Motorhome advice

[Rocket88]

In  a couple of years, if things pan out, two of us are going to sell up, and bugger off round the world. We're going to buy a large motorhome /R.V . and go where the sun leads us.

I've got grandfather rights on my licence, so can drive pretty much anything that's out there. We also want to be completely self contained.

Anyone on here done anything similar, and, if so, what would they recommend.

 

[DSdriver]

I have no experience but I have heard that the problem with big vans is that they are a real pain if you just need to go down the road from the campsite to the shops. This is probably why you see so many a-framing small cars or with bikes strapped to the back.

[Guest Lord Sward]

I'd buy my own van and get Devon Conversions to bespoke make it into a camper.  Less monies spent, less compromise, terrific resale. 

[chaseracer]

In  a couple of years, if things pan out, two of us are going to sell up, and bugger off round the world. We're going to buy a large motorhome /R.V . and go where the sun leads us.

I have a friend who did precisely this - happy to put you in touch, if you like.

[chodweaver]

Advice?

 

Make sure you do it! It's all too easy to have this as a pipe dream and never actually get up and go. I probably would not have done it if a big health/future issue hadn't come up. It was the best thing I've ever done.

 

There's a compromise to be struck between cost/space/mpg/speed and it can be tricky getting that right. Too small and you will give up on it pretty quickly cos you are living on top of one another. Too big and thirsty and you'll find you can't move around as often or go as far as you want - and that's half the point of doing it. Weather is crap? Get back on the road and chase the sun. Fancy going to see something that's way off your route? No problem.

 

Old vans can be charming and get a good response from nice people, and a slightly sneering attitude from the club sites in Blighty in about equal measure. New stuff looks like it's fashioned out of styling mousse and will be fantastically expensive to buy, but should be frugal and faster

 

So, esp if you're looking at Yank RVs, petrol with lpg might be the way to go, but bear in mind that you can't put an lpg tanked vehicle on the channel tunnel - you have to take a ferry. But Calor gas cylinders, disconnected, are ok? No, I don't get that either.

 

If it's a coachbuilt you're after, don't take it for granted that it's not leaking. Get a damp meter and be obsessive about using it on anything you view. Leaks, mould and rotten timber make for a miserable and short lived motorhome, while mechanical stuff can be sorted rather more easily.

 

You will most likely come across some monstrous bodging from previous owners and sometimes even manufacturers. There are some good operations around for servicing and repairs on caravans and motorhomes - try to find one near you.

 

In the UK, coach-sized US motorhomes are limited as to where they can pitch up - many club sites will only have two slots close to the gate that are big enough, many will just not be able to accommodate them. Granted, their interiors are inviting, but you have to heat all that interior space too. And clean it. And they make the opportunities for wild camping pretty limited too, when you can't fit them in the layby you've spotted.

 

I found this was a reasonable account of such activities: 

Europe in a Motorhome: A Mid-life Gap Year Around Southern Europe by H.D. Jackson.

They're toffs, so some of the plummy-ness might stick in yer craw a bit, but it does give some valuable insights.

 

GLWTEscapePlan

[fatharris]

Didn't Bollox do this recently? Best off asking him.

[djimbob]

I've been looking into this for a good while, and there are several facetube pages which are brilliant resources -

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/motorhomemaintenance/

 

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/7.5tonandovervehicles/

 

Often people will link to blogs of people doing a big trip, well worth researching

[DodgeRover]

A friend used to use a Dodge100 Commando something similar to this one with living accomodation built into the back body.

 

With a 205 on an A frame round Europe.

 

I know someone who has a new coach sized camper and they admit it is a pig to park and go shopping with. However Euro campsites are much better set up to deal with them. They have also had nothing but a string of problems with the new campers they have had, these things cost more than a fair sized house so you wouldn't expect faults but faults there are a plenty!!

[Cavcraft]

Just buy an old LDV mini bus and a damp caravan. Get the Bostick out and Bob's your aunty'a fella.

[Mally]

As the others say, getting the right size for you is the problem. Until you do it you are never sure.

Have only done the smaller end, which is good for a fortnight but not forever.

Big is beautifull on site, providing it will fit, but bad on fuel, ferries, Tesco, and small villages.

Some have a built in garage for a scooter, which is good if you like riding a scooter.

I do know a few that tried the very large, but only lasted a few months.

