molgrips, they are, unfortunately.

http://www.springbankleisure.co.uk/index.html

OMG, just checked and there is a 4 berth. It’s.. beautiful…!!

Just as expensive as other 4b though 🙂

Mol – nice but still not a patch on this! Get a locals discount too which is handy.

Home

Puts tin hat on and ducks – I have a caravan.

Molgrips – thanks for the compliment, that’s the one I have (top and bottom picture). It’s very nice.

As someone said up there, it’s best if thought of as a place to sleep/cook whilst doing other hobbies, rather than an end it itself. We spent around 6 weeks in it last year, including 3 weeks in France. Kids (11 and 9) love sleeping in the awning, leaving the main area free for us. The chav element are certainly present, but not really at the outdoorsy campsites we go to.

Depreciation isn’t anything like as bad as a car. Bought the last one for 11k, and got 9k (and a discount) off a new one after 3 years.

As for holding people up, I pull over if I’m at the front of a queue, but honestly, it’s rare that I’m holding anyone up.

And it’s a handy spare room for guests….

Great! That’ll come in handy next time I want to go to North Wales won’t it?

We spent around 6 weeks in it last year

To compare to hotels, that’s 42 nights at say £120/night, that’s £5k. You’d pay for it in 2 years at that rate.

As for chav element – when I was a kid we stayed almost exclusively at CLs which are basically fields with a tap way out in the countryside. Not a chav for 50 miles.

Going to get geeky – which layout did you get cheshirecat?

Great! That’ll come in handy next time I want to go to North Wales won’t it?

No but this will be handier. It’s very nice.

http://www.bodysgallen.com

I am completely aware of the negatives when buying a caravan. The wife spent her (very happy) childhood going away in one at every opportunity and fought tooth and nail to convince me. Victoria Wood did a very fun skit on people with caravans, calling them snails – having their homes on their back.

Molgrips, I have the 534. 4 berth with a fixed double bed and bathroom at the back. Front beds are easily long enough for my two, but they sleep outside most of the time anyway. This seemed to have the longest front beds and still remain a single axle. French (and Cornish) campsites this year had water and drainage, so no fetching and disposing of water.

Mat, stfu.

Hotels aren’t comparable to caravans, the entire experience is completely different. And you’re talking to someone who’s spend almost every week for the last 14 months in a luxury hotel!

Chicken – I can’t decide between fixed bunks or an end dinette. Don’t want fixed bed for us since we have a very young family so want to be able to shut the kid(s) away early on and still stay up. The fixed bunks are nice but you have to have a combined toilet/shower, whereas the end dinette has a separate shower cubicle 🙂

Yep, exactly the dilemma we had. Last one was side moveable bunks and large rear bathroom (stay on CLs etc.), but hated making the double bed up every night. Kids now stay up as late as us on holiday, so fixed bed is OK.

Mat, stfu.

Hotels aren’t comparable to caravans, the entire experience is completely different. And you’re talking to someone who’s spend almost every week for the last 14 months in a luxury hotel!

Nice Mol – really nice. I bet “your” hotels were far more luxury than “ours” too as well eh? 😉 😆

Back to caravans…

Yeah, back to caravans, so stop posting hotels! And you’re the one who bought up luxury…

Anyway – off to my luxury 5 star hotel. I wonder if I’ll get a suite upgrade with free minibar, king sized bed, egyptian cotton sheets, free movies and large seating area this time… 😉

Yes Mol, a work perk by any chance?

We all know you could never afford a decent hotel yourself…

My parents just bought a static caravan. 😳

My parents just bought a static caravan. 😳

But it’s a 10 minute drive from Kirroughtree 😀

How come a question from the OP has descended into an argument between hotels and caravans? I’m in a hotel in Germany right now (definitely not 5 star), and it would be tough to tow a caravan across here for two nights.

Like a nice hotel as much as the next man, but it’s tough to take a load of bikes to a luxury hotel.

