[88860]

Was it freedom to travel in any direction, at will?

Was it the desire to go camping in style with all of the comforts?

Was it because the Mrs. or the Mr. told you he or she could prepare lunch while you drive?

Was it Pride of ownership in a big shiny toy?

or what else was it ?

It will be very interesting to see the difference in responce between women and men

 

[Anonymous]

Well I'd got the cheque through from the caravan being written off & was starting to look around; my Frisky was being sold privately in my nearest town, he was sat there with a FOR SALE sign on & I started to think about it.
On another forum at the time was a thread about the advantages & disadvantages of motorcaravans & caravans. I started to post a reply in favour of caravans & before I knew what was happening I was favouring the motorcaravan.
So I went & bought him.
My parents had 4 motorcaravans, the last two Autosleepers, & I think memories of them swung it.

 

[88816]

Well we were on Holiday in our Tourer on Kintyre, looking out to sea
When a Swift Royale Motorhome parked next to us.
Handbrake on, Kettle on, sit down and relax.
Andrea my wife looked at me and I looked at her, We were both thinking the same thing, like it takes us about 1/2 an hour to set-up.
The couple in the motorhome obviously seen us watching them and came over, well we got chatting about this and that, mostly me asking questions about motorhomes so they asked if we wanted to have a look round
Well that was it!
I was hooked, it was layed out just like our caravan, plus there was this huge bed over the cab.
Ideal for the young one we thought as we still had full use of the living area while she was fast asleep.
Anyway, two weeks kater I had sold the car and the caravan
and was now the proud owner of a 2002 Swift Sundance 590RL

Hope I did not bore you too much!

Gary

 

[Vita]

What prompted you ...

We had a boat for years but it was laid up for half the year and the other half always seemed to have WEATHER. So we sold up and got a motorhome .... we can go out every weekend!

 

[88838]

It was a compromise - I want to be permanently on the move,
Other half has roots so deep they probably come out in Oz, so with the camper I can kid myself we're travelling, and he has got his home around him
plus at the time we started we were working a 50 hour week on average, and the van meant we could get away friday night til Sunday and recharge, made all the difference 8)

 

[88923]

For me it was about the freedom to get about as well as the shiny new toy on the drive. I'd had a caravan or two but hated towing, had a folding camper but could only use it for 4-5 months of the year. I'd been dreaming of selling up and setting off around Europe when I retired but then thought, why wait until then? Life's too short. I started looking around and went to Spinney's, Threeways and a couple of places further afield (and thought, blimey, I can't afford one of these things!!!) anyway, I ended up buying one from Emm Bee just outside Manchester and have loved every minute - wish I'd done it years ago. It's an entry level Italian jobbie but it's got everything I need for now.... I do rather like those Autotrail Cheyenne's though..... :lol:

 

[dodger148]

We had caravanned for donks, but after downsizing twice (due to ticker problems) We looked at friends with m-homes and thought,
they drive up, put handbrake on, put the kettle on and dont get wet.

We are mugs, lets try it and have never regretted it in fact our touring has spread to new horizons and more frequently

 

[autostratus]

We first bought a caravan in 1974, going abroad for the first time in 1978.
During the '80's we were rallying almost every weekend from February through to at least November with about 6 different Caravan Club centres and also the Lunar owners Club.
We had a gap of about 5 years due to family problems and major surgery but started caravanning again in '95 but not rallying as we had begun to find it very tieing towards the end.

A couple of times when visiting France we had got talking to MHers who didn't always stop on campsites and we got an insight into different possibilities with a motorhome.

While retaining the option of using the caravan we decided to give motorhoming a go. We loved it but unfortunately our son (who has some learning difficulties) didn't. For 3 seasons we had both but as I said elsewhere, having bought a relatively cheap static in France to accomodate our son's needs we were able finally to sell our caravan and towcar.

We love the freedom to meander about France without worrying about campsites and we enjoy taking the motorhome (sorry, camping-car in France) to places we would never have visited with a caravan.

We rarely use campsites and now have a list of 80 aires we have visited on at least one occasion.

A long answer, if you'll forgive me, but the short answer FREEDOM and I make no apology for shouting it!

Gillian

 

[88916]

Hi all
Have to say initially it was the freedom to go where we want when we want that appealed to us.
since joining the Compass & Herold owners club we now enjoy rallying & the social side & have made some really lovely friends through the club.
mike b

 

[peedee]

Straight forward and simple, because I could not get a caravan supplier to modify a caravan for the disabled which came in at a sensible weight for towing with a car.

peedee

 

[dodger148]

out of interest peedee, who did you try ?

I am interested cos of my involvement with disababled issued and quite a few manuifacturers "claim" to doo this, and if they dont they are misleading people. I know some of the m-h manufacturers will do it where its possible, which is not always so due to body/interior design.[/i]

 

[90128]

...quite simply hunger!!!!!!!!! :roll: :roll:

We were on holiday using B & Bs and returned to town from our sightseeing to find all resturants and cafes had closed early - can't remember the reason. We dined on a bar of chocolate. Never again - we searched and found our first campervan when we returned home. The rest as they say is history.


sealady

 

[peedee]

out of interest peedee, who did you try ?

