Thinking twice...........

crackcrack30

Hi guys,

Was aiming to have caravan & suitable tow vehicle on the road for next season (at no small cost as ye know) but having discovered the crazy prices & and taxing levies being sought at the official sites me's thinking the hotels are begining to look reasonable once again, and bending over backwards to get us booked in .i.e free stay kids, evening meals, pool ect ect...................will have to weigh it up.......

SARZY

You should stay with the hotels and the reason I say this is, Camper or Caravan is not just about holidays, its just a different way of doing things and you either really want that and you go for it or youre not sure and you look at alternatives.
Best of luck to you whichever way you decide to go.

Buford T Justice

Campervan is a way of life. If you like you're creature comforts and space, then its not for you. Stick with the hotels.

Other than that, its a great way of life.

Malta1

Good advice by all above

However, I would suggest that you try it before you ditch the idea.......hire a van for a couple of days and have a go - not a cheap option but way cheaper than shelling out on a new machine and finding out that it is not for you

Macy0161

Just to echo the above, it isn't about the money saved for us. Although the missus did work out the number of nights for pay back for what we paid based on hotel prices, during a time of questioning were we nuts to be spending the money! (Worked out at 60-70 nights I think)

However, is it that tow vehicle that's pushing the budget? Would it be possible to look at more basic or smaller caravans that suit your current vehicle? iirc you can get lightweight 6 berths - Swift I think have a pretty decent one, with bunks and a second diner, which got a good live in review when we were looking at caravans. It was going to be our upgrade one, after a season, and I think it was relatively cheap.

Betsy Og

You could try hiring one to give it a go, see the post I put up yesterday.

For us its not about money as such, I've 2 small kids and I HATE hotels, being cooped up in a room, no play space for kids (outside your door is a playground in a caravan), hard to read or watch TV in a hotel room whereas in a caravan you often have screened off sleeping or you cant sit out in the awing.

& thats ignoring all the 'love of outdoors', independence, choice of location stuff.

While I did say its not so much about the money, remember in a hotel you have to pay for every meal so it tots up fairly lively!! Overall having a caravan means we go away loads more than if we hadnt it, so even if our spend per year is the same or even more, think of all the enjoyment we get for our money, the value is there.

& if you're happy to wildcamp of course the value is tremendous altogether (ok wildcamping with a caravan is a bit more cumbersome than a campervan, but thats more from the perception that locals may fear you could be a .... err..... "long stay resident"... than any physical/practical issues with a caravan and wildcamping).

WildWater

I agree with the others and would add that if your starting point is a financial comparison between hotels and caravans then you are at the wrong starting line.

For us the financial consideration (outside of could we afford it) to buy a campervan was that we were making an investment. Not in a campervan (that will depreciate) but in family experiences. To put it another way we weren't buying a camper we were investing in fun.

Best Wishes
WildWater

leana

It's definitely not a much cheaper alternative to hotels/self catering holidays. We have a camper, we absolutley love getting away in it as do the kids but this summer money has been so tight that even staying at a campsite for more than a couple of nights is out of our reach, never mind filling it with diesel (wildcamping isn't for me at the moment, not with young kids). We constantly talk about selling it, then we get away in it and talk ourselves back into holding on to it.

As Malta1 said try and hire one for a while, you might get the bug and feel that it's worth the investment. Otherwise you might just be looking out the window at it for most of the year trying to justify holding onto it.

Betsy Og

Leana, if ye dont wild camp then wouldnt a caravan be a solution?, sell the camper, buy a caravan, keep the balance to fund sites and pay bills etc. No loss of experience. No need to go crazy on a tow car, most "normal" cars are fine.

fatbast

i reckon a caravan is a much cheaper option. had a motorhome 6 berth with garage but lost about 15 grand when i sold it, now have a caravan cost under 3 grand more room inside and about the same fuel costs no insurance/tax/servicing and very little depreciation. also if it rains just go somewhere including a hotel! in the car. i know the motorhome has advantages but the cost factor has to be included in my opinion.

paddyp

You could always tow a caravan with a caravelle / granvia / bongo / vito etc. day van and have the best of both worlds. If we weren't into wild camping thats the route I'd take. Wild camping with a caravan tends to meet with a frosty reception :-p
Although I did contemplate during a brainstorming session of getting the local sign writer to write one up with "free colesterol check" and a big closed sign on the door so that people would leave you alone :-D

Betsy Og

paddyp wrote: »

Although I did contemplate during a brainstorming session of getting the local sign writer to write one up with "free colesterol check" and a big closed sign on the door so that people would leave you alone :-D

Along the same lines I was thinking of getting a sign made "Relax, we're only here for 1 night":D. Havent wildcamped with caravan as have small kids, wouldnt be worth the hassle.

