Caravan, Tent or Motorhome ?

[Martin]

I see there's a few of us still enjoy the outdoor type jollydays.
So what do you have and why ?

We have a 2010 Coachman Pastiche 545 Platinum, It's a fixed island bed jobby. It suits our needs perfectly, although it's a pretty heavy van, we have no problem towing it.

Coachman Pastiche 545 Platinum

We had a full size awning, it was great, but bloody hard work to put up and wrap up on my own whilst the Mrs entertained the nipper.
We found we didn't need the full size awning any longer , so we looked at new ones in 2014. The awning we purchased last year (on Pauls recommendation) was the Kampa Rally Air Pro 390, Awesome bit of kit and erecting/deflating is a dream.

Kampa Rally Air Pro

The Navara D40 pulls the heavy old Coachman about without any problem, Boat thrown in the rear tub, and away we go.

50ft of Holiday Fun

Towing the boat with the launching wheels on is simplicity too on a long beach

Landing Wheels Work Great

Favourite place so far, Black Rock Sands (Portmadog)

Sunset Navara

[kaman]

Q. Caravan, Tent, Motorhome?

A. YES, YES, YES PLEASE.

Yep Martin I'm into everything outdoors big time.
I've got a Lunar 4 berth caravan, small medium and full sized awnings about 6 various sized tents, camping trailer, roof box, bike racks etc etc.
I've always fancied a motor home but can't justify the expense as I would always keep my caravan as well as its more suited to certain applications than a motor home.
The best I can rustle at the moment is the back of my car (VW tiguan) it's a kinda motor-home.
Rear seats fold down and padded ply floor sits in the rear.
Small single mattress for sleeping on and black out blinds all round.
I use my caravan electrics to power a small 500 watt heater for the winter, de humidifier (stops steamy windows ) and I utilise my camping gear for sleeping and cooking materials etc.
The car really is an all year round overnight residence.
As I tow my sib with fitted cover on it I use the inside of the Sib as a storage unit particularly at night when settling down for a sleep as space is at a premium in the car.
Works for me and much more comfortable than a tent.

[rogerblack]

I take my hat off to you, Martin, great set-up.

We are luggers rather than tuggers, had three motorhomes over the last 25 years or so.

We've had our current 2002 Autosleeper Pollensa since 2004. We love the layout and the quality of internal finish; we've looked to update it a couple of times but can't find any new models that are as well built. It is a 4/5 berth but since our daughter's now 27 and doesn't come with us any longer, I've removed the overcab bed components and now use it for storage - it swallows my little Compass Kudos SIB as well as the Mercury 4hp 2 stroke and all the other associated gubbings - oars, pump, fuel containers, bailer, plus fishing gear etc.

We like pitching VERY near the sea as the following pics show:

Rosemarkie site

Moray Firth

Rosemarkie Bay/Channonry Point

Skerray Harbour CS

View from Skerray Harbour CS

Site in France (can't remember name!)

NOT by the sea but . . .

This one was taken when I stopped for lunch on the way back to Fife from our Wild West Adventure in Benderloch in September. I didn't take any pics of the motorhome when it was parked up by the slipway, unfortunately.

Hope to combine motorhoming with SIBbing more in the future.

[Andy B]

I drive a Relay, just changed over from being a life long Transit man.
So far I like what I find, especially the fuel economy

I've owned a few caravans through the years. Budget end of the market though.....
At present I own a 2000 swift challenger.
I've thought about a motorhome, but they are just not practical for my use.
The thought of towing my boat (the other one) to far flung places appeals, but what do you do when you are there?
They're not ideal for launching and you have to pack everything away if you want to go anywhere.
It's the reason I started to look at SIB's as an alternative solution to getting away with a boat.

Tents?
I've spent my time in tents!
As a life long biker I've done my fare share of traveling/camping/rallies.
But those days are gone now. Another night in a tent and I don't think i'd ever walk again!

[Martin]

I take my hat off to you, Martin, great set-up

Thanks Roger
It suits our needs perfectly.

Stray...
You've crammed some stuff in there buddy, and a shower too
Very impressive, superb build !!!!

