Caravan - yes/no?

[beepbeep]

just returned from 6 weeks away in ours...£15 a night ...car hardly turned a wheel in all that time....lots of glorious cycling

 

[Brads]

Be super careful about buying just now though, some real crooks about selling garbage for fortunes.
My mate just bought one after I told him to wait on me seeing it. Ended up with a 5k van that's worth £500.

 

[beepbeep]

demand is outstripping supply.....We were going to order a new motorhome just a week prior to lockdown...we waited as the model we wanted wasnt available......4 months later and now we are told it could be next year before the specific model is manufactured again !!
money safely in the bank until next year.

 

[Fab Foodie]

demand is outstripping supply.....We were going to order a new motorhome just a week prior to lockdown...we waited as the model we wanted wasnt available......4 months later and now we are told it could be next year before the specific model is manufactured again !!
money safely in the bank until next year.

What were you looking to order may I ask?

 

[beepbeep]

a Pilote Galaxy A CLASS with storage double floor system and ..with 9 speed auto GB edition Only 2019 models seem to be available at the moment..OR 2020 models with little or no movement on price ..We also had/have a second choice of Adria ..We called at Brownhills in Newark earlier this week and they only had a coupe left......said the were in short supply as had gone through the roof recently ....but were having Adria ''event '' shortly and hoped to get some more models on show but couldn't be certain which ones.
we are no longer in a rush to buy as it was to be for a European tour..We will make do with our current caravan for our UK Lockdown holidays

plenty of swift and auto trails on the market but not impressed with build quality.

 

[Fab Foodie]

a Pilote Galaxy A CLASS with storage double floor system and ..with 9 speed auto GB edition Only 2019 models seem to be available at the moment..OR 2020 models with little or no movement on price ..We also had/have a second choice of Adria ..We called at Brownhills in Newark earlier this week and they only had a coupe left......said the were in short supply as had gone through the roof recently ....but were having Adria ''event '' shortly and hoped to get some more models on show but couldn't be certain which ones.
we are no longer in a rush to buy as it was to be for a European tour..We will make do with our current caravan for our UK Lockdown holidays

plenty of swift and auto trails on the market but not impressed with build quality.

V. Nice! Perfect for grand EU tours.
Our Frankia (same group as Pilote) was double floored -it makes a difference in storage, utility location and access, and winter warmth I like Adria a lot too. If you’re visiting Brownhills have you looked into SMC around the corner?
Agree about UK coachbuilts, not the same build quality at all. Going from Bailey (made of cheese) to a Burstner was an eye-opener in that respect and the Frankia was in another league up again, superb!
The 9 speed auto is fabulous, incredibly smooth. Coupled to the 160hp engine on our new van we can’t feel it change...it’s turbine smooth....

Apols for derailing the Caravan thread.

 

[MrGrumpy]

Was hoping in out later years to purchase a Motorhome felt it was the next move but again, I’d need to move house Not allowed to keep at home. So would need to find suitable storage .

 

[figbat]

I did think that there would be a COVID tax on caravans at the moment, although also considered that there may also be an end-of-season sale? Looking around it seems there are still 'vans to be had but caveat emptor.

Having researched a bit further, it seems it's a minefield! A few things you may have an opinion on:

- layout: side dinette, fixed bed, end bathroom.... who knew this was such a thorny issue! Any considerations either way? I get that there is a pay-off between making beds every day vs available living space but wondered if anyone has any experience of both/either
- clubs: is joining a camping/caravan club worthwhile? The main reason I ask is that there seem to be plenty of sites that are club-affiliated. I'm not interested in rallies or mass gatherings (if such things are even permitted) but wondered if club membership opens up any benefits
- awning: yes/no? Full/porch? I'm leaning towards a porch just as a place to keep stuff (boots, camping chairs, outdoors guff etc). Don't think we'd want one for sleeping or living space. I'm also a fan of airbeams for time/simplicity.
- set-up and break-down: one perceived benefit of a caravan vs a tent is you don't have to build it when you get there. However having watched a couple of videos on YouTube it seems setup of a caravan is like a pre-flight process. I assume with practice and experience you get quicker at it, but there is power, gas, water, waste, heating, awning, levelling... how quickly are you actually ready to get t'kettle on?
- bikes: with the towbar out of action and the car pretty well loaded, where do you put bikes? On the roof? In the 'van?

 

[oldwheels]

I did think that there would be a COVID tax on caravans at the moment, although also considered that there may also be an end-of-season sale? Looking around it seems there are still 'vans to be had but caveat emptor.

