Caravan - yes/no?

[Fab Foodie]

We bought one 18 years ago and still have it. I've got very mixed feelings about it. I love camping, and at our age it's a comfy way of sleeping in a field. Most caravanners are nice people, and we've had some super holidays, mainly in France where we take the bikes in the back and use them almost exclusively to travel around. Municipale sites are usually small, clean and well-run, and a lot of French people use them, so we usually use these and get away from the Brits. I get a brilliant night's sleep in ours, comfier than our bed at home. It's a mid-range 2-berth Swift Challenger.

But ...

I hate it as an object. It's ridiculously flimsy and everything in it seems made for the convenience of cheap manufacture and not for long-term ownership (German vans are not like this, I am told). Carpet stapled down under the units. Water pipes and cables routed where you need to take half the van out to repair a small leak (that was this summer's fun and games.) Towel rail held on by two small self-tappers into 1/8" ply. Impossible to refix when it falls off, as it will. It's the exact opposite of everything I value in a vehicle, durability and good design.

I don't like the way it takes up useful space on the driveway.
I don't like towing it. It's not that I don't like towing, but it is so flimsy (again) that I am constantly in fear of things getting scraped off or falling off across 3 lanes of the M5.
Stupid, I know, but I don't like being that guy towing that caravan. As a driver, I just wish them all off the roads.
It costs more to service than my car.

We've had some good times in it, and my wife loves it, so it's not going anywhere. But if I were on my own, I would sell it tomorrow.

Ha! I recognise some of this!
Our first Moho was a s/h 'luxury' Bailley, it was warm comfortable, spacious and well equipped for the money. But after ownership and joining a few forums found out why...it was made of cheese.
Quickly we upgraded to a s/h German Burstner, bit more expensive, less well appointed, much simpler/less gizmos but faaar better built. Finally we went mad and bought a brand new Frankia (silly expensive luxo) all the toys and more, but built like a Berlin Bunker. The point is that whereas the mass UK manufacturers sacrifice build-quality (and quality control) for features. The Germans in the past have prioritised simplicity and better construction. In Mohos and Caravans, build-quality pays-off in the long-run.
We downsized from the Luxo Frankia to a PVC as our long-term wagon, but still German (Globecar) and were also careful to choose the 'simpler' solid constructed ones (built by Dethleffs) over the newer fancier (but it seems slightly more troublesome) newer design. The build quality differences were apparent in the showroom and that clinched-it for us.
Time will tell!

 

[Dirk]

I've been caravanning for about 30 years now.
Since retiring, we spend a lot of time away in the van.
We generally go off grid on Certified Locations (maximum 5 vans on site) and rarely pay more than £15 per night. Most of the sites we use are £5 - £10 per night.
We aim to do over 100 nights a year (115 nights in 2019 and 64 nights in 2020 - in between lockdowns)
We love the freedom and changes of scenery.
I actually enjoy towing.

 

[figbat]

After several months of further reflection, another lockdown and with the easing today we went and put a deposit on a used caravan. A 2014 Bailey Pegasus GT65 Rimini. We arrived as the dealer opened and an hour later were driving away having paid the deposit. There’s not a lot out there used and prices are unsurprisingly strong, but this will also hopefully remain true should we wish to sell or PX it in future. We’re collecting it in about 3 weeks after it is tidied up and PDI’d. Plus we also now have 3 weeks to widen our gate and driveway to accommodate it!

 

[MrGrumpy]

Sales of motor homes and caravans went Balastic last year . There was nothing new or much used and defo no haggling. Was tempted to punt our twin axle prior to Covid but no chance now!

 

[figbat]

The issue now is getting a Calor Gas cylinder - refills are ok but try getting a new cylinder. If anyone has any leads I can follow in the Oxon, Berks, Wilts, Gloucs area I’m all ears.

 

[Milzy]

No more shed pullers get static or keep camping in tents.

 

[Pale Rider]

My Willerby static is reasonably well built, but it doesn't have to face the challenge of being dragged around for thousands of miles.

I've replaced the sofa, easy chairs, and bed, so they are now better quality than I have in the house.

Oh, and I got a more suitably sized dining table which is also nicer than what I have at home.

The cooker and boiler are both domestic models, which is an advantage of having the extra room of a static, and the toilets and sanitary ware are also budget domestic quality.

Use plays a part, my static is lightly used, mostly just by me.

Regular use by a family with children would knock it about a lot more.

The issue now is getting a Calor Gas cylinder - refills are ok but try getting a new cylinder. If anyone has any leads I can follow in the Oxon, Berks, Wilts, Gloucs area I’m all ears.

