No more tents for us...stepping up to campervan, caravan or motorhome?

[Sunflowermoonbeam]

So my husband and I have camped for years, absolutely loved it and found it easy. Had a few years off after our first and only child and jumped back in this weekend with our 4 year old. To sum it up it was a DISASTER!

Pouring rain putting up the tent, pouring rain putting down the tent, dreadful snorer in next tent kept me awake all night and poorly child who then got stung by wasps! Obvs the last two are unrelated to camping but everything feels harder in a tent, in the rain!

So we've driven home agreeing tents are just not for us anymore and that it is time to step up to some other version of camping but we are not sure what to choose. Has anyone done this and what did you go for?

There are obviously loads of options and we have a medium budget.

A newish VW Campervan feels fun and can be used for day trips plus awe could use it as a main vehicle but again space is limited.

Caravans/motorhomes mean we would have to find storage but the space and ease inside would be a luxury! We rented a motorhome once to go to France and it was incredible.

Anyone made the leap? What did you choose and was it the right decision?

Insurance was £260 for a year

We looked into it and decided against. Bought a trailer and a better tent instead.
DD is now a teen and we're still in tents. Got a blow up job a couple of years ago and good mats.

I remember having the same conversation with my husband when camping in France. It had taken us 3 hours in the baking heat to put the tent up and all the other bits and a Dutch couple with the caravan arrived, set up and were drinking wine in 30 mins. We bought a caravan when we got back!
We use it approx 1-2 per month for a weekend depending on commitments and then usually have a couple of long weekends / a week. We love it, especially when the weather is wet and horrid and we're all cozy inside.

We've been having the campervan conversation for years. Cost wise it just doesn't add up, but I still really want one just struggling to justify it even though we can afford it. Wish I was a bit less sensible sometimes.

And we go back and forth on what size we should get, it's just two of us plus two dogs and bigger obviously means more space but smaller means more suitable to day trips and being able to do long walks and get back to the van and have a brew.

I've done similar calculations to @SummerCycling322 but what's slightly tipping the balance in the campervan favour is not having the hassle of finding dog friendly accommodation.

We've had a camper, caravan and motorhome. The best option for us and our 5 year old is a motorhome. Campers are too small even with a pop up roof and awning (and you have to dry the awning out if it's raining when you go home). Caravans are a pain to lug about (but handy to be able to go for days out when pitched). Motorhome is easier to drive and you get more space over a camper, plus hot water, oven, decent sized fridge etc.

Another option is a Transporter day van that can tow a caravan. That way if you want to go out for the day you can, but you also have a base to come back to if you go to the beach. You could go back for lunch, to get changed, make a drink, use your own toilet etc. but have the space of a caravan as your living space.

We have a dog too 🤣which is why I was revisiting the campervan option again. But interestingly I think we’d be happier with a motor home but only once we don’t need two cars everyday. So only a 4yr wait to finish school run…

We’re having ‘the motorhome’ discussion at the moment. By chance, at the weekend we saw a motorhome sales centre and we stopped and had a look. It was superb, and had everything from VW campers, to huge motor homes (in Dorset). What we got most from the visit was being able to see the different layouts - ones with beds, seats convert to beds, back windows, etc. it’s definitely worth visiting a few showrooms to suss things out.

I’d hire a campervan then a motorhome for a weekend to see how you get on.

My dream was always a campervan but the weekend was a disaster. Just not enough room for a family of four. Great when it’s sunny but hideous when it rained as there just wasn’t enough room in it. The motorhome was better but finding parking for days out wasn’t straightforward and I hated having to pack everything away to go out.

I wanted a folding camper (and still do) but DH preferred a caravan and as we had a suitable car already we bought an old one to see how we got on. 12 years later we’re still touring with the van but thinking about the next step which will probably be a smaller, lighter van or a folding camper so we can continue touring with a lighter car or a self converted day van

We go to festivals with our caravan and I love being able to come back and shower before getting into a massive comfortable bed.

Definitely follow this up.
See as many different layouts and sizes as you can as there is nothing worse than "thinking" you can live with a layout when the reality is that it doesn't work (for you) at all.

After years of making down beds we went with a fixed french bed layout in our last van....... total disaster!
The cut off on the corner effectively reduced the size of the bed considerably and during the day it was just used as a dumping ground (Ddog loved laying on it to look out of the window though!).
Our new van is a tad longer (7.5m) but has a U-lounge at the rear (which makes down into a double), a central lounge/diner (which also makes down although we will never be doing so) and OH is in the double above the cab. The fact we have two beds while still retaining the kitchen/diner works for us as whoever is up first can make a drink, breakfast, feed Ddogs etc while the other is still sending up the zzzzz's.

Fully agree with this.

If you haven't been away in a van before then you don't know what will and won't work for you so hire one (or two, or three) and put them to the test.
We are seasoned caravaners and MH'ers but still made a mistake with out last van (see previous post about french bed) but have now rectified this with a more traditional layout that gives us all the space we need to relax.
I think many people think a fixed bed will make it easier at bedtime but (in our experience at least) it just saves you a few minutes while significantly reducing your daytime living space.

After a home, your MH will probably be the biggest purchase of your life so you want to get it right. If you do not enjoy being in the van you will not want to go away and before you know it the van is sitting on the driveway, unused while tying up a large chunk of money.

I agree.
we’ve just bought a T5 with pop top, love it!
but we went and sat in lots of vans to get an idea. We thought we wanted a rear kitchen but on sitting in lots we preferred a side kitchen.
we also realised the swivel passenger seat and pop top were deal breakers for us.

Can anyone recommend campervanhire places, struggling to find places that have the size of van we're looking at

@DailyDriver Whereabouts are you?

East Midlands, but happy to drive somewhere for a suitable rental as long as we could leave our car there.

These have a good reputation round our way

And lots of lovely places to take it to round here!

We are looking at using a place based in Bristol to hire one and then heading to Somerset to try it out for a few nights

Make sure you pay attention at the handover when the dealer explains how everything works, with their permission video it as that way you can review it later.

Old hands here but are members of several MH forums/groups and the (really) basic questions that get asked on a daily basis would make you shudder.
With constant access to the internet it seems that people are now getting a van, going away and asking questions as they arise which may seem like fun to some but waiting for people to respond before you can fill or boil the kettle, put the TV on, operate the lights etc does not seem like fun to me!

Likewise with sites. People have become so fascinated with "wild camping" that they wait until they are on the road and then post asking for places to stay that night! Us, we book (lovely) sites well in advance so nothing is left to chance.

I have done a lot of wild camping in my time. Sleeping in a motor caravan next to a public road in the UK doesn’t really fit the definition.

Some of the horror stories on the NC500 Facebook page make me cringe.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/595039354532848/?locale=en_GB

My friend's definition of 'wild camping' is going to a site without EHU (in their fully kitted out motorhome). 🤣

Thank you good suggestion. We had a Mazda Bongo in the past so hopefully we are a bit more clued up than most. Plus having no toilet we WON'T be wildcamping!

You need one of these https://www.go-pod.com/

Everyone I know that invested used it a for few years then quietly sold them when kids became teens. Teens and young adults do not like bunking up with mum and dad at such close quarters and vote with their feet…

Motorhomes are amazing, if you can find some secure storage but my friend has a VW camper and they attach a tent on the side for extra room when going away x