Motorhome or Caravan?

[HurricaneSmith]

The Eribas are beautiful caravans and was very close to buying either a Troll or a Triton around 15 years ago to pull behind my Honda HR-V.

In the past we've occasionally talked about a Plan B should either of us ever suffered an infirmity that prevented our walking reasonable distances.

Because we are tidy and travel light, we think an Eriba could then be a contender.
.

 

[Deleted member 5362]

Guess I'm a lucky guy, I've been brought up within the caravan club such good times, having a caravan of our own later shody workmanship, leading to dampness dangers on todays roads, leads me sad to say I'll never buy another caravan this is against my self build absolutely the best thing I ever did.

 

[HurricaneSmith]

Guess I'm a lucky guy, I've been brought up within the caravan club such good times, having a caravan of our own later shody workmanship, leading to dampness dangers on todays roads, leads me sad to say I'll never buy another caravan this is against my self build absolutely the best thing I ever did.

Perhaps I've been lucky, as none of my tents, caravan, or campers have leaked or suffered from damp. But I do take care of them.

I certainly admire those that fit out a van themselves. I built a car from scratch (still driving it) but I don't have the ability and certified skills to do what you've done.

Well done you!

 

[Morrisgapyear]

Went from Moho to caravan as hubby has Parkinson’s and so lost his C1 licence. Worst thing ever! Vans are nowhere near as flexible as Mohos. You cannot just pitch up and open a bottle. Once on site - and there’s no wildcamping option - you have to find water, arrange a container for waste water and on ours, fill the loo flush! Caravans are so much more primitive. Yes! We have Gaslow, satellite, D lock, wet heating etc (after a fight with the salesman), but ........ The only advantage is that we use marginally less diesel, but we have to pay campsite fees all the time.

 

[nabsim]

Went from Moho to caravan as hubby has Parkinson’s and so lost his C1 licence. Worst thing ever! Vans are nowhere near as flexible as Mohos. You cannot just pitch up and open a bottle. Once on site - and there’s no wildcamping option - you have to find water, arrange a container for waste water and on ours, fill the loo flush! Caravans are so much more primitive. Yes! We have Gaslow, satellite, D lock, wet heating etc (after a fight with the salesman), but ........ The only advantage is that we use marginally less diesel, but we have to pay campsite fees all the time.

I have seen a few caravans off grid touring although none have been the big ones. They leave hitched and just drop back legs. Must have onboard water and gas as most I have seen outside has been something for grey water but often not.

 

[HurricaneSmith]

........................ They leave hitched and just drop back legs. ......................

I once saw a hitched caravan move off in the Peak District without remembering to raise his legs. I was too far away to stop him, and only knew it was happening because of the sound as he ripped two parallel gouges in the tarmac road.

I seem to remember that the warden was not best pleased with him.

 

[nabsim]

I once saw a hitched caravan move off in the Peak District without remembering to raise his legs. I was too far away to stop him, and only knew it was happening because of the sound as he ripped two parallel gouges in the tarmac road.

I seem to remember that the warden was not best pleased with him.

Must admit, I have set off a few times with the hand rail locked in the out position on hab door. Luckily it’s on the drivers side so I have always noticed it pretty quickly lol

 

[wildebus]

I once saw a hitched caravan move off in the Peak District without remembering to raise his legs. I was too far away to stop him, and only knew it was happening because of the sound as he ripped two parallel gouges in the tarmac road.

I seem to remember that the warden was not best pleased with him.

That is the kind of thing I would do!
But it is also the kind of thing people do in Caravans OR Motorhomes ... forget to lock cupboard latches, fridge locks, steps, remove EHU Plug (my own nemisis on a few occasions when leaving from home ), etc.
This is why I made my "don't forget" tags . The middle one below would have been just the ticket (tag?) for that tugger in the Peaks

 

[Tezza33]

I once saw a hitched caravan move off in the Peak District without remembering to raise his legs. I was too far away to stop him, and only knew it was happening because of the sound as he ripped two parallel gouges in the tarmac road.

I seem to remember that the warden was not best pleased with him.

