South Wales Aug 2019

[Deleted member 12539]

Just got back from a two week holiday with a difference.
Set off with the motorhome and a car, the car being driven by my good lady.
We headed for south Wales (where my parents live). The first week was spent in a Barn conversion with family from Germany and the second week we had booked a.. dare I say it? .. a camp site.. :scared:
The plan was to see what it was like to park the van on a site and use a car to get us out and about.
It sort of worked.. but the pitch we were allocated was right next to a path used by site users to get to the toilets, showers and camp shop not far away was the children's playground and at one point a Spanish motorhome parked next to us and the child used our van as a wall for their football ( he was soon told the error of his ways). Most of the time we were out and about Porthcawl, the site was very nice and clean, but there still was a whiff of the toilets.
We did manage to get a few days wilding however, and what a delight it was, no kids screaming and shouting and using the outside of the van for hide and seek.

The conclusion we came to was, a camp site has it's plus points, water collection / disposal, chairs and tables can be set up, and the vehicle is relatively safe on a camp site if you decided to go out for the day. The down side was definitely the camp site noise which was very apparent very quickly, and of course the cost.
We did visit Puzzle Wood, Perrygrove Railway, Clearwell Caves, Barry beach, Porthcawl beach, Margam Country Park, popped in to Three Cliffs Holiday Park to see family, and on the way back home a ride on the Breacon Mountain Railway near Pant, Merthyr Tydfil.

 

[Fazerloz]

Did you ask if there was a more suitable pitch available for you to have. Sites are usually quite amenable if they have something available.

 

[mickymost]

Just got back from a two week holiday with a difference.
Set off with the motorhome and a car, the car being driven by my good lady.
We headed for south Wales (where my parents live). The first week was spent in a Barn conversion with family from Germany and the second week we had booked a.. dare I say it? .. a camp site.. :scared:
The plan was to see what it was like to park the van on a site and use a car to get us out and about.
It sort of worked.. but the pitch we were allocated was right next to a path used by site users to get to the toilets, showers and camp shop not far away was the children's playground and at one point a Spanish motorhome parked next to us and the child used our van as a wall for their football ( he was soon told the error of his ways). Most of the time we were out and about Porthcawl, the site was very nice and clean, but there still was a whiff of the toilets.
We did manage to get a few days wilding however, and what a delight it was, no kids screaming and shouting and using the outside of the van for hide and seek.

The conclusion we came to was, a camp site has it's plus points, water collection / disposal, chairs and tables can be set up, and the vehicle is relatively safe on a camp site if you decided to go out for the day. The down side was definitely the camp site noise which was very apparent very quickly, and of course the cost.
We did visit Puzzle Wood, Perrygrove Railway, Clearwell Caves, Barry beach, Porthcawl beach, Margam Country Park, popped in to Three Cliffs Holiday Park to see family, and on the way back home a ride on the Breacon Mountain Railway near Pant, Merthyr Tydfil.

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Just wondered why you didnt tow the car to save fuel like many motorhomes seem to do.Personally I would get other half to drive car as you have done but curious why you did it this way?

Atb Michael

 

[harrow]

at one point a Spanish motorhome parked next to us and the child used our van as a wall for their football ( he was soon told the error of his ways).

Thats one of my pet hates some horror using my van/caravan/car as a target

 

[Millie Master]

It sounds like the OP ought to join the Caravan & Motorhome Club and get into the habit of using their excellent CL sites that are dotted around the country all of which have fresh water taps and disposal points and some are even Adults Only so you can get and keep well away from the oft revoulting and noisy brats that totally ruin so many holidays for so many people!!

Some of them are also very inexpensive, indeed each and every year when their new sites book comes out I spend a long time highlighting the ones that have very good reviews and which cost less than £10 of which there are many.

As for going away in a MoHo and either towing a car or driving a car in convoy, if that is the case why not sell the MoHo and buy yourself a caravan and save a small fortune?

 

[Deleted member 12539]

Did you ask if there was a more suitable pitch available for you to have. Sites are usually quite amenable if they have something available.

Something I would have done if I had arrived first.
Christine, my wife arrived in the car about 15 mins before me, and the pitch had been allocated to us before we got there.
I did not want to make a fuss at that point, especially as I did not really realise that the location was not that good.
I have to say the staff were superb, especially as Chris had only actually booked for 3 nights, but she had told me she had booked for 4.
We came back after our long walk to be approached by the site warden saying that he thought we were leaving that morning and had booked our pitch for someone else that day... ooops.. awkward.
The warden however, with a smile, made it quite clear that it was not a big problem, and we were to "carry on camping".
As to if there were a more suitable pitch? We did not look. Most of our time was spent out and about.