Spent many a happy holiday in a static in Treyarnon (Cornwall) before we moved down. They will always have happy memories for me.

Also lived in a caravan (bought very cheaply) for two Summers and two Easters nr Polzeath – it was a bit scabby but did the job very well in those late teenage pulling years…

I wonder if there is a STW of the caravan world – “what tyres for the M4” or “What gear ratio for my single speed towing car”

Exactly. Like to take the wife away (when we can get a babysitter) to a nice hotel, but family holidays are more relaxed on a camp-site, where they can make as much noise as they like (within reason) and roam around with gangs of feral children.

Hey it wasn’t hotels vs carvans – they are totally different things. Just saying we got a brochure today but think we’ll stick to tents or hotels for now.

We all know you could never afford a decent hotel yourself…

No, not when I’m saving up for a Bailey Pegasus 525 🙂

I wonder if there is a STW of the caravan world

Christ alive.. DO NOT get near people who treat caravanning as a hobby in itself, when they get together. They have utterly pointless gatherings called ‘rallies’… gah..

Although I must admit when searching for a few things I did find useful info on caravan forums 🙂

We got our caravan three years ago. £4500 for a 9 year old (then) ABI Dalesman.

It was owned by the type of chap who leaves plastic on car seats to keep them nice. He even had carpet runners made up in the same colour as the caravan carpet, to keep the carpet nice.

As a result, we got a bargain caravan (if 4.5k is a bargain) that was almost immaculate inside.

We’ve had one holiday in France in it, and maybe 10 weekends away as well as most half term weeks up at the lakes or in North wales. 2011 holiday is in France again.

I wouldn’t call us carvaners, more like a family that likes to get away but isn’t rolling in it.

We tried the camping thing but Mrs Coolhandluke found it cold. I found it noisy and a pain in the back stooping everywhere and grovelling around on the floor and we hated the dampness of it all. Next logical step is a caravan, unfortunately.

Get over the stigma and you’ll love it, a bit like owning a Skoda. Which incidently pulls my caravan along nicely. It is a VRs though 😀

No, not when I’m saving up for a Bailey Pegasus 525

Molegrips, I assume you mean a Bailey Olypus 525? We got one in June, it’s fantastic!! We have had a few minor issues with it, but it is brilliant.

We had a Bailey Pageant Moselle before with a side dinette and found when the kids (4 and 2) went to sleep if we tried to sit inside they always woke up. The end dinette means they’ll go off to sleep and not wake up. We don’t make up the bunk at the bed, we just make up singles at the back. Also the bathroom is bigger than a fixed bunk layout

No I mean Pegasus. Oh wait tho, that’s the layout that only comes in Olympus form.. damn…

Currently, lil grips will sleep if you can put her down in the dark and be quiet – then you can start talking again and she stays down.

What do you new caravan owners tow with?

Those new Baileys are supposed to be more economical to tow due to aerodynamics, have you noticed that?

I towed my mum and dads Dethleffs out to there house in France and there it has stayed.
I lived in a caravan for 5 years so i dont mind them.
I have had very good family holidays in a caravan.
Do it Simon you know you want to.

I tow with a Freelander 2 diesel. We get around 29mpg out of it, compared with 35 solo. Used to tow with an A4 estate before and got worse fuel economy, I’m assuming the FL2 is punching a bigger hole in the air already than the A4 used to so the FL2 doesn’t notice the air resistance from the caravan(if that makes sense).

The thing I have really noticed with the new one is the smoothness of the journey. It has shock absorbers on and Alko ATC which stops swaying and potential snaking.

Before choosing a caravan have a really good look around, even go to a show (there is one at the NEC next week I think), rather than just some local dealers.

The other thing we’ve had on this caravan is a motor mover, 1500kg of caravan is not the easy to push when 2 kids are running around!

