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.
Unfortunately it's where you live that takes the time .so it probably won't be cured by buying a motor home as traffic flow will keep you to the same average speeds ,
Where I am in north wales I can be on the motorway system in 15 minutes or less then as long as traffic flow permits a average of 60 mph is possible till traffic clogs up or I have to leave the motorways .
HaHa, you want to try living in the North of Scotland! Takes hours to get anywhere!
Seriously though, seanfdh is correct, the further you travel the better your average will be. A M/H won't make a lot of difference.
------------- I came into this world with nothing and I've still got most of it left.
"...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.."
Don't forget some A roads have dual carriageway sections with a 60 limit for caravans (lower if posted, of course!) but I don't think that will make a lot of difference to your average speed.
Most of our trips are 200+ miles each way. Usually 40+ miles before getting on a motorway, where traffic permitting sail along at 60. End of journey my average speed shows 45mph. My neighbour has a motorhome and you will find your average speed will be the same unless you hammer down the fast lane at 70 and then it drinks more fuel.
It's true, a motorhome won't be any quicker. By way of an example, I've previously owned a sports car and a little run about at the same time. The last two were a Porsche and a Suzuki Celerio. What I found is that in the real world, normal driving conditions there's little difference in the time taken on journeys, even when breaking speed limits!
Also, we've driven back from Cornwall loads of times in my wife's Honda Jazz and more lately a Skoda 1.2. Our most recent trip was in my current car, a 3.0 A6 allroad (obviously much faster) So, how did the time taken for the whole journey compare?......exactly the same, well within 10 minutes.
No, you don't need a Motorhome, sounds like you need a helicopter
we used to tow down to spain ,salou every year,left home in fife at 6am and was at black horse farm cc site in dover before 4pm, 525 miles. sailed dover/ callis at 4 am and did another 500 odd miles next day then following day 350 miles to site just after lunch.easy drive with 2 drivers. so we averaged 53 miles per hour. when we stay local i still budget 50 miles for every hour on the roads. ps i tow like i have stolen the caravan as my time away is limited
I understand how you feel. I do the towing and map reading when the sat nav is not reliable . But I try and plan trips and sites close to good A roads and if possible drive on motor ways as often as we can But it's not always possible.
It is frustrating . At Easter we went to the Netherlands . We leave far too early and always say we will have lots of stops but don't due to wanting to get to our destination as soon as possible .
I always calculate the miles and how long it will take when we are travelling . If it says . 95 miles I think ok we are travelling at approx 50 or 60 mph . So I work out a rough guide how long it will take . This helps . You can't go as fast with a caravan on tow. Just plan well ahead and look for site in good locations . You seem quite central . I would love to go to Scotland but sadly my husbands says it's much too far for us .
I think we would need two over night stops to get as far north as I would like .
Quote: Originally posted by Belper Bloke on 26/8/2017
This is the reason we live near Rugby, M1, 20 min, M6, 10 min, M42 30 min, expensive houses, down side.
So move.
We have a similar "advantage" We're about a mile from the A435 dual carriageway, and another 1.5 miles from the M42 junction just South of Solihull.
Our first planned trip is in a few weeks, we're off to Cornwall. So having been there loads "solo" it'll be interesting to see how long it takes with the shed attached.
Having had a motorhome for 10 years and caravan for 4 years I don't think a change in setup will alter anything. The speed limits are the same for both. Living in Staffordshire it's the M6 that's our problem whether going north or south. The only thing we did find in a motorhome, we could set off about 10pm and get past the worst bits then find somewhere to park up and sleep but this was beginning to get more difficult due to changes in parking restrictions and the nu!ber of lorries parking in lay-bys.
------------- Jean
Sometimes a little rain must fall before you reach a rainbow.
The work will wait while you show the child the rainbow, but the rainbow won't wait while you finish the work.
The speed don't bother me. It takes the time it takes. I was a truck driver in my working life so I am quite used to 400miles or more in a day at max speed of 56mph. I suppose if you are used to travelling by car at 70mph then towing a caravan will seem slow. If you want to go caravanning then you need to live with it.
Quote: Originally posted by Rainbowsend on 26/8/2017
Having had a motorhome for 10 years and caravan for 4 years I don't think a change in setup will alter anything. The speed limits are the same for both.
Motorhome speed limits are higher than caravans.
saxo1
stay as you are.
i can travel 100 miles with van on back, to say Cleethorpes. motorway all way apart from say 10 mile in total.
i still only ave 45 mph over that distance.
your not on yoour own, and if i stay local in Derbyshire i get aound 18 mph if am lucky
Chill out a little, when we used to go up to Scotland every year it would take us just over one hundred miles of driving to get to the A1 then go another couple of hundred or so after which we parked up for the night and continue the next day arriving mid afternoon at our favourite site nice and relaxed with not a care in the world.
Treat the drive as part of the holiday which is what it is after all.
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: Becoming disillusioned, help please
, we've got set-up down to a speedy and fine art and I adore actually being in the caravan.