We did the same thing in France, we stopped in a layby for the night and put the rear steadies down, the next morning as we were moving around in the caravan it was rocking so I forgot about the steadies, I started the car which was a Citroën DS20 and set off, with the ride hight of the car lifting the steadies dug in to the tarmac and left deep gouges for a few hundred yards, I have never wound the steadies up as quickly as I did that morning, fortunately it was quiet

 

[HurricaneSmith]

OK, I'll admit that when washing and cleaning my previous van I used to lift my hook-up cable around a chestnut paling fence to keep it out of the ground water. I guess you're ahead of me here ................ I stopped when I heard the first two palings pop off. Quick hammer job, and no-one will ever know.

After that, I walked the van before moving off, and still do.

 

[pj palance]

now being realistic....
I can't see a caravan being less roomy than a motorhome so an 'extension tent' is an option same as a Motorhome.
Air Conditioning / Satellite the same.

I guess those depend if you feel obliged to just follow the crowd as opposed to making your own choices

(sorry, but I was actually looking for sensible replies)

try the tall grass,you might get lost, telescope at the ready. and ..-we can see you, the choice is yours, keep going, ok.pj.

 

[pj palance]

We did the same thing in France, we stopped in a layby for the night and put the rear steadies down, the next morning as we were moving around in the caravan it was rocking so I forgot about the steadies, I started the car which was a Citroën DS20 and set off, with the ride hight of the car lifting the steadies dug in to the tarmac and left deep gouges for a few hundred yards, I have never wound the steadies up as quickly as I did that morning, fortunately it was quiet

steady on,what what, i thort skid marks were for your keks, not moving on down. ok.pj.

 

[in h]

This is why I made my "don't forget" tags . The middle one below would have been just the ticket (tag?) for that tugger in the Peaks

I have two (different colour) bits of cable tie velcro that I put on the steering wheel.
One is for the 4g antenna pole being up, the other is for anything else (usually hookup cable or the grey waste drain pipe being in use).

 

[harrow]

Ok, this forum is called "Motorhomer.com" so there is an assumption that Motorhomes are the preferred option, but ...

If the idea is to enjoy self-contained holidaying, what is the advantage of a Motorhome over a Caravan (again, note this is posted on Motorhomer, and NOT on Wildcamping)?
A motorhome offering the same level of accomodation of a caravan seems to cost around £25k more at an absolute minimum. What does it (the motorhome) offer above and beyond a Caravan when using Campsites such as the typical CCC site?

With a caravan you have to have a reasonable size tow car and you have to consider LEZ and ULEZ
the days of having and towing with old land rover may be over

 

[dhall26]

A good point with the driving license, and one which will impact more and more people as time goes on (and could likely start to affect the resale value of caravans as the potential user base reduces year on year)
I am pretty sure a towing endorsement is not needed as long as the total train weight (vehicle + trailer) does not exceed 3.5t AND the trailer is under 750kg (that is to do with the need to have brakes on a trailer over that weight and a endorsement needed for a braked trailer).
There must be very few (if any?) normal caravans under 750kg, but I would think there will be a fair number of Folding Caravans and Trailer Tents that would fit the weight bill for a Driver with just a basic B Car License who fancies taking their accomodation behind them - but for those folk, a Motor Caravan of some type probably makes more sense for an easier life.

In my own case I am decrepit enough to have both a C1+E and a B+E Endorsement on my license automatically so am covered for any of these options

The trailer can be any weight that the towing vehicle can legally tow as long as the total MAM is no more than 3500Kg

 

[wildebus]

The trailer can be any weight that the towing vehicle can legally tow as long as the total MAM is no more than 3500Kg

You are quite correct.
I just looked again, and with a standard "B" Car license you can do the following:

• drive a car or van up to 3,500kg maximum authorised mass (MAM) towing a trailer of up to 750kg MAM
• tow a trailer over 750kg MAM as long as the combined MAM of the trailer and towing vehicle is no more than 3,500kg

So can have an "train" of upto 4.25kg as long as the trailer is no more than 750Kg.
The total train weight of 3500Kg with ANY sized trailer does mean that caravan towing is still perfectly feasible for anyone with a Car License and NO Towing endorsement, which I hadn't realised previously (I was sure that 750kg limit was a hard limit - having the '+E' on my license, I never had cause to really delve into it).