I’ve had neither, but my bother has.
Caravans to begin with...2 of, then 2 motorhomes in quick succession, now thinking of returning to a caravan.
Pros and cons, but personally I’d go for a small caravan, because as he tells me they spend most of the time under the awning of their motorhome ( don’t use it in winter) and having a car means they can get around more from whichever site they are on. Plus height restrictions with larger motorhomes.
He and his missus are now looking at a Go-Pod. Tiny little caravan thing parked next to them in the past few days....I’ll be sticking to my 1.6kg Scarp TarpTent.
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Its an argument I had with myself over some period of time. And the answer is - It depends.
My initial drive for mobile living was due to dog shows. Over a weekend, sometimes 100's miles from home. For this specific purpose, and this alone*, a motorhome is clearly superior.
You arrive, spend 10 minutes setting up, do your weekend thing, spend 15 minutes packing up and you leave.
*However, my uses of such were quickly expanded, covid being a driver. Er indoors quickly decided caravan life would be fun
In this circumstance a motorhome is useless. You cant set up a base somewhere, and then explore the area because you have a PITA motorhome that needs to be packed up to travel anywhere, a PITA motorhome to squeeze into small town carparks that have a height barrier (there to prevent people camping in motorhomes), A PITA motorhome that needs to be moved every two days to empty the grey water tank.
So I ended up with a small caravan. It was as it happens the correct choice for me.
Get your bro to have a look at a Swift Basecamp over the go pod. or get him to have a butchers at this stunner. www.knaus.com/en-uk/caravans/deseo/highlights/
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We considered both and went for a caravan.
The idea of having to pack everything up before going out and the motorhome having to double as a second car was the clincher. When the kids were young we camped in France, quite often on small and remote sites. One kid would go with me to get bread while the other helped Mrs B getting stuff done.
As already noted parking a moho that's 2metres or so high is a problem; a lot of French underground car parks are a squeeze for the Berlingo. Folks end up with the absurdity of a moho with a small car on tow behind...
I think the Go-Pod is what Zero has. Ours is a similar sized Xplore 304.
EDIT: He's chucked in his 2p worth and it's the Basecamp. See a lot of those. I don't think the were on sale in 2014 when we bought the Xplore.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Fri 19 Aug 22 at 08:52
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>> I think the Go-Pod is what Zero has. Ours is a similar sized Xplore 304.
>>
>>
>> EDIT: He's chucked in his 2p worth and it's the Basecamp. See a lot of
>> those. I don't think the were on sale in 2014 when we bought the Xplore.
We looked at the current range of pods when checking out the Basecamp. Some of them are quite funky and fun, but at the end of the day size and shape compromise them too much.
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Went round this loop recently. We THOUGHT we wanted a Go-Pod - it ticks many boxes for us, not excluding it's relatively cheap. Looked at all the YouTube videos about them too; owners clearly love them. At least, the ones who make videos about them do.
Then we went to the show in Birmingham and saw them in reality. I think we looked for as much as three minutes before saying it was lovely and all, but just TOO small. You'd go mad in it after one evening. It'd be like two kids in the back of the car. "MUUUM, he's BREATHING, make him STOP". "MUUUUM she's GROWING, I HATE her".
So then we looked at motorhomes, and by the time we'd picked the ones we liked "for the tour round Europe dream", we wanted the ones that were 80k up. And those are too BIG.
So we kinda parked the idea. Since then we've been on a couple of UK self-catering weeks, with three more to come in September/October, and the total cost of those is about the cost of a spare wheel and the insurance on a motorhome, so I think it's on the back burner at the minute.
Last edited by: Crankcase on Fri 19 Aug 22 at 09:09
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Likewise went through the debate when we decided to upgrade from trailer tent/folding camper. Fed up of it always raining on the last day and having to fold up acres of wet canvas. Our solution was this www.practicalcaravan.com/reviews/trigano-silver-310tl
Probably similar overall dimensions to the Go-Pod but a square box giving more internal room. Our compromise was no washroom as we always use sites with facilities.