Having researched a bit further, it seems it's a minefield! A few things you may have an opinion on:

- layout: side dinette, fixed bed, end bathroom.... who knew this was such a thorny issue! Any considerations either way? I get that there is a pay-off between making beds every day vs available living space but wondered if anyone has any experience of both/either
- clubs: is joining a camping/caravan club worthwhile? The main reason I ask is that there seem to be plenty of sites that are club-affiliated. I'm not interested in rallies or mass gatherings (if such things are even permitted) but wondered if club membership opens up any benefits
- awning: yes/no? Full/porch? I'm leaning towards a porch just as a place to keep stuff (boots, camping chairs, outdoors guff etc). Don't think we'd want one for sleeping or living space. I'm also a fan of airbeams for time/simplicity.
- set-up and break-down: one perceived benefit of a caravan vs a tent is you don't have to build it when you get there. However having watched a couple of videos on YouTube it seems setup of a caravan is like a pre-flight process. I assume with practice and experience you get quicker at it, but there is power, gas, water, waste, heating, awning, levelling... how quickly are you actually ready to get t'kettle on?
- bikes: with the towbar out of action and the car pretty well loaded, where do you put bikes? On the roof? In the 'van?

One benefit of the club membership is that you pay less than non members and in a very short time you recoup your membership fee. With the camping and Caravan Club there is also an age discount. The club sites are all well maintained and I have never found a bad one yet. Some private sites {but not all } can be a bit dodgy about toilet cleaning for example.
I have never been to a rally although a member of both major clubs for many years.
The clubs are changing tho' and pressure of numbers makes getting on to a site difficult sometimes as they can get booked up for months ahead. Rosemarkie is a case in point. There is also a tendency for less touring and more staying on the same site for a couple of weeks. In some cases they seem to encourage chalets or statics for rent which is away from the original ethos.
I never use an awning.
We stayed at a well run private site near Aberdeen once for a total of nearly 3 months in a Transit Leisuredrive conversion due to a family illness in that area. It is just a matter of being organised and tidy. This was in winter as well but with electric hook up we were never cold.
The advantage a caravan has is that you have a vehicle for daytime use which depending on where you wish to go can make parking much easier than a motorhome.
I have had a variety of caravans, campers and motorhomes since the mid 1960s having progressed from tents. The modern vehicles are so much better than the original versions but it can also be too easy to buy something unsuitable. Hire one for a short while to get a feel for what you may need but bigger is not always better.

 

[Grant Fondo]

Got one off Ebay 3 years ago, best £3.5k i have spent, its the site fees which can be eye watering!

 

[fossyant]

Stupid money at the moment - even normal vans are up many thousands for delivery jobs or conversion. Static caravans are selling like hot cakes too - our site has shifted loads, except no-one can go now. I can see me moving to a motorhome one day, but would need the pension pot on retirement to buy it - my god they are expensive.

 

[MrGrumpy]

One benefit of the club membership is that you pay less than non members and in a very short time you recoup your membership fee. With the camping and Caravan Club there is also an age discount. The club sites are all well maintained and I have never found a bad one yet. Some private sites {but not all } can be a bit dodgy about toilet cleaning for example.
I have never been to a rally although a member of both major clubs for many years.
The clubs are changing tho' and pressure of numbers makes getting on to a site difficult sometimes as they can get booked up for months ahead. Rosemarkie is a case in point. There is also a tendency for less touring and more staying on the same site for a couple of weeks. In some cases they seem to encourage chalets or statics for rent which is away from the original ethos.
I never use an awning.
We stayed at a well run private site near Aberdeen once for a total of nearly 3 months in a Transit Leisuredrive conversion due to a family illness in that area. It is just a matter of being organised and tidy. This was in winter as well but with electric hook up we were never cold.
The advantage a caravan has is that you have a vehicle for daytime use which depending on where you wish to go can make parking much easier than a motorhome.
I have had a variety of caravans, campers and motorhomes since the mid 1960s having progressed from tents. The modern vehicles are so much better than the original versions but it can also be too easy to buy something unsuitable. Hire one for a short while to get a feel for what you may need but bigger is not always better.

Rosemarkie is a cracker !! First time we have been , brilliant . We just used our own facilities . Will book next year but we’ll in advance !!

 

[OldShep]

Rosemarkie is a cracker !! First time we have been , brilliant . We just used our own facilities . Will book next year but we’ll in advance !!

Rosemarkie is more than a cracker. Our first visit, also, this year a few weeks ago with a roadside pitch looking straight over the Firth. Definitely be back as I didn’t want to leave.
Also the first time we’ve used the caravan shower other than a wet room and used the loo in earnest. It’s been an eye opener and will certainly be looking more at certificated sites without facilities.

 

[oldwheels]

Rosemarkie is a cracker !! First time we have been , brilliant . We just used our own facilities . Will book next year but we’ll in advance !!

We used to go to Rosemarkie regularly with no problems but I have been unable to book even in October. Not been there for about 4 years now as site is constantly full but I only try to book about a week ahead due to uncertainty of timing. I usually just use Dingwall now as the Fortrose council site is far too expensive for one person. Even Dingwall is getting difficult due to NC500.
I prefer cycling from Rosemarkie tho' despite the climb out.

 

[byegad]

One thing worse than a caravan being towed on the road* is a mobile home towing a car. I don't see the point in that one.

*I'm not a fan, see my earlier post.