Campervans-do you have one and how often do you use it?

[piscofrisco]

Dh and I are thinking of getting a campervan. We go on alot of Uk weekends away, walking and such, and so we spend a fortune on air b and b. We thought a campervan might do us (and we could take the dogs with more). But are they a colossal waste of money? Are there lots of places to park then up? Please give me your experiences good and bad!

No. A friend did and sold it as he wasnt using it enough. Places to park them up - lots of caravan sites but not many other places where it is legal (or sanitary). Height limits on some car parks although campervans are sometimes allowed to park in car parks overnight. Park illegally and have the police round for a chat as the locals detest you (because some vans leave human and animal waste where they shouldn't).

Please use camp sites 🙏

We have an old motorhome as we have 2 kids so need the space. Amazing memories, trips to France and festivals. We definitely would not do all the camping we do if we were in tents. Costs about a grand a year to tax/insure/mot/store it. id say if you can find a good place to store it locally, and you get a reliable one, it's great!

We have a motorhome that we used a lot when the dc were little - weekends away once or twice a month, and road trips all over Europe. We visited lots of places that the dc learned about in school just to bring them to life. So many memories.

Now they’re teens, with friends, exams, too much homework and are less inclined to want to be crammed in a small space, so it definitely isn’t earning its keep now. We plan to get a campervan when they’re older, and it’s just the two of us and we have plans to wander when we retire. It’s brilliant in Europe where the facilities are better and there’s parking everywhere you want to go.

You could just do what I did. Buy an empty van or MPV (multi purpose vehicle). You don’t need to buy expensive VW campervans. Not bother converting it, which saves £££ and space. Just throw a futon in for a bed. And a camping cooker for use outside for tea and spaghetti Bolognese, whatever! Cheap as chips. The insurance isn’t much more than a normal car.

HOWEVER, if there’s two of you and dogs you might need a larger van or a tent as well to put stuff in, including yourselves if weathers nice enough :).

Had one (converted VW van) and sold it on - the reality was not as good as I'd imagined.

That said, me and my children had a few nights in it when it was parked outside, just for fun and I have fond memories of he drive through France with just me and the children (DH travelled separately). We stopped as often as we wanted and it was stress free. they had a table to sit and plenty of space.

When I was cleaning it out to sell, youngest child came in to keep me company and said 'this van smells of happiness!' which I still think is a bit lovely.

So, to actually answer your question - I really didn't like having to use the shared toilets in the campsites. I'd got a porta-potti type thing for emergencies, but hated having to empty it. The bed was uncomfortable. I didn't really cook in it other than to boil water because I didn't want it to smell of cooking!

Just the two of you and a fancy one with a shower / toilet on board? I'd be tempted to give it a go if I had a partner I wanted to do that with. Why not hire one and see how you get on with it before taking the plunge?

We have a campervan that we converted a couple of years ago. Well, we're still refining it as we go! We use it a lot from March to October, and are planning to go away in Feb half term this year. Its well insulated and we have a diesel heater/electric heater if we have electricity. Weekends away in term time (I'm a teacher) and longer trips in the holidays. Our van is small so that it fits into car park spaces (and will go under a 2m barrier). Not much space inside as a consequence, but enough for the two of us (no pets!). We bought a drive away awning this year for out of season trips, but in the summer we just use a sunshade. We use campsites - use pitch up a lot for booking them. It was an empty nest project, and we absolutely love it.

One final thing - I am still tempted by Amdro (or equivalent) boot jump and may well do that in future once the children are older and if I find said partner.

https://www.amdro.co.uk/

Now we have a Velcro dog who needs a house/dog sitter if we go on holiday I’m toying with the idea of returning a rental camper van from Italy (so Rome or Florence) to its German base. There are offers of €1 plus insurance for ten days on my Facebook compared to €100 plus per DAY.

That would give us a cheap taste of the camper life which I love in theory…
Any offers like that available to you, OP?

We acquired one during lockdown and we had some good times in it but honestly a Premier lnn is cheaper and much less stress - some campsites are so expensive.
Ours was really old so we never really knew if we would make it to our destination.
I was glad to get rid of it and dd has definitely outgrown the fun of camping.

