Camper van

[ditavonteesed]

So total novice here, we have decided we are going to get a camper van next year and I have no idea where to start.
Looking around I think we probably want a t5 with a pop top.
There is me and dh, 2 teenage girls (who will sleep in a tent) and 3 dogs.
So what do I need to know? Anything, good, bad and the ugly.

Budget around 15-20k ideally. Is that even doable, the prices seem to range so massively when I have looked.

They hold their money really well, so if you want to stick in budget you may need to consider one with higher mileage or one that's needs a bit of TLC.

In our experience:

• A long wheel base is worth the extra money vs a short wheel base. The extra length doesn't make driving or parking any more difficult, but the extra room inside comes in handy. Especially with 2 teenagers and 3 dogs with you i'd think! There was just me, my husband and 2 small dogs with our LWB and that was squeeze enough (taking into account luggage too)

• If you can get one with diesel heating within budget, i'd recommend it. It makes staying in them much nicer when it's cold out! Failing that, an electric blanket is lovely.

• Ones with USB sockets are brilliant.

• Thermal blinds work well and are worth the money (~£40 from amazon) for the additional warmth/cooling qualities but also for the privacy when parked up anywhere.

• Captain seats rather than fixed seating in the front would always be a must for us if we got another. It means you can all sit and face one another when you're parked up and stationary. They're more social and more convenient in a lot of ways.

• If you don't NEED the pop top for sleeping space, have a good old think about whether that's really a must for you. That little bit of extra height means you wont get into a lot of car parks or drive throughs that have the height restrictor barriers on them. This can be an absolute pain in the backside. Especially if you go anywhere touristy or where the only places to park are height restricted carparks or multistory car parks (rather than on road parking). Ultimately, it's why we sold ours as height restricted parking was a constant annoyance. I'd not get a pop top one again for that reason.

• Specialist motorhome or camper insurance is pretty reasonable and covers you fairly in the event of an accident or needing to claim. Some normal car/motor insurers only cover the base cost of the van and not the conversion. Which is rubbish as the vehicle is obviously worth much more as a camper. Safeguard is who we were with and we'd recommend them.

Looking back, we loved the look, feel and drive of a transporter, but you can get more in terms of comfort and facilities for less money in other vehicles. Caravans and motorhomes will have the benefit of a loo on board and shower for example. This gives even a slither of privacy vs a transporter, which has none. This is probably OK if you're planning on always staying on campsites, but if not, consider that there's no loo or anywhere to wash and freshen up and no privacy.

Hire first

Campers are so diverse, with so many possible compromises , hire will let you work out what's important for you and how you want to use it

We have a Renault Trafic Camoer conversion. Its a long wheelbase and as PP says above it really does make a difference in terms of space inside. We can sleep 4 but have never used the roofspace to sleep in, we have 2 in the van, one in the awning and teenager in his own pup tent which he much prefers.

Toilet is great for overnight/emergency wees but as it is in the main living area we never use it for number 2s! Always use campsite toilets and showers.

I love the pop top because it is so handy when you want to stand up to cook, get dressed, just generally have a bit more space when we're all in there on a rainy day.

We always use an awning for anything more than a couple of nights, we put a kitchen storage unit in there for the food and table and chairs for extra seating. We also keep clothes in the sleeping compartment of the awning, we all have our own bags, each person's bag contains smaller zip mesh bags with labels eg DS pants, DS socks. Sounds really anal but makes such a difference when you're trying ti grab clean clothes.

Other things I really love are the blackout curtains and cab cover, keeps the van really dark and cosy. A double fitted sheet over the bed at nighttime so you're not lying directly on the seating fabric.

If you can afford it I would recommend getting a solar panel fitted on the roof, we can now generate enough power to go off grid for a few nights which is fab.

Oh I really want to go away again now! Happy choosing and happy camping

I would also add, we definitely got more for our money buying a Renault conversion rather than a VW, you are paying for the name with VW when in fact our Renault has everything a VW has except the badge!

Why are you looking at a VW in particular? They're cute but we are forever seeing the older ones broken down on the way into festivals etc.

We've got an old fiat Ducato motorhome, she's old and humongous (just shy of 7m long) but easy enough to drive and suited us as we go to a lot of festivals and a hot shower and my own loo was the most important criteria! She's got a fixed double bed, a double over the cab and the dining area turns into another small double. We're thinking of downsizing soon though as our dd is older and doesn't want to go camping as much and is happier in a tent with our dog. Our van insurance is under £200 for the year with a company called Adrian Flux, who do specialist insurance.
Parking is a nightmare, especially in touristy places.
We really enjoy ours and during the summer keep her fully stocked and ready to go so we can nip off for the weekend on a whim.

Watching with interest - any tips on where to buy one?

We have an unusual camper, its a Japanese import. Toyota Alphard. Check out Northstar conversions on the Isle of Wight for ideas. Luxurious to drive, spacious, can have pop roof, choice of engines. Just don't expect miracles on fuel economy!

Also considering this but then I've read that the whole experience is pretty costly. I'm torn!

I think the main reason I'm thinking cow is because the old old t2 is the dream but I think your right with other brands offering more for the money. I say I only just started looking properly and there seems so much range.
The other issue is we live on a terraced street with no off road parking. I am looking into a caravan storage place nearby but it is quite expensive and has a waiting list of about 2 years I think.
I think dd2 would sleep with the big dog (Dalmatian) in her tent and I'm not sure dd1 would actually come very often but we do need to have the belted seat for her in case.
I like the idea of renting to try it out as it is a lot of money.
Do they end up being complete money pits? Not that I mind a reasonable amount of spend out.