Maybe hire one for a trial if you have no previous personal experience.

[New POD]

Or you could do it my parents way. (Aged 75, after 50 years of marriage)

 

They packed a tent, laptop, and other stuff in the boot of a focus estate, and drove to around Europe for 4 months. Sometimes they camped, sometimes they stayed in 5 star hotels, sometimes, they stayed in a room above a village bar.

 

Had the Focus Serviced in France by a Ford Main Dealer. 

 

No need to sell up, or buy any old shite.

 

Mind you, I think it was a tour of churches and religious artifacts, as not one of the pictures they took included a bar, a car museum, any autoshite, or a beach, and most were of churches. Fecking weirdos.

[andy18s]

Couple of extremes for you to drool over

Happy to drive them back if you cover the costs lol

[Rocket88]

Thanks peeps, all food for thought......much obliged.will do some research..buying a chassis of some description and building something bespoke does appeal

[Junkman]

 

Seriously.

 

Though as an anvil, no coolant or radiator to worry about, runs even on what you pissed in the tank after a good night out,

about as complex as a hayfork, so can be fixed by a village blacksmith in Burkina Faso, spares available like water.

[Rave]

I'm still thinking of doing this next year, looking at something like a 6-berth Swift Suntor or Kon-Tiki, with a rear lounge and front dinette, just so the wife and I aren't under each others feet all the time. I would have done it this summer, except for the fact that it turns out all the decent size vans are over 3.5T, and I don't have grandfather rights, having been too pre-occupied with getting my bike licence to take my car test until Feb '97, when I was 17 3/4  . If you ask me it's silly that you can't drive them on a Cat D, I was a bus driver for a while and have no problem driving a 32' long 12 ton vehicle, but there you go. I've been and passed my Cat C now so that's all sorted out; obviously it's all the more tempting to get something really huge now that I can drive any size rigid vehicle, but fuel and parking concerns should stop me buying anything too stupid. If a tag-axle Autotrail comes up at the right price mind...

 

There's a forum here that might be of interest:

 

http://www.motorhome365.com/forum/

[Rocket88]

I have a friend who did precisely this - happy to put you in touch, if you like.

Please, if you don't mind.................

[oldcars]

Just buy an old LDV mini bus and a damp caravan. Get the Cath Kidston fabric  out and Bob's your aunty'a fella.

FIFY 

[DSdriver]

Oh, and in France you see huge dealerships full of vans awaiting new owners, they seem quite popular, probably because if you are driving a long way you haven't got to worry about finding public conveniences.

[castros_bro]

This was home in EU land for a while but a real PITA to find places to stop so had to use it in  semi-permanent parking which was not the idea.

 

 

 

This was slightly more useful and way more rustic and a lot further East. Easy to park but a bugger to get bits for.

 

 

 

Then there were various VW and Transit lash ups which were a lot easier to actually go places and park and use without having to plan months ahead and getting bank overdrafts for fuel and tolls 

 

 

The best was Citroen ZX n/a Diesel estate and a tent and staying in cheap places so much freedom than a house on wheels. Always take a moped.

 

 

 

 

It will always come down to your personal preference, lugging a full size  Winnyboggo may be you bag but will not let you travel as you please, you as will always have to plan ahead for the vehicle.  If you are serious about it and have never tried this way of life before then better get something like LDV pilot van and spend long weekends in EU land (South and a cheap ferry to Morocco) , try it before selling up and leaving.  I ended up leaving a vehicle parked near a cheap EU airport for weeks on end which I'd never been able to do with something truck sized.

[chaseracer]

Please, if you don't mind.................

 

I'll ask him and drop you a PM.

[UltraWomble]

As Castros sibling said - its what you want to be doing with it and where you want to be going with it  really that dictates what you buy / drive.

 

A camper or caravan is always going to have some element of compromise.

I suppose a caravan at least means that if the towing vehicle becomes FUBAR you can replace it - plus its easier to pop to the shops / into town.

 

A campervan / RV means planning ahead quite a bit as some places may not be suitable for something huge, plus packing stuff away when you pop into town or the shops unless you have a second vehicle ( which as a a lifelong caravanner never made sense to me)

 

Be an Autoshite h3Ro and buy one of these:

[castros_bro]

My friend he say

 

 

 

Buy his van (he is serious!)

