can see that you have a Unicorn and we also had a canopy on our Unicorn. Unfortunately just a few years back manufacturers were reluctant to guarantee canopy fittings to caravans and, in fact, our  Bailey dealer stopped doing it as it was proving difficult to get an effective water seal between van body and canopy. Hasn’t stopped it being extremely popular on the continent on Knaus, Hobby, Fendt etc.
Also popular which we see where we travel is a small onboard water tank topped up by a watering can. Also a bucket for waste water. Still see the occasional Brit in France with a Wastemaster but often there is no decent place to dump the waste. 

Fortunately, we've not had a problem with the water seal, and I checked with Bailey at the time to make sure a canopy didn't invalidate the warranty... they were happy that the holding brackets were bonded to the roof and not drilled... 

I'm waiting for Colapz to bring out their new freshwater and waste system.  It's taking them an age to release it - I suspect they are having problems with it... 🤥

David