Caravan / Motorhome ratio

[ricky_s]

We had our first trip in our new (to us) caravan over the weekend and stayed at the CAMC Brighton site.

The site was completely full over the weekend and we enjoyed our stay.

We last had a caravan in about 2018 but it looks like the majority of fellow campers these days are in some sort of motorhome. Couldn't have been more than 20 caravans on the site.

 

[otherclive]

That’s been a noticeable trend over a few years now.

 

[PTA]

very noticeable at the NEC this year. More motorhomes than caravans on show.

 

[Mr Plodd]

A new motorhome is a VERY costly item. For the same money you can buy a new caravan and a new towcar.
There are fores and against for both. I have had both and coukd spend 30 minutes convincing you a motorhome is the only sensible choice, and the next half an hour convincing you you should have a caravan!
Same sort of holiday, taken in slightly different ways.

 

[Mel]

Motor homes do seem to be in the ascendency. One of the You tube channels that I watch is The Caravan Place where you get the views of a slightly hyperactive guy who owns and runs two sites selling mainly second hand Caravans and a few motor homes. His view in a recent blog was that used caravan prices were now dropping significantly. He thought that this was due to a much larger supply of new caravans driving prices down across the market. Motor homes on the other hand were still holding their price and demand continued to be high in spite of the cost of living crisis and money in short supply.
I don’t know if he is right but given that he is running an expanding business, I would think his views have some validity.
Mel

 

[GaryB]

We’re at York at the minute & caravans outnumber motorhomes, probably a 3:2 ratio, this time last year also at Brighton the ratio was reversed.

 

[ProfJohnL]

I don't think you can just take the evidence of one holiday site as a reliable barometer for the ratio across the UK.

The touring caravan market has been quite volatile over the last 60 years, and I suspect there are many factors that will affect the buying publics choices.

 

[littlebasher]

I don’t know if he is right but given that he is running an expanding business, I would think his views have some validity.

In the main i concur, but he loses creditability after suggesting buying a dodgy Ebay LPG adapter for refilling Calor propane bottles.

 

[izzy]

We have had both and changed back to a caravan because of OHs mobility issues.
I have noticed a lot less of the dedicated MHs and more of the van conversions on the more remote sites.
This could be due to being a bit tied to the location of the van as we felt that we were, so limiting our scope.

A caravan for us is infinitely more practical and cost effective and we have 2 sets of friends who are selling MHs for the same reasons (everybody gets old)
Everyone is different, I just wish someone would come up with a silent sliding van door

 

[Milkfloat]

Do people think there is a seasonal bias? My impression is that during winter there the ratio is very much in the motorhome favour, but in summer there are more caravans.

 

[Mr Plodd]

I just wish someone would come up with a silent sliding van door

Ah yes the dreaded "Whooooosh bang" Usually right alongside you at about 3 am!

Estate cars have electrically operated tailgates, so it's not beyond human ingenuity to devise a similar device for Panel Van Conversion surely?

 

[GaryB]

Do people think there is a seasonal bias? My impression is that during winter there the ratio is very much in the motorhome favour, but in summer there are more caravans.

Definitely. We see more motorhomes when we’re away October and February half term than other times.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Do people think there is a seasonal bias? My impression is that during winter there the ratio is very much in the motorhome favour, but in summer there are more caravans.

Yes I think there probably is, and I believe its down to a number of factors,

Motorhomes tend to be almost twice as expensive than caravans, so they will tend to be purchased by those with greater amounts of disposable income. Generally people with more disposable incomes tend to fewer children to pay for.

Families need space, and in motorhomes that something in short supply. Families are more inclined to go for a caravan.

Then there's the holiday factor, where people with families are generally more tied to school holidays, Holidays also need a considerable amount of planning which with a family can involve a lot of work. Imagine a winter break in motorhome, which because of the weather the kids cant go outside as much. - talk about cabin fever.

So I am certain that motor homers feel they are more able to take more winter breaks than caravanners.

And before anyone tries to make a mountain out of a mole hill relating to any of my comments I'm not taking sides for or against motor homer's or caravanner's.

