I just changed my company vehicle and found that it shouldn’t have been insured in my name previously, so have a full 9 years NCB that I am indanger of loosing since I can’t apply it. I was planning on getting a little, cheap, Suzuki Jeep just to keep it active and “incase we need it” in the Cumbrian winters.

However… I just started thinking perhaps a camper would be a better choice as we could use it a lot more, and it is something we have talked about doing “eventually” anyway.

We need 4 – 5 berths, depending on how negotiations go north of the border (long story), but could always have a drive away awning/tow a small caravan if needs be. I know absolutely NOTHING about this subject so looking for some suggestions to get me started really! It will be a finance job so I don’t have a target price in mind at the moment, it will come down to how much repayments are really! It will also be very second hand 😉

Pictures and waxing lyrically about your chosen house on wheels most welcome! The kids are 5,4 and 3 (the 5 year old doesn’t live with us so most weekends it would be the two wee boys and us only).

Ta

Coach built tend to be cheaper and more likely to get 5 berth I’d of thought. It will be pretty big for nipping to the shops in though.

If you want something for a family – coachbuilt all the way. If you can find it, German built and you wont go far wrong

Hobby
Hymer
Knaus

As above – anything T5 California-esque is going to be waaaay too small for a family of 5 unless you want to be putting an awning up every time you want a night away and some poor sod is going to have to kip in the awning vs the relative comfort of being in the van.

NCB is often good/accepted upto two years old so, this decision shouldn’t be urgent.

Not played with a van conversion but hired a coach built for my 30th and honeymoon. Surprised how easy they are to drive/manoeuvre. Never had an issue in the Alps, Lake Gada (some very night/narrow stuff) or the Lakes.

The space was ace, made relaxing a joy. Re-call a snowy ride in the Lakes. Came back to the van, damp kit off and a quick hot shower while a cake warmed in the oven. VW camper next to us in same cold/muddy state and he didn’t seem to be having as much fun as us.

It depends on how comfortable you want to be and how much you like camping.

Van conversions are small. No matter what someone will tell you they are cramped. It’s camping, and everything that entails, but with a warm and comfy bed off the ground. If you already “tent” then it’s a step up in comfort.

Coach built motor homes are a step up in size and comfort. But still small. They just have more caravan appliances and fittings. You need to go big to get enough berths. Then you start to get restricted with where you can park them.

Awnings are essential for both. But you then have to decide how strong structurally you want it. Something to keep the rain off or proper useable space that’s weather proof. The bigger the awning the more hassle it is to be able to drive away.

It depends how you want to use it and how you want to holiday. If you’re moving about a lot then a smaller van is better than a big motor home. If you go to one place and stay put then a caravan is the better choice. You set up and then you have a car to get about in.

Do you camp? How do you want to use it?

Good idea to start by visiting a show, should give you a better idea as to what you want out of one

http://www.caravancampingmotorhomeshow.co.uk/?gclid=CjwKEAiA58a1BRDw6Jan_PLapw8SJABJz-ZWay9AxfPQTBTUZvBj4b6YDuvgph2YvMkCxzY-nT1skRoCOV_w_wcB

We went with a view to getting a good idea for a second hand one and impulse bought a new one. Should have had one years ago

5 might be a pita for a motorhome as you need 5 belted seats….

For 4 belted seats see autosleeper Nuevo es (full facilities, 5.8m 4 sleeper, about as small as 4 seater with full facs goes)

mototorhome – slow drive/bad mpg+parking/need to pack to drive/can wild camp/imho not usable all the time but needs taxed/insured/serviced
caravan – alleviates some driving/mpg/parking issues once it is sited/less tax etc issues
camper van – better drive/mpg/parking – much more limited facilities/space

Consider your usage – if you’ll go somewhere, stay and do local area – caravan sounds a lot better, but you can’t wild camp.

what facilities do you NEED – toilet/tv/cooker/oven/microwave/shower/real beds … etc

what parking facilities do you have to keep it

maybe try hiring before buying

edit – tracey – does that have the roof bed (we have an autosleeper Nuevo ek, Nuevo Ek and really like it, has everything, liveable for 6 weeks at a time, and gets everywhere,however having a ready made just appear bed is about the 1 major improvement I can think of)

At the moment we camp, but not as much as I used to/would like to. I tend to like pretty wild places which also tend to be pretty wet so we were thinking of getting something to allow us to dry out/warm up and chill when the weather comes in.

The smaller van conversion idea appeals more for days out by the sea and weekend adventures… but I suppose there is no reason why a larger coach built vehicle couldn’t be used in that way (so long as it wasn’t too big!) but would be a lot better for a fortnight in Cornwall/Orkney/West Highlands/Snowdonia etc.