I am interested cos of my involvement with disababled issued and quite a few manuifacturers "claim" to doo this, and if they dont they are misleading people. I know some of the m-h manufacturers will do it where its possible, which is not always so due to body/interior design.[/i]

Sorry Dodger didn't see this until browsing today. You are correct about it not always being possible. In the motorhome world one of the biggest produces, Hymer is one of these due to the frame within the body work. Others will just give you an outright 'no' without explanation. It was a while ago when I was looking to change caravans and again you have the same problems as in the motorhome world but I approached the following who I thougth had suitable vans in their range.

Swift Group through Swifts Marketing Manager at the Earls Court Show.
Baileys, Explorer Group ( they supplied my Elddis van before they became the Explorer Group) Avondale through Countrywide Caravans. Some gave the outright 'no' others never bothered replying after initial contact and discussions in spite of chansing. The only ones I came arcoss who were posiitive they could do something was Van Master and VanRoyce. (don't think VanRoyce are in business anymore?)

All this might change with the proposed changes to the DDA currently before Parliament? I certainly don't see why at least one van in anyones range cannot be built in such a way as to give options for the disabled. Some alreday do but what is the good of a wider door to provide entrance for a wheelchair if you then cannot move about in the van due to narrow aisles etc.

peedee

 

[Malc]

Why did I first buy a motorhome?

We had always said that when we retire we would like to have a motorhome to tour around with, whenever we liked and whenever. After attending several funerals of close friends and collegues (we are in our 50`s) much younger than us, who had dreams of their own, unfulfilled, we decided that life was too short to wait. So armed with a stash of cash released from the goverment coffers (after they robbed a pension fund I was in, the High court ruled to return it) plus some savings, in 1999 we bought our first MH. After some 2 seasons with the van and our 2 dogs we found that an 18` van which led to dogs being in the way very time we wanted to use the tiolet or fridge, so in 2002 we after a bit of research, we ordered the present MH we own. An auto trail cheyenne 634LSE.
The dogs still lay in the way! But there is ample room in a 22` van to shift them somewhere else.
8O

 

[Laikadriver]

We bought our first camper on a whim. We have two Staffies, and it is difficult to take them on holidays, and I'm too soft to put them in kennels (they are part of the family too!!)

My wife initially thought of buying a caravan, but we would have had to sell my little roadster and buy something big to tow with it, either that or buy another car. We thought we couldn't afford a motorhome, money was tight at the time, then we saw a type 2 for sale for £1500.

What a nail!! A year later we sold it, bought another one, and the rest is history!!

 

[LadyJ]

:lol:
First we had caravans towing here and there
When the kids arrived bought a static van
Kids all grown up and hes retired
Time to take off when ever we want
Should we go back to towing no
Well get motorised he said
He want a big one me a small one
So settled for medium no room to move
So changed it for big one and o the sway
I wouldnt drive it so it was on its way
Now we have little one hip hip hooray
Mind you hes looking again lol

 

[Tansy]

Bought our first camper, a BMC J4, which suited us because we had two very young boys, and wanted to have the freedom to travel and stop where we liked. However, on our first trip to the Lake District, the engine kept conking out every time it got warm. We had to keep stopping to put cold water in the radiator, and as a result know practically every lay-by between the Lake District and Fife. We found out later that the cause of the overheating was the petrol pipe leading to the carburettor was too near the exhaust manifold, and so the petrol kept vapourising before reaching the carb.
After a couple of years we sold it on and bought a Mark 1 diesel Transit, (1972) and only recently bought a 1989 Travelhome, which is an absolute luxury to what we had before.
:lol: :lol:

 

[dodger148]

I understand from a few sources, AutoCruise will do adaptations for disabled people

 

[90228]

Hi,
I'm new on here and to motorhoming.
We bought our first because be did not like flying that much and had been going on coach holidays to spain for a few years. We really enjoyed the company of the other people on the coach and with being together a few days we all clicked. I was looking at the motorhomes on e-bay and started to show them to hubbby who got interested to. The more we looked at them the more interested we got. It took us about 4 months to decide to buy one and that's how we got ours. The only thing is we have not been out in it yet as we didn't realise how much we would have to buy, or want to buy to go in it :lol:

Just to say the site is great and really enjoy coing on here it is full of friendly people who are willing to help. Maybe one day i will be the one doing the helping, instead of asking all the questions.

Thanks Kim

 

[dodger148]

Kim,
In waiting you did the correct thing prior to buying, you found out what you wanted.
When you get out dont be frightened of asking things, m-homers will in the main help others.
Everybody makes a boob at sometime so dont think your first bood will be unique.
Dont stop when people wave or flash at you thinking somethings wrong - its something m-homers do (there Ive admitted to something we did first time out!!)