To Motorhome or not ?

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we all manage with sen compromises....the biggest one for any caravanner will always be thr one related to being without a car...

there will be many comments from MHers suggesting that this really isn't an issue (otherwise we wouldnt do it.....) but its bound to be a bit of a leap of faith for anyone changing over....

Same here. We tow an Eriba Caravan which has  is 4.20 metres  x 2.0 metres internal space. I should think a 5.5 metre panel van conversion would have about the same internal space. Is that about right?  

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a great many MHers assume that, as a MH is a 'commercial' vehicle, it can be loaded to fill the available space....not so...

it already has plenty of stuff inside to add weight like cookers, heaters, batteries, furniture, lockers etc, etc......which add considerably to overall weight.

then we, the users, add kit galore like satellite systems, extra batteries, inverters, twin gas bottles, bike racks....

on top of that we then stuff the inside full of clothes, people, water, books, tables, chairs, ramps, water barrels, hoses, ehu cables, tool kit, crockery, pots and pans, food, drink, wine, wine, wine etc, etc....

with no tow car to offset a caravan's negligible payload, everything has to go in the MH, so some thought, and a little measuring is required.

i know there are some who havent a clue as to their all up weight, and many more who couldnt care less and would rather not know, but an overloaded van is not good on so many different fronts.....

take care...

Hi hg, BVM, WTG,

I dont think we are too far off your methods of packing inside the van, but, yes we have a garage for the extras: spare wheel, full size CADAC, 2 Isabella loungers, 2 dir chairs, coffee table, empty aquaroll, G&T, beer, wine and many bits from inside the van to rid the clutter.      We also carry one e-bike in the garage and one on the rack because of their weight.

We do vary our load considerably depending on what trips we are doing.    We are doing three longish trips of 6-8 weeks pa abroad and many 7-10 days in the UK.    In two years with the new van we have done 15,000 miles and a few hundred on the bikes.

For me, I wore a green uniform for 24 years and learned how to travel light, pack sensibly, live out of a rucksack and be mobile.     But now I am retired I like my comfort pack.    Maybe in 3/4 years it might change.

If any of you see me around on camp sites, give me a knock and we can have a drink; we also have glasses for all occasions!

We are off to Beni' on Thursday for six weeks, with all the extras.

BillC

 

Oh! Nearly forgot, for BB, we intend to visit the Wellington weighbridge before we leave!

BillC

....enjoy Spain, Bill....

i know you'll be miles under....

After nearly 20 years of caravanning, we have just put down a deposit on a motorhome, Lunar Roadstar EL.  Our reasoning is that we are recently retired, and instead of 2 or 3 weeks on site (UK and/or France) recharging our batteries, we would like to do more touring - maybe 3 or 4 nights before we move on.  A lot has been said on the forum about size and layout.  We are all different, but we have gone for a 2-berth coachbuilt as it feels comparable to our 2-berth caravan.  The only compromise is the small kitchen in the Lunar.  We think we will buy e-bikes.  Good idea?

The gas locker door will only accommodate a 7kg bottle because of the diameter.  Our bottle is an 11kg re-fillable bottle which we will have to change. You have no idea of the issues to work around until you own a MH (and we don't even own it yet!}.  If you hire one, the hire company will have sorted everything and anything which you haven't even thought of.

It's a leap of faith!  Good luck.

Hi Rockersmoll, I see you bought your MH as it feels comparable to your caravan....however, the EL doesn't have vast storage and you won't have your towcar to just dump all the large awkward stuff...

taking two e-bikes sounds great, we (and many others) have them and love them, however adding a bike rack on the rear will add almost a metre to the length of the van....which will get charged for on ferries etc...

i think you'll find things a lot easier for moving towards the Touring style you mention. When we are on a long journey to (say) Spain or south of France, the journey gives a great opportunity to just 'pop into' a town or village, knowing there will be parking, and no searching for or booking a campsite...

Despite losing the car, as BVM states earlier, you'll not be forever to-ing and fro-ing back to the same spot, rather moving along in smaller steps, never having to return to collect your caravan....when you've found a nice town to visit, You can stay for the day, the night, several nights whatever, without having to return to 'base'....

the base just moves with you, stopping places are plentiful, the pace dictated only by your depth of interest in the place you've stumbled across....

good luck....