Opus folding camper or caravan?

[MrsBobDylan]

We have just sold our micro caravan and want a 6 berth that is light enough to be pulled by a Vauxhall Zafira.

I like the Adria Altea Servern which is (just!) light enough to come with towing limits.

However, I have just come across the Opus folding camper, which is as impressive as it is expensive

Does anyone own one of these? They look really easy to put up and I was hoping to take the kids away this summer without dh as I won't be working for the first time and want to make the most of it.

I wouldn't feel totally comfortable towing a large caravan without dh - I have a fear of making a wrong turn and getting completely jammed in a small country road!!

A trailer appeals much more for this reason and it will be lighter so won't cost as much in petrol.

What do you guys think?

Also have a look at Conway, Pennine and Dandy Folding campers.

I saw the Opus a couple of years ago at the Caravan and camping show. You're right about the expense! . Do they keep their value at all?

Would doing a towing course make you feel better about towing a caravan?

We used to have an opus but sold it last year. It was very comfortable and warm and had just about everything DH and I needed but it would be a bit tight sleeping 6. You'd have to make up a bed where the table sits during the day it's roomy enough for four though and the sleeping pods at either end can be zipped up. There is a box to keep a loo in, we only used it for night time wees, there's not much privacy. I would have found it difficult to put up on my own but we got it down to a fine art between us. The main problem for us was that we didn't have our own drive to park it on and kept it in storage. With the top part being canvas, if you pack it away wet you have to open it up to dry as soon as you can. We couldn't easily do that so it put us off going away if the weather was at all iffy.

Sorry, didn't see the replies. I think we have decided to go for the folding camper - the Opus full monty package comes with an awning with two bedroom pods which would be great and I have found a second hand one for private sale.

However! My head has been turned by the Opus air which puts itself up at the press of a button! It comes at an eye watering cost but my middle son has ASD and likes to get into his accommodation as soon as the steadies are down or else he gets very agitated, so 90 seconds would be great for him.

We are currently moving to a cheaper house to cut cut our mortgage in half. Both dh and I have agreed we would rather have a camper which gave us great holidays than a fancy bathroom/kitchen. I think we may use money from our renovation budget to stretch to the air opus.

The Air Opus is easier to put up but packing it away is actually the trickier part and I don't know if it is any easier to do that - maybe not having rigid poles does make it easier. I doesn't take much more than 15 minutes to put the poled Opus up to the extent that your DS could get in the bed pod - setting up the cabinets, water, electricity etc. takes a bit longer.

Whatever you get I hope you have many happy travels.