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Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

Original poster

scared of buying caravan - pros and cons, should I or shouldn't I?

37 replies

monkey · 03/09/2006 16:57

I really enjoyed our 1st camping holiday with kids in rented mobile home. Returned full of desire for buying own caravan. Been lusting over caravans on internet all w/e. But still got reservations -

-mainly scared of towing. Not on moroway as such, but smaller roads & roadworks. Reassurances?

-Are they difficult to look after?

  • are other costs (storage, insurance etc really high?

  • which are the best makes? Does anyone know knaus or hobby or adria or tec?

  • or would it be better to hire a static caravan every time?

mrs indicisive. Have been drooling over them. help me out.

are awnings really difficult to put up, clean, look after etc? on our campsite they seemed to spend 2 bloody days packing up. couldn't get my head round it.

would brand new be best or in caravans case, is 2nd hand as good as?

OP posts:
melc234 · 03/09/2006 21:42

hi, would defo advise buying second hand, that way if u dont like it, u wont lose so much. Personally i love caravan holidays, got a 2yr and a 4yr autistic child. Awnings are easy enough, just takes an hour. Storage is usually around 200 a year. Anything else just ask

curlew · 03/09/2006 22:18

We have an 8 seater van with a lifting roof which is our car, but we keep some camping stuff in it so that we can take off for a night or two whenever we feel like it. We pick the kids up from school on a Friday and head straight for the beach when the weather's nice. A brilliant compromise - we love it! The children sleep in the roof, we sleep downstairs.

GeorginaA · 04/09/2006 11:33

monkey, if you're worried about towing, The Caravan Club do 1 day towing courses - might give you more confidence?

Original poster
monkey · 04/09/2006 17:28

GeorginaA that is a really fab tip, thanks will def look into it. So what are the best makes?

If you had unlimited funds (we don't, thoretical question only) would you go for lots of hire vs. buying own caravan?

curlew, that sounds great. WHat make is your van?

OP posts:
Orinoco · 04/09/2006 18:01

Message withdrawn

sleepysooz · 04/09/2006 18:14

I have a caravan for sale, notts area 5 berth £4,500 end shower room.

We love Caravanning, work out what set up you like, either end shower room or end bedroom, pro's and con's for both, personal preference really.

We pay £140 per year on one site and £25 per month on other site, you get what you pay for! only other option is if you have space in ya garden, safe enough if you have a pole (concreted into ground) that you hitch up on to and wheel clamps etc

The prices vary so much, make sure van is dry (no damp) you can get a detector (little device) carry it around with you when viewing, best to buy from a reputable dealer so's guaranteed!

Only downfall then is you don't necessarily get spare wheel (can cost up to £80-£100) no awning (£200-£700), no water barrel, waste containers, pumps, electric cables (another £150) etc they alone can be costly + wheel clamps (£40-£100), hitch locks (£50-£100) - all very costly! again get what you pay for!

Good luck and enjoy looking around! and when you've bought, join the camping and caravanning club, you get a site book, maps etc. covering all gb with all the facilities available, just handy to have!

divamummy · 04/09/2006 19:13

oooohh, i love caravan
orinoco, you are good persuader, you will do good salesman wqe will def buy one later, in couple years.

Orinoco · 04/09/2006 19:16

Message withdrawn

curlew · 04/09/2006 19:43

GeorginaA - ours is a Mazda Bongo - they are fab- as easy to drive as a car and surprisingly cheap. I can go on about them for ages - but I won't unless you want me to!

curlew · 04/09/2006 19:43

Sorry - my message was for Monkey!

GeorginaA · 04/09/2006 20:02

Lol ... I'm a folding camper junkie - you won't convert me to your Bongo

WideWebWitch · 04/09/2006 20:06

I don't do camping but if I did it would be in one of these. Did anyone see the article about the couple and child who went off around the States for a year in a massive RV, it sounded fab. Might have been in She magazine I think.

Orinoco · 04/09/2006 20:22

Message withdrawn

sleepysooz · 04/09/2006 21:25

orinoco - we have bought our last two from lowdhams at gunthorpe bridge

MrsMuddle · 04/09/2006 21:48

WWW, your post made me laugh. I watched a Robin Williams movie with my DSs last night, called...RV! About a family travelling round the States in one of those. I'm not a movie person, but it was quite funny.

curlew · 04/09/2006 22:41

Georgina - we've got a folding job too. On long trips we use the Bongo for one night stops, then put up the tent when we get there. It's also brilliant not to have to pitch the tent for one night at the beach or if the weather's bad. Once you have a Bongo you don't know how you lived without!

