I'm fishing for advice.
We've (the wife mainly) recently decided that we are moving on from large tents to a caravan.
We have a 2015 Skoda Superb (2.0D) with no towbar and no inclination to change this car. We've requested quotes for a towbar.
Two adults, two boys (11 & 13) and a mental Springer.
The caravan layout ideally has no fixed bed but end bunks are being considered.
Have you made this transition? What do you wish someone had told you?
What should we know? What should we consider?
Thanks for reading. All advice is greatly appreciated.
If you want fixed bunks something like a Swift Major 6 berth would suffice and in a weight for your car to tow. The other option we had for years were side dinette models which quickly made up into bunks.We had 5 caravans with this layout when we had children and also when we took our grandchildren. as this layout gives more seating and dining area. We had Swift Challengers 524 and 530 models both the same layout and also a Bailey Ranger this layout. The Bailey was a bit lighter but not so solidly made and several internal parts of furniture and lockers broke. We only kept that for 3 years from brand new as seats also got very uncomfortable. Good luck with your search.
Hi we also moved from a camper/ trailer tent to a caravan some 16 yrs ago, and have never looked back.
If never having towed a towing course would be recomended. This forum is a wealth of knowledge, so dont be afraid to ask.
D oyou have somewhere to put a caravan? sotrage site can be anything expensive expect 300 - 800£ / year.
We have a Swift Challenger 524, with side bunk and end bathromm and this would be a good starting point, previously had a Adria Alrea 542 uk, also a very good worthwhile van and light as well.
as for what you should know, again dont be afraid to ask even on sites somone is always willing to help.
Load safely, travel within speed limits Assume nothing expect everything.
We made the change many years ago. We got fed up having to fold wet canvas on our trailer tent. At least with the awning, we can fold ahead of departure.
We just have a 2 berth van, but our great nieces would often join us for a weekend. They enjoyed the little bit of indepence they gained by having a pup tent within our pitch. Something worth considering, perhaps. Of course, if the tent was wet for packing, that was their parents problem when they came to collect them.
We went from a tent to a caravan when our second child came along, but that was back in the 1970s.
Unless money is no object, I would say don't spend any more than you feel comfortable with on a caravan. You don't need a brand new caravan, or to spend a fortune on a used one, to have fun. Also, from what I have read on here I have come to the conclusion that some older caravans were better built than some newer ones. On sites I have seen many caravans that must have cost many tens of thousands of pounds, and wondered to myself if their owners were enjoying their holidays any more than we do, and our caravan cost just £1,100 nearly 7 years ago. I'd rather spend what little money we have on our holidays.
Check that bunk beds will take the weight of teenagers, also the top bunk is usually very narrow. Ws have a 5 berth double dinette with a double bed and bunk above at the rear and two singles or a large double at the front. As grandchildren have got into their teens they find the top bunk too narrow so we now use the two front singles for them and we have the rear made into a double ( with no bunk above).
------------- 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.
We made the move from camping to caravan 5 years ago, the biggest shock was the costs.
Make sure you have somewhere to store your caravan before getting one, storage space is in high demand and can be costly probably around £500 a year on average (unless you have space on your drive).
Equipment can easily come to £1000, especially when you factor in even a decent second hand awning.
Insurance will be around £2-300 a year and servicing around £200 a year.
Towbar costs can be anywhere up to £800, fixed are a lot cheaper than detachable and 7 pin is cheaper than 13 pin, although 13 pin allows you to use your fridge and charge your caravan battery whilst driving, if you're getting an older caravan, it may have 7N/7S electrics, in which case you will need an adapter.
Make sure you know how much your car can tow and try to stick as close as possible to the 85% rule and also loading your car and caravan correctly is essential, especially when the caravan is l nearer to the, or just over 85% rule.
Spend as much time visiting dealers as possible looking at layouts, with two kids, the wrong layout will get on your nerves very quickly.
Try and buy from a dealer that gives a decent warranty, make sure it's been regularly serviced and if you are buying privately, make sure to hire the services of someone that knows what they're looking for.
There is a lot to it but the most important thing is to enjoy the search
Also with regards to awnings, if the majority of your stays are a few nights here and there, look at makes like Sunncamp, we have one of their canopy awnings (390) and I prefer it to our Kampa awning that costs 4 or 5 times more, it's easy to put up and down, is extremely lightweight and takes up absolutely no room in the caravan.
If you don't mind a slightly older caravan, visit dealers and ask if they have any trade sales, that's how we got ours. You can sometimes pick them up really cheap, and although they usually come without warranty, you are still covered by laws as you are buying from a dealer. Private sales can be a minefield and it is definitely a case of "buyer beware".
We went from tent to trailer tent to caravan. We got an Eriba and love it. We mainly camp in Europe but weekends are in the UK. Our eldest always sleeps out in his tent, the youngest sometimes does, but prefers to stay in the caravan. They were younger than yours when we got the caravan. The Eriba is functional so we felt a step up from camping, and my FIL doesn't consider it a real caravan ... which makes us love it more!
There are some great videos for beginner caravanners on The Trudgians youtube channel.
One thing that rarely gets mentioned is you have plan your routes more carefully. Also motorway stops can be difficult because the caravan area is either poorly signposted or the area is full - half of which will be taken up by cars or vans. Obviously if you take a wrong turn its not so easy to turn around. Journey will take longer and cost a fair bit more on fuel/ferry crossings. On the plus side you have more comfort and warmth.
Get a damp report before buying.
If the children are likely to sleep in the awning buy one that can take a bedroom annex or use a pup tent. As someone else previously mentioned big awnings can be time consuming to put up and peg out and not worth the effort for a short weekend
I think the end washroom side dinette/bunks is good as it givers somewhere for Mum to wash and change without boys having to go outside. However, those bunks tend to be smaller than the end type.
Side dinette also seems to make the van seem more spacious with much less of a problem corridor down the middle past wardrobe and washroom. That can be a squeeze point for families.
End dinette/bunks tend to have larger bunks and provide a separated space for kids.
My preference is definitely for side dinette because when boys get to 14 years old they prefer pup tents so bunks no problem.
My advice would be go and visit a dealer and sit inside a few vans to get the feeling etc. Imagine the various daily routines/activities taking place.
Go for it!
Speaking as a former tenter, now a MH & looking from my chair outside, it seems to take some time to put up the awning & kit it out with the carpet, maybe an outside kitchen, plus the sleeping inner etc. Then take the last evening on site to de-rig. In other words, the same time is involved as using the tent.
So my only suggestion is what I’d say to new MH owners, who ask about which awning: try for a year without first, confirm what’s it for (storage? Wet shoes? Sleeping? Outdoor shade?), and consider bulk & its weight. Look around at others on site too. Then you can spend the right amount on the right awning for you.
We have taken to only using our awning if we are staying on one site for more than a week, and even then not always. It does take a while to set up and often we don't really use it that much now that we don't have our dog. He used to like laying out there.
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Moving from Tent to Caravan
via mobile 23/2/2024 at 11:13am
