Once again, thanks to all who've been so supportive, it is much appreciated :)
SamandRose - yes, my route north is the A595 which is single carriageway (ie: 50mph when towing) and my route east to join the M6 southbound is A66 which is mainly single carriageway.
So we probably won't be getting rid of the caravan just yet; acquiring a small campervan for day trips is still on the agenda though!
We live in South Cumbria so know the problem - a 50 min trip along the A590 before you even start to get anywhere - and we're better off than you! Just an occupational hazard of living where we do I guess.
I wouldnt get hung up on average speeds. You need to ask yourself if you are happy taking 3 hours to get to X, and all the 'joys' it will bring once there. Youve said you actually enjoy the towing bit already. If you are happy to spend 3 hours or whatever getting to wherever you may be going, whats the problem. If you do think its too long, thats your answer. As its never going to alter. So bin the van. (and dont bother with a MH either)
Quote: Originally posted by bofs on 29/8/2017
We live in South Cumbria so know the problem - a 50 min trip along the A590 before you even start to get anywhere - and we're better off than you! Just an occupational hazard of living where we do I guess.
{{chuckle}} Bofs, it's an "occupational hazard" I'm OK with, we already live in the place so many people are only able to enjoy a week or two each year during their holidays
Used to live in a very built up area, know which I prefer!
Quote: Originally posted by Mick S. on 30/8/2017
If you are happy to spend 3 hours or whatever getting to wherever you may be going, whats the problem. If you do think its too long, thats your answer. As its never going to alter. So bin the van. (and dont bother with a MH either)
Cheers Mick, I guess my 'problem' was that I wondered - as a relative newbie - if I was doing something wrong.
But all the supportive replies have pretty much told me I am on track. So I won't be "binning the 'van" anytime soon!
We tend to work out estimated journey times based on an average of 30 mph (including breaks on longer journeys). Then if it happens to take us less time than that, it's a bonus!
We hope to get to the destination in a certain amount of time. But there are so many variables that can bite you on the arse, we only manage it about 50% of the time.
A lot depends on where you start and where you are going though. It can take me 15 minutes to do half a mile through town on a bad day. And for bad day, read most days. So i dont know what that does to my 'average speed'!
But on the flip side i've landed hundreds of miles later in France, and done it within half an hour of 'hoped for' eta.
Just to put this into perspective.
If you sold the caravan and bought a motorhome you may get there a few minutes sooner. BUT you would be trapped on site unless you broke camp every time you wanted to go off site. You could tow a car behind the motorhome but then you are back to the same journey times.
Just relax and enjoy the scenery
Quote: Originally posted by TheHeadGardener on 26/8/2017
We've now been caravanners for a couple of years; once I arrive at a site I'm in a happy place , we've got set-up down to a speedy and fine art and I adore actually being in the caravan.
The problem is getting to sites, and I don't mean the towing. The problem is the time it is taking to get anywhere ... I'll try to explain
I think I am a fairly decent and confident driver (husband says I am, bless him), the car & van are a good match and I actually enjoy driving along with my big white box behind. I will not drive above the posted speed limit but I do drive as fast as is safe to do so. So on a motorway I will be going along at 60mph if conditions permit, and on an 'A' road I'll be doing 50mph if it's safe {bla bla bla}
The disillusionment occurs when I look at my notes for all our trips and find that regardless of how swiftly I try to proceed, my ACTUAL distance covered per hour is 30 miles. From our base in West Cumbria, it takes two hours to get to Kielder, an hour to get to Ravenglass, two hours to the site at Moffat and so on. Without breaking the law (and please don't suggest that, it's not going to happen, and no, I'm not an off-duty police officer!) I cannot see how I improve that.
And as a result we're seriously thinking about trading an almost new caravan for a van/motorhome because at 30 miles each hour it is going to take an awful long time to get up to the north of Scotland, or down to Devon & Cornwall. As for our plans to tour Europe ....
So I guess this is a really long winded way of asking how everyone else manages to cover longer distances when towing? Taking multiple days to reach a UK destination isn’t our idea of what caravanning was going to be.
Thanks in advance
TBH the amount of time you save probably will not justify the additional expense of the motor home. After all you are on holiday so why the rush? Another way to think about it is that the caravan allows you to use the car to go to places. With a MH you may have issues with car parks, supermarkets car parks etc.
Imagine arriving on site, setting up and then you remember you left something behind that you need to buy from a supermarket down the road. That means packing up to go to the supermarket. Even bigger hassle if you find an ideal site but it is not on a bus route so you are stuck on site unless you pack up to go out.
30mph door to door is about what I calculate for long journeys, that factors in the stops for lunch, fuel, tolls traffic jams etc, etc. Funny thing is I don't seem to arrive any slower than those that tell me that they averaged 60 all the way
Quote: Originally posted by boff on 31/8/2017
30mph door to door is about what I calculate for long journeys, that factors in the stops for lunch, fuel, tolls traffic jams etc, etc. Funny thing is I don't seem to arrive any slower than those that tell me that they averaged 60 all the way
That is the point, to average 30 mph over a journey, you need to be doing 50 - 60 mph wherever you can. Factor in traffic lights, roundabouts, road-works, and congestion, and the average speed comes down very rapidly. 30 mph door to door is not bad at all.
I am a wee bit quicker with the campervan than when towing caravan but not by much still a 2 day journey from Banffshire coast to Dorset coast 13 hours in the car would like 3 days if on motorcycles for the same journey
However I prefer to make the journey part of the trip and not just a means to get to the destination
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Topic: Becoming disillusioned, help please
