Or,as delboy has already said,look into converting something for yourselves...!
A tidy mini bus,with the rearmost seats removed and replaced with a fixed/dropdown bed and a basic cupboard to house a stove etc,would be a cheap way to find out if campervans are for you!
Quote: Originally posted by paulkentuk on 07/8/2009
Suspension is shockingly underdamped allowing a really unnerving rolling motion when overtaking trucks on the motorway at 70MPH or driving down narrow Devon Lanes. This vehicle would fail the legendry Moose Test ! The kids fought like cat & dog in the fold out upper sleeping area, the rear seats fold back to an uncomfortable double bed & with that seat up or down - the settup is poor for storage if you are planning on stopping in laybys for a cup of tea on the way down.
Honestly we are now considering taking out a VW T5 instead.
Regards
Paul
I would suggest if you want to drive at 70mph a type 2 VW is not the van for you. We pootle around at 50/60mph, although the van can do 70mph it wouldn't be happy.
As you say a type 5 would be a better choice with more comfort and refinement.
I'd also recommend you hired one for the weekend to get a feel of whether it's right for you.
We hired 2 different T5s (Bilbo & a California) and also drove a T4 California before we decided to go for it.
In the end we preferred the T4 because it all seemed a lot more robust than the T5's inside, was a bit smaller for parking etc and generally a lot cooler! Cheaper too!
Initially it was really slow to drive which was a nightmare around town, but it turns out the timing was out & now it goes fine, although it does still roll around corners a bit.
If you're looking for a caravan with an engine, though, it's not for you!
Well i bought a jumbo transit van, thats the biggest transit you can get. It's now converted into a mobile tent yes a tin tent. It has a stand alone power supply, 12v 110Ah leisure battery thats topped up via a 100 watt 6Ah solar panel on the roof. It has a fiamma 12v fan in the roof too to vent heat or cooking. All lighting is LED to save power use. We use a Thetford Porta Potti 235. we have a coleman duelfuel double cooker and two single multifuel stoves, a fold up kitchen. 20ltr water tank. We have an awning, no sides type but might buy a drive away one too. Basically it's a get up n go anytime mobile tent, the only thing to pack away is the awning. It has a lcd tv, dvd, a dab radio. Ive been putting it together since feb, it's an on-going project. Two people can sleep across the back on the made double bed, and others sleep on camp beds. There is a massive boot to store stuff under the double bed at the rear, and on the luton. I just bought a 12v porta shower from maplins for emergencies . It's all been done so we can just go...... None of that packing the car and trailer and roofbox anymore phew...We definitely do more camping now and have lots more days away. There is me and the wife and my 14 year old daughter and our two dogs, (a border collie and a rhodesian ridgeback) my 18 old boy does his own thing with his girlfriend these days but still comes along now and then in his own car. This is why we might buy that drive away awning.. We do a lot of one night roaming or wild camping now.
------------- DELTA..
aka Paul
“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions.”
I sometimes wish that we'd gone for a simple self-build instead of spending a major slice of our savings/inheritance on a coachbuilt..
Although having got used to the 'van we've got,I can't see my OH being to happy if I turned up one day with an ex-council mobility bus...(..although that hasn't stopped me from looking tho'!)
Thanks for the suggestions. We're off to the motorhome show at Malvern tomorrow and there are a few panel van converters due to go so hopefully we will get some ideas. For the money we have I'm tempted by the bongo but my husband would ideally like a T5 (anything worth having is out of our price range) but will settle for something like a Regius. Tomorrow may change that all again.
I honestly think the likes of a Regius and Bongo are way too small for 4 people to have any degree of comfort or storage. You need to get into one, shut the door and imagine a rainy evening all sat in there together. Also the sleeping arrangements, getting up for the loo or if one of the littlies is sick.
You would have to have a tent/freestanding annexe and then you might as well camp tbh!
I honestly think the likes of a Regius and Bongo are way too small for 4 people to have any degree of comfort or storage. You need to get into one, shut the door and imagine a rainy evening all sat in there together. Also the sleeping arrangements, getting up for the loo or if one of the littlies is sick. You would have to have a tent/freestanding annexe and then you might as well camp tbh!
I sold my bongo for this very reason... far too small for me wife and 2 kids 3 & 5... have look at a hiace super customs much bigger than a bongo and much cheaper than a T4/5....you could look here
though I have had no dealing with the dealer personally..gives another option...
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: Campervan suitable for a family
.(..although that hasn't stopped me from looking tho'!)