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Folks end up
>> with the absurdity of a moho with a small car on tow behind...
>>
>
There's a couple of near neighbours that have that set up. Seems fairly common.
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>> There's a couple of near neighbours that have that set up. Seems fairly common.
It's a practical workable solution for some folks and considered by me. Rejected because I don't have the space for 4 vehicles (Mine, Hers, the moho & the towed car), the towed car would need to be large enough for two peeps and two dawgs, and paying the running costs for two more vehicles (moho and towed mini) did seem lunacy.
Plus your towed car cant be an auto.
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 19 Aug 22 at 13:26
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...depends what kind of auto. Many/most DCT cars are ok on an A-frame (in neutral). I'm pretty sure my Smart DCT would be ok
Towing using an A-frame is, however, illegal in most of Continental Europe.
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I think they keep there mhome and towed car elsewhere, I'm guessing commercial that's £100 a month?
Although that's just a guess. I can see why it's convenient however having a vehicle for all days must be a fair few quid a year.
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>> I think they keep there mhome and towed car elsewhere, I'm guessing commercial that's £100
>> a month?
From 25 quid a week home counties, depending on facilities and security. And its also less convenient than being at home.
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 19 Aug 22 at 16:46
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> From 25 quid a week home counties, depending on facilities and security. And its also
>> less convenient than being at home.
>>
Certainly all adds up.
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...as a campervan/motorhome owner of 30+ years, you might expect me to have rather different views to those already expressed.
Frankly, it's a matter of horses for courses, a motorhome better suits some profiles of use, a caravan others.
Towing a shed half way across the country (or continent) to sit on a pre-booked pitch for a couple ofweeks and run around in a car would be anathema to me. I'd rather book self-catering and have a rather more comfortable experience.
We like to travel and explore, and we've long-term had walking and cycling as pastimes. Having a motorhome allows us to combine all these.
Whilst the UK can be a bit more restrictive on the pursuit than the Continent, it's all a matter of degree and planning. (I'm currently pitched behind an Agricultural college on the edge of Durham, with riverside walks into the city, lots to do, and £10 per night).
Sur le Continent, since we divested ourselves of the kids, we've resorted to using mainly Aires and Stellplätze, dedicated motorhome parking places, and just letting serendipity take charge. So we have a few basic ideas (e.g. let's get as far as Vienna and turn round) then we just take a few weeks getting there and the same back. Never book anywhere; find somewhere and stay as long as it takes to enjoy and explore, then move on.
If we want to visit a city centre, then we can normally find somewhere quite acceptable close enough to walk or use public transport. (Both better than driving and parking a car).
Using the motorhome, we've been may places that we just wouldn't have attempted tugging. Multiple sessions above the Arctic Circle, a trip through Finland and round over the Gulf of Bothnia and back through Sweden. Most areas of many of the countries of Europe, and a lot of it just following our noses.
In 30+ years of travelling in Europe, I've booked a site only 3 times, in all 3 simply because we knew we had to be at a place (Delft, Dublin, Helsinki) at a given time, and didn't know how busy it would be.
I wouldn't swap the motorhome for a caravan for all the COVID in China. It even worked excellently for us in Bromp's favoured destination of Harris/Lewis and the rest of the Outer Hebrides.
YMMV
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I know someone who's looking at motorhomes, he's thinking about carting a couple of e-bikes around in it. I explained my experience of tent - caravan - self catering and the reasons why I didn't go down the motorhome route (mainly purchase cost and elevated site fees).
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...because of their weight, e-bikes can be a bit of a challenge to carry on some motorhomes, but are a good solution to the local sightseeing. I've been carrying a couple for 10 years or so, making 40 miles or so forays part of the touring.
I'm not sure about the comment on elevated site fees. In my experience pitch fees for motorhomes, caravans and anything but backpacker sized tents have been much of a muchness. (Both here and abroad)
With a motorhome, one can of course choose to "wild camp", which is often anything but. Can't say I generally favour that, but as mentioned above, the continent offers a huge selection of official motorhome-only Aires and Stellplätze. They vary in quality, location and desirability, something not necessarily reflected in the pricing. I've paid anything from free to €25 per night for these. I'm choosy, and will be very selective except perhaps for transit stops, and we probably average about €10 per night including water and electricity (which are often charged by use). Our real favourites, in attractive locations and well serviced, have generally been around the €8-10 mark.
