Tell me about caravans- and by folding caravans!

[Twoshoesnewshoes]

I am hankering after a campervan, however my budget is around £50…
I am not familiar with caravans or caravan holidays but I’m wondering if it would be a compromise? I’d like to go for overnights or weekends, probably within a couple of hours of home.
is or a nightmare? Is towing really difficult? Or is it okay? We have a big car which can tow.
and I’ve seen some vintage folding caravans which look fab! Any experience?

Micro camper is basically a large car that can become a camper

We had one of those years ago. An Austin Maxi. It was a medium sized car where all the seats folded flat to form a double bed. I made an awning for it that went over the rear hatch.

Look at Gobur folding caravans too - I'm hankering after one!

Ha! We never mastered that.

I really liked the look of the Isabella Camp-let when I went to the camping and caravan show a few years back. The guy did me a demo and I would have been able to do it myself. Proper camping but with a bit more space and seemed good value for money too.

Ha! We never mastered that.

The bigger the trailer, the easier it is.

Ha! We never mastered that.

Out of interest, how did you avoid it?

You'd be better off buying a tent!

It's possible to push and pull a folding camper into place. Some people get motor movers.

It's possible to push and pull a folding camper into place. Some people get motor movers.

I was thinking more along the journey. Every trip we do seems to involve at least one three point turn somewhere. Sometimes just to get to the right pump at a petrol station.

We just avoided that situation. Filled up the car without the trailer.

As a total novice who’s unsure exactly what they want it could be worthwhile hiring a camper for the weekend.

A caravan, folding caravan or trailer tent all
come with the towing issues of needing spacial awareness and have various levels of setting up:
For a caravan you position it, level it and then connect water & gas - and light the gas fridge
Try to avoid the error of trying to get it level using the legs - the legs are only to steady the corners so you don’t tip over. Caravans need to be leveled as required by propping up the tyre on a ramp on one side and adjusting the height of the front jockey wheel.
It needs to be generally level for gas fridges to work and to allow showers to drain (you may find that a shower wants to be tipped slightly or you need to mop water into the corner to drain

Folding caravans and trailer tents have to be assembled before you then get to leveling

Camper vans park up, and do the leveling if required (but unless you’re staying put then you’re vehicle is your home

Of course the specific set up and how you use it will dictate how you set up beds, seating etc and whether or not you’re building beds and packing them away on a daily basis

Work out what bed needs you have. A compact system has less space. If nobody is tall then you can sleep across the width but tall people will need a bigger bed or will want to sleep along the length

I spent one night mostly across the width of a Bongo, curled up in a tangled mess as a group when everyone crashed out instead of dispersing. Gradually through the night people slipped out to their own beds for comfort until we noticed that there were only two of us remaining curled up across the width with plenty of space to turn lengthwise - and then became comfortable

I would recommend going to a few caravan and motorhome shows then you can look inside all the various vehicles and styles and make a list of the features that are important to you.

Thank you, really helpful. I think we do need a campervan- for me I just want to be able to fairly spontaneously nip down to some of the beautiful beaches and places within an hour of us. The spontaneity is part of the appeal I guess.
my partner is 6’4” so I’ll look carefully at beds.
going to a campervan seller today!

realistically, if I have the campervan as my second car, I have maybe £8000, so something quite old. I don’t usually like having old vehicles- oh well, what’s the worst that can happen?

What we always found is that different holidays sort of fit different vehicles so its a big compromise. We went to the shows and ended up wanting them all for different reasons! Maybe we are just indecisive.

For £8000, a campervan, you'll be likely buying a metal heap. Potentially a money pit if you aren't mechanics yourselves.

Then the pitch night costs have also increased a lot in recent years.

Why not try camping with a pre erected site owned yurt first? Whilst not cheap, if it's outside of school.holidays or a late booking it might be a bit cheaper than the height of the season.

You mention nipping to local beaches etc. Here, on the cornish coast, you can't park campervans overnight so have to leave the beach side car park and decamp home or to a paid for site for the night.

Tbh on that budget I'd go with the folding camper idea. That amount will only buy a camper van that is likely to need loads of work. There's less to go wrong with the folding camper and if it does at least you would still.have a vehicle although you would need to factor in the cost of fitting a tow bar.

I second the point about having to book a campsite when you go anywhere. Wild camping is illegal in England and (I think) Wales although people do get away with it. Personally I wouldn't fancy sleeping in a lay by. We usually go away mid week and don't usually have trouble booking but, if you want nice showers and toilets, it costs. There are campsites available that are more basic (take your own porta potti in a tent) and cheaper.

I’d factored in campsites. I really really don’t like camping (in tents). I have back problems and can never get comfy, and I don’t sleep well.

We found the best compromise for us was a folding camper. It gives you the proper beds, carpets, heating, fridge, and cooking facilities of a caravan without having to store and tow a huge box. However, it can’t compete with the ease of setup and take down that a caravan gives you. Ours doesn’t have a loo inside either, although some do.

Thank you @Polis i will investigate!
We went and had a look at some campervans this afternoon. DH actually rather taken and and now thinks we could maybe get a loan, as they keep their value so well.

We have a folding camper, Pennine Pathfinder. It has toilet, heater, hob, oven and sink in the main cabin with two double beds and a seating area. It's quick to set up without the awning so you could go without that for a weekend away.

I have a folding caravan - a 4-berth Rapido from the 1980s. Before that we had a VW campervan.

We got the caravan because the Campervan wasn't really big enough with 2 kids and 2 adults. We enjoyed tent camping but got fed up of noisy neighbours. We couldn't afford a traditional caravan and storage fees but the folding one only cost us £1000 and we can store it on the driveway. It is much easier to tow than a traditional caravan. Mini it's quite spacious and comfy. It doesn't have a toilet so we take a portable one. We have had it for a few years, the DC love it but we really only use it now for going to France in the summer.

If you want weekends and short breaks, our type of caravan isn't really suitable. Although it only takes a few minutes to actually put the structure together, you have to spend ages levelling it first, then putting up all the shelving, cupboards etc inside. When the DC don't want to come with us any more, we plan to get another campervan as they are much easier for going on spontaneous trips.

We have a bongo. It's amazing and so much cheaper than a VW or equivalent.

Tent lover here. You say you can't get comfy - have you tried a high air bed? I find mine more comfy than my bed at home! Something like the below - having a 'normal height' bed makes it a far more civilised experience. Available on Amazon etc as well, obvs.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/391466581699?hash=item5b2539fec3:g:o-EAAOSwBdZkuSGF

PS Yes, you normally inflate it from an electricity supply. But if you have a rechargeable electric pump, it takes less than 3 mins to inflate without access to mains electricity.

I don't know how soon you are looking to buy one but we went to the Caravan, Camping and Motorhome show at Birmingham's NEC to get a feel for what was out there. We felt it was far better to see these things in reality than online although youtube is a great starting point for reviews for these things. Next one there is February 2024.

@Lamplightatdusk I did that too - unfortunately came away with a longing for a Go-Pod caravan that I just can't afford but was SO lovely that I no longer want to take my 2002 folding camper anywhere