# transport at destination



## bentleysontour (Mar 23, 2017)

thanks you all so much for all the invaluable information ive had so far. its great!

can you guys tell me how you get about once you get to your destination.Whatever you use, how much does it weigh, how do you carry it, and why did you choose that over others...thanks a million


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## Robmac (Mar 23, 2017)

bentleysontour said:


> thanks you all so much for all the invaluable information ive had so far. its great!
> 
> can you guys tell me how you get about once you get to your destination.Whatever you use, how much does it weigh, how do you carry it, and why did you choose that over others...thanks a million



Personally we use Shanks's Pony, no extra weight, don't have to carry it and we choose it because we don't want to or can't carry anything else. We don't wish to tow a car, otherwise we may as well have bought a caravan in the first place! 

Many do though, I would actually love a small m/bike to carry on the back on a rack, but it would be too much weight. Others use electric bikes or tow cars/motorbikes. It largely depends on your towing vehicle.


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## Caz (Mar 23, 2017)

I walk or catch a bus. 

I've tried taking my bike a few times but found I didn't use it much as it's difficult to control that and walk the dog at the same time. Plus I got told last year at the Hereford meet that I needed another number plate on the back because the bike was on the towball and hiding the proper one. It all seemed like too much bother so I leave the bike at home now.

Or sometimes I pack away (takes about 10 mins) and use the van.


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## Val54 (Mar 23, 2017)

Depends where we are, but generally we try and stop where we can walk or use the bikes to get to wherever we fancy. We often try and stop where we can use public transport being of an age where bus passes and senior railcards can be used :dance:
Dave


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## phillybarbour (Mar 23, 2017)

We take either 2 bikes or my Honda SH300 which weights 169kg carried on a rear platform, but the van has 1000kg payload and tri axle. Before the SH300 I had a Honda PES125 which was brill and weighted 135kg. The 125 was great but as a lifetime biker I just wanted a bit more umphh.

I used to tow a car on an a frame for a while but it just became a pain so haven't took the car for over 2 years. Don't think I will ever take the car again.


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## bentleysontour (Mar 23, 2017)

Robmac said:


> Personally we use Shanks's Pony, no extra weight, don't have to carry it and we choose it because we don't want to or can't carry anything else. We don't wish to tow a car, otherwise we may as well have bought a caravan in the first place!
> 
> Many do though, I would actually love a small m/bike to carry on the back on a rack, but it would be too much weight. Others use electric bikes or tow cars/motorbikes. It largely depends on your towing vehicle.



I had to googl 'shanks pony' lol......thanks for the reply


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## bentleysontour (Mar 23, 2017)

phillybarbour said:


> We take either 2 bikes or my Honda SH300 which weights 169kg carried on a rear platform, but the van has 1000kg payload and tri axle. Before the SH300 I had a Honda PES125 which was brill and weighted 135kg. The 125 was great but as a lifetime biker I just wanted a bit more umphh.
> 
> I used to tow a car on an a frame for a while but it just became a pain so haven't took the car for over 2 years. Don't think I will ever take the car again.



i think ill struggle towing a car, i will just about be able to drive the van i think !


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## Pauljenny (Mar 23, 2017)

Robmac said:


> Personally we use Shanks's Pony, no extra weight, don't have to carry it and we choose it because we don't want to or can't carry anything else. We don't wish to tow a car, otherwise we may as well have bought a caravan in the first place!
> 
> Many do though, I would actually love a small m/bike to carry on the back on a rack, but it would be too much weight. Others use electric bikes or tow cars/motorbikes. It largely depends on your towing vehicle.



Exactly.
If you have a towcar, you always have to return to your motorhome, where you left it. Small cars are often uncomfortable and cramped.
Why pay two lots of road tax, insurance, MOT, service and maintenance,plus reduced MPG, when you could buy a touring caravan and a decent car. Much cheaper... Especially as you say you won't be wildcamping.

It seems to me that you should buy a big caravan and a 7 seater car to tow it from campsite to campsite.
What you save on buying 2 vehicles, will go on the cost of campsites, BBQ,s Fairy lights, an awning full of furniture, that you can pack into the caravan,while travelling.

