Yes and that’s not controversial.
We bought our first and currently only van, a 6m PVC, in November 2009. in 2019 we went to the NEC determined to upgrade but when we got back to our van in the car park concluded that we had not seen anything that would meet our needs better. It has the Fiat paint peeling problem and is not very well insulated but it has never let us down - 873 nights, 16 countries and 75K miles. A couple of times we have toyed with the idea of PVC size MH, typically much better value compared to new PVC prices, but have never been sufficiently impressed.
Thats great that you still have your van.
That depends on the MH. There are very few roads you can take a car but not a PVC. Vans deliver virtually everywhere.
The two wheel brigade would dispute that.
That sounds bigger than our house!
Try carrying all that a family needs for camping on a motorbike.The two wheel brigade would dispute that.
Our first trip to Spain 25 years ago was with a Caravan on tow bit apprehensive then , we stayed on a Campsite for a Month, very good and cheap and of course we had our car to get around and loved it , but after a Month we got itchy feet and moved on to another camp site again very good but then itchy feet again and so on, we then went to Portugal and had a great time on Campsites of course but longer stays and you got reduced rates, the drive down to Spain /Portugal was uneventful but finding places to stop overnight ,ie open camp sites was problematic but we did it, the next year we did the same and had a great time , our biggest problem was the itchy feet., so we then got a Motorhome and of course the world changed , SOOOOO easy with aires and wild camping etc no Campsites needed and we had pedal bikes on the rack so getting around was never a problem, and public transport is easy in Spain Portugal etc . AS CCC Members we used the club when in England with the Caravan and rallies were available every weekend and longer periods using the THS sites Holiday sites, the CCC has rallies over winter too Christmas and New Years and also ran Holiday meets in France Spain and Portugal ran by members so the Caravan was used all year round when in UK Too. So in my opinion there is little difference in having a Caravan or a Motorhome for our activities, I do of course prefer the Motorhome for foreign travel as where ever you stop your home is with you, but financially I think it is cheaper overall to have a Caravan over a Motorhome, cheaper to insure no MOTs etc and easy to maintain easy to store etc and one has the car anyway so it is all down to Choices realy ??We were at the Camping and Caravan Exhibition today at the SECC in Glasgow.
And I have to say this is the third time we have went to the exhibition , and this was the best of the three.
And some of the prices looked surprisingly reasonable.
Perth Motorhomes are selling a Burstner 7m A class with two drop down beds, looked a great van for £106,000.
Anyway we were looking at a 6M PVC and this man says the prices are ridiculous , far better off with a caravan, and they offer more freedom
At first I thought let it go, but then he comes out with how when they go to campsites they have their car to travel about in.
I took the bait, and asked him when was your last trip.
He replies last September the campsites are all closed till April.
So I told him we use our van 12 months of the year, go too places were there are no campsites, or they are closed.
We wake up in the morning surrounded in mountains, by the sea or a loch, with no one else there.
When we feel the need for a good shower, empty our cassette, etc we head for a campsite.
Ah but he said you don't have a car to travel from the campsite.
I replied correct we don't, we have a van just like this to travel from the campsite if we chose to do so.
Why in gods name would anyone ever think a caravan gives you more freedom than a motorhome.
Nothing against caravans, but they limit where and when you can go.
Yes that’s all great, but as I have already indicated I have nothing against caravans, and they do have many advantages over us, but to state that they offer more freedom is nonscence. Obviously they are cheaper to buy than motorhomes, and cheaper to run, that’s not up for debate that’s just a fact. But even that is debatable to a point. I bought my last van in 2019 traded it in four and a half years later for just £4000 less than what I paid for it. If I had sold privately I could have possibly got all my initial outlay back.
Been there done that and will be doing later in the year when we go to IOW and we don't take a family in a 2berth PVC.Try carrying all that a family needs for camping on a motorbike.
You would need so many panniers it would no longer be a motorbike
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no he did not know what payload at all.
Yes I was lucky with the timing Barry. As I said it was down to Covid.Good timing but how much more expensive was the new van you bought to replace it than it would have been in 2019?
Covid stuffed us in more ways than one. I think prices are coming down now, especially big heavy stuff. Sellers on FB don't seen to have realised though. I saw a two year old Kontiki for sale the other week private for about £5k more than a new one.
In the interests of balance, my 2018 Wildax Europa based on a Renault Master has a very good payload. With water and a good load of fuel it's at least 500kg.
