Why?

[thursdays child]

My fellow travelers,

I am just curious,which is normal for me.When looking at used caravan ads and talking to folk on site it has come to my notice that a lot of the very expensive items are never used!I refer to the cooker,shower and toilet.Have we got it wrong cos we have used all the said items on a regular basis.I do not find fault with how people do or do not use the things they have paid for but perhaps there is a market for vans that do not have all these unwanted items so that the folks do not have to pay for them unnecessarily.I have noticed that some foreign models have the option to have them fitted so why not the British ones.Just another silly question?

Thursdays Child

 

[trucker]

TC, I cant disagree with you on this point. We only use our toilet for no. 1s, we dont use the great big shower, nor do we use the microwave. If I had cost options the only thing I would do away with is the microwave. This is because if there was no shower I think the part ex price would be a lot less than if it had one. We do use our cooker alot including now 3 xmas dinners and 3 new year dinners in the past few years

kevin

 

[NigelHutson]

And yet we use all of them, even on the odd occasion that we use a full facilities site. Half the time, SWMBO wouldn't know where the toilet block is! However, I agree that there should be 'vans that don't have said items for those who would never use them.

 

[johnwendy]

All our onboard facilities are used too (nothing better than Christmas dinner in the caravan all warm and cosy) but I agree there must be a market for a basic van.

Wendy

 

[Mel]

A towable metal tent then.

mel

 

[MikeA]

I think part of the problem is that some people say one thing but do another. I recall this very issue was discussed many years ago in one of the magazines and they had an interview with one of the senior caravan designers at a large manufacturer (I think it may have been Swift). He reported that they consistently had reports via dealers that there was a significant chunk of the market that were interested in buying vans with no cooker. So they made some - and the dealers couldn't get anybody to buy them!

They eventually concluded that people found reasons to not select these vans at the point when they were going to commit their money by convincing themselves with soft arguments such as "perhaps we might want to use it one day" or "it might make it more difficult to sell when we want to move on".

Mike A

 

[ValA.]

Our previous van, and our current one, don't have an oven, and we selected them because of that. It made them lighter, and more of a match with our tow-car. We've never missed an oven, though we do now have one of those little mini-ovens which stows away in a locker, and is an adquate size for two of us - and has been used to cook parts of a meal for eight.

When we bought our first van (1994) the oven was optional - so we chose not to have it. Now they don't just have an oven, but a microwave as well. I notice most of the 'budget' models now have an incorporated microwave, in a silly place in an overhead locker - just wait until the first person is badly scalded trying to take something out of the microwave. Doesn't Health and Safety come into caravan design?

We have a shower cubicle in this van, which has never been used to shower in! We also had one in the previous van, which we owned for six years, and it had only been used once. What a performance it was, with a trickle of water, so that you had to wet yourself, turn off the tap, soap yourself, and turn the tap back on again to rinse, then dry out the shower cubicle after you'd showered, leaving you feeling you needed another one. I imagine that shower flow may have improved since then, but our current shower head hardly seems to deliver anything more than a trickle, too! I'm sure that the newer vans with moulded shower cubicle are better, but our van doesn't appear particularly well sealed around the shower tray - well, where would leaking water go, except into the nice wooden, unwaterproofed structure underneath?

We don't use a television in our van either, and would also consider that should be an optional extra.

We've been looking for a replacement van for a couple of years now, not because there is anything wrong with ours, but because it's now ten years old and we wanted to buy a replacement before we both retired - but we haven't found anything suitable. Roll on the manufacturer who will offer ovens and microwaves as an optional 'don't put one in, please' - and we'd possibly snap their hands off!

 

[Surfer]

Friends of ours traded in their 2004 caravan for a newer one. They had never used the bathroom, the washing up bowl or the toilet. Trade in price was no different to a caravan that had been well used. Whoever bought their caravan got a bargain as the caravan was used for a month in January every year and then two short breaks during the year.

 

[JTQ]

I think it is that there simply is not the market out there in the UK for a decently constructed, but basic specified caravan.

Over the years various ones have been brought to the market but failed to find sufficient buyers, the surest test for real need.

Where it all goes wrong in my opinion is that you cant design "for but not with" in that no one excepts voids waiting for possible additions; and at the same time people want to be able to add. Even dummy doors to hide the void cost money. I found this with demanding they did not fit a microwave, I was later told the matching door had cost the dealer more than the microwave!

The van has to be made one way or the other.

The Continentals where the climate lends itself to living more out of the van than is the case in the UK do make some pretty basically equipped vans. And guess what that is often the criticism that UK caravanners make of Continental vans!

 

[BecknRob]

We use every bit and appliance in our caravan. We specifically bought it for the end bathroom. As we do some rallies throughout the year the shower can get used up to six times in one day...

When we are on a proper site, me and the OH find ourselves being lazy and using the showers in the van.

i use the moto, we have paid for it so use it... as long as you look after he van it won't de-value more because you have used it more than any caravanner who hasn't used their van as much.

Cheers

Rob.

 

[joeby]

as i use the van for about 80 nights away all year ,i use all the vans facilities , surely if you want something basic ,a Transit type van with a couple of camping beds would be more appropiate

 

[Stuart_374480838]

Being a manufacture of bespoke van's we get requests to build van's of all specifications.

At the NEC (if your coming along), you will see a range of our van's. We will be bringing 4 8ft wide van's varying from 19ft to 25ft, none of which have a bathroom and our 23ft x 7'6 tourer with full bathroom.

We find that a lot of people are happy using site facilities. The 8ft wide van's tend to be used for permanent siting or for use on the continent due to their towing laws. The space saved by not having a bathroom is incredible and gives you a lot more living space.

Luckily the towing laws are changing so that you dont have to have a commercial vehicle to tow a 8ft wide van which wil bring us in line with the rest of the EU.

Thanks,

Stuart

Roma Caravans

 

[Surfer]

Being a manufacture of bespoke van's we get requests to build van's of all specifications.

At the NEC (if your coming along), you will see a range of our van's. We will be bringing 4 8ft wide van's varying from 19ft to 25ft, none of which have a bathroom and our 23ft x 7'6 tourer with full bathroom.

We find that a lot of people are happy using site facilities. The 8ft wide van's tend to be used for permanent siting or for use on the continent due to their towing laws. The space saved by not having a bathroom is incredible and gives you a lot more living space.

Luckily the towing laws are changing so that you dont have to have a commercial vehicle to tow a 8ft wide van which wil bring us in line with the rest of the EU.

Thanks,

Stuart

Roma Caravans

 

[thursdays child]

Stuart,thanks for the heads up!!!I am thinking that the value of the used wider models will accelerate when the new protocol is confirmed.They have been a limited market and sold at bargain prices.Maybe all those who have been put off would be wise to get one now and wait for the new ruling!!!Or is it too late already?If we had known of this change earlier we would have seriously considered an LMC ourselves and kept it until we could tow it with our Grand Cherokee.It would have been much easier to find a wider caravan for our budget at the time.It took much searching to finally get our "ideal" UK van.We deem ourselves lucky and we personally use all our own facilities so the money was well spent in our case.The one thing I wonder about is, if the equipment is not used, does it prevent or contribute to its operating as it should? The old adage "use it or lose it"comes to mind!!

Thursdays Child

 

[Stuart_374480838]

Hopefully we will see you at the show when our tickets arrive.

Ordered today Ian. Will be in the post the day we get them. Please come and introduce yourself to me at the show and I will make you a coffee and show you the range.

Thanks,

Stuart