We have a small van & bus passes. We can park anywhere and find our way about easily.
Hardest part, is remembering where we left it.


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## bentleysontour (Mar 23, 2017)

Pauljenny said:


> Exactly.
> If you have a towcar, you always have to return to your motorhome, where you left it. Small cars are often uncomfortable and cramped.
> Why pay two lots of road tax, insurance, MOT, service and maintenance,plus reduced MPG, when you could buy a touring caravan and a decent car. Much cheaper... Especially as you say you won't be wildcamping.
> 
> ...




You have given me food for thought there. I hadnt thought of getting a caravan, i have a decent car , i think, its an audi q3, one of those 4x4 types  but not a full 4x4 if you see what i mean. and its just four years old, would it be capable of towing a decent sized caravan?


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## runnach (Mar 23, 2017)

Pauljenny said:


> Exactly.
> If you have a towcar, you always have to return to your motorhome, where you left it. Small cars are often uncomfortable and cramped.
> Why pay two lots of road tax, insurance, MOT, service and maintenance,plus reduced MPG, when you could buy a touring caravan and a decent car. Much cheaper... Especially as you say you won't be wildcamping.
> 
> ...




I dont disagree with any of that. I think a large family and extended family far easier ways of going about things than a MH. 

A decent 7 seater like a Kia Sedona has a good reputation for towing too. Buy a tourer, Even a 4 berth  plus an awning would accommodate everyone. 

The CC and others do towing courses if confidence is a bit low, and there are always people that will tow for you then take advantage of a seasonal pitch.

I have found with seasonals it is the pitch that is paid for rather than per person, So it makes it a cost effective option sometimes for larger groups.

MH and Caravans both have plusses and minuses, I still have the MH but the reality is a caravan next couple of years be better, I young daughter to playout side while I am cooking dinner a campsite even a cl. cs makes more sense than a lot of the wilding spots

Channa


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## runnach (Mar 23, 2017)

bentleysontour said:


> You have given me food for thought there. I hadnt thought of getting a caravan, i have a decent car , i think, its an audi q3, one of those 4x4 types  but not a full 4x4 if you see what i mean. and its just four years old, would it be capable of towing a decent sized caravan?



The A3 dependent on model has a towing capacity of 1800 - 2000kg which is superb. I believe it has won towing awards so you have the right tool for the job


Did you pass your test before 1997 ? after that there are licence restrictions part of the reason motorohomes and campers have become popular with some 

Channa


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## caledonia (Mar 23, 2017)

We have tandem we take which is great fun but we do enjoy our walking.


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## trevskoda (Mar 23, 2017)

The ethos here is to wild camp,to go somewhere nice like a shore forest seaside carpark etc,wake up in the morning have a breakfast and then drive into local village.
Take a walk or go to places you wish shops etc then return to van and drive to next nice place to do the same again which will change the things you see each day,thats what folks do when out in van here or abroad,her is a few to see things in donegal where there are lots of places to over night free,if you can find nice places like these in a camp site let me know:wave:


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## bentleysontour (Mar 23, 2017)

trevskoda said:


> The ethos here is to wild camp,to go somewhere nice like a shore forest seaside carpark etc,wake up in the morning have a breakfast and then drive into local village.
> Take a walk or go to places you wish shops etc then return to van and drive to next nice place to do the same again which will change the things you see each day,thats what folks do when out in van here or abroad,hers a few to see things in donegal where there are lots of places to over night free,if you can find nice places like these in a camp site let me know:wave:



those pictures are so beautiful, and yes wildcamp sounds great, but we are all women with my grandchildren, and no men, and im sure when we've all built our confidence, it will be the way to go.I think i would need to learn how to change a tyre first, could you imagine if we got a flat in the middle of nowhere lol!...i think we have ruled out towing, my girls dont fancy it, so a motorhome it is!


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## jagmanx (Mar 24, 2017)

*Another vote for "shanks pony"*

Other solutions require too much fuss and bother as well as expense and payload issues.