Anyway, see sni.ie, I dont think there's any great need to wildcamp when you can stay somewhere in peace and comfort for €10. Envisages motorhomes but AFAIK its up to the landowner (& issues like access, room to turn etc)

leana

Betsy Og wrote: »

Leana, if ye dont wild camp then wouldnt a caravan be a solution?, sell the camper, buy a caravan, keep the balance to fund sites and pay bills etc. No loss of experience. No need to go crazy on a tow car, most "normal" cars are fine.

Yeah it would definitely be an option for us and we have discussed it, I've even been looking at trailer tents online..some of them have kitchens now..who knew?? Betsy Og have you stayed at many of the sni spots & how did you get on? Is there etiquette re how long you can stay in one place, are you expected to move on after a night?

But just going back to OPs question, you'll still have the same expenses when you do go away with campsites and to a lesser extent fuel so a caravan is still a big outlay, you have to be sure you'll use it.

paddyp

leana wrote: »

Yeah it would definitely be an option for us and we have discussed it, I've even been looking at trailer tents online..some of them have kitchens now..who knew??

I like the folding campers like the conway cardinal - they were going for 500-600 quid on donedeal during the winter, they're 5-6 times that price in the UK.

Betsy Og

leana wrote: »

Betsy Og have you stayed at many of the sni spots & how did you get on? Is there etiquette re how long you can stay in one place, are you expected to move on after a night?

Hi Lena, havent stayed in them myself but had a chat with the website owner about a year ago. The places dont have any facilities so they are 'classicly' intended for overnighting only. That said it all depends on who the owner is and how ye get on. I saw some reports where Bean a Ti more or less landed out with fresh scones and gave you the run of the place, whereas others you'll come and go without much interaction. Most are farms I gather, so probably wouldnt want you around all day, but mightnt mind you leaving it there for the day (dont forget your wheelclamp!) and coming back to stay that night.

Overall - join up SNI (members only at sites) ring and book in for a night explaining you NOW have a caravan (say you had a motorhome when you joined), if ye get on ok ask if they'd mind if you stayed another night or 2. Providing you left the piebald and the hiace/transit at home I'd say it would be no problem.

Buford T Justice

We found a place or two on SNI one weekend away and just before we were calling them we suddenly were concerned about it. Sure they were members of SNI yeah, but they were private landowners with private property... When you have kids and you've never been there before its a bit unsettling.

Its not like a caravan park if you know what I mean, and I don't just mean facilities wise.

Betsy Og

Buford T Justice wrote: »

Its not like a caravan park if you know what I mean, and I don't just mean facilities wise.

Were any of them called Wolf Creek:eek:!!!!

Suppose that they're somewhat better than wild camping in that at least you're officially entitled to be there

Buford T Justice

Betsy Og wrote: »

Were any of them called Wolf Creek:eek:!!!!

Suppose that they're somewhat better than wild camping in that at least you're officially entitled to be there

No that I can recall. It was a place in Cavan according to their website. I checked it out on maps on my stupid phone and it was in the back arse of nowhere. I don't want to name it here, as it wouldn't be fair as I've never been. I was a bit unnerved as it was so far away from... anywhere really,

Betsy Og

Take it you've never seen the film Wolf Creek? - Australian horror film - a VERY cautionary tale peripherally relevant to wild camping & SNI. Scary stuff let me tell you.

Buford T Justice

No, scary movies aren't really on my fun times list....

leana

Riiiight,that's a no then:eek:

crackcrack30

Havent ruled anything out yet, and will probably buy something suitable for towing anyway on the next car change to have one base covered........
Going to wait until the youngest is 3-4 before/if we hit the road as my just 3yo has very little if any concept of the dangers of the road, cars, traffic ect. - so busy campsites may not be the safest place for them , and i dont want to spend all my holls carring them around under both arms.......

Wolf creek - classic,... A friend of mine stayed in an american style b&b way out in the sticks outside frisco one nite and on going up to bed noticed the son or husband sharpening his axe in the kitchen...........he didn't sleep a wink:D