It does also depend on how you want to use your caravan/camper if you want to camp all year round then i would go with the freedom type of caravn with awning if you only want summer camping then you can go for either type of unit. Folding caravns are not ussually lighter than smaller ordinary vans due to the strengthening needed for all the hinges and such, another thing to watch if near your limit is weather the unit is braked or unbraked for a small car i would never go with an unbraked trailer
Thanks Griv don't worry about posting long I love a good chat!, although being a newbie I need to be enlightened on FC's?
Thanks Romany, it is mainly summer camping I will want it for and the occasional damp/torrential day and a night camping in a field waiting for a champ dog show the next day, other half very fed up with sitting in a little car for hour after hour waiting for me and dogs to come back out (six hours last time) so I wanted to make the poor devil a bit comfier while he is waiting lol : ) Yvonne.
We have a punto which has an engine of 1242cc. We have had all type of units except for a fc now. We found that older vans were lighter on average and they were much cheaper. The van was bought last october knowing that we were to get another car this year.
The punto pulls the van fine on the motorway but needs extra omph on long slow hills.
Beware though as many trailer tents are no lighter than small lightweight caravans.
BTW our van is 11 feet long and weighs 560kg unlaiden.
Thankyou Liege, I am so fired up about this I can't stop looking at all the various camp sites I will visit lol, my family and a couple of dogs will definetely be seeing more of the country this year lol.
I used to have a Vauxhall Corsa 1.2, and had been looking for a unit that the car might be able to tow. I visited Freedom caravans, and was quite impressed. But, though they are smaller and more lightweight than normal caravans, they are still caravans and the unit would still (the same as a bigger and better quality caravan) need to be parked on my drive as it would'nt be able to fit in my garage (due to height etc). However, I visited the Earls Court show in November, where I purchased a folding camper, the Dandy Dart, by Riva Leisure. The Dart folds out into a 4 berth, has a sink/cooker, optional fridge etc, but best of all, weighs just 350kg unladen, it is 360cm long inc A frame & 160cm wide (unfolded) including wheels. The height unfolded is 115cm , all this makes it easy to tow by even the smallest of cars, inc robin reliants. On top of this they can be packed away when wet as they are made out of an insulated pvc material. Riva also make 2 bigger models, try checking out their web site www.rivaleisureltd.co.uk. I'm picking up my Dandy on the 12th Feb, and both me and my partner can't wait!
What about an Esterel? Plenty come up on ebay,3 or 4 berth,easy to tow & can be stored inside your garage.See my Gallery images for pics.
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Hi Mike and thanks for the suggestion, I am going to see a folding camper this Sat which sounds a good one but I think your Esterel is a very cute little van, just out of interest do you know its weight? I drive such a small car which I have to keep for another 2 years and it certainly limits what I can tow dramatically Yvonne.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Folding or Lighweight Caravan?
