( I have also posted this topic on the motorhome thread)
We are in a dilemma! We have a tent at present and want to upgrade. We have looked at several dealers selling folding campers/caravans/motorhomes. We are a family of 4, son aged 12, daughter 9. My oh and I work term time so we want to go away in the school holidays including February and OCtober. We also want to go to France next summer for 4 weeks, staying in a few different places. Our car is a scenic 1.5 so not powerful enough to tow a caravan so would need to purchase a new car if we decided on a caravan. Has anyone else out there tried campers/caravans/motorhomes and decided which best suited them as a family? Budget is £15000 although would rather spend less. We have limited space on our driveway of 20ft so if we purchase a caravan would have to pay to store it somewhere( Have found a couple of places locally at cost of approx £350). ANy advice would be extremely welcome. Thanks!
We've had a tent, frame tent with awning, trailer tent with awning, and caravan - and we've hired a motorhome for a four week holiday in the past - and definitely would opt for the caravan over the other three.
Advantages:
1. You can stop anywhere on a journey and make a meal - just steadies down and put the kettle on.
2. It can be as quick as a motorhome for overnight stops - just connect up the electricity and use the site facilities.
3. It's much quicker to set up than a trailer tent - we've had a race with our friends and we were eating by the time they'd finished 'unfolding'.
4. You don't have to pack EVERYTHING away, either in the motorhome, or leave things in the stand-alone awning, everytime you leave the site, like you do with a motorhome.
5. If you're out in a motorhome for the day, and don't have a stand-alone awning, there's always the danger that your pitch will be taken by someone else - and it's very difficult to argue when they've fully erected their awning and got the barbie out!
6. A caravan is a home from home, and involves minimal packing up when you leave. You can have a 'caravan set' of everything, and leave everything in it's place in the caravan - and just pack and unpack your clothes and one or two heavy items.
7. A caravan is warmer and snugger than a folding camper - and feels much more like a proper room (or proper room and proper bedroom). You have a fully equipped kitchen ready to use at any time. Generally there is more room than in the sort of motorhome you'd be able to buy for your budget.
8. A motorhome is great for extended periods of touring - but rubbish for getting into small villages, with narrow lanes, and nowhere to park. It's also not so good for staying for two weeks on site - as every time you go out you have to pack everything in the motorhome away. People tend to have to find sites near to shops so that they don't have to do any driving whilst away, which limits sight-seeing opportunities, unless you're en-route somewhere else.
These are just my opinions, and no doubt others will differ. It tends to be a bit of a heated subject with strong preferences one way or the other.
I am afraid you will get so many different views you may get even more confused.
We have done all of the suggestions over the years.
Trailer Tent - too much like camping!
Motorhome - OK if you want to tour but we found we could not park the thing. Also not roomy enough for kids who mostly like to stay in one place. Also have to run two vehicles.
Caravan - ideal for doing almost everything. A car available to take the kids out for the day with somewhere to come back to.
Go for a genuine 4 berth caravan with room at the back to shut off kids at night. 2 bunk beds and a table at the back would be ideal.
I've tried everything bar a proper trailer tent over the past 7 years.
With two children in tow, the most practical solution was definately a caravan. But as a single parent, most of the packing and unpacking has been down to me, as there are two of you and you don't intend to be packing up and moving on more than a few times in 4 weeks then a folding camper or Combi-Camp type trailer tent would be better as you don't have to change the car and you can store it at home.
With an EHU, you wouldn't be cold in winter, I've Combi'd in December and have friends who have been comfortable at New Year, in sub zero temps, so Feb & Oct half terms shouild be ok unless it's snowing!
If you kids are like mine I wouldn't recommend a motorhome as there's too much tidying up and packing away if you want to go off site, and the size you would need to be comfortable wouldn't be convenient for visiting small towns etc.
------------- Caz
If you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, just keep going till you go round the bend.