Sounds like bigger is better though! Perhaps not one of the things the size of a mobile library van though 😉

Hire a few for weekend fun to get an idea of the layout you like. Nothing like using it to get a feel for what works for you.

Sleeps five, double above the garage at the back, double that lowers down from the roof and a single when you drop the table. Its the Welcome 718EB

Towzer – parking facilities, I have 2 driveways here. The lower one would park 3 cars if I modified the gate (which is planned), the top one would probably get a van like Traceys and 2 cars on it if we planned where everything was going! We had friends staying in a converted Mercedes horse box on the bottom drive for 10 days recently and that fitted fine! Wouldn’t have been able to get the motorbike out the garage though 😉

What we need though… I don’t really know! I suppose with the kids in tow we would want a little more in the way of comfort and luxuries than if it were just the two of us.

We had considered a caravan – my Vito would tow one no problem (work van so not able to convert that!) and considered a van conversion + caravan as another option – so the van could be used for weekends away and the caravan for longer trips where we are staying put.

Tracey – I think it was seeing yours a few weeks/months back on here that started me thinking about coach built. Looks lovely!

Our van (T5, other’s are available) has a R&R bed, removable tables and rotating seats, along with an Eberspacher heater. We use it for trips of one night or so, or stuff like climbimg trips when we may be going to harder to get to places or several different places over a few days depending on weather, that sort of thing.
We now have a caravan for longer trips, maybe in rubbis has weather or where we aren’t quite so ‘active’, or when we want one main base to operate from.
Tow it with the van, gives us the best of both worlds, although if we hadn’t already got the van when we bought the caravan I’d probably have the caravan with a car or 4×4 to tow it and use B&B for the odd nights away as the van is getting slept in less and less. We probably use it more for staying with friends or family if they dont have a spare bedroom, just kip in their drives!

Seems like an Incredibly expensive way of keeping ncb active.

some more learnings

Understand fresh and waste water capacities and insulated and heated (our van is winterised so has insulated tanks and tank heaters in both is wi try use)
You need to drain motor homes and caravans in winter to protect plumbing
Also gas capacity or gaslow(tank you fill with auto gas at somefuel stations)
Check ferry and continental toll rates vs length if applicable
Extra leisure battery/solar panel for longer unplugged periods
If you leave them sitting tyres can sun corrode and flat spot
Blinds that pull up from bottom on windows are more practical -can partially close to get changed etc
You get folding pans/kettles etc now -rattle free packing is essential
Beware 3.0 etc tonne bridge limits and heights/widths
External gas bbq point really handy – we carry a cadac safari small portable so can cook out of van
Check ease of making beds
With a caravan you can nearly double space and give kids a separate bedroom with a full size tent extension- my mate does that for dogs
Reversing cameras really help

We have a converted LWB T5.1 and its fine with 2 of us. I can’t imagine how awful it’d be with 5 people. If you have he space to keep it when not using it, then I’d seriously consider something purpose built.

trail_rat – the camper option isn’t *just* to keep the NCB alive. That was the cheap 4×4 idea for about a grand! This is more a way to kill 2 birds with 1 stone, but is still very much in the “thinking about it as an option” stage!

Think we will have to go to the show this year and have a look, perhaps hire something for a weekend and see where we go from there.

There are a quite a few standard van conversions with 4 berths. If you get one with read door opening as well as the side door, you’ll find them much airier and pleasant in summer: coachbuilt can yurn into ovens.
Vans are also somewhat easier to manoeuvre (Sp), and can be up to 6.3m long for Ducato / Boxer versions.
Towzer’s advice is sptt-on.

As far as vans go, I like the way that this has been done and the way the space is used well.
http://www.caravanas-cruz.com/benimar_es_99_Benivan_110.htm

https://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/shows/show/the-great-yorkshire-motorhome-sale
Quite a few dealers over the Richmond way if you are in the Lakes or Dumfries caravans/motorhomes.

Swapping my 6 berth Caravan for one of these very soon 😆
http://motorhomes.autotrader.co.uk/used-motorhomes/roller-team/auto-roller
707 / ’15 model. 4 grand kids to accommodate for weekends and holidays

Tracey – unless I am misremembering names, did you ACTUALLY buy your daughter her own motorhome 😯

That Auto Roller is epic!

We are lakes based, and started our research with a tour of 3 or 4 large dealers round Preston. This is a good way of understanding layouts, sizes, storage etc. We ended up with a 2006 5 berth coach built Adria, with 6 belted seats and rear kitchen. Had it 3 years now, and it’s great. Kids are now 8 and 6 and love it, 2 weeks in France every summer plus weekends/ half terms etc in this country. Easy to pack up and drive away for day at the beach etc. Absolutely no regrets.

