Motorhomes good or bad?

Mar 14, 2005
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Dont get me wrong I quite like motorhomes but as yet have not been tempted away from caravans. However I have noticed several trends over the past year or so in the way motorhomes are used.

It seems that wild motorcaravanning is on the increase especially in Europe. You find hundreds of motorhomes parked up in car parks, along beach roads etc. It seems the name of the game is to go where you please and pay nothing. This may seem a good bargain but I think it could impact on us caravanners who normally stay and pay on campsites. I certainly prefer the security of a good site and the facilities that the site offers as opposed to staying in a car park with all the risks.

Butwhat could be the effect if motor homes stop using campsites, would the costs go up to us users ?

I have also observed several motor homes pulling into a lay-by and dumping there grey waste and god knows what else. I have even seen motorhomes driving along whilst dumping waste.

On a recent visit to the south of France we visited the beach of Sete and virtually the whole length of the beach had motorhomes parked along it, not just for one or two nights but some had been there weeks - the whole place stank !

Just wondered what your views might be
 
Mar 14, 2005
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We have just returned from 3 weeks in France and funniliy enough we noticed the same. There are loads of motorhomes about and were parked up on any available peice of land. The other think we did notice was in nearly every village is a disposal point for grey water and to fill the tanks up with fresh water. Seems a little unfair to caravanners though- we were in Aveyron where the Truyere river meets the lot at a place called Entraygues and all the caravans and tents were in a blissful little municiple site on the side of the river and paying for their pitches whilst just across the river was a free area for motor homes with diposal point, water and even electric (coin meter) hook ups if they wanted them. I suppose there were no showers but the town 24 hour loos were nearby. Annecy was the same motor homes were everywhere and anywhere and there were only about 4 on our (fairly expensive) campsite the rest were caravans and tents.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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Hi James, We looked at motorhome do like them, but they have pro+con, it just a matter of choice, But it the insurance that put us off, so Enjoy what ever you do. Trevor
 
Mar 27, 2005
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I agree with all you say.we noticed the same in France , motorhomes camping in every available car park. Cap Blanc nez near calais you couldnt park up for the sheer volume of motorhomes stopping for the night.dont think its too bad here (yet)
 
Mar 14, 2005
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We met up with an elderly couple, retired who were using there motorhome to tour Northern Spain and Southern France when we were in Cantabria a few years ago. They told us they sold the caravan and got a motorhome because they liked the ability to stop anywhere. They were totally self-sufficient - even having a "washing machine" plastic box that they put their dirty clothes in with water and detergent and the days travelling rocked it enough to clean the clothes.

I regret not asking what they did with the dirty detergent water if they were parked up where there were no facilities - but it did not occur to me at the time.

Whilst I admit the "freedom" aspect appeals when compared to some of the silly restrictions on certain sites, I cannot help feel that too many and too much environmental damage could tar us all with the same brush eventually
 
Apr 13, 2005
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I must admit to having looked at motorhomes in the past, in particular an absolutely huge and very luxurious one at the show at g.mex this year. it cost about 40 thousand which is roundabout the cost of our tow car and caravan when new. what put us off was having to use the vehicle as transport when visiting the area we where staying in. I suppose they give some who fear towing the ability to enjoy what we enjoy and then theire will be some who just want one. however i did think it was just me that had noticed that you do see rather a lot of them dumping waste water whilst travelling, this in itself will give these vans a terible reputation and one which i would not like to be a part of.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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I considered buying a motorhome about 20 years ago. and the same drawbacks exist today as did in those days.

My main concern today is the size of some of the motorhomes - they are enormous and nearly as big as a articulated lorry. and even now have the facility of widening the body when pitched. the CC and C&CC clubs must now have a headache as some of the larger motorhomes are definately contavening the rule of space between outfits.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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The were several reasons why I rejected the idea of buying a motorhome:

1. Purchase price. By rule of thumb, a motorhome of the same size and level of equipment is about 3 times the cost of the equivalent caravan. That's also an awful lot of dead capital standing around when not touring.

2. Running costs. Assuming I'm not going to use the big motorhome as personal transport when not touring (which wouldn't be particularly environmentally friendly), it's going to have to be a second vehicle in addition to the towcar that I'd have anyway, thus more than doubling costs for maintenance, tax and insurance, etc.

3. Flexibility. Unless you take bikes, a motor scooter or other means of transport aboard the motorhome, you have to pack everything away before leaving the pitch for a day's sightseeing trip. Also, if you don't make arrangements to reserve the pitch, you may find it's taken by someone else when you return. And, without bikes, etc. you have to drive a big heavy vehicle to get around, even if only for shopping at the local supermarket where you may be faced with a parking problem due to its size, as well. It's much easier to drop the caravan off and use the car to go anywhere. You can then drive down the narrowest of streets in lots of old towns without fear of getting stuck.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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Had to laugh yesterday - on the M27 heading East saw a large motorhome going West, with a think a Fiat Punto being towed behind via one of these rigs that lift the fron wheels of the car off the ground so that it is towed on the rear wheels.

Initially I was impressed with the set up but then it occurred to me that this guy had virtually the mirror image of my set up.

Also how on earth will he get to any of the scenic sites in Dorset/Devon or Cornwall (presumably where he was heading) in something that size? Is he going to "park-up anywhere" as mentioned previously?
 
Mar 14, 2005
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He must have had a pretty good weight ratio between towcar (motorhome) and trailer (Fiat Punto) but if your set up is a mirror image, it does make one think.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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Mirror image only in as much as I use my car to tow what I sleep in, rather than use what i sleep in to tow my car!

Confused? I think I am now!!
 
Mar 14, 2005
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The were several reasons why I rejected the idea of buying a motorhome:

1. Purchase price. By rule of thumb, a motorhome of the same size and level of equipment is about 3 times the cost of the equivalent caravan. That's also an awful lot of dead capital standing around when not touring.

2. Running costs. Assuming I'm not going to use the big motorhome as personal transport when not touring (which wouldn't be particularly environmentally friendly), it's going to have to be a second vehicle in addition to the towcar that I'd have anyway, thus more than doubling costs for maintenance, tax and insurance, etc.

3. Flexibility. Unless you take bikes, a motor scooter or other means of transport aboard the motorhome, you have to pack everything away before leaving the pitch for a day's sightseeing trip. Also, if you don't make arrangements to reserve the pitch, you may find it's taken by someone else when you return. And, without bikes, etc. you have to drive a big heavy vehicle to get around, even if only for shopping at the local supermarket where you may be faced with a parking problem due to its size, as well. It's much easier to drop the caravan off and use the car to go anywhere. You can then drive down the narrowest of streets in lots of old towns without fear of getting stuck.
Lutz - I always say when asked why do I not get a Motohome is: You have to take your toilet to the nearest village for a pint of milk
 

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