[Stray]

Nice job on the conversion Stray.
I drive a Relay, just changed over from being a life long Transit man.
So far I like what I find, especially the fuel economy

Thankyou.
Mines a 2008 2.2L Citroen Relay 120 multijet engine on the X250 base, I get about 35mpg. I was told it's a ford engine.
Hopefully my Mrs will be able to retire next year, I want to build a dedicated 2 berth on a more modern van to last us out. I learned a lot building the first one, so hopefully I won't make as many mistakes on the next.

[Andy B]

I was told it's a ford engine.

Well my series 7 Transit made it to 189000 miles.
I was hoping it would make it too 200k but the oil cooler failed and took out the head gasket!
35mpg is about what i'm seeing out of my Relay, not bad for a big van.

[kaman]

Some nice rigs there guys.

Ideally I would keep my caravan and be able to tow my trailered Sib along behind - convoy style.
As this is not feasible I have a small sib that goes inside the caravan.

For more adventurous over nighters I just tow the bigger Sib on its trailer and crash in the back of the car or tent.
Ideally towing the boat with a motor home would be ideal but the cost of motor homes are immense.
Fancy the idea of a conversion but don't have the time to do it.
Motorhomes are not very capable towing a trailer off road and onto a soft shingle or sandy beach.
I would be stressed about getting stuck and submerged in brine.

[The Gurnard]

I guess I am the poor man on the block.. or perhaps it is because my family have long left the nest and I don’t need luxury for myself ... or it may be because I am too mean to spend my pension ..but I live in very basic accommodation during my travelling.

My “wealth” is in my ability to enjoy the wilderness whenever and wherever I want.. I spend half the summer living like a gypsy ..and I am perfectly happy doing so.

It all started quite a few years ago ... when I tailored a £10 Halfords tarpaulin to fit on the back of my hardshell boat. I toured Scotland that year ..parking up at night beside the road..and dossing down in the boat on the trailer

On calm nights..I would sleep on the water ..miles from anywhere. The views from my bedroom window made any hardship I may have ..well worth the while. However .. if there was a wave on the water.... I was often rudely wakened by being thrown off the sides of the rocking boat...it was a bit too narrow to be a stable sleeping platform in a chop.

So I decide the next best thing to do on a windy wave night was to sleep on land in a small tent. I bought a Tesco Extra Value tent for £20 and it served well as my summer home for five or so years.

My only complaint about this tent was ... it is only five foot six inches in length..and I am six feet long in length when lying down. Which meant that I was often woken by midges snacking on my feet first thing in the morning. However I did slept peacefully in many paradise locations off the west of Scotland in the Tesco Extra tent.. the tent was one of the best £20 notes I ever spent.

I got my pension “lump sum” last year..so decided to invest it in a longer tent. I bought a Vango Banshee 300 ..and it is like sleeping in the comfort of a gin palace after the Tesco Extra’s short falls. I discovered I don’t need so much Guinness to get a good night’s sleep in the Vango ..and the views from it are still as good as any other holiday accommodation I have had.

I do a lot of hill walking as well as boating.. so spend a lot of time sleeping in my 4x4 camper car. I have a bed and 5 gallon water container in the back..and I get a full six foot stretch..head to toe..for a decent nights sleep. I often carry a small SIB and outboard in the back of the car..or a mountain bike ..to use in days away when Im not running around the hills. When I go to bed..they are put out with the empty milk bottles...and covered with a cheap pound stretcher tarpaulin. The views are pretty good from the car’s bedroom window too.

I also made a tailgate tent for the 4x4.. which is ideal when cooking my breakfast on the tailgate of the car.. and it keeps the rain and midges out of my bacon butties and coffee.

Sadly ..I have not been away for the past few weeks..due to the high winds..and now the snow is on the hill tops.

I am in hibernation in my man cave of a house.

Roll on March or April ..when I will start my life of “New Age Traveller” all over again.

Yup.. its a hard life living with no worries.

[Andy B]

I guess I am the poor man on the block..

Not from what I see.
All depends on how you measure wealth.
With those views and freedoms you sure look like a rich man to me

P.S.
I love the tailgate tent....
never seen that before