With regard to cost all the savings made more than cover the cost of Bus journeys 
OR the odd short journey by Taxi.

When we camp(site) at Holyport near Maidenhead . Bus or Taxi work out well
Bus £8.40 for return journey for 2 people
Taxi £5 each way if we have heavy shopping Taxi as it saves a "medium walk".
We do take MH into Maidenhead if we are confident of sensible parking

The joy of a motorhome is that the "worst case scenario" is you have to 

1 Deal with windscreen blinds
----------------------------
2 Wind in the awning
3 Put tables and chairs in the locker
4 Deal with EHU

If wildcamping 2 3 and 4 do not apply
We often do 2 and 3 the night before anyway (depends on wind and rain and forecast)

So to drive into Maidenhead just 2 and 3 (no EHU)

Keep life simple !


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## Deleted member 9849 (Mar 24, 2017)

We came to motorhomes after 20 years of towing a caravan so the lack of transport when pitched up was an issue at first.Initially I tried towing a small car but it wasn't for me,I have always had a large 4WD or SUV vehicle and didn't want the expense of running two vehicles on the road so downsized to a small toad as the only car(mitsubishi colt).The idea was to use it for day to day use at home and also as a toad towed behind the motorhome.

What was good in theory didn't work out very well in practice,because we had got used to driving a larger car for so long the smaller car just wasn't adequate for everyday use so the A frame and small car were sold and it was back to a bigger car,quite an expensive mistake.:sad:

After that we tried standard push bikes on a Thule tow bar fitted bike rack.That worked well for several years until mrs wakk suffered health issues and couldn't pedal very far.The next brainwave was an electric bike for her with 16''wheels and me on a push bike,that was fine for a while until I found she was leaving me for dead up the hills,so it was an electric bike for me too.

That worked ok until I decided to go on the weighbridge with both electric bikes on the Thule rack,the Autotrail was plated at 3500kg and I was 100kgs overweight.
We then decided to go for our current Hymer with a large garage and plated at 3900kg which has answered all our problems,we now have two full size electric bikes with 26''wheels that travel on a bike rack in the garage.I took it to a weighbridge in full touring trim(full water/fuel tanks,dogs,bikes and humans)and had 130kgs spare.

We also use the local bus and train service when possible especially when going into towns or cities but sometimes like to pitch near cycle trails,we have enjoyed some very scenic bike rides.It's taken a while and been quite an expensive learning curve but I am satisfied at last with our transport arrangements.


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## Beemer (Mar 24, 2017)

bentleysontour said:


> thanks you all so much for all the invaluable information ive had so far. its great!
> 
> can you guys tell me how you get about once you get to your destination.Whatever you use, how much does it weigh, how do you carry it, and why did you choose that over others...thanks a million



We carry two cycles in the motorhome garage under the bed in this van, carried two cycles on a bike rack on the previous van, and using public transport (bus or train) can be an adventure abroad.


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## Robmac (Mar 24, 2017)

Given the fact that you have settled on a motorhome, with the size of your party, I would say that the best way to go would be a motorhome with a large garage, (Space under the rear bed with a large door opening to the outside), and several folding bicycles such as these;

AMMACO PAKKA LITE 20" WHEEL FOLDING BIKE 6 SPEED LIGHTWEIGHT ALLOY FOLDER BLACK: Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Outdoors

There are many types available in a large price range.

(Not recommending the one in the link, just an example).


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## Val54 (Mar 24, 2017)

bentleysontour said:


> those pictures are so beautiful, and yes wildcamp sounds great, but we are all women with my grandchildren, and no men, and im sure when we've all built our confidence, it will be the way to go.I think i would need to learn how to change a tyre first, could you imagine if we got a flat in the middle of nowhere lol!...i think we have ruled out towing, my girls dont fancy it, so a motorhome it is!