It’s not just about ££ though.

I Love premier inn!

But you don’t wake up to the sheer beauty of the countryside on your doorstep.

And if you’re on a budget like me, £20 campsite as opposed to £100+ premier inn.

Maybe I’m a bit rough and ready though !

Never had a camper (would find it too small) but have had MoHo's for years and love them.

When working we just went away at weekends (or midweek if we had a couple of days off).
Now we are retired we are away most weeks for a night or two.
If we don't fancy staying away for any reason, we just have a day out walking in the countryside while using the MoHo as a convenient base for lunch.
Always use CAMC sites as mostly they are conveniently located plus facilities are first rate & spotless (of course we have full on-board facilities but if good facilities are available we will make use of them).

A Moho can be a major investment plus running costs are not insignificant but to us it is very worthwhile.

We have about ten weekend trips in our campervan each year between April and October (at campsites or certified sites). DH uses it as his car all year round.

We bought it to upgrade from tent camping and I much prefer it. The bed is more comfortable. It has better protection from noise, early summer sunrises and extremes of heat / cold. It has a small fridge, cold running water and a two ring hob. The leisure battery is enough for sink pump, lights and phone charging. Packing is now very simple as everything is in the van; I just bring a small bag of clothes and transfer some milk etc from the fridge at home.

I live in the Lake District and all these "van life" people get on my tits. They park up in laybys, cause clutter, block roads etc and don't use campsites just to have the "nature on their doorstep" thing. If you want that, wild camp on the fells somewhere out of the way. Otherwise, use a hotel or a campsite and don't bugger up everyone else's daily life just because you want a few trees to wake up to.

Do the maths - camp site = £20 per night plus insurance, mot, tax annually is a lot! (and I'm assuming petrol would be incurred anyway and no repairs) before you even buy a camper van. How many nights a year?

They don't look very plush or comfortable.

Just MDF and some vinyl cushioning.

We have a campervan conversion and absolutely love it, we've put over 100K miles on it over the last few years.
It's an utter joy to have your own toilet with you wherever you go, apart from anything else.
It comes into its own a bit more in France and Spain where they have cheap or free aires specifically for campers/motorhomes, as well as nicer campsites and better weather. England can be not massively welcoming and you're better off sticking to campsites. Scotland (and actually parts of England) have started to do more aires but they're more expensive than Europe.
Inconsiderate van lifers have definitely ruined it a bit for those who obey the rules.

I do think that people who live in them full time in the UK as a social media strategy rather than dire necessity are bloody mad.

It's amazing. Use park 4 night for free wild camping spots. Scotland and wales are good for that. It's like having a holiday cottage you can park anywhere. Recommended. Only for one or two though, with kids would be too much I think.

It's not wild camping if you are in a vehicle.

I’m planning to covert my own this year. More of a day van than a proper camper but somewhere to make a cup of tea and have a wee as I spend a lot of my time in the country side. I’m sure we’ll use it for the odd weekend away too. My budget is 12k for the van and 5k for the conversion.

Hello @TTindigo It's actually a widely used term on the campervan scene but appreciate not everyone knows that. Have a lovely evening. ☺️

I have a little camper. Toyota Alphard. I use it as my every day vehicle. We use it for camping a lot in nicer weather. In Scotland so the rules are different here but you can park up next to the loch. Have a campfire, it’s £4 a night. No real facilities apart from a bin. Kids and dog love it and we take paddle boards/ bikes. There’s some fantastic beaches to stay at too. We had an amazing time on Harris last year.

We used to but like others say the upkeep got too much, and as DDs got older they were less keen on the lack of space and proper bathroom.

You have to weigh up your own pros and cons, we did have some great times too.

I live in the Lakes too and feel exactly the same. It’s a PITA in summer when you make the effort to get up early to find a parking space and they’re all full!!

I love ours but again more of a day can. I bought a brilliant kitchen pod thing off Etsy and it's amazing! Will try to find a link, but it means the van can be used for everything and not just as a camper.