Bladee · 04/09/2006 23:03

dh away in USA - dd (7yrs) and I put up the awning together.....

She is a star

GeorginaA · 05/09/2006 08:30

curlew - ours only takes 10 minutes to pitch

BROWNY · 06/09/2006 14:59

Hi Curlew, we've got a Mazda Bongo too! Have you heard of the Bongo Fury website, details here:

www.bongofury.co.uk

Have you been to any of the meet-ups? We've been two years running to a meet-up in Stourport, Worcestershire - can you believe that there were 195 bongos there?!!!

Can you tell that I love our Bongo too!

curlew · 06/09/2006 19:11

Hi Browny! Great to meet another bongo person! We absolutely love ours - it's the perfect car for our lives. We've had picked up lots of tips from Bongo forum but we've not been to a meet up yet. We keep thinking about it but not actually doing anything about it.
What colour's yours?

BROWNY · 06/09/2006 20:03

We've got a green one , what colour's yours?

We're in Merseyside, where are you?

The Bongo meet-up in Stourport was brilliant, it was held around Father's Day, my children bought my dh a Bongo Mug . My dh takes our eldest three children off for little breaks away, leaving me and my ds, whose only 2 at home (giving me a break ). The children love it and argue about whose turn it is to sleep up in the roof! It's brilliant for karting the bikes to the park too.

curlew · 07/09/2006 05:36

Dark blue - and we live in Kent. I don't know what it is about Bongos -ours is certainly a member of the family!

BROWNY · 07/09/2006 14:36

Ours is definately a member of our family, my ds2, whose only 2, shrieks in delight when he sees my dh parking outside and shouts, "bongo home" {grin].

Original poster
monkey · 07/09/2006 16:58

hi everyone, wow, can't believe after a slow start so many people have answered. So much food for thought!!!!!!!

re caravan, I sorta chose which sorta thing I'd like, but just today had chat with my neighbour who has a caravan & she put me off. She reckons it takes her about half a day to set up etc & another half a day at least to pack up.. Is this right??? I don't mind personally, but I know dh would not be amused. She really laboured all the work, cleaning the caravan etc. I still can't get my head past towing. Did look into the courses, but you have to have your own vehical with tow bar, extended mirrors etc, which we don't have &/ would only get obviously if get caravan.

Getting more put off tbh.

was erring towards tent, but rainy days, cold weather & no privacy seem big drawback........ Also, what do you do with all your stuff in a tent - no cupboards or drawers. What do you do?????

The bongos look so cool. DUnno if we'de get it in our garage, but seem like brilliant idea. Can you only get them 2nd hand? Where? Are they reliable? Must say, seem like exciting alterenative. Do they have heating ie could you do a spring/autumn camping holiday? Would you get 2 adults & 3 kids? Are they a palarva to set up/get beds out? This might be a solution..... Quite excited. but what do you do on rainy days. caravan was a bit cramped....

tell me more please. still on caravans if anymore thoughts, not given up yet, convince me on the merrits of tents & bongos

I do like my little projects

OP posts:
GeorginaA · 07/09/2006 18:19

What about a motorhome? Or, yes, a bongo type thing. No towing involved then.

Setting up and packing - don't believe that, unless she's got a terribly complicated awning. Basically you arrive at the site, find your pitch, level, plug wastemaster in and fill aquaroll. Probably faff a bit rearranging stuff if you've loaded for stability. Put up awning if required (which yes, can be fiddly, but there's easier brands apparently).

Okay, we tend to allow half a day. But that's not half a day of hard back breaking labour. That's not getting stressed and taking things slow

Cleaning. Okay, probably more than in our folding camper, but it's not a huge amount. We clean once we get home - just run round with a duster, clean the cooker bit and hoover out. Obviously with a caravan you'll have a toilet/bathroom to quickly clean but if you make it routine when you get home it won't take that long and then you're already to go next time you have the whim.

Plus you tend to store a lot of stuff permanently in there - so you're not packing up all your utensils every time, they're already in there ready to go.

Go for a second hand one if you're not sure so if you hate it you can resell on without losing too much money (obviously, buying brand new, like cars, the first couple of years the value will plummet).