That’s what caravans are made for 🙂

Can’t stealth camp. Have to go slower. Can’t park on road when not in use. Three big problems.

We’ve been all over Scotland (especially the highlands and islands) with our C-class and never had an issue with the singletrack roads. You see plenty of trucks and buses on them, so my view has always been that if they’re ok on them then why shouldn’t we be (although I have so far avoided the Bealach na Ba with ours!). I’ve never had that rear brake locking issue either – not on my current one (which has twin wheels at the back which would help) or the previous one.

We’ve had a look at the van conversions and while some are quite neat they all seem pretty small (especially if carrying bikes) and expensive.

That’s what caravans are made for

Caravans are good if you’re the sort of person that pitches up for two weeks and doesn’t move the van in that time. We rarely stay in one place more than 2 or 3 nights so prefer the motorhome though. Also on the continent (particularly in France) there are lots of free or cheap Aire’s that take motorhomes but not caravans.

Our van has fixed beds and one thing I really like is when wild camping, or when travelling overnight and stopping for a sleep, is just how quickly you can be in bed!

The speed isn’t a big problem. It costs you an hour and a half on a trip to Scotland. So basically all day is still all day. As for wild camping – seems to be a bit of an unknown area legally as from what I can tell its governed by local byelaws.

But it does solve the two-van issue rather well. Swings and roundabouts.

Caravans are good if you’re the sort of person that pitches up for two weeks and doesn’t move the van in that time.

Not at all. We do single nights all the time. Never stayed anywhere for two weeks.

Also on the continent (particularly in France) there are lots of free or cheap Aire’s that take motorhomes but not caravans.

Unless that’s changed, there are still plenty of ones that take caravans because we stayed in aires all the time when I was a kid.

As for wild camping – seems to be a bit of an unknown area legally as from what I can tell its governed by local byelaws.

It’s probably less of an issue in rural Scotland than elsewhere in the UK but my view is that I’m happy to overnight anywhere there aren’t actually signs saying I can’t. Normally I’d only use layby’s set back the road though as they’re quieter.

On the continent there are several countries where wild camping in motorhomes is definitely legal.

If I had to have a VW camper, I guess I could probably slum it in one of these.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBDPRYjGZi4[/video]

Unless that’s changed, there are still plenty of ones that take caravans because we stayed in aires all the time when I was a kid.

We’re used Aire’s a fair bit this summer and didn’t see any caravans in any of the ones we used. Where there were prices there only seemed to be ones for motorhomes as well, and a lot do have signs saying “camping car only”. You can use the motorway Aire’s with a caravan though, if that’s what you meant.

I don’t care about legal aspects of wild camping what I care about is getting Hassel and getting away with it. Town or country. Not possible with a caravan. Speed does matter ime.

If you can run a caravan effectively well done but it would not work for the things I like to use a camper van for.

yeah you can drive em on singletrack roads just means you have to use the passing places alot more where a non coach built doesnt have to and given a majority of my driving is on this sort of road its an issue for me.

as for dual rear wheels – all well and good if you passed your test pre 97 but for me all they do is reduce payload. some of the coach builts under 3.5t are horrendously short of payload. some as low as 200kg.

i do agree with you on the stop and bed thing. or even the stop and cook thing. no need to move the bed out the way of the stove or fold down the seat and get the bedding out the box to get a kip.

it would not work for the things I like to use a camper van for.

I know, original comment was only half serious 🙂 Don’t want to get into another row 🙂

for the price of one of them VWs.

you could buy alot of fuel for one of these.

yeah you can drive em on singletrack roads just means you have to use the passing places alot more where a non coach built doesnt have to and given a majority of my driving is on this sort of road its an issue for me.

When I’m up there I’m never in enough of a hurry for it to matter!

as for dual rear wheels – all well and good if you passed your test pre 97 but for me all they do is reduce payload. some of the coach builts under 3.5t are horrendously short of payload. some as low as 200kg.

Our previous van was 3.5T and had a good payload however it was only a 2.0TDi and wasn’t a twin wheel, as well as being about a metre shorter than the current one. The current one is plated to over 3.5t (3.8t I think) so has a good payload but does mean my daughter would need to pass another test before driving it. Not that I see that as a downside…! I don’t think we can get the combination of stuff we need on 3.5t van (or at least the ones I’ve seen would have had no payload, especially if you drive with a full water tank like we do).

aye each have their merits , i probably use mine a bit more as a vehicle of non holiday purposes than most and when heading west as its a comfortable drive and makes for cheaper days/weekends out – West from my house takes me over glenshee,cabrach or the lecht

Don’t want to get into another row

Apologies if that came across arsey. Lack inclination ect of written word on mobile phone!

aye each have their merits , i probably use mine a bit more as a vehicle of non holiday purposes than most and when heading west as its a comfortable drive and makes for cheaper days/weekends out

I have seen folks use those smaller van based ones as day vans and I guess that is one advantage of them compared to a C-class. We don’t keep ours at home (in fact mine lives about 400 miles away from my main home these days) so don’t ever really use it as a day van, although we do for weekends sometimes.

West from my house takes me over glenshee,cabrach or the lecht

Nice – I’ve been all over those roads with ours. Even passed a few cars on the road south from Tomintoul in our C-class as I think the road scared some of the drivers.