Living in a caravan.

[Timothy_374244492]

Due to various reasons I might have an option to live in a tourer on a near perm basis(about 4 nights a week).

Does anyone think this is a possibility with the current crop of vans avaliable?

I'd be looking at using a 4 berth fixed bed approx 20' ish to give you an idea of space. Obviously i'd be needing one with a seperate shower cubicle but on the whole i'm struggling to see the problem with it?

Your thoughts?

 

[Diane1]

Are going to be towing it? If so what are you towing it with? For that lay out you will probably looking at a Twin Axle.

Believe me when i say, our tourer is more luxurious than my house, only diffence is the house has a dishwasher.

You also need to think about your gas because in the winter it freezes also is the van winterised and suitable for cold limates and weather. Other than that go for it!

 

[colin(bridgend)]

Are going to be towing it? If so what are you towing it with? For that lay out you will probably looking at a Twin Axle.

Believe me when i say, our tourer is more luxurious than my house, only diffence is the house has a dishwasher.

You also need to think about your gas because in the winter it freezes also is the van winterised and suitable for cold limates and weather. Other than that go for it!

Diane we have a portable dishwasher - ME

 

[Timothy_374244492]

Without trying to come across as pikey as it may seem but i have a choice of two cars for towing one being my pikey wagon a toyota hilux twin cab and the other being a Volvo V40.

I didnt realise gas bottles can freeze. Cna this be cured by just putting a insulating jacket round them?

As for is my van suitable? Well i have yet to buy it so if i'm, honest a couple of suggestions of what would be a good van to look at would be good.

 

[Colin_374311761]

Use Propane not Butane. Propane does not freeze. We are not on main gas at home, we have two large cylinders outside to run a gas hob and have never had a problem. Now water and waste is a problem in freezing conditions.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Like Colin said use Propane and some who stay on a site permanent use the larger Calor bottles to save bothering to keep changing them. If the site you are on stocks gas maybe you could order a bigger bottle. Your water would be the problem freezing but there are solutions to that.

 

[Diane1]

Oh and tim, A 4x4 pick up is not a Pikey wagon, A ford transit is. W e tow our caravan with a Nissan Navara D22! Now if you were going to tow it with a nicked Tar Macadam Lorry.........

Now to get back to your water freezing problem. Water hog Lagging bag with pump lagging

 

[Diane1]

PS propane will freeze, but at very much lower tempretures, so if you are going to the Artic - then it will need lagging . LOL

 

[Timothy_374244492]

Cheers for all the help so far.

I'm still just thinking out loud but after a bit of a search last night I'm struggling to find something spot on for my needs.

The bailey senetor 6 Wyoming looks just about perfect but a bit too pricey byt the time you add on the extra's like awning etc.

So i'm after suggestions.

Basic requirements are.

4 berth

Fixed bed or ability to have a double bed made up permanently.

Seperate decent sized shower cubicle(not round as i need the space)

And thats about it really.

 

[Diane1]

Then you will be looking at some of the top of the range models from the swift group. Bailys are ok but compared to our Abbey i find a huge difference in build quality.

We have an Abbey spectrum 540 2004 model which we picked up for

 

[Hamer_5041128]

Timothy,

You say you will be spending 4 nights a week in the caravan. Therefore for 3 nights and 3 days the caravan will be left unoccupied on site. Choose a site which will allow you to leave the mains electrics connected so that you can leave your heater running on mains while you are away. This will stop the caravan getting cold when the temperature drops and will stop condensation. My previous caravan was a Senator Wyomung which I owned for 3 years and used throughout 3 winters sometimes in temps of minus 5C. With always leaving the heating on we had no problems. An excellent caravan. If you buy a big twin axle you willno doubt , as with the Senator , get an inboard water tank.

You mention an awning. Is a full awning really necessary? You will not want to be erecting an awning on a weekly basis, especially in winter. If you leave a full awning up and you are not on site and it snows, the weight of the snow could seriously damage your awning and caravan. If you can manage with a "snow porch" you will have nothing to worry about. You can store things in the porch and if the temp is to drop below freezing, having filled your inboard water tank, you can put your aquaroll in th porch.Also before leaving your caravan for the 3 nights, fill your inboard water tank,so if the weather is bad on your return you have no worries.

Hamer

 

[Timothy_374244492]

I guess a quick clarification is needed. As i'm picturing it atm the awning would not be being used during my 'living in it' stages but would be for when I take it to race meetings(10 weekends a year) as the awning can be my garage for my race bike not to mention the obligatory holiday with the missus.

I'd looked at the wyoming as it seems to tick all the right boxes but it's a case of finding one for the right money.

 

[chrisn7]

Timothy

Neither butane nor propane is going to freeze in the UK. The freezing point of propane is -190C and that of Butane is -138C. What is of interest is their boiling points, since this is where gas is available to use, and these are -42C for propane, and -0.6C for butane. Hence the choice of propane in winter

 

[ValA.]

Timothy

Neither butane nor propane is going to freeze in the UK. The freezing point of propane is -190C and that of Butane is -138C. What is of interest is their boiling points, since this is where gas is available to use, and these are -42C for propane, and -0.6C for butane. Hence the choice of propane in winter

Are you sure? At Millenium New Year we stayed overnight in a friend's drive in our van, and the following morning there was a really heavy frost. We were unable to use our gas at all for a couple of hours until the sun had been on the front locker for a couple of hours. I couldn't say it was frozen, but certainly the gas hob or gas heater didn't work.

 

[ValA.]

Are you sure? At Millenium New Year we stayed overnight in a friend's drive in our van, and the following morning there was a really heavy frost. We were unable to use our gas at all for a couple of hours until the sun had been on the front locker for a couple of hours. I couldn't say it was frozen, but certainly the gas hob or gas heater didn't work.

Sorry, I misunderstood your message. I suppose it's a common misconception that the gas freezes, rather than that it doesn't boil - but it still makes it unuseable (which is what I think was meant in the earlier posting) at very low temperatures.

 

[gerald_5040455]

It is perfectly feasible to live in your 'van. We picked up a new elddis Odyssey van in Jan this year and I then began a new work contract in Hereford so decided to put the van on C&CC at Malvern to save on travelling. I stayed throughout Jan. Feb. March and April! including being snowed in for two days in February. I purchased a water tank insulation jacket from B & Q to wrap the Aquaroll in and that was all that was needed. I also put up the small porch awning to provide cover to the door and for somewhere for wet coats etc. The only limitation is the 28 day time limit you can stay on a site it meant I had to move home once a month!

GERALD

 

[Surfer]

IMHO the Lunar Solaris 3 with the island fixed bed is ideal for long term accommodation but aqs it is single axle can be towed behind a nuber fo large cars without resorting to a 4 x 4. We haev been lving a Lunar Lexon 640 for the past 18 months no issuesand have the log term bit pretty sussed. Remember in winter it is not only the water barrels that need lagging but also the waste water container but you can always put anti freeze in it. Don't forget to lag all your pipes including the waste water pipes. We have our full awning up all the time as we have a gas heater in it which makes it nice and comfy during the winter. This is fed from a large