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!

I use ‘Staveley Head‘. I’m guessing it will go up this year as most insurance has, renewal due in April. Mines a VW but I only unsure it for 4000 miles a year as we only really use it in the summer, it is also registered as a motorhome (before the new rules came in) which makes it a bit cheeper to insure.

I love mine! It's my everyday vehicle and that makes a big difference - I don't feel it's sitting there uselessly if we don't do a lot of camping in it.
We've taken it around France a few times as well as camped quite a bit in the UK. I've taken it to festivals and it's great for days at the beach (we're not far from the sea).
DH and I sleep better together in the van than we do at home - it's so cosy!
The only 'wild' camping we've done is to sleep in pub or restaurant car parks (with the owners' permission) after having a meal in their pub or restaurant (we have a portaloo).

Why not hire one first and see how you get on?

Lots to consider-thanks all. Hiring one might be an idea before we take the plunge for sure!

We have a self contained van and used to ‘wildcamp’ all the time. Since Covid, lots more people owning vans and all our regular stops have height barriers / bollards/ no overnight parking signs. Unfortunately all the shits that left their shit in the bushes and their rubbish behind have tarred those (like us) who left no trace. So you now have to plan well in advance to go to a campsite and pay £30 plus per night for a patch of grass. Really takes away that freedom to just set off. Scotland is still doable but less so that it used to be (for same reason). But great for France etc.

But… a growing number of pubs / businesses are allowing parking in their car parks in return for eating / buying a drink.

We have a VW T5, and we love it! We go away most weekends in the spring to autumn, and we’ve been away once in December and once in January.
we usually go to small rural campsites, but in colder weather, sites behind a pub are great!
we sometimes wild camp too.
it cost a lot of money but the VW in particular really hold their value.
its so cosy, and lovely in the summer with the awning out and the bbq going!
I don’t camp in tents, (except occasionally very wild camping) because I don’t like being cold and uncomfortable, and noise bothers me. So the van is ideal.

So you now have to plan well in advance to go to a campsite and pay £30 plus per night for a patch of grass.

A patch of grass (or hard standing) plus clean showers and toilets and often less than that - say the low 20s off peak. I appreciate if you are used to wild camping this seems a lot but we think it's worth it.

Personally I'd prefer to pay £30 a night for fresh air and a different, beautiful location than stay in a Premier Inn on an industrial estate. We're lucky that we can afford other holidays but the van is very much my happy place, even if I just drive it to the shops

Definitely hire one first! When DD was younger DH and I thought we wanted one, so we hired a VW California for a week to try it out. Found it very cramped and a bit awkward, actually! And the rock and roll bed was extremely uncomfortable. However, I do now have a Citroen Berlingo with a boot jump that I use as my regular car but also for solo trips for me and the dog and I bloody love it. Just being able to quickly and easily get away is really nice.

The VW California is very over hyped imo and ridiculously expensive for what you get.

I hired a VW California and loved it. So easy to drive and to park. And the upstairs bed was surprisingly comfortable for two adults. I also like the fact that you could slide the bench forward to give more storage behind.

So now I can't decide whether to have a California, another VW conversion (recommendations for companies most welcome please) or to go for a Sprinter/Crafter size with shower and loo. Don't want anything bigger, not a 'proper' motor home. Any advice?

We have a long wheel base Fiat Ducato van converted by Murvi. It has a small bathroom although we don't use the shower and a good kitchen. Plenty of storage. Only 2 beds. We don't drive about in it when we go away as we go for the walking and use buses to get further away.

@Tallisker We love our Sprinter. Can be a slight ballache to park due to length but the space inside is fantastic, everything we need, and unlike a big motor home we can drive it anywhere and everywhere.

My partner has one and we had some wonderful weekends away in it in the UK last year. You can get an insulated wrap and heater for autumn/spring. Once the initial cost is out of the way it's a cheap way of going on holiday.

Good point @CaptainMyCaptain . Although… We have on board loo, shower and gas heating so don’t need campsite facilities unless away for more than 3 days. So it is paying just for a patch of grass.

I do now have a Citroen Berlingo with a boot jump

Why is it called a boot jump?

@Polis I honestly don't know! Apart from it sits in the boot.

We have had one for 5 years us, 2 kids and a greyhound go away in it and it's a small VW T5!

We use it for weekends away probably twice a month from May til mid September. The rest of the time it's another vehicle and also handy for day trips as we can easily have lunch, a dry warm place to get changed from the beach or skiing and a cup of tea!

Downsides I would say is packing it all up to drive off anywhere (we are considering taking our car with us next longer trip!)
We don't have a loo due to the size of it and insurance has gone up a lot due to a lot of thefts.
Things that have made it easier are getting a drive away awning tent so that we can put stuff we don't need when staying so car seats (our children are under 5), table and chairs etc. Also somewhere dry to play and eat if weather is rubbish.
We also have a guard for the top so the eldest is up there.
We always book campsites and there are some amazing ones with pubs on site which is handy if weather sucks.

I would consider the size of van that your wanting and if you are wanting on board loo etc and think about what's your use for it. Be careful with the age due to some emissions zones as well!