"We live on a terraced street with no off road parking"

This would be the main issue for me. I would definitely be sorting out parking without a 2 year waiting list before even considering buying one!

@EddieVeddersfoxymop - a Toyota Alphard is our number one choice at the moment, although we're hoping to get a hybrid one. Plans curtailed somewhat at the moment as not able to go view any.

OP - i'm not an owner yet, but from the research I've done a T5 will be too small for 2 adults plus teenagers. I also wouldn't consider it with no offstreet parking

@WaffleCash, we love ours! Fabulous cars. We did a 1200 mile round trip to view, buy and drive home our one! Bonkers but worth it.

Definitely hire one first to see if it works for your family. Wish we had! We brought one from new a few years ago, 5 berth. It was quite large, and tall, found it awkward as fine on the road,but not so easy if you wanted to go into town etc. This is the reason you see motor homes with a small car being towed. You really need one or bikes on a bike rack. Booking pitches was also an issue, they are booked up so far in advance etc, and you need the hook up etc. We sold ours after a year, didn’t lose much money as they tend to hold value.

They are money pits and a lifestyle choice definitely not a cheap holiday option. The freedom is lovely and we loved rolling about the country and stopping for cups of tea etc. We got rid as it got too small for us and our 1 child. We sold ours for the same money we bought it for and got a ginormous tent instead. So things to consider are
If it's an older vehicle the mot and bodywork will cost hundreds every year.
A transporter will not be big enough for all of you to sit in comfortably on a wet day.
Every time you want to go on a day trip from your campsite you need to pack up the van securely, untie the awning etc. So get a bike rack and get fit!

Just coming back to address a few issues mentioned above. Ours is big enough for 4 to sit in on a wet day, plus we have the awning for more space. As I say, the long wheel base makes a big difference. It was new so probably more than you want to spend but has not needed anything doing to it apart from the £400 we spent putting the solar panel on the roof. Parking is fine in a normal parking space although I like to have a bit of room around me, DH drives it more and so is better at getting it into tight spots. Car parks are fine if the barrier is 2metres, but sometimes they are set at 1.8m which we wouldn't attempt. I have actually been driving it as my main vehicle for the last couple of weeks as we are inbetween cars right now, its been fine, I do have to think a bit more about where it will fit but it's surprisingly easy to drive and manoeuvre. You don't need a hook up if you have a solar panel and are going for a few nights, but it is handy if staying for a longer period.

Interestingly I have been looking ont he roads around me and there are lots of that size vans parked up so I think it would be ok to park on our road.

Are much googling over the last few days I'm wondering if it's cheaper to buy a van and get it converted. I could stretch to about £25 at a push.

We would get a tent as well for dc to sleep in and to leave stuff if we wanted to go out and about but the plan is more for walking/adventures than visiting places if that makes sense.

It was always the plan for when the dc leave home but a fe things have happened that make me not want to put of having adventures.

Just coming on to say, they really hold the price
My son has just sold his and sold to a dealership as he was happy with the price
Bought it in 2015 (14 reg but newly converted) and paid £30,000
Just sold it for £26, 500 and it is up at the dealership for £32,000

Consider a drive-away awning so that if you're staying somewhere for a few days you can leave stuff in that and not have to pack everything away each time. Also extra space to sit or could be used for the teens to sleep in instead of a tent. Sometimes you might have to pay extra for a "pup" tent on sites.

Storage - we had a T25 and they are ingenious for storage but we filled it with stuff for two adults so I'm not sure I'd want to try and squeeze in the paraphernalia associated with two teens as well. We sold ours once we had two DC due to lack of space although it should be better if the teens are sleeping elsewhere.

I would definitely get a pop-top. It is so much better to be able to stand up properly when you are cooking etc. We had a hi-top. I preferred the space but it did limit you for some car park entry. VWs have room inside for all of you to sit on a rainy day but I wouldn't want to have to spend too much time like that.

If you have to pay for storage fees on top of maintenance and fuel costs it definitely won't be a "cheap" way of holidaying but it will give you freedom. You could maybe see if anyone local to you has driveway/garage space that they might be willing to rent to you.

And I agree they hold their price. We sold ours for more than we paid for it!

I can say the single most irritating thing about looking for campervans is so many sites have a stock list and almost everything is listed as sold - I don't want to look at anything that's not available! Why do they all do this?

@waffleCash I've joined a couple of groups on Facebook and people are being advised to wait a while to look for vans as the prices they are going for at the moment are too high as the demand is high due to people not being able to go abroad.
Dd1 is coming round to the idea now, I think we would try and just go local a few times to make sure we know what we are doing before we attempt any proper adventures.

Will defiantly ft a drive away awning now I've looked at them compared with tents.

Can't quite work out the logistics of transporting the dogs as they have to be secured legally.
I am so excited.

We actually had one booked for the early May bank holiday so we could see how we found it, check what features we needed/didn't need so of course that got cancelled. Now booking something seems just about impossible this year so it's difficult to decide what to do.

I haven't seen any change in prices so far, but we're looking at spending a bit more and would have thought the economic situation means there might not be so many people looking at spending quite so much (the specific van and features we want are likely to be around 30k)

Just to add to something said above, the heights must vary on the Transporters as ours was 2m 10 with the pop top roof, which made getting into pretty much all car parks or multi storeys impossible. That was the frustrating thing with ours. Something worth checking.

To add to the discussion on heights, my Toyota Alphard without a pop roof is 198cm tall. Most multi story carparks around us are 200cm. I've never risked it!!!!!! Pop roof adds on a fair few cm. We did think about putting in a pop roof to ours but are glad we didn't- a few friends have filled us with horror stories of leaks, wind noise and mould........