We started years back with a caravan, which we loved but I was never quite comfortable towing it. Ok once on site but getting there was always a worry about getting there. We then switched to a small motorhome since we wanted to do more touring (Swift Bessacar E410), spending just a couple of days in one area then moving on, something we thought would be a hassle with a caravan. This worked much better for us. The motorhome was small enough to drive around most places although we avoided large towns etc. We looked carefully at sites to see if public transport was easily available and when not and we wanted to explore the surrounding areas we would hire a small car.
Retaining a pitch was never a problem. A small sign was all that was needed. We also had a small storage tent for all the junk we didn't want to live with in the motorhome. Good for wet clothes as well. For a campervan I've seen people putting up a toilet tent but we had everything on board.
In the end we spent about 9 months living in it continuously while we built our house but after that our travel needs changed as we were going to far flung places, so we sold it.
Last year we wanted to get back on the road again so had a similar discussion. MH or Caravan. One obvious difference was cost but that apart our main consideration was that my wife has less mobility now and so the amount of walking we do is far less. This pushed us in the direction of a small caravan, an Elddis Xplore 304, which tows perfectly and is easy to set up and of course gives us the car to go where ever we need in the surrounding areas.
We found no real difference in setting up a motorhome or caravan, although with a motorhome or even a camper van you can't just jump in the driving seat and whiz off. Of course one big difference is topping up water and emptying gray waste.
If you consider a camper van which you will use as an every day car, think carefully about how you would use it in that situation. I like campervans but they certainly wouldn't suit us as an every day car. Too many trips to the tip with garden rubbish; too many trips to the builders merchant for wood, cement, gravel etc. Times when we need to go out with friends or family in it... and so on.