caravan vs motorhome

Boza · 15-08-2009, 05:21 PM

Hey guys i'm looking into getting into caravaning i'm either looking at a motorhome or caravan but what i'd like to know is what are better between the 2 of them.

I understand that with a caravan i can un hitch it and use the tow car to see the local sights of wherever i'm going and let the caravan stay at the caravan park or wherever also where can i take a caravan besides caravan parks i know some state foress and that let them in but where else are good places with them.

With a motorhome i beleive that i have to pack everything up and use it as my main transport if i wanna get out and about this can be a pain from my point of view really i'm trying to convince myself that a caravan wins hands down over a motorhome anyday also how far can i take a motorhome like into the bush etc.. i just keep thinking motorhomes are better suited to rockstars or race drivers than me but the missus likes them over a caravan but i still don't see they're point.

Tobey · 15-08-2009, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smoodiver

Hey guys i'm looking into getting into caravaning i'm either looking at a motorhome or caravan but what i'd like to know is what are better between the 2 of them.

I understand that with a caravan i can un hitch it and use the tow car to see the local sights of wherever i'm going and let the caravan stay at the caravan park or wherever also where can i take a caravan besides caravan parks i know some state foress and that let them in but where else are good places with them.

With a motorhome i beleive that i have to pack everything up and use it as my main transport if i wanna get out and about this can be a pain from my point of view really i'm trying to convince myself that a caravan wins hands down over a motorhome anyday also how far can i take a motorhome like into the bush etc.. i just keep thinking motorhomes are better suited to rockstars or race drivers than me but the missus likes them over a caravan but i still don't see they're point.

Go the caravan, however if you want to go into the bush, maybe look at a softroader and a camper trailer. They are getting pretty fancy these days.

Auslandau · 15-08-2009, 05:51 PM

Caravan hands down ..... cannot think of a reason for a motorhome unless you are driving 10,000 km's without site seeing. Caravans will go anywhere ... depends which one you buy and how elaborate they are. Of course also depends on the tow car.

Had a camper trailer for years .... went and saw everything and ran into quite a few motor homes and had a laugh when they had to pack up everything just to go into town for milk. Have been asked a couple of times for a lift or for milk, sugar small bits and pieces as they couldnt be bothered packing up.

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Bushbasher · 15-08-2009, 07:05 PM

Go a converted bus and trailer with a run around vehicle of your choice. A tow vehicle pulling a caravan will use just as much fuel as a good TD bus and work alot harder doing it which means more wear and tear. The bus will be much more comfortable and enjoyable with all the creature comforts and you don't have to pack everything up to move on, just roll up the awning and drive off. Your run around vehicle will get you anywhere you want to go if you choose a small/medium 4x4.
I guess it depends on your budget but you could set yourself up for under $50-60k if you wanted to. Having said that, you could get a mighty fine fully set up rig and trailer for not much more than $100k if you look around and it seems to be a buyers market at the moment.
We're looking to do the same thing inside 5 yrs all things being equal and we are looking at a low roof shorty TD Delica as the run around cos it's a real 4x4 and big enough to use as a satellite camping vehicle plus small enough to still get into and manouver around a multi-story carpark.

Bushbasher

Bushbasher

XR6_190 · 15-08-2009, 07:43 PM

One thing nobody mentioned, Motorhomes / converted buses can not go to a lot of places that you can take a car (I'm talking about normal sedans here too, not just 4X4s) I went for a camping holiday down to the Otways last summer, (I just took the XR6) and a lot of the roads that take you to sights, had signs saying - ROAD NOT SUITABLE FOR BUSES, MOTORHOMES AND CARAVANS - So if you take a motorhome, you might find that you can't actually get to a lot of the places you wanted to see.

Go a decent 4x4 and Caravan, and it will still be cheaper than a decent Motorhome. That said, you really only need a 4x4 if you get a really big caravan, a mate of mine spends about 6 weeks a year travelling the countryside in his van, sometimes with his wife, sometimes with his son, sometimes both, and he has done it all in his AUII ute, never had a problem with it.

mcnews · 15-08-2009, 08:23 PM

Towed a 1250kg caravan across Australia behind my F6 ute and averaged 16 litres per 100km and didn't exactly drive economically.... Some stretches I sat on 130 but never really sat on less than 110.

MO · 15-08-2009, 08:47 PM

Take a look at the fifth wheeler setups.

**DJR-351** · 15-08-2009, 09:28 PM

Had both at times, would not get either again...

Camper trailers from now on, you cannot beat them....

Walt Kowalski · 16-08-2009, 02:19 AM

Horses for courses.

What course are you doing? ie What destinations? Coast? Bush? Round Oz?

How long? Few weeks? Few months? Few years?

Old buses can be a mechanical nightmare. No go zone. But mid size Hino x JDM can be bought very low klms ($20K) and make a great bus base. Just that much wider than a Coaster & Civilian but not too big to drive/park/store.

Aussie/NZ campervans are rubbish compared to a yankee RV. Yankeee RV's are AWESOME!!!

Definitely rent a a campervan for a couple of weeks. Their gutless drivability and dodgy safety will soon turn you off. Let your wife drive it if she still wants one. She will soon get over it.

Other disadvantage of RV/Campervans is that every klm you travel depreciates it but caravans tend to hold theiir value in Oz.

5th wheeler Ok but drive one and back it into shopping centre carparks etc before you buy it.

Pop top caravans have no overhead storage so not suitable for extended touring. Especially if you intend to go bush for a few weeks.

For short trips the camper trailers are OK. Not for extended touring.

For versatility you really cannot beat an Aussie off road caravan (Bushtracker best but big $$$ , but a Roadstar Safari does the job for a fifth of the price of a Bushtracker. Jayco are rubbish. Dad was a major Jayco dealer)

A 20 footer is big enough for a shower & toilet but not too big to park/store/tow.

For a tow vehicle you CANNOT beat a Sequential Auto/Man 4.8 Patrol on LPG ($22k at Fowles Manaheim auction 2 years old) but if you are doing major bush where LPG unavailable go a Turbo diesel Lancruiser.

A mate has taken his off road van and 4x4 EVERYWHERE and I mean EVERYWHERE.

That would be my choice.