Disabled caravanning

[Andrew_5093837]

Hi all.

Think i did this a few months ago but cant find it so ill do it again .

Iam a wheelchair user but can walk a few steps with elbow crutches , and really want a caravan as this would be cheap holidays for me and my wife (kids are 17 so they dont want to come with mom and dad) , any way ive been looking around and unless i spend almost £19,000 to buy a disabled caravan i cant put that much together.

So iam looking at a £1,000 to £3,000 second hand caravan and have been reading the magazines but what puts my wife off is

A.... iam disabled

B.... What will people say as heres a man who is disabled but going and using a caravan .

C.... where we going to store it ( sorted this out already )

D....How you going to get the legs down ( she will have to do that bit ) and put any awnings .

Now just because i am disabled does not mean i still cant live life and the van i will be using is a brand new mercedes sprinter 2ltr diesal auto so it should be alright with most of the 4 berth caravans , now i think a standard layout where the front seats make a double bed but wife wants a ready made bed and costs more thanwhat i can afford , theres pros and cons , so can any one advise me what should i look for as a beginner and if there are any aids to help me with caravanning.

Andrew

 

[Rabfaetheblae]

Hi Andrew

I wouldnt worry about what other people think, so long as you and the wife enjoy yourself, as for putting the legs up and down you can get a socket attachment for a cordless drill which make doing that easy, i think you may be struggling to get a wheelchair inside but if your good to walk a little bit you should be fine and get a cover or keep your chair in the car when not in use,a mover would allso be an advantage to fit and would let you position the van at a touch of a button,

there are heeps of helpfull folks on here that will give you heeps of good info.

Regards Rab.

 

[Surfer]

I have to use elbow crutches most of the time and I still enjoy the caravan. I could help my wife with the awning to a degree but she had to do all the ferrying of clean and waste water. We are now on a seasonal site more or less permanently as in addition to RA I am really starting to suffer with my back.

 

[LadyC]

Hi Andrew! I can empathize with how you feel about this as my OH is disabled.I got round the bed issue by looking at an end dinette model which can be left up as a bed for duration of use. This type of van may be more inline with your budget.I usually put up the awning but found a full size too much so I now use a mega porch(3/4 size of full) which is easiler for week+ hols.There is ample room in this to store w/chair or mobility scooter.For wk/ends I use a lightweight PDQ type awning with fibreglass rods which are easy to erect.

For the legs,I do as suggested before,use an 18v cordless drill with bit adapter.A motor mover is a god send and worth the investment.

My OH got our son to fix a "towbar" to the back of his mobility scooter which eases the task of water carrying and waste disposal.Also we have a fishing tolley which is ideal for carrying the toilet cassette as you can strap it down with bungie cords which again can be "towed".

We have just had fitted an electric step which takes you up to c/van floor level but again can be a bit expensive.

I dont know whether you have explored this,but if you are a blue badge holder and in reciept of high rate DLA,then you could get vat exemption on buying your van.Caravans are classed as leisure vehicles like motorhomes and are subject to exemption.You could also get help with modifications too.

As for what other people think,dont worry! I have not come across any of this yet and we have been vanning for a few years now.In fact people tend to be very helpful and friendly.

Hope this helps....Chris

 

[Guest]

You state you are a wheelchair user and can only manage a few steps. That is not a big issue with repsect to caravanning and I would suggest instead of the wheelchair, get a folding motor scooter. I saw a couple with one in France and he was like you, only able to move a few steps. However, he sat on his scooter and zoomed all over the site. As it folded it was able to pack away in the back of his estate car. He zoomed into the awning and swopped to a normal chair.

I also assume you can drive, as he could. Yes, his wife had to do a lot of the chores but she was very capable, plus as he and she had made many friends there was always someone willing to offer assistance. He fitted a mover to the van so there was no pushing involved and of course a cordless drill made putting the legs up and down easy. She had to do the fetching and carrying of water and waste unfortunately. We met them at the Spanish/French border and they were a lovely couple. They drove all the way back to Calais, stopping for a few nights on the way, and were then off to the South West for a few weeks. They hit Spain every year so the world is out there.