 

[izzy]

I agree with all of the above but would also add that maybe some motorhomers or indeed caravanners may feel that if they are not using them at every available opportunity then they are not getting a good return on a considerable investment. Which I suppose is not a bad way of thinking

 

[otherclive]

I agree with all of the above but would also add that maybe some motorhomers or indeed caravanners may feel that if they are not using them at every available opportunity then they are not getting a good return on a considerable investment. Which I suppose is not a bad way of thinking

That was why we sold everything in 2014, started again in 2017, then finally acquiesced and succumbed to reality in 2021. ☹️

 

[Dustydog]

That was why we sold everything in 2014, started again in 2017, then finally acquiesced and succumbed to reality in 2021. ☹️

Three year itch now? A new one for 2024😁

 

[otherclive]

Three year itch now? A new one for 2024😁

Funny you should bring that topic up. We both miss our caravan as it is totally different to renting cottages, statics or going to hotels. It gave us access to nice places and was our home from home. My wife has been mentioning a camper but quite honestly I think one would be too small for use in less than clement weather. But a panel van motorhome at 3500 kg max could be an option. One that wouldn’t be likely to suffer damp, cracked panels etc. and at my age self contained. We are booked for Scotland and looking at Malta too. I’ve got some further medical checks a la KC3 so would not be rushing into such a major acquisition as the purchase cost and running costs would buy a lot of other options for getaways.

 

[Raywood]

The sales of motor homes has I am told passed that of caravans. There seems to be a lot of programmes on TV promoting them which might explain some of it. Personally we cannot understand why this is as caravans seem far more flexible to us but this is a personal preference.

 

[trevormonty]

Talked to few campers that have had both types of vehicles. One couple went from, caravans to MH and recently back to caravan.

One of biggest hassles with caravan is external water tanks. Fitting internal tanks overcomes this. Some of large euro caravans have 100-200L tanks and payload capacity to drive with them full. For UK vans it's case of fulling up on site and emptying on way out. Still easier than mucking around with external tanks. For extended stays going need a way to topup and empty without moving caravan.

 

[Buckman]

Talked to few campers that have had both types of vehicles. One couple went from, caravans to MH and recently back to caravan.

One of biggest hassles with caravan is external water tanks. Fitting internal tanks overcomes this. Some of large euro caravans have 100-200L tanks and payload capacity to drive with them full. For UK vans it's case of fulling up on site and emptying on way out. Still easier than mucking around with external tanks. For extended stays going need a way to topup and empty without moving caravan.

With many of those with onboard tanks the onboard tank is also used to flush the loo which is a bit of a pain at times. We carry a 5 litre bottle of water in the bathroom to overcome this issue as you do not want to be travelling with water in the onboard tank..

 

[Dustydog]

This article focuses the mind and answers a few of our points.

The status of the caravan industry now and for 2023

Thanks to successive rounds of lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic and the foreign travel restrictions that followed, the caravan industry in the UK has benefitted from unprecedented levels of demand. Hot on the heels of the

www.cover4caravans.co.uk

We have been contemplating replacing the old caravan with a motorhome. The stumbling block is the thought of splashing out tens of thousands of pounds on something that arguably will not be as comfortable as the caravan. The caravan has passed her latest
service and “MOT” . So apart from the usual running repairs she’s good for another 12 months use. She’s 16 in November 🙀🥰
Our present thought is when the time comes and we feel the need for a tour of the Highlands we will hire a motorhome. And there are plenty of holiday cottages and air b&bs.
For now caravanning remains firmly entrenched in our life style.😎

 

[otherclive]

Interesting article, but with the forecast looking into 2023, I wonder how it looks now? If the forecasts for growth in leisure vehicle staycations is accurate this would put pressure on site facilities which may get even more expensive unless more are opened.

Swifts venture into the campervan market would also indicate that they see growth in that area too.

The cost of cottages has risen icw the growth in staycations. We paid £1200 for two weeks in Northumberland last year, and the same for a static in Scotland this June.

 

[RogerL]

Part of the caravan vs motorhome decision depends on one's attitude to driving, especially when going out for the day on holiday - if like me you enjoy driving in a comfortable, sporty car then going out for the day in a motorhome is never going to hack it - but if driving is a chore and simply a means of getting from A to B, then a motorhome and a pedal cycle is probably the best way.

I've thought about switching many, many times in my 4 decades of caravanning and always concluded that the only way I could make motorhoming work would be to tow a "nice" car on a trailer in which case sticking with a "nice" car towing a caravan makes more sense, for me.

 

[Buckman]

Interesting article, but with the forecast looking into 2023, I wonder how it looks now? If the forecasts for growth in leisure vehicle staycations is accurate this would put pressure on site facilities which may get even more expensive unless more are opened.

Swifts venture into the campervan market would also indicate that they see growth in that area too.

The cost of cottages has risen icw the growth in staycations. We paid £1200 for two weeks in Northumberland last year, and the same for a static in Scotland this June.

It seems that sales may be dropping as Elddis are laying off 190 workers, but with the cost of some caravans being more than the cost of some brand new small cars.

 

[Raywood]

Eldiss are putting the problem down to parts supplies including chassis and say they can sell all they would build if the parts were there. I suspect the chassis bit is for motorhomes, unless ALKO are short of caravan ones..