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Camping

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

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Original poster

Should we get a caravan or motor home

14 replies

Salene · 22/03/2016 11:58

We are unsure if we should buy a caravan or motor home we have never been on holiday in either.

2 adults, a toddler and baby on the way thinking ahead for future holidays which would be more suitable

We will go to Europe too not just in UK

Anyone with small kids able to give us any pros and cons..?

Thanks a lot

OP posts:

RomComPhooey · 22/03/2016 12:04

Why not rent a motorhome in the UK for a week's holiday & see how you getonbefore dropping a ton of money on such a big purchase? You might find you hate it in practice.

Original poster

Salene · 22/03/2016 12:25

Prior to kids we used our holidays were always touring on our motorbikes so we know that's the kind of holidays we enjoy , we just swapping the bikes for a caravan / motor home to accommodate the kids

We like the freedom of going where we want when we want

OP posts:

RakeMeHomeCountryToads · 22/03/2016 12:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

timelytess · 22/03/2016 12:30

Motorhome. But hire one first, see if you like it.

Original poster

Salene · 22/03/2016 12:43

Budget would be around £15,000 but we could go up if we needed to

OP posts:

Nodney · 22/03/2016 12:53

We have a caravan (I have 3 DS 8, 4 and 2) and we tour all over Europe in it. I'd love a motor home one day because I like the idea that when you have a day out you have all your facilities with you. When we are away, we don't change places every day, we stay for about a week before moving on. However, one thing I've noticed is that most people who have a motorhome have some sort of secondary transport with them in the form of bikes/motor bikes/a tiny car towed behind. This is so you don't have to cart the entire motorhome out everytime you want to go to the supermarket etc. I've also seen some occasions where the motorhome has been taken out for a trip and when returned the pitch has been taken by another camper.

Having said that, I'm going to get one in the future! Good luck with your choice OP, either way, you'll have some great times!

DottyBee · 22/03/2016 13:14

I would definitely try before you buy, as it is a big expense.
As previous posters said a motor home can be quite restrictive for getting about, so a small car that can be towed on the back is a good idea. Alternatively one of you drive the motor home, the other drives a car.
With a caravan, you will need to be sure that you have a car suitable for towing it.

We have a static caravan, in a beautiful part of the country where there is lots to do. We love it with young DS.

DH and I will get a motor home when we retire though.

Original poster

Salene · 22/03/2016 14:25

Volvo V70 is car

I'm thinking with kids the caravan is looking better option and of course a lot cheaper so that's a boost too.

We not keen on idea of constantly packing up everything to go out for day or idea of having to get a small car to tow

I think for our needs now a caravan will be better with the kids

OP posts:

FishOn · 22/03/2016 14:27

We've done both and yes, one massive downside of a motorhome is if you have to nip to the shops you have to pack it all up. V annoying.

jimijack · 22/03/2016 14:36

We have a caravan and 2 kids, toddler and nearly teenager.

We love it.
We bought a very cheap basic first caravan to try out. Kept it for a couple of years, then a year ago we traded it for a bigger more luxury model.
(Fixed bed, microwave, full oven & very good shower, good tv with DVD player for wet weather, snuggly evenings...c beebies).
We go all over the country, thinking of Europe next year.

It's truly home from home, a great base for getting out about and doing things.

What we love is chucking food in the fridge, clothes in the wardrobe and just going.
Mountains of Wales one week, lake district the next, and London if we fancy mootching around museums.

The draw back of the motor home seems to be the packing everything up each time you need to go any where. It's a pain if you have an awning.....which with toddlers/baby it's essential to park the pram/coats/paddling pool in summer

It's a caravan vote from me.

loubielou31 · 22/03/2016 16:52

We have had a campervan for years (more basic than a motorhome I know) We bought a caravan last year and I love it. The hassle of having to put the beds away properly every day, put the car seats in and out of the cab for driving, attaching and detaching the awning (and mainly the lack of a loo which I know a motor home will have) just got too much. I love the space and comfort of my caravan.
If you are going on the touring type holidays, with a different site every night/ two nights in one place at most then a motorhome is best. Our children are small and we tend to go for a week or two somewhere near a beach and exploring one area so the caravan suits us much better. We also go for weekends away but that tends to be not too long a drive from home.
My parent have a motorhome because my Dad really had had enough of towing but I think secretly they miss the space of a caravan and actually having to drive a very large vehicle everywhere whilst on holiday and find somewhere to park it is just an extra headache.
You can tow a small car behind your motorhome but then you're back to the headache of towing something.
£15,000 will buy you a very nice caravan (ours is a bailey pursuit 5 birth and it is fab we bought it new and paid about that much) it will not buy a very nice motorhome. The costs are much much higher.

Original poster

Salene · 22/03/2016 20:55

I think our minds are now set on a caravan it sounds the best option for us including costs etc.

Thanks

OP posts:

loubielou31 · 26/03/2016 10:58

Yay, you'll love it!!!!! And caravan shopping is as much fun as caravan holidaying.

millimat · 28/03/2016 22:22

Caravan. We live it & I was also going to mention how I couldn't be doing with packing up to go to the shops! DS leaves all his Lego out so he can carry on playing once back.
Where in the UK are you - there's some great showrooms but a caravan show would be better to see all the different layouts.

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