Hello to everyone here and hopefully you can help us with some guidance......
We are currently considering purchasing our first folding camper and would really appreciate any advice from members of this forum. As a caravan isn’t an option for us (we don’t have room at home and don’t wish to pay storage charges) we have started to consider a folding camper as the best option.
We would like one with a toilet / bathroom so have been looking on the net at the Pennine Quartz 6 or the Conway Crusader but are there any others we should consider? We have a budget in mind of between £10k-£12k (ish) and as we would like to keep it for 10 years + will be looking to buy new as we would also get the benefit of a 3 year warranty.
Having looked at the Pennine site we see that both our owned by the same company and wondered what the pros / cons were for each and if there are any major differences? We see that the Quartz has some extra things such as the external shower (is this any use?) and BBQ point but are these worth the extra £1000 ?
Also if anyone could comment on these other questions we would be really grateful:
1) What is the internal heater like? While we won’t be going camping in the depths of winter it would be nice to know we could use this out of season 2) How easy are these to put up / down in the rain without getting the bedding / internals wet? 3) Is there a lot of storage under the seating area, etc (The website is a bit thin on this info) 4) Are the bed skirts a good choice or waste of money 5) Would we need extended wing mirrors to tow this on a Vectra (we have checked towing capacities and this is well within limits) 6) Can the fridge be loaded up before leaving home and will it run off the 12V supply when traveling to keep things cool?
We live in Berkshire but see from the Pennine Website that our nearest dealers are Tony Wild Camping (Bedfordshire), Home Counties Camping Centre (Middlesex) or High Bridge Caravans (Somerset). Has anyone had any good / bad experiences with these?
Any other comments or advice gratefully received !!
Hi. Have no personal experience of Tony Wild but the person from whom we recently bought our second hand Conway Cruiser had bought it in 2005 from Tony Wild and spoke very highly of him.
Tony wild is a very good place. Tony or Mark are good egg's and will sort out any dramas you may have quickly. We have 2010 Platinum crusader and have found it great. Pro's easy home storage, cheap to tow, easy to tow, and with the new acrylic easy to dry out. You will buy with them with total piece of mind. Instead of a shower on the quartz consider a power shower which can be bought for another 145 quid. I can provide details if you wish.
If you are not wanting to buy absolutely new, and may wish to save a couple of grand, then I have mine for sale. feel free to ask any questions if you are interested.
We bought our Conway Countryman from Highbridge near Burnham on Sea. . Highbridge were excellent. We rang first as we had to travel from the Midlands they gave us a demonstration and answered all our questions and gave us a collection date. When we collected it we had another demonstration and some towing advice. Our camper was 1year old but hardly used. Highbridge gave us waste/water containers and electric lead so apart from gas we were ready to go. You also get a discount in the shop for as long as you own the camper. Although we had no warrenty as it was used they said they would not let us down if we had a problem. We camped nearby after collection so were close by to iron out any problems.
We love our camper, we have underbed skirts which are good for storage and to reduce drafts under the beds. Our awning and skirts were included in the £6500 we paid We do not have heating but a fan heater works just as good.
We have put it down in the wind and rain, you do get plastic sheets which cover the beds you just have to fold it quick and dry it and put it away more neatly when you get home.
With all the cupboards and under seat stoarage there is plenty of room. We do not have a toilet but use a camping one in the awning and we put a wardrobe in there for our clothes. We have 2 children who love it. We had a tent which I hated, this is much better and has saved us loads on our holidays this year.You can run the fridge off a battery but Ido not fill the fridge until I am on site as you would have to open it up to fill it. I do keep everything else inside so we are ready to go.
Quote: Originally posted by devil99qa on 20/6/2011
Tony wild is a very good place. Tony or Mark are good egg's and will sort out any dramas you may have quickly. We have 2010 Platinum crusader and have found it great. Pro's easy home storage, cheap to tow, easy to tow, and with the new acrylic easy to dry out. You will buy with them with total piece of mind. Instead of a shower on the quartz consider a power shower which can be bought for another 145 quid. I can provide details if you wish.
If you are not wanting to buy absolutely new, and may wish to save a couple of grand, then I have mine for sale. feel free to ask any questions if you are interested.
Paul
Hi Paul,
So what is the power shower as we haven't heard of these before? Does this replace the normal one on the Quartz and was if fitted when you brought it? Does this mean you have your own shower cubicle outside? Any info would be good as this is a learning experience for us! Thanks for the offer on yours but we would like to go for new for the warranty and piece of mind being new to all this!!
Hi there, in answer to question 5 you will need towing mirrors if the FC is wider than your car which a Pennine Quartz 6 or crusader will be, regarding fridge on 12 volts thats for travelling only if on site with no EHU then you should run it on gas as it would soon drain the battery.
------------- Exercise every day and Die Healthy....
We have a 2010 Conway Crusader and are really pleased with it, previous to this we had a 1998 Conway Crusader. We also had a 1993 Conway Cruiser without the toilet but much prefer the convenience of a toilet.
1) What is the internal heater like? While we won’t be going camping in the depths of winter it would be nice to know we could use this out of season
Heater is excellent, heats the cabin really quickly and is really warm
2) How easy are these to put up / down in the rain without getting the bedding / internals wet?