LOL aside, just make sure you factor in breakdown cover, on the size of motorhome you need it will not be easy to do roadside tyre changing and you certainly wouldn't want to do it on the motorway hard shoulder.
Dave


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## bentleysontour (Mar 24, 2017)

wakk44 said:


> We came to motorhomes after 20 years of towing a caravan so the lack of transport when pitched up was an issue at first.Initially I tried towing a small car but it wasn't for me,I have always had a large 4WD or SUV vehicle and didn't want the expense of running two vehicles on the road so downsized to a small toad as the only car(mitsubishi colt).The idea was to use it for day to day use at home and also as a toad towed behind the motorhome.
> 
> What was good in theory didn't work out very well in practice,because we had got used to driving a larger car for so long the smaller car just wasn't adequate for everyday use so the A frame and small car were sold and it was back to a bigger car,quite an expensive mistake.:sad:
> 
> ...





invaluable advice. thanks so much.i think we have narrowed it down now, due to the size of these six berths and what other people have said, its going to be a four berth with a garage. (burnster do a 4 berth where you can add an extra seat belt), as there will be five of us total .Electric bikes is definaltey the way forward i think, Ive looked at uploaded the size of what you can carry, and its seems its not difficult to be able to add another 500 kgs., with SVTech. Can i ask a question will that mean that my daughters who passed there driving text after the changes will have to sit another driving test  as it will likely be over 3500kgs?


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## bentleysontour (Mar 24, 2017)

Val54 said:


> LOL aside, just make sure you factor in breakdown cover, on the size of motorhome you need it will not be easy to do roadside tyre changing and you certainly wouldn't want to do it on the motorway hard shoulder.
> Dave



yes i will.....thanks you


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## trevskoda (Mar 24, 2017)

bentleysontour said:


> those pictures are so beautiful, and yes wildcamp sounds great, but we are all women with my grandchildren, and no men, and im sure when we've all built our confidence, it will be the way to go.I think i would need to learn how to change a tyre first, could you imagine if we got a flat in the middle of nowhere lol!...i think we have ruled out towing, my girls dont fancy it, so a motorhome it is!



When i taught folk to drive esp girls i made them on the first lesson change a wheel.
My wife can do this plus a fan belt  dip oil brake fluid water etc.
Do get some one to help you with this and try yourself,by law you are required to do a walk round doing the above tasks and make sure no lights are out not forgetting a tyre inspection,good luck with a hunt for a good van.


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## runnach (Mar 24, 2017)

bentleysontour said:


> Can i ask a question will that mean that my daughters who passed there driving text after the changes will have to sit another driving test  as it will likely be over 3500kgs?



Not a straight answer to that question.

My understanding post 97 to 2014  is provided the vehicle roadside loaded doesn't exceed 3500 kgs then they are ok. If the passed after Jan 2014 ....the MAM Must not exceed 3500 kgs ...so it would be illegal 

MaM is maximum authorised mass

Channa


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## Caz (Mar 24, 2017)

No, Channa. 

Since the Law change on 1.1.97, if you passed your test on or after 1 January 1997, you can only drive vehicles up to 3,500kg MAM with up to 8 passenger seats (with a trailer up to 750kg).

The actual weight isn't relevant, it's the plated weight that counts.

So the answer is yes, they will need to take a further driving test to drive the vehicle if the plated weight is increased above 3,500 Kgs.


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## Deleted member 9849 (Mar 24, 2017)

bentleysontour said:


> invaluable advice. thanks so much.i think we have narrowed it down now, due to the size of these six berths and what other people have said, its going to be a four berth with a garage. (burnster do a 4 berth where you can add an extra seat belt), as there will be five of us total .Electric bikes is definaltey the way forward i think, Ive looked at uploaded the size of what you can carry, and its seems its not difficult to be able to add another 500 kgs., with SVTech. *Can i ask a question will that mean that my daughters who passed there driving text after the changes will have to sit another driving test  as it will likely be over 3500kgs?*



Yes they will,to drive a vehicle over 3500kgs MGVW then they will need category C1 on their driving licence.If they passed their driving test before Jan.1st 1997 then it is already on the licence,if not then it usually means a course of lessons and a further test.


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