We’ve just parted company with our Elddis Autotrail 180 – 6 berths and 6 seats with belts which is unusual. The Autotrail is a budget brand. Limited water/waste capacity but a decent usable payload – watch out for this as the rules have changed to allow Mfrs to quote weights with a +/- 5% margin. Biggest downside was length at 7.2 metres but apart from that easy to drive. We did 10,000 miles in 2 years of fun mostly abroad. However, I wouldn’t have another as the layout wasn’t optimal – try plenty – hire as has been suggested and go and kick tyres.

Really good idea to hire first to see if it works, and what sort of van needed. I know someone who switched from having a caravan and bought a £40k motor home and sold it after the first trip.

Also keep it simple. Lots of gadgets fitted these days and it’s just more stuff to go wrong. I’m just about to downsize from my MWB Sprinter to a Traffic based conversion and I emptied my Sprinter at the weekend to start prepping it for sale and couldn’t believe the amount of crap I took out. WTF am I doing with 5 pairs of trousers in there. 4 saucepans?!!!

And I hate TVs in camper vans. One of the things I get in my van to get away from 😀

I’ve been in 2 so far both hired and both based on similar floor plans
[url=https://flic.kr/p/s8bFSb]And the adventures begin[/url] by Mike Smith, on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/saFwQi]Ready[/url] by Mike Smith, on Flickr
First one was a bit older and everything squeaked and rattled as you drove.
The second one in the pics above squeaked and rattled…

Been in my mates Van based one and lot was a lot better so not sure how much of that is down to build quality or not having the coach built bit stuck on.

Space wise they are not that spacious 😉 With 2 in it feels a little cramped if the weather is bad so I’d agree the awning is key as the extra space will be worth it with a family, you could also chuck a tent in for those days when you want more space.

Driving isn’t too bad if you’ve driven bigger things before. There were a group of 6 odd motorhome owners who stood and looked shocked as I backed it into the camp spot with no help of random flappy handed directions and were amazed that it was possible – much easier than a tractor and grain trailer to reverse!
Happily got it up to 70mph on good roads and it drove well and didn’t feel too bad at that though driving over some very high bridges as a massive storm came in wasn’t quite as nice.

Fuel wise they do drink a little…

Hiring first and giving it a proper go is key, agree with not having everything in one but if you have the space you can pack and go for a weekend of something and be prepared for anything.

“First one was a bit older and everything squeaked and rattled as you drove.
The second one in the pics above squeaked and rattled…”

This….. The oven rattled , the fridge rattled , the plates rattled on thier holders , the woodwork squeeked , the cutlery rattled.

I always wanted a camper , i hired one and have been away with a few mates in theirs…. The only one that hasnt been a noisy bag of crap was a hymer based on a 3.5 tonne truck, clearly its the keeping the weight down that cripples the build quality.

“First one was a bit older and everything squeaked and rattled as you drove.
The second one in the pics above squeaked and rattled…”

This….. The oven rattled , the fridge rattled , the plates rattled on thier holders , the woodwork squeeked , the cutlery rattled.

That’s why you get a caravan, can’t hear the rattles 🙂

Need to empty a ton of rubbish out my folks van, I refuse to drag a telly and other rubbish about that we never use.

I have three children and I went the caravan route. I’m not after luxury as in my heart I am still a camper. I find this worries well, either we load up for the big holiday with all the toys or we go light for weekends away.

Mattbee has a good point, a caravan with a van with rocknroll bed is a great combination, it also means you don’t need to oversize the caravan because of the additional space in the van.

To sleep five you are going to need an alcove type camper. The other types can only sleep four. We’ve just bought a Sunlight camper which is a subsidiary of Hymer/Dethleffs and is a bit more budget orientated and aimed at the younger market. We tried it out for a skiing holiday over xmas and for the six of us it was quite cramped especially compared with our old 10m long caravan but we figure that we’ll spend most of the time outside when the weather gets warmer.

Look for a camper with a ‘garage’ at the back as tou will need the storage space. Ours has the winter package so it has an insulated waste water tank but I just opened the outlet at the bottom of the tank and put a bucket under it and emptied it daily.

The main reason we sold the caravan for it is because we do a lot of mileage for our holidays (south Europe) and the fact I can drive 130kmh instead of 100.
null[url=http://www.sunlight.de/en]website[/url]

Bought ours before last winter, and it’s in use every month all over the north of Scotland. I’d struggle to think of a better way to get around with a couple of kids and all the ‘stuff’ for up to a couple of weeks at a time.

Ours is a Rollerteam 746, so is a 6 berth: large double over the cab and another at the back (used as a U-shaped lounge during the day and a final smaller double in the middle (used as a dining table during the day). Solar panel to recharge the leisure battery, Webasto heater and a TV/DVD player for keeping the kids amused if the weather turns foul.