Moving from Caravan to Motorhome

each of those who have gone over to the "dark side"smile have felt the need to mention choosing sites to suit the lack of transport the vicinity of towns public transport etc

That would be a problem to me, at least in the UK, David. We generally stop 5 nights and move. If the site we are on has an adjacent village within a mile or so we may well get set up on site and go out for a stroll there if weather is reasonable.

On the remaining 4 days we may call in on the odd town for a few hours but then move on. We may visit several locations in a day spread out over the day and also try and fit in a stroll. In many areas very difficult to achieve by bus.  

the typical 'end washroom' is a popular design that gives the impression of lots of room...a dedicated space for washing and changing.

however, this design compromises one of the big plusses we want in a MH...a rear garage for storing valuable bikes out of sight and weather...

whilst we are happy to spend many days using our van shower (plenty of room and water to support this) a 'palatial' bathroom doesnt take preference over more practical things.....storage is (literally) a big thing when you just have a single vehicle to travel in.

if i wanted a large box to sit on the site and wash in, id have bought a caravan (or a villawink)
as it is, for many MH owners, that single box has to provide more functionality than this, which is where compromise might come in.

we can sit five round our moveable table for dinner, so two seems 'palatial'.

both beds are larger than a std home double, 'palatial'...

how much space does one (or two) need?

re Jays reference back to the OP and their need to tour with a child and dog, Id certainly be thinking more caravan, mainly with regard to off site transport with the car.

our van is 2.12 wide, so one of the 'new breed' of slimmer, lighter vans, with virtually an identical 'footprint' to the long wheebase PVCs.

compare this with the latest Baileys at 2.49 (37cm difference) and you can see how different vehicles can make life easier (or more difficult) to drive, pitch and park.

there are so many elements to making a decision, one mans meat etc...

even hiring may not be the whole answer, as a smaller van might take away some of the anxiety re driving a MH, but might not have the space a caravanner is used to.....

obviously, the reverse is true.....a large spacious MH might seriously compromise the ability to (confidently) take the van off site for trips.

interestingly, both here and abroad, ive seen continental tourers taking even 7 and 8m vans off site with their families to visit places.

their view, perhaps a bit different to ours, is that this is their so.e touring vehicle and so they will use it......resolving any parking issues later...

We have a Bailey Pegasus and as i said size for size we have more space, and they do not take their motor caravan off site(it is their 4th)as they tow a car if they go anywhere on their own ,but when we and others are going together with them  the car tends to stay at home ,but are now seriously considering going back to a caravan ,when on site our caravan tends to be the "community hall"

Well said EasyT.  We hop in the car and go to a town/village and find there isn't a lot there and go on to the next place or 2.  We decide to have a BBQ on a nice day and pop to the  butcher/supermarket for supplies.  We have been on some lovely sites where there is no public transport or towns very near.  We have seen people from the site standing in the pouring rain waiting for a bus.  We have done shopping for people in a motorhome.

My main  fear is if my husband can't drive one day (I don't}.  Then we can always go on a seasonal pitch and use the caravan like a static.  Of course then we will need the public transport etc.I

I can't imagine being in a small motorhome after the space we have in the caravan.  Still as everyone says - horses for courses - and on the continent I could see the point of the motorhome.

Alan

Its 7.5 metres long and 2.4 metres wide, so one of the larger coachbuilts on the market. We probably went for  it because it was similar to our last caravan and despite what JVB suggests I don't think there is any less room in it than the caravan, in fact the extra width is quite noticeable. With a car/caravan combination you do have the car as an additional receptacle  for the storage of things whereas with a motorhome you have to get everything in the one vehicle so a good opportunity to de-clutter and I would accept you have to be more disciplined in deciding what is really necessary on board as you have to be equally mindful of the weight. Experience is a good teacher and any future motorhome is likely to be much smaller.

David

its interesting, this obsession with driving a car everywhere....pop to the paper shop, the butchers, visit the next village etc....drive, drive, drive..how many short car trips (less than 5 mls) are done in a week with a caravan?

no wonder we are all getting larger and less fit as a nation....doesnt anyone (notwithstanding those who are unable) walk or ride a bike?

i can assure you ive never waited at a bus stop in the rain nor asked anyone to do my shopping for me.

having a MH doesnt suddenly mean youre incapable of managing yourself....

when we are touring and move on to visit the next area, if we like it we stay, we dont have to go back to the previous site to collect a caravan 

out and back, day after day, covering the same roads....no thanks.

as we can pull into virtually any continental town and park up, visit and sleep over, i feel this is a far more versatile approach than having to keep returning to the same spot.

still, ive never had a caravan.

yes, they are roomier as they dont have an engine, gearbox and cab dash to accommodate which costs about 1.5m in space but does a couple really need 8 mtr of van?

personal preference, of course, but in my view just a bigger space to sit in when its raining....

perhaps in 20 years or so.......through probably not.

One of the bonuses of owning a motorhome is the flexibilty of use as a day van either at home or away. So if the OP purchases a van that isn't too big there are more options, a day at the seaside etc with all facitilites. For instance we can take our van down to the coast for the day, park up somewhere nice and enjoy a relaxed day out. With a car we'd have to find facilities nearby.

I also find the flexibility of moving on fairly swiftly with a motorhome is good. When we had a caravan the palaver of setting up awnings etc made me feel we'd got to stop somewhere longer than needed. Nowadays if I wanted a "fixed" holiday a seasonal pitch caravan would suit but for ease of movement a motorhome is our choice. We've never felt cramped in our motorhomes, it's a different mindset with different possibilities. I like caravans too, they all have pluses and minuses.

Hi BB,

its interesting this obsession with being able to stop anywhere rather than on a proper site.

no wonder we cant move in the summer for all these large MH clogging up our small roads.

we dont need to wait at bus stops and we can get our own shopping AND go again if we want or need to.

i have never been able to manage myself.

when we are touring we don't need to go back for the van as it is.....on the back.

out for a day worrying about height barriers and parking restrictions-no thanks.

as we can pull into virtually any continental campsite and park up, visit and stay i feel this is a far more versatile approach than having to keep moving on to another spot.

still, i've never had a motor home.

yes, they are smaller as they have an engine, gearbox and cab dash to accommodate which costs about 1.5m in space but does a couple really have to make do with a shorter van?

personal preference, of course, but in my view just a smaller space to sit in when its raining.

perhaps in 20 years or so.......through probably not.

Smiley,smiley!!!

I agree with you brue but the challenge lies in finding a family friendly MH that's small enough to use as a day van. There are plenty for couples with perhaps an occasional small grand child but OP has an 8 year old who in no time at all will be a strapping young teenager. My youngest hit 6ft at 13 for example. 

I do hope the OP finds something suitable but I'd recommend a lot of looking before buying and some serious thought about the style of touring that they prefer or hope to do.