Caravan or Mobile home?

[Hibrandenburg]

Just been to an exhibition on caravans and mobile homes in the hope of finally being able to decide what to get. The plan is after retiring to travel over extended periods with the Mrs testing out Europe's golf courses.

Anybody any experience with both and what are in your views the pros and cons of both?

Think I've now made my mind up but still have a couple of years before I'll buy.

[speedy_gonzales]

I've always loved the idea of a mobile home and I've no doubt I'll get one when I have both the time & finances. However, I've spoke to folk about this "dream" and I was warned about getting a motorhome/campervan as it can be restrictive when you wan to leave the site as everything has to be packed and stowed. For this reason some people will tow a small car or even have a small scooter/motorbike on the back of the motorhome.

[lyonhibs]

I've always loved the idea of a mobile home and I've no doubt I'll get one when I have both the time & finances. However, I've spoke to folk about this "dream" and I was warned about getting a motorhome/campervan as it can be restrictive when you wan to leave the site as everything has to be packed and stowed. For this reason some people will tow a small car or even have a small scooter/motorbike on the back of the motorhome.

Saw a lot of that in New Zealand.

[Hibrandenburg]

I've always loved the idea of a mobile home and I've no doubt I'll get one when I have both the time & finances. However, I've spoke to folk about this "dream" and I was warned about getting a motorhome/campervan as it can be restrictive when you wan to leave the site as everything has to be packed and stowed. For this reason some people will tow a small car or even have a small scooter/motorbike on the back of the motorhome.

That's the main reason I'm tending towards caravan. Leave the caravan and use the car. That and the fact that you can always update the car and still keep the caravan.

[Jumbo]

That's the main reason I'm tending towards caravan. Leave the caravan and use the car. That and the fact that you can always update the car and still keep the caravan.

Thats reason I went for caravan and parking a motorhome on trips into towns isn't as simple as parking a car.

[Stick]

We had the same dilemma a few years ago. Strongly leaning towards a motor home, so we hired one for a week. On the plus side it was easy to drive, no problem reversing, nice high driving position. On the down side it wasn't very practical, take away the driving cabin and the washroom, doesn't leave a lot of space, especially with the bed in place. We felt that we were on top of each other all the time. Having to pack everything away even to take a small trip into town became a real pain. Driving and parking in towns and cities was a nightmare. Driving a car in the likes of Barcelona, Paris or London is bad enough, imagine it in a motor home. We ended up avoiding going into busy areas altogether, or else taking public transport instead, which can also be a pain.
We ended up with a caravan and never regretted it. You soon get the hang of towing and the extra space inside is fantastic. Even using channel ferries or tunnel is a doddle, these company's have it down to a fine art.
Another point is that if you have a problem and the car goes into a garage, then you still have somewhere to live until it's fixed.
My advice would be to get a motor mover fitted, makes manoeuvring easy.
Don't get too big a van, think about 6m to 7.5m and an awning, doubles the floor space.
We fitted a rear view camera looking from the back of the van, with the monitor clipped onto the car mirror, so no blind spots ( a Heath Robinson set up, bit it works well).
Having said all that, we have friends that have motor homes and they love them. I suppose we all justify our choices, especially after spending so much money.
Whatever you decide, have a great time.

[Hibrandenburg]

We had the same dilemma a few years ago. Strongly leaning towards a motor home, so we hired one for a week. On the plus side it was easy to drive, no problem reversing, nice high driving position. On the down side it wasn't very practical, take away the driving cabin and the washroom, doesn't leave a lot of space, especially with the bed in place. We felt that we were on top of each other all the time. Having to pack everything away even to take a small trip into town became a real pain. Driving and parking in towns and cities was a nightmare. Driving a car in the likes of Barcelona, Paris or London is bad enough, imagine it in a motor home. We ended up avoiding going into busy areas altogether, or else taking public transport instead, which can also be a pain.
We ended up with a caravan and never regretted it. You soon get the hang of towing and the extra space inside is fantastic. Even using channel ferries or tunnel is a doddle, these company's have it down to a fine art.
Another point is that if you have a problem and the car goes into a garage, then you still have somewhere to live until it's fixed.
My advice would be to get a motor mover fitted, makes manoeuvring easy.
Don't get too big a van, think about 6m to 7.5m and an awning, doubles the floor space.
We fitted a rear view camera looking from the back of the van, with the monitor clipped onto the car mirror, so no blind spots ( a Heath Robinson set up, bit it works well).
Having said all that, we have friends that have motor homes and they love them. I suppose we all justify our choices, especially after spending so much money.
Whatever you decide, have a great time.

I had a 30 foot rv for 4 weeks in the US and it was awesome. However a monster like that in Europe is completely impractical because the infrastructure is not there to support it.

Thanks for sharing your extensive and we'll thought out opinion, you've not only convinced me but also given me a few tips on how to persuade the wife too.

[Jack]

Not sure if it's still the case, it was a few years ago, but anyone considering buying a motorhome would do well to add a disabled aid to it.

A friend of mine did this and the motorhome became VAT free! A considerable saving.

He was told by the salesman anyone could add as little as a handle to qualify and they themselves didn't need to be disabled.

[Hibrandenburg]

Not sure if it's still the case, it was a few years ago, but anyone considering buying a motorhome would do well to add a disabled aid to it.

A friend of mine did this and the motorhome became VAT free! A considerable saving.

He was told by the salesman anyone could add as little as a handle to qualify and they themselves didn't need to be disabled.

Thanks Jack, I'll look into that, the laws might be different over here but from experience allowances given to disabled folks over here are generally better than in the UK and my wife does have an 80% disability certification (she's deaf). Could well be worth chasing up and was something I hadn't thought of.