 

[Deleted member 12539]

It sounds like the OP ought to join the Caravan & Motorhome Club and get into the habit of using their excellent CL sites that are dotted around the country all of which have fresh water taps and disposal points and some are even Adults Only so you can get and keep well away from the oft revoulting and noisy brats that totally ruin so many holidays for so many people!!

Some of them are also very inexpensive, indeed each and every year when their new sites book comes out I spend a long time highlighting the ones that have very good reviews and which cost less than £10 of which there are many.

As for going away in a MoHo and either towing a car or driving a car in convoy, if that is the case why not sell the MoHo and buy yourself a caravan and save a small fortune?

Millie, we are not caravan site users, and do not intend to get into using campsites on a regular basis, thank you.
We have been there and done the tugger bit, and it served us well when the kids were with us, and after spending several years in the forces, felt at the time caravan club type sites were too military, with rules like jockey wheel on the spot, caravan facing the direction they wanted etc
We are well aware of the financial difference of running a caravan against the costs of a motorhome.
Our holiday was not ruined by a long shot, but it gave us a reminder of what we could look forward too by using a tugger.
Your reviews / opinions are appreciated and noted, those I posted were just mine.

 

[Deleted member 12539]

Just wondered why you didnt tow the car to save fuel like many motorhomes seem to do.Personally I would get other half to drive car as you have done but curious why you did it this way?

Atb Michael

Hi Micky, I did say in my post "The plan was to see what it was like to park the van on a site and use a car to get us out and about."
Therefore, it would be silly of me to go to the cost of fitting a tow mechanism if I decided against it.

 

[mickymost]

Hi Micky, I did say in my post "The plan was to see what it was like to park the van on a site and use a car to get us out and about."
Therefore, it would be silly of me to go to the cost of fitting a tow mechanism if I decided against it.

Ok got it so just a trial run so would you now bother with a towing system be it a trailer or the other pull car system?

Atb Michael

 

[Moped]

Ok got it so just a trial run so would you now bother with a towing system be it a trailer or the other pull car system?

Atb Michael

Surely a car towing system or any form of motorhome towing places the same severe limitations on general on the fly touring and stopping of a car/caravan combination?

Fine for getting from A to B on main road arteries but try stopping on route or going off piste and you are in trouble.

If you have two drivers then why not drive the 2 vehicles separately? The only additional cost is fuel for the car and if you are towing MH fuel consumption drops significantly anyway.

 

[peter palance]

no thanks

It sounds like the OP ought to join the Caravan & Motorhome Club and get into the habit of using their excellent CL sites that are dotted around the country all of which have fresh water taps and disposal points and some are even Adults Only so you can get and keep well away from the oft revoulting and noisy brats that totally ruin so many holidays for so many people!!

Some of them are also very inexpensive, indeed each and every year when their new sites book comes out I spend a long time highlighting the ones that have very good reviews and which cost less than £10 of which there are many.

As for going away in a MoHo and either towing a car or driving a car in convoy, if that is the case why not sell the MoHo and buy yourself a caravan and save a small fortune?

been there and dun-it, there is a friend ly er club,:mad1: ok pj

 

[mickymost]

Surely a car towing system or any form of motorhome towing places the same severe limitations on general on the fly touring and stopping of a car/caravan combination?

Fine for getting from A to B on main road arteries but try stopping on route or going off piste and you are in trouble.

If you have two drivers then why not drive the 2 vehicles separately? The only additional cost is fuel for the car and if you are towing MH fuel consumption drops significantly anyway.

Going by the original post they did have two drivers himself and mrs.

 

[mickymost]

been there and dun-it, there is a friend ly er club,:mad1: ok pj

Buy a caravan and tow that Nooooooooo that is definately a backwards step what do you think Beemer?

 

[mickymost]

It sounds like the OP ought to join the Caravan & Motorhome Club and get into the habit of using their excellent CL sites that are dotted around the country all of which have fresh water taps and disposal points and some are even Adults Only so you can get and keep well away from the oft revoulting and noisy brats that totally ruin so many holidays for so many people!!

Some of them are also very inexpensive, indeed each and every year when their new sites book comes out I spend a long time highlighting the ones that have very good reviews and which cost less than £10 of which there are many.

As for going away in a MoHo and either towing a car or driving a car in convoy, if that is the case why not sell the MoHo and buy yourself a caravan and save a small fortune?

Buy a caravan and tow that Nooooooo that is definately a backwards step what do you think Beemer Dave

 

[Deleted member 12539]

We decided to maintain our current status and just take the motorhome on the majority of our trips.
The set up we had during the last trip suited us during the two weeks. The first week we had family from Germany, which meant we needed 5 seats to get out and about visiting other family and sightseeing. We rented a barn conversion the first week for the 5 of us, and the 2nd week it was just the two of us.

A car and motorhome has its uses, but if we needed the car on holiday we would go back to towing a caravan.