We between us have had a motorhome, trailer tent, tents and 4 caravans,
Love the vans, motorhome is to much hassle unless you tow your car behind to use for day trips (which defeats the object for us as we still need a big car - kids and dogs)
OH had a motorhome when she was groiwing up and it was a nightmare just to go and get some shopping unless you had alternative transport.
Caravan for us every time, with £15000 you can get yourself a good van and upgrade the renault.
------------- Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
Not a family, but have had 2 folding campers and now a caravan.
Did think about a motorhome, but the idea of an extra set of bills for servicing, road tax etc, having to pack up every time you wanted to go out for the day and the fun and games of parking put us off. Parents used to have one when I was young - ok, there were 4 of us children making 6 in one motorhome, but it was just a pain. Even with an awning, there's just not enough space on a wet day.
Folding camper - great fun, but you've still got to put it up, wet canvas to dry out if it rains, it's draughty and you get that 'orrible damp film over everything when it's wet. Basically, it's luxury tent camping on wheels.
Caravan - oooo, yeah. Sooo cosy after the folding camper, it actually gets warm and stays that way, easy to go on a day trip, even if you pay for storage it's got to be cheaper than paying the extra bills for a motor home.
If you are really in doubt, I'd recommend hiring each option for a weekend. Acorn caravans near Reading hire them out (we hired one from there when we were deciding), and you can certainly hire a motorhome. Don't know about folding campers.
Whatever you choose, enjoy!
------------- You don't know, 'til you give it a go.
I would recommend a caravan or folding camper as with a motorhome if one of you needs to pop to the shops you can't - the whole family has to go and you have to secure everything before you go! Motorhomes do have their place if you are moving from site to site and only staying one or two nights in each place but otherwise a caravan or folding camper is much more practical especially with a family.
Seems to me people who arn,t confident drivers prefer caravans so they can drive and park up in towns easier. We,ve never had trouble parking, obviously wouldn,t park up in the shambles at york, but we generally use public transport, (can have a beer then ! ) and often call somewhere on our way back as you have to be off site for twelve most places, ( which you can,t in a caravan ), can travel faster - legally, agree with 2kias a van with a rear lounge is on our next list !
------------- Keep smiling, its later than you think !
I've had the tent, the folding camper and now the caravan. I did enjoy the folding camper, but it nearly always seemed to rain about two hours before I was due to pack up and go home, I was then left with wet canvass, it used to stress me out. Now I have the caravan it is so much better. It can be loaded up the night before a trip, more room for the kids and wife and more luxurious than the folding camper. We now have hot water and flush toilet on board, which the folding camper didn't have.
The caravan wins every time in my opinion.
------------- "A.C.L. - Three ways to tackle a problem. Accept it, Change it or Leave it."
We still use a tent, but on the continent where it is warmer and usually drier. If the weather is poor, we just pack up and head south, or to where the weather is good. We have never booked ahead in over eight years, but I would not advise doing this with kids and a caravan, especially in very popular areas.
We bought a caravan just over a year ago, because, although we enjoyed getting away for weekends, the weather was so wet and cool in 2007, we kept cancelling. Surprisingly, we found was that once the caravan was sorted, packing away for a weekend, setting up and packing away for the return was so much easier than with the tent. We now have trips away all year round, which we wouldn't have done with the tent.
The tent will still be used this summer for a trip to Austria, but if the weather is poor, as in 2004, we will head for Italy, or Croatia.
thanks all for your advice and recommendations, we may visit the Caravan and Motohome show tomorrow at Broadlands to have a look at both but at present I am swaying towards a caravan! thanks again and will let you know what we decide on.
I have a caravan tent and campervan but havent used the tent for years as OH wont go in it anymore. Its personal choice but I love my caravan and use my campervan when OH doesnt come or want some time alone as I cant tow the caravan. Think caravans are better for kids though.
------------- Jan:Braids Gretna, Feb Stanwix Park Silloth & Braids Gretna,
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: Dilemma!caravan/foldingcamper/motorhome?