 

[Spottedlaurel]

They packed a tent, laptop, and other stuff in the boot of a focus estate, and drove to around Europe for 4 months. Sometimes they camped, sometimes they stayed in 5 star hotels, sometimes, they stayed in a room above a village bar.

I suspect (hope) this is what Mrs SL and I will eventually do, one day. Though maybe not much of the tent (been there, done that). When driving around France, or even mulling it over back home, we can see the appeal of having some sort of caravan/camper/motorhome to cruise around Europe in, but each has disadvantages compared with just driving a car.

 

I reckon the ideal is something no bigger than a car in terms of width/length, but with the ability to spend an emergency night or two in, brew-up, make a basic meal, get changed for the beach, etc. Mazda Bongo conversion, SWB Hiace/Transit or the like – being sensible, probably should be something easy to get repaired/serviced in the favoured destination. A higher seating position would be a bonus for getting views, spotting rubbish old cars etc.

 

Maybe something a bit bigger than this:

 

1986 Bedford Rascal Romahome camper by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Or this:

 

1979/80 Morris Marina camper van by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Good parts availability with either of these:

 

1989/90 Citroen Romahome camper by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

1986 Renault Trafic T1000 Auto-Sleeper Camper by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Too big?

 

1989 Chevrolet GMC camper by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

1981 Winnebago Motorhome (4.2 diesel) by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Perhaps the ultimate? As I recall the Mini came out of a garage in the back end, stock car transporter style:

 

Monster Camper + Mini Convertible combo, France 1993 by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

[andy18s]

Sorted...

[Rocket88]

We're going to be going for at least 3 years [if not more] I think [because old] we want something with enough of the creature companies to make it as homely as possible.

I'd like something big [but not air brakes] and reasonably easy to fix, and get bits for.

[Rocket88]

I've emailed seller about item 131921370101 [ebay] which has finished but looks ideal!

[DodgeRover]

What about an American style 5th wheel set up, they can be bigger than a London flat and feature all mod cons like a dishwasher and washing machine, bath etc. pull outs can increase your floor size by 50% too.

Once parked up on site you unhitch your pickup and drive to the nearest bottle shop parking with ease.

Seriously there's been one advertised on Facebook for a couple of weeks now I would be buying if we had a house to rebuild and needed somewhere for the family to live.

 

Edit in fact why not start out in the states? Buy a rig over there tour round then ship over to Europe when you are ready? Relatives are thinking of shipping their camper to Aus for a years touring.

Also no one in the UK steals the bloody things, unless they take the tow vehicle as well.

[blackboilersuit]

As already mentioned whatever you end up taking just make sure you do the trip.

 

As for campers, I wouldn't I'd take a good tow car and a caravan.

 

About 8 years ago I built a mini camper based on a fairly new citroen dispatch. Subsequently me and (the now ex) Mrs Blackboilersuit spent 8 weeks over 2 summers touring around france. On the first trip we had 2 breakdowns that required the van to go into the garage for 2-3 days. Being stuck in deepest rural france with no vehicle, no accommodation and  a moaning wife is not a good situation to be in! Splitting the accommodation and the power unit up lessens the grief and chances are if you need the vehicle to be worked on you can get a caravan onto a site somewhere, either under its own power or dropped off by a tow truck. 

 

The dispatch was great for parking/shopping/sight seeing etc but really too small for living in. The bigger you get the more comfortable it is but the more of a pain it is to park up for sightseeing, shopping etc. I don't understand why people tow a smart car behind a 6 berth motorhome when for a lot less money they could tow a 6 berth caravan behind a really nice car or 4x4.

 

If i was planning this I'd be looking at a volvo 700/900 series estate and a refurbished airstream caravan. Dependable, reliable and character.

 

Ultimately what I think is irrelevant though. You need to take something that will put a smile on your face. 

[mercrocker]

I am not suggesting for a minute you get a T25 but we use one with a vintage folding caravan.   This gives the best of both worlds as quoted above with the added advantage whichever bit isn't broken can still be slept in.    Admittedly it hasn't been to Europeland but only because there are lots of bits of here we haven't seen yet.    Pitch up the draggy bit, make the bed and bugger off out with a mobile kitchen-diner for the day.....

[Mally]

Another thing to consider, houses hold or increase their value.

Large motor homes decrease in value fairly rapidly, are expensive to maintain, and if the driver is ill for a while in a foreign land..............