So, yes it can be done but I would ensure your wife is comfortable with it, as obviously she has to do a lot of the running about. If you already have friends with caravans then it would be a good idea to join up with them at the start, just till you get the hang of everything and feel happy to 'go alone'.

Where I do have concerns is the budget you are suggesting for the van. Yes, you can get a van at these prices but I would be concerned that you did not end up with somebody else's misery as it will certainly be a good few years old. Others may disagree but you will have to search hard to find a real 'good 'un'. The other possibility I would suggest, and again others may disagree, is to look at a continental caravan with the door on the offside. Why? because it will be cheaper for the same year just because of the door and they are usually cheaper new, but as the owner of one I can assure you it makes no difference. You get more van for your bucks. The only downside you may find is the washrooms can be smaller compared with UK vans as the Europeans are not so concerned with spending lots of time in there, and they use the site facilities. With your disability I am not sure that even a van with a UK full width washroom would be really suitable, as the shower is still small. The Loos are the same size whatever the van.

Obviously as you are loking at a 2nd hand van there are only going to be so many modifications you can make to make life easier for yourself. You can fit strong handles to the outside door so you can get in, but the door width will be fixed. It can be changed but will be costly. You can also fit handles inside if these will help you getting in and out of bed but be careful you fix them to a strong bit of the van. An awning will also give you more space to store the bits and pieces you will need. The couple mentioned above had a full awning and again as mentioned, this was put up and down by many willing helpers on site. However a lightweight awning may be better if you want to try it alone.

The one advantage you have is the Sprinter will take a lot of the 'bits and bobs' you will be carrying so leaving the van free and accesible on journeys.

I am sure you are already perusing the small ads, but it may be better to go to a dealer just to get some form of warranty.

Without making any suggestions the following ad may be of interest as it has a large fixed bed and large front lounge area.

http://www.practicalcaravan.com/forsale/used-caravans/bicester-caravan-and-leisure/cristall-samoa-450-tf/dec10
It is dearer than your budget yes, but has a good warranty. I am sure there are others but I pointed this out merely to support the comment about EU vans being cheaper for the age.

 

[Steve L]

Hi Andrew.

I'm 100% certain that you will find fellow caravanners only too willing to help especially if you join one of the clubs and caravan with their disabled groups.

What about going for a 5 berth van and leaving the rear dinette bed made up. That way you should be able to find a van in your budget. As for an awning, what about having a windout awning permanently fixed to the side of the van. You can get these with zip on sides which might help with assembly.

You might find a standard van too narrow to allow your chair in the van. You say you can manage for a limited time on sticks, would you for instance be ok to move around in the van. As for access, there are a couple of options. I have used a fold out ramp from a London taxi in the past (I worked at the company who made the ramps for LTI taxis). Or perhaps a wheeled intustrial pump up platform might get you to the level of the step enableing you to access the van via the standard door.

Without actually assessing your predicament first hand it is hard to offer 100% effective solutions but in general (and i'm sure i'm teaching you to suck eggs), it's all about thinking outside the box.

I have to do that myself as I suffer arthritis from the waist up. I've been told I have the joints of an eighty yearold, very comforting when your 30 years premature to that. I've found that I can do up clamp screws on the awning with a long handled paint roller minus the roller. Using a battery drill on slow speed to get the final tension is adequate for the steadies, my wife does that one and she has knee probs and is only 5ft tall.

I've adapted a scooter for others so that they can tow the wastemaster and aqua roll to the water point, so that weighty job becomes easier. The only heavyweight job is the loo, but by only half filling the waste you can lighten the load there.

I hope I've given you and your wife some food for thought, and if there is any further advise you would like, please feel welcome to ask away.

All the best.

Steve L.