I can't help directly, but there have been a couple of short term supply problems with refills at my static, so it seems to me there's not a lot of spare capacity in the system.

we went and put a deposit on a used caravan. A 2014 Bailey Pegasus GT65 Rimini.

Baileys are generally pretty good.

One of the problems with a towed caravan is keeping it watertight because inevitably the frame flexes when it's being dragged along.

Bailey boast of having a trick rigid aluminium frame, to the point where one of their publicity pics had a small hatchback plonked on the roof of one of their caravans.

Hopefully that means they won't leak, even after a few years of use.

 

[figbat]

I managed to find a Calor bottle on Facebook Marketplace so have cleared that hurdle. Other stuff is in short supply too though, like awnings and stuff but these are show-stopping. We have booked our first site for the first week of May, so hopefully it’ll all work out.

One of the things that drew me to Bailey was the Alu-Tech chassis with the single GRP side panels, although I still hear stories of damp floors. The Bailey also has a huge up-and-over front window-cum-skylight.

 

[Pale Rider]

I managed to find a Calor bottle on Facebook Marketplace so have cleared that hurdle. Other stuff is in short supply too though, like awnings and stuff but these are show-stopping. We have booked our first site for the first week of May, so hopefully it’ll all work out.

One of the things that drew me to Bailey was the Alu-Tech chassis with the single GRP side panels, although I still hear stories of damp floors. The Bailey also has a huge up-and-over front window-cum-skylight.

Have you checked the snap on connection to the bottle?

Calor ones are standard, but some other suppliers differ.

Given your caravan is used, someone might have used another supplier bottle in the past.

One reason to do that is those bottles are often a bit cheaper.

I take it we are talking about orange bottles, which indicate propane gas.

Worth knowing that any threaded connections will likely be a left hand thread.

This is done to prevent the connection of appliances designed for other gases to propane, which can be a safety hazard because of the differing burn temperatures of the handful of bottled gases.

Propane is the most popular because it burns nice and hot, and has a relatively high boiling point which means gas will still come out of the bottle in colder climates.

However, I've had propane bottles 'freeze' in winter at my static in North Yorkshire.

Strictly, I suppose the gas doesn't freeze, rather it won't vaporise.

But the result is the same, nowt comes out of the bottle leaving me with no heat or hot water.

 

[figbat]

Yep, the red propane ones - we were advised to get these so I assume the regulator is correct for it. I recently became aware of the left-hand thread and reasons for it - shouldn’t waste too much time wondering why the thread won’t engage!

The ‘van has an external gas point too, so thinking about what outdoors cooking device I might try with that.

It’s all come a long way from the ‘70s caravan my parents had, where you pumped cold water with a foot pump, there was no electric hookup or leisure battery and the bunk bed was a nylon mesh suspended between two steel poles.

 

[dodgy]

A 2014 Bailey Pegasus GT65 Rimini.

I shall look out for Anal Rimini

 

[Pale Rider]

Yep, the red propane ones - we were advised to get these so I assume the regulator is correct for it. I recently became aware of the left-hand thread and reasons for it - shouldn’t waste too much time wondering why the thread won’t engage!

The ‘van has an external gas point too, so thinking about what outdoors cooking device I might try with that.

It’s all come a long way from the ‘70s caravan my parents had, where you pumped cold water with a foot pump, there was no electric hookup or leisure battery and the bunk bed was a nylon mesh suspended between two steel poles.

The outdoor device will need to be designed for propane.

The gas could melt the burners of a device designed for a gas which burns at a lower temperature.

I wouldn't go for anything elaborate, with a caravan sized gas bottle there's not much gas to play with.

 

[figbat]

Caravan was collected today - a somewhat nervy but ultimately uneventful first tow home was followed by manouevring the largest remote controlled vehicle I have ever played with onto the drive.

When we hitched up our Volvo to the van at the dealer I got out to join the small crowd checking the lights at the rear. They were amazed that the car ran a self-diagnosis light checking system without the need for any shouting “YEP! NOW THE BRAKES!! YEP, NOW THE LEFT INDICATOR!!” and hadn’t seen it before.

 

[sheddy]

They can hurt cyclists
https://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/dereham-cyclist-knocked-over-in-hit-and-run-7940276?

 

[MrGrumpy]

That’s the driver not the caravan at fault !! However the point you could make is inexperienced drivers towing nowadays. Just got to be very careful. It’s easy to forget what you have on the back especially if your tow car like mine could pull a truck!