Motorhomes - worse than caravans?

[Dog Star]

I've had the opportunity to go to Wales a few times for various camping weekends this year and I've been it occurs to me that motorhomes are more of a pain in the arse than caravans.

Even yesterday when the weather was appalling (hence quieter roads) I got stuck several times behind queues (which necessitated "hopping" along the queue with the attendant fist shaking and flashing lights from the overtakees).

I noticed that motorhomes seemed significantly slower than caravans, no doubt because of their bulk, higher centre of gravity, struggling engines and possibly the passengers all sat in the back drinking tea.

There also seem to be a hell of a lot of them, I know they've got more popular but what exacerbates the problem is that, unlike a caravan which is towed to and from site and left while the owners then travel around by car, the motorhome then becomes the daily transport of the holiday maker - holding up traffic again.

So come back caravans - all is forgiven.

(I must confess - I'd still like a motorhome. Tow a motorbike with it though )

[The Wookie]

Blame the Sunday Express for giving one away every week for about 10 years

[Caulkhead]

The problem with motorcaravans is that they aren't towed by a car. When a caravanist has finally struggled his way to the depressing field he's decided to holiday in, he unhitches his tin-tent with great relief and for the remainder of his break he can just use the car to visit Tesco and the local amenities. With a motorcaravan they have to take it everywhere with them instead of leaving it in a field for a week, so it seems like there are far more of them. . . . . .

[Tonsko]

The solution that more and more folk (on our site at any rate) seem to be using is towing a car behind the vans. Best of both worlds. If significantly more expensive, but that's their choice, eh?

[kambites]

I've never got stuck in one of these caravan/motorhome queues that everyone moans about for long enough to bother me. I doubt one has ever added more than fifteen minutes to my journey time.

[Dog Star]

kambites said:

I've never got stuck in one of these caravan/motorhome queues that everyone moans about for long enough to bother me. I doubt one has ever added more than fifteen minutes to my journey time.

Depends on the nature of the roads - if they're very twisty and the cars in the queue are following with the obligatory fag-paper width gap between each other then you need to pass two and three cars in one go - even in a 5 litre V8 this is pretty challenging with blind crest/bends etc.

[ptben]

You won't get stuck behind my campervan. It's a VW T5 Sportline 174

[belleair302]

I laugh when driving through Florida and see a vast motorhome or converted Greyhound bus towing a Hummer or a Bentley GT. Motorhomes are good for sports events and festivals but otherwise a menace on the roads.

[Dog Star]

Quinny said:

Can't wait to pick up my Swift Kon-Tiki next week....... 127bhp of diesel power struggling to drag best part of 4ton

Oh the irony!

[CTS86]

I don't think you can limit your bad experiences just to motorhomes though. Countless times I've been sat behind some selfish wker plodding along at half the speed limit just because they fancy a nice Sunday drive in their C Class. It's completely down to the driver. The fact that motorhomes have that stigma attached to them just makes them an easier target.

Parents just bought themselves a motorhome a few weeks back based on a 130bhp Ducato. Even with the extra weight I'd guess it's quicker than a lower powered Transit van. Everyone loves them though!

The old man seems to enjoy overtaking whatever he can in it & plans routes to avoid country roads so as to not hold anyone up. Top man I think.

[snowdude2910]

wouldn't be my choice of car to go under it but it'd eliminate the need to take a tow car on holiday