Camper vans / motor homes

[jowwy]

Whos got one, how often is it used??? Pictures and experiences would be good.

ive always thought about getting one, but want real world experiences from people who have them.

 

[Milzy]

I’d have one but the prices are just silly at the moment.

 

[Ridgeway]

Switched from a tin tent to our first camper about 10yrs ago. We target 30 nights away p/yr although it's often less, around 25-28 is about our average. We do long weekends quite a lot, plus then some 7-10 day trips, max is 2wks for us.

We like:

• Get away for short trips
• Gets the family out of the house and forces us to do things together
• Easy and quick to get back home if we need (we have lots of animals at home, our daughter looks after them but always good to know you can get back if you need to, not so easy if you took a plane etc)
• The flexibility to follow the weather
• Campers and bikes are a great combo

Couple of pics from this years excursions:

Paddle boarding is high on the agenda with the children as well as cycling

 

[Drago]

Sold my hymer to one of my neighbours earlier this year. What with covid keeping us locked up, then the whole planet rushing out and buying one and clogging up the best spots it wasn't being used.

Im thinking next year I might sell my car, and get a smaller job, a camper. Something small enough I could use it to get the shopping, etc. Possibly VW bus 6 or 6.1.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Always wondered
That or a canal boat

overall cost plus maintenance compared with going abroad has always put us off

 

[Ridgeway]

There are of course some things to consider:

• Van layout (this is quite a nightmare and many buyers take 1-3 vans to get it right)
• Storage: can be expensive and maybe even far away unless you have space at home
• Weight capacity is always a contentious point but does depend upon how many people you intend to take
• Current prices are probably 25% higher than they were 12 months ago, maybe more
• New vans have a long lead time at present, 6 months or more

Plenty to think about

 

[Ridgeway]

Always wondered
That or a canal boat

overall cost plus maintenance compared with going abroad has always put us off

Yes the numbers never add up and it's best to avoid actually comparing every time i did i always got depressed

 

[CanucksTraveller]

I've thought about it and put it off for another time, even fairly average VW vans which are pretty much a tin tent with a bed and a stove are fetching 60k at the moment, so not for me. It's very much the in thing, the current fad. It's a bad time to be buying.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I've thought about it and put it off for another time, even fairly average VW vans which are pretty much a tin tent with a bed and a stove are fetching 60k at the moment, so not for me. It's very much the in thing, the current fad. It's a bad time to be buying.

yup - campervans, canal boats, bikes and fuel

best wait and hope loads of people get fed up with them and sell them on ebay

 

[Drago]

I've thought about it and put it off for another time, even fairly average VW vans which are pretty much a tin tent with a bed and a stove are fetching 60k at the moment, so not for me. It's very much the in thing, the current fad. It's a bad time to be buying.

I'm watching the market closely as I ready to pull the trigger. A local firm does conversions on new and low mileage vans, and sells the finished product, and they start at about £45k for a 3 or 4 year old van with a spanking new conversion. Brand new vans push that to 55 or higher, depending on trim level, engine, transmission, etc.

 

[Oldhippy]

I shall be retiring on a narrow boat in three years. I looked at van living or boat, and boat won out on a day to day practical level.

 

[steveindenmark]

I would like one. But in Denmark we pay a weight tax each year. My Picanto costs about £36 a year. Even a small van could exceed £500. A motorhome would be mega bucks and parked up 6 months of the year.

 

[chriswoody]

Yep, we have an old VWT4 California, with the interior built by Westfalia, before VW bought the conversions in house for the T5 and T6. Fantastic old bus, no bigger than a big estate car, so practical to drive around and still fit in our garage. It has a 2.5 litre diesel, so it will get a shift on on the Autobahn and we cover several thousand kilometres with ease.

I luckily have a job with long holidays, so we spend up to four weeks away in the summer chasing the sun across the continent, as well as several shorter trips throughout the year. It's also really practical as a vehicle, we can pop the bench seat down, or even remove it entirely and then we effectively have a van which can be used for moving all kinds of loads.

It is small, especially for a family of four, but we have a drive away awning tent that attaches to the wind out awning on the side and the kids sleep in there, whilst we sleep in the pop top. We have a fridge, gas cooker, sink and cupboards, as well as a night heater. There are two beds and the front seats swivel around to face the rear. It can be a little tight for four, especially in inclement weather, but for two it's perfect.

 

[Tenkaykev]

I’ve noticed a marked increase in the number of motor homes/ caravans parked on peoples drives. One avenue has 12 houses and six motorhome/ caravans.

 

[NorthernDave]

I can see the appeal but for me the figures don't add up, especially with how prices have increased. There's also the issue of how unpopular some new converts are making camper vans in lots of places.

You can pay for an awful lot of fancy hotel rooms with £30k+ but you pays your money and makes your choices.