Motor homes

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

A general point for this thread about owning one - about knowing where you’ll keep it.

One couple on our narrow town road with terraced houses set not far back from the pavement, and where there is very limited parking and it’s all ‘on street’, have a quite large motorhome…and they park it on the road wherever they can find to park it. Given its size (and height) and that it can be parked for quite lengthy periods in the same place on the road, that can be a bit problematical for their neighbours.

In the road we all accept that we have to shuffle our cars around and that we won’t always be parked outside our house, but when the motor home is parked outside your door for weeks on end…and it’s all you can see looking out your front room window…?

 

[patricks148]

Rather than start a new thread......

Has anyone got experience of a VW California, planning on getting one for weekends away etc.
Seems like it will be decent for daily use as well.
I'm not really wanting to go the conversion route of a Transporter.

My mate Doyley has one. It's lovely, but again the cost is eye watering.. saw one recently for sale new in Inverness it was £60k.

Still thinking about getting one, but the cost is just off putting erring on the side of a small caravan that way you still have a base and can use the car to get around.

 

[CliveW]

Would it not be cheaper to hire one?

 

[Oddsocks]

Nan and grandad had a few of the fiat Ducati versions, one based on a long wheel based 3.5t van which they loved but wished it was bigger. Upgraded to the more Luton style where there was a bed over the cab but as other highlighted once set up on site they would need to pack it up if driving around, then when they’d return to a site the good pitches had gone. Then ended up with a 4b caravan as found it gave them more flexibility.

The storage issue was massively increased with the Luton body shape for the reasons someone listed as people would often complain.

I’d Google motorhome hire and try a few different versions , we got a quote on a Luton style version for a week to go to France in sept and it was about £400

 

[KenL]

My retired mate's got one. He's been on some fantastic 6 week jaunts round Europe.
His is a Chausson (sp?) based on a transit with a 170hp engine.
Think he is on a MH forum, might be worth asking there.

 

[pendodave]

Would it not be cheaper to hire one?

This was also my first inclination.
I've hiked, ski toured and cycle toured, and after every trip my thoughts about the best way to do it next time have changed in all sorts of unexpected ways.
Plus capital outlay, maintenance and storage...

 

[larmen]

What kind of driving license do you have?

My brother and his wife have a Detlef motor home that is marketed at 3.5t marker. He can drive it any time as he has licenses for anything that moves on land.
She can drive it on the way home from holidays when the water tank and fridge are empty and the weight actually drops below the weight for her B license.

There was a documentary an German TV where the traffic police stopped and weighed camper and and caravans, 2 in 3 where overweight and had to empty water tanks or leave boxes of food/wine behind to carry on.

 

[bobmac]

One downside of owning a motorhome and keeping it on your drive is when you go on holiday, everyone knows you're away and might rob you.