Been really lucky and only packed away dry, but find the folding system really easy, our old Crusader was slide out mechanism and we weren't sure we would like the folding type, but we are definitely converted
3) Is there a lot of storage under the seating area, etc (The website is a bit thin on this info)
Yes lots of storage under seats, cupboards and drawers, even a cutlery drawer under the sink
4) Are the bed skirts a good choice or waste of money
We think they are worth it, stops draughts in the awning and definitely think the beds are warmer with them
5) Would we need extended wing mirrors to tow this on a Vectra (we have checked towing capacities and this is well within limits)
Not sure if lawfully you need them, but we always do
6) Can the fridge be loaded up before leaving home and will it run off the 12V supply when traveling to keep things cool?
Yes
Good luck with whatever you purchase, you will love it
Quote: Originally posted by dazzer252 on 20/6/2011
Quote: Originally posted by devil99qa on 20/6/2011
Tony wild is a very good place. Tony or Mark are good egg's and will sort out any dramas you may have quickly. We have 2010 Platinum crusader and have found it great. Pro's easy home storage, cheap to tow, easy to tow, and with the new acrylic easy to dry out. You will buy with them with total piece of mind. Instead of a shower on the quartz consider a power shower which can be bought for another 145 quid. I can provide details if you wish.
If you are not wanting to buy absolutely new, and may wish to save a couple of grand, then I have mine for sale. feel free to ask any questions if you are interested.
Paul
Hi Paul,
So what is the power shower as we haven't heard of these before? Does this replace the normal one on the Quartz and was if fitted when you brought it? Does this mean you have your own shower cubicle outside? Any info would be good as this is a learning experience for us! Thanks for the offer on yours but we would like to go for new for the warranty and piece of mind being new to all this!!
not got one, but would consider one to use outside the unit in a shower tent. Needs gas bottle also, which you carry two on the unit anyway. QED cheap alternative to onsite showers and saves you money on a unit which has one. Good luck with it, Tony or Mark like I have said. Also I understand there is a dealer in Bicester on the A41.
I have this one, and a shower tent and it does the trick. Hot water carried in jerry can to unit, some used for washing up and some for portable washing machine, and the rest for shower. Use a rubber mat on the grass or a crocs to keep your feet off the ground.
We have a shower on our Conway Cardinal, but on the outside we only use it for the dogs if they get really muddy.
On a personal note, i think adding the expense of a shower or power shower isn't economical, as i have yet to camp where i am expected to pay for a shower. Anway over the life time of the unit, if you pay £148 for the power shower and £10 or so for the shower head, that comes to roughly £160, and then add another £30 for the toilet/shower tent ....£190.
Say you have to pay 50p per shower, then you have to have 380 showers before you have made your money back on the purchase. Generally most sites i have come across have free showers, and are much warmer and convenient than showering outside your FC.
We have a shower on our Conway Cardinal, but on the outside we only use it for the dogs if they get really muddy.
On a personal note, i think adding the expense of a shower or power shower isn't economical, as i have yet to camp where i am expected to pay for a shower. Anway over the life time of the unit, if you pay £148 for the power shower and £10 or so for the shower head, that comes to roughly £160, and then add another £30 for the toilet/shower tent ....£190.
Say you have to pay 50p per shower, then you have to have 380 showers before you have made your money back on the purchase. Generally most sites i have come across have free showers, and are much warmer and convenient than showering outside your FC.
All that being said, its all personal preference.
I think the shower head comes with the device. I recall looking at it some months ago. But economically you are right. It's an option if you want to explore smaller sites with less facilities I guess.
So is the outside shower on the Pennine a cold or hot water shower? I agree with the above that the best opition is to use the on site facilities but it may be useful for cleaning up the kids feet, etc if near a beach.
If anyone can comment on the best choice between the Crusader and the Quartz 6 that would be helpful.
Tony Wild looks like a good choice so will have to give them a call in a few weeks to see what display models they have in and then we can go and compare the two!
If the unit you are buying has hot and cold water, then the shower will have the same options, and yes it is handy for washing kids and muddy dogs :) but apart from that not much else.
I think the main difference between the Conway Crusader and Pennine Quartz is Crusader uses Isatex fabric and Quartz uses Isacryl (though not sure what the difference in fabric is)
I also noticed that with the Quartz has wrap around seating with one side being longer but by gaining the extra seat you are losing cupboard space, the Crusader 2009 had this option but when we looked at them we decided that the extra storage space was more important to us.
I also prefer the interior fabrics used in the Crusader(again this is personal) We have the white curtains and to be honest we were worried about how clean they would stay but I have to say its not been a problem and after numerous outings they are still as clean as when bought.
I think the main difference between the Conway Crusader and Pennine Quartz is Crusader uses Isatex fabric and Quartz uses Isacryl (though not sure what the difference in fabric is)
I also noticed that with the Quartz has wrap around seating with one side being longer but by gaining the extra seat you are losing cupboard space, the Crusader 2009 had this option but when we looked at them we decided that the extra storage space was more important to us.
I also prefer the interior fabrics used in the Crusader(again this is personal) We have the white curtains and to be honest we were worried about how clean they would stay but I have to say its not been a problem and after numerous outings they are still as clean as when bought.
Glad to hear the white stays clean. We have the white curtains in our countryman and am thinking of making some new patterned ones, maybe don't need to bother.
I think the quartz is nice but compared to the crusader platinum, I think they have gone back to chintzy in the interior. I would not have bought a FC at all until I saw the modern style that Pennine had adopted with the Acrylic range.
Our white curtains and inner tent are as new after good use in 2010 and twice this year.
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: Conway or Pennine & advice needed!
