Discussion
Anyone own one?
My missis mentioned the other day she'd fancy one and would love to tour Europe one summer & the UK on the odd weekend.
I fancy the Europe thing but also fancy the idea of getting a grotty old American motor home and doing a bit of a restore on it.
So any stories of fun holidays with the kids, great lads tours to le mans or will they ruin my life and leave me penniless?
My missis mentioned the other day she'd fancy one and would love to tour Europe one summer & the UK on the odd weekend.
I fancy the Europe thing but also fancy the idea of getting a grotty old American motor home and doing a bit of a restore on it.
So any stories of fun holidays with the kids, great lads tours to le mans or will they ruin my life and leave me penniless?
I have a Toyota Estima with curtains and a double bed in the back, which we got after having something similar in NZ for a couple of weeks.
I wouldn't like a motorhome, but a comfortable people carrier that you can kip in, that will sit all day at 80 on the motorway, doing 30mpg on vegetable oil isn't too bad.
I can dig out some pics if you're interested. It cost £1900 3 years ago. Sellling the seats not needed on fleabay covered the stuff to put the bed in the back.
I wouldn't like a motorhome, but a comfortable people carrier that you can kip in, that will sit all day at 80 on the motorway, doing 30mpg on vegetable oil isn't too bad.
I can dig out some pics if you're interested. It cost £1900 3 years ago. Sellling the seats not needed on fleabay covered the stuff to put the bed in the back.
I have been on a couple of lads footy trips in a motor home (a few years ago mind, World Cup France 98 the last one!) and it was ideal for that. Twas big enough to sleep 6 lads for a few nights, then 4 for the rest of the trip. Had all the mod cons then, so now I imagine they have more mod cons and creature comforts.
More recently (last Sept) me and the Mrs hired a retro VW camper and toured Corwall for a week. Never again.. Too small, too slow, pain in the arse. No problem we thought, its got an awning plenty of room. A royal pain to erect and even more to take down when its wet with dew and the grass is muddy etc etc. And in Sept we were freezing at night. Glad we did it, just wouldn't again.
I would happily do it again, just in something modern with said creature comforts. No doubt the kids will love it, bit of an adventure.
ETA - I have since considered a purchase, but decided that for the cost and depreciation, it would have to be used many times a year. So decided rental is the way to go.
More recently (last Sept) me and the Mrs hired a retro VW camper and toured Corwall for a week. Never again.. Too small, too slow, pain in the arse. No problem we thought, its got an awning plenty of room. A royal pain to erect and even more to take down when its wet with dew and the grass is muddy etc etc. And in Sept we were freezing at night. Glad we did it, just wouldn't again.
I would happily do it again, just in something modern with said creature comforts. No doubt the kids will love it, bit of an adventure.
ETA - I have since considered a purchase, but decided that for the cost and depreciation, it would have to be used many times a year. So decided rental is the way to go.
Edited by LaserTam on Monday 29th March 16:04
Have a Hymer A class motorhome, have only used it for a few odd weeks and weekends each year, am self employed so go away at short notice with just the wife when we`re quiet, UK, Paris, Belgium etc it cost more than I wanted to really spend but when you start looking at them ( bit like cars ) you tend to move up market
Have previously rented motorhomes with the family, 5 of us, in California and Australia for three weeks each time, American vans loads more comfortable, thirstier, bigger and heavier but they have the roads and sites to suit them over there
Australia a bit barren and the distances travelled immense, lingering memory of roadkill ( Australian style, it`s large and you can smell it rotting before you see it )
Have had several caravans when we had a young family, they are better for setting up at a site and remaining put for at least a week, leaving children to make friends / see the area. Putting up the awning is a real pain in the ass, allow a good hour, towing a large caravan not really relaxing unless you have a large 4x4
Suggest you rent a motorhome, go to Europe for 2/3 weeks , you`ll know when you get back if you want to buy one, at the least you`ll have a great time
Have previously rented motorhomes with the family, 5 of us, in California and Australia for three weeks each time, American vans loads more comfortable, thirstier, bigger and heavier but they have the roads and sites to suit them over there
Australia a bit barren and the distances travelled immense, lingering memory of roadkill ( Australian style, it`s large and you can smell it rotting before you see it )
Have had several caravans when we had a young family, they are better for setting up at a site and remaining put for at least a week, leaving children to make friends / see the area. Putting up the awning is a real pain in the ass, allow a good hour, towing a large caravan not really relaxing unless you have a large 4x4
Suggest you rent a motorhome, go to Europe for 2/3 weeks , you`ll know when you get back if you want to buy one, at the least you`ll have a great time
If you fancy a project, get hold of a big Transit or Sprinter and make something yourself.
http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk/www/vans/adve...
http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk/www/vans/adve...
http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk/www/vans/adve...
http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk/www/vans/adve...
louiebaby said:
.Mark said:
louiebaby said:
...Are you sure a small caravan...
This, on a sportscar website 
I am sure you will be modded for a comment like that 
There, saved it.
Used to have a type 2 VW Transporter, semi-restored it ie bit more than a smarten up and rebuild, but not a full strip down to bare shell as it was in reasonable nick, and used it a few years for holidays / weekends away.
The best way of operating we found was to be touring ie one or at most two night stops. If the weather was fine we'd not bother putting the awning up but put up a beach windbreak in an arc outside the side door to give some privacy and act as a windbreak obviously.
We did have an awning and got quite fast at putting it up. We considered buying a free standing awning, as ours required the van to be there for support on one side. Thus if you were staying a few days and wanted to head off in the van somewhere you had to upsticks, pack everything away and when you got back had often lost your pitch. Some people put up signs with their reg number on to keep their pitch, always seemed a bit sad to me.
The free standing awning idea got ditched after one bank holiday weekend we watched another party in a newer Type 2 put up a free stander, disappear off the next day and when they came back it took the so long to position the van to allow the hook up without driving over the guy ropes that we could have had our awning up and had the tea mashed.
We had the van for about 4/5 years, put the odometer right round the clock, and sold it for more than I paid for it; plus a lot of man hours on the restoration of course, but apart from the cost of painting it, and bits for an engine rebuild, new clutch etc very little parts just my labour.
It was an episode, probably not do it again, but when the weather was good fun for two, not so good when hammering down.
Saw it for sale few years after I'd sold it, some prat had painted it with furry suede like chocolate brown paint.
The best way of operating we found was to be touring ie one or at most two night stops. If the weather was fine we'd not bother putting the awning up but put up a beach windbreak in an arc outside the side door to give some privacy and act as a windbreak obviously.
We did have an awning and got quite fast at putting it up. We considered buying a free standing awning, as ours required the van to be there for support on one side. Thus if you were staying a few days and wanted to head off in the van somewhere you had to upsticks, pack everything away and when you got back had often lost your pitch. Some people put up signs with their reg number on to keep their pitch, always seemed a bit sad to me.
The free standing awning idea got ditched after one bank holiday weekend we watched another party in a newer Type 2 put up a free stander, disappear off the next day and when they came back it took the so long to position the van to allow the hook up without driving over the guy ropes that we could have had our awning up and had the tea mashed.
We had the van for about 4/5 years, put the odometer right round the clock, and sold it for more than I paid for it; plus a lot of man hours on the restoration of course, but apart from the cost of painting it, and bits for an engine rebuild, new clutch etc very little parts just my labour.
It was an episode, probably not do it again, but when the weather was good fun for two, not so good when hammering down.
Saw it for sale few years after I'd sold it, some prat had painted it with furry suede like chocolate brown paint.
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