Demountable motorhome

[ProDave]

You don't see many like this in the UK

Our first motorhome after 40 years of towing a trailer caravan.

Unlike most motorhomes that are a one trick pony and spend the winter doing nothing (apart from costing you money) when not in use as a motorhome, the camper comes off and it is a normal pickup truck for the winter.

 

[andyjanet]

Hi Dave and welcome ! Nice set up,
Congratulations you’ve joined a great forum and possibly the only forum in uk like it,
We do as a group hold meets and gatherings in the depth of winter you might want to rethink removing the hab unit for winter, I can highly recommend our sister site motorhomer where we have meets all year round including fabulous New Year’s Eve party’s in the south and north of England , I have also arranged some great gatherings in Europe so if you fancy joining in with like minded people who take the world as it is with a smile and a cheery hello you are in the right place,
Ps I would think a good 75% on here use there vans all year round and quite a few live aboard full time , welcome along Andy

 

[trevskoda]

Looks good, most here including me run vans all year round as they are set up to do so, solar & refillable lpg etc.

 

[Nabsim]

I quite like the demountable campers, lot more choice in the US than here but a few get brought over.

I always use my motorhome in the Winter, a lot on here are year round users although as you say the majority of motorhomes aren't used, in fact the majority are only used a few weeks each year

 

[mariesnowgoose]

Welcome, that's a neat set-up and very practical if it suits your needs

 

[ProDave]

They are certainly more popular in the USA and mainland Europe. This one is a Tischer, made in Germany, but not enough sold in the UK to warrant putting the door on the correct side, hence ours is on the "wrong" side.

No criticism meant of other peoples usage of motorhomes. For us we need a "car" each and buying a pure motorhome would mean a third vehicle to tax, mot, insure and maintain and of course depreciate. This was a good compromise that this outfit doubles as my "car" when not motorhoming. And 4WD is a must for us where we live with snow most winters, and again this combination gives us a very capable 4WD truck.

 

[Robmac]

They are certainly more popular in the USA and mainland Europe. This one is a Tischer, made in Germany, but not enough sold in the UK to warrant putting the door on the correct side, hence ours is on the "wrong" side.

No criticism meant of other peoples usage of motorhomes. For us we need a "car" each and buying a pure motorhome would mean a third vehicle to tax, mot, insure and maintain and of course depreciate. This was a good compromise that this outfit doubles as my "car" when not motorhoming. And 4WD is a must for us where we live with snow most winters, and again this combination gives us a very capable 4WD truck.

I always wanted one but the wife said there wouldn't be enough room.

However, I have always found them to be surprisingly spacious.

 

[trevskoda]

I always wanted one but the wife said there wouldn't be enough room.

However, I have always found them to be surprisingly spacious.

Show her this Rob.

 

[ProDave]

I always wanted one but the wife said there wouldn't be enough room.

However, I have always found them to be surprisingly spacious.

Fixed double over cab bed (something that seems to have gone out of fashion with motorhomes) Double dinette which could be used as another double but we don't intend to use it for sleeping. Galley kitchen, cupboards, fridge freezer, and a compact toilet with basin and shower.

About the same accommodation as a large high top van conversion or a small coach built motorhome.

The fixed double over the cab is our favourite feature. In all my years of trailer caravanning, even with a large 'van, I have never had a satisfactory layout that allows a permanent bed without the whole 'van feeling cramped.

 

[Fifer]

Welcome to the group

 

[trevskoda]

My beds in self build are down the back and out of the way, double up and double down with storage under both.

 

[barryd]

Very nice although my first thoughts were I would never get up that step with my dodgy knees!

 

[GeoffL]

Hi Dave; welcome!
FWIW, friends who have homes in UK and Portugal have both a demountable and a fifth wheeler and use the same truck for both. They use the demountable in UK and the 5er in EU -- that way they get cheaper ferry fares; albeit at the cost of needing somewhere to store both units when not in use. Like yours, their demountable has a double bed over the cab and a kitchen/dinette over the truck bed. However, their access door is at the rear (making it more like the Partner/Berlingo based Romahomes). If you don't need a ton of space, a demountable seems an excellent choice since it combines the benefits of both trailer caravans and motorhomes (i.e. you can leave the camper on site and use the 'tow car' to get around and also use pub stops/'wild camp'/etc.)

 

[trevskoda]

Very nice although my first thoughts were I would never get up that step with my dodgy knees!

A trip to the USA will sort you out.

 

[Rumour]

Our van is also used year round, so no layup at all. Yours looks good, but would never suit us. My wife has trouble with the motorhome step and as we have to get out of bed frequently in the night, the bed is way too high! I presume it does have a toilet area? We have a low fixed bed and a dining area and it has captains seats for lounging in. How high is it? It certainly looks higher than our van (coach built). I drove our van back from Yorkshire to Northants in that big storm of Feb 2022, but it was pushed around. With the height of yours and the narrower wheel track, I wouldn't have even attempted it.

But really, much better than being a "tugger"

 

[ProDave]

There is no one size fits all motorhome, we all have different needs and wishes. This one suits our needs at the moment. Agreed the step is pathetic, that came with it, we are looking for a good folding two step but have not found one yet. It has a proper toilet in a decent compartment, that was a must have. There are all sorts of demountable campers available and many are very basic inside with just a pull out porta potti under a seat, that would not have been what we wanted.

It does look top heavy but it is fine to drive, just don't expect to go round corners like you are in a sports car. The truck has uprated air assist rear suspension.

We have just retired at a relatively young age so intend to enjoy ourselves while we are still fit and able. All the time we were working and with limited spare time, we could never justify the cost of a motorhome that back then would not have got much use, which is where a trailer 'van wins, no tax, no MOT, simple diy maintenance and you don't even need to insure it if you don't want to. But trailer caravanning is very different to motorhoming and touring and that is what we want to do now.

 

[Fazerloz]

Fine if you really need a pick up but by the time you have bought the demountable at over £30.000 and a newish HIlux truck at similar cost I will stick with and run a 6m panel van that has more internal room and can easily be used as a daily driver and doesn't have the problem of where to put the box when not in use. But each to their own.

 

[GMJ]

We always comment when we see one that they just never seem to have taken off over here which is strange. If I was a single man I would get one but no good for Mrs GMJ.

 

[Nabsim]

Can’t tell from the pic but if where the door is has space under you could get a set of steps made that slide out from underneath then drop down. Seen that setup on a few Luton’s and horse boxes and it works well.

 

[Sharon the Cat]

One has just gone past us heading west on the M4.