Can you not get the kids to help push the van? They won’t add much but they might not be running about.. we used to help with that 🙂

They will help, but it’s still a heavy caravan for 2 adults to move. It’s ok on the flat but anything uphill is difficult. It just makes it easier and quicker to move and set up on site.

To be honest our 4yr old is getting helpful, she’ll hold an awning pole or bring pegs out, go with me to get the water etc. Our 2yr old just wants to explore and runn about, just because she is excited about being in the caravan.

If they had done the 525 layout in a Pegasus we’d probably have had one, but we like the olympus, I wouldn’t swap it now!

‘is this some game or banter which i cannot understand? Why is Surf-Mat being such a nob-end? He goes on about how great hotels are then gets all narky when someone else has stayed in a hotel.

Lol!

i’m coming round to the idea of a caravan too – we’ve always camped but with a 2 year old and a new one (baby not replacement 2 year old) due at Christmas, the added comfort and potential to hook up and go does appeal. problem is i dont really know what the options are so dont know what i want. are there standard layouts? or does each manufacturer have their own quirks? i think the potential to put the babies to bed and for adults to stay up is prime consideration.
also, do people use the shower and toilet facilities onboard? being used to camping, i can see the undoubted appeal in not having to make the 3am trip to the site facilities, but surely for everything else, the onboard facilities are surely no match for brick and mortar equivalent??

work out the cost over ten years, include depreciation, storage, etc.

then consider the alternative holiday options u could have for the same cash and how much less hassle it would be

I reckon it’s only a matter of time before I succumb to one. They make a lot of sense, and if you can get one at the bargain basement end, I can’t see how you can lose money.

OMG Caravans FFS

Anyone considering a caravan without very good excuse really has given up on excitement in their lives and settled for beige

TJ – I’m inclined to agree with you, sadly.

Molgrips, we tow with a Hyundai Santa Fe (new shape) diesel auto. Get about 35mpg solo and 25mpg towing (though that’s with 4 bikes on the roof). First towcar was a Saab 95 estate petrol auto. 15mpg towing was not fun at all, and we quickly swapped for a diesel.

Petrieboy, best way to look at all the layouts from the manufacturers is to visit a show. It’s a eye opening experience, and you’ll likely be the youngest there (don’t take kids). Our kids use the onboard loo at night but site facilities the rest of the time, though some campsites don’t have any facilities at all (pretty rare). Some caravans (like ours) have bigger bathrooms which are pretty usable.

work out the cost over ten years, include depreciation, storage, etc.

then consider the alternative holiday options u could have for the same cash and how much less hassle it would be

Good idea!
I bought it for 4000 pounds, it depreciates by about 500 pounds a year, it cost me £230 a year for storage.

so, lets say £750/. So PL what holiday alterantives do you have for me and the family, 2 kids for £750 a year?

tell you what you can add on a few extra quid for pitch fees if you like.

Mind you, remember you need to book at peak time, and we get at least 2 weeks in the summer, a few days at Easter, and a good few weekends throughout they year.

Tell me what holiday options could i have for the same cash? ‘cos you’re right i could do without that whole hour’s hassle each time. It’s nearly as bad as waiting at the airport for ages, then queueing up and messing about with washbags and computers. Then queueing up at passport control.

‘is this some game or banter which i cannot understand? Why is Surf-Mat being such a nob-end? He goes on about how great hotels are then gets all narky when someone else has stayed in a hotel.

Who rattled your cage? Where did I get narky? Just having a laugh. Now back to school young man.

I checked out Airstreams the other day – they start at £45k – YIKES!!

TJ, we only got one as when we went camping when our daughter was young we couldn’t keep her warm or dry as the weather was terrible, we bought one the following weekend.

The shows are worth going to, although they don’t seem to have as many good deals at the shows as they used to. Also remember if you are buying a new van you will need to order soon to avoid the VAT increase in January.

I’m with chesirecat on the toilet front as well, night time only usage. We have used the shower in the caravan a couple of times, quite spacious and lovely and warm.