Vineyards, marinas, champagne growers, the Castle car park at Cesky Krumlov, etc. (along with in-city locations at places such as Vienna, Freiburg, Copenhagen etc. The lack of booking leads to a significant amount of freedom.
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My parents used to be very keen caravanners travelling around Europe post retirement. We bought one (very s/h) refitted it, but frankly did not work for us. At the time caravans could be very basic and hotels and self catering beckoned - more comfortable and no more expensive.
Fast forward 40+ years and caravans and motorhomes can be very comfortable. Both are only worth buying if they are used either frequently (eg: most weekends in summer) or "grand tours".
I suspect if looking I would go for car and caravan - the reasons:
- new caravans are about half the price of similar size motorhomes
- I assume the price differential is carried through to s/h options
- motorhome = tow a smart car, walk or bike, or use public transport - all real constraints
- motorhome does not really double as daily transport when home
- motorhome needs servicing, tax and insurance. Caravans uch more limited.
- choice may be constrained due to driving licence restrictions
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>> - motorhome does not really double as daily transport when home
>> - motorhome needs servicing, tax and insurance. Caravans uch more limited.
>> - choice may be constrained due to driving licence restrictions
I know a couple of people who have given up motorhoming because of the necessity to have an LGV/HGV medical check each year because of their age (7.5 tonnes?). It ain't cheap!
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That's something I'd not thought of BT.
Are many mhomes that heavy?
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>> That's something I'd not thought of BT.
>>
>> Are many mhomes that heavy?
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..you need C1 for anything over 3.5t. Many older drivers will have this category as "grandfather" rights due to passing their test before '97. Younger drivers won't unless a supplementary test has been taken, and older drivers lose the category at 70 without taking a medical every three years.
Because of the 3.5t licence restriction (which is common with most of Europe) many motorhomes are plated at 3.5t, to gain a wider audience (and, in Europe, to avoid a number of traffic restrictions, largely irrelevant to the UK).
Problem is that, because of all the equipment and bling now fitted, 3.5t leaves little load capacity whilst staying legal at the 3.5t limit. I've seen what continental motorhomes carry, and IMO most are well overweight.
Unless you are careful in selection, or prepared to risk illegality, 3.5t is a real issue, and many vans can be updated somewhat, or, if they're big are delivered with a GVW well over 3.5t to make them useable. Then the licence is an issue.
When we were travelling with two kids, I couldn't make 3.5t work, and had a heavier van, and the licence to match. The current van is a carefully chosen lightweight one that I can make work for two of us for journeys of a month or so. Even then, I'm close to the 3.5t limit (though technically, it could run at 3850kg without modification, so it's more a licence issue than a safety one)
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I bet there's plenty overweight either they don't know the rules or don't care as the chances of being pulled over and weighed are pretty slim.
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..to retain C1 (up to 7.5 tons) "grandfather" rights, the medical can be done every three years for, currently, as little as £55.
You've still got to pass, of course. ;-)
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The Beemer (2 up, 2 dogs, cage & luggage) and fully loaded basecamp comes in at about 3.3t, all fine with my BE license after I am 70.
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>> The Beemer (2 up, 2 dogs, cage & luggage) and fully loaded basecamp comes in
>> at about 3.3t, all fine with my BE license after I am 70.
Like you I have 'grandfathered' B+E. Does it change at 70?
I'm still seven and a bit years off that milestone but wasn't aware it was an issue.
If there is a 3.5t GTW issue then presumably it's plated weights rather than actual load that count?
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There are no new constraints on B+E at 70.
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>> If there is a 3.5t GTW issue then presumably it's plated weights rather than actual
>> load that count?
Yes forgot its plated max weights, in which case the Beemer and Basecamo are over the 3.5 limit.
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Caravans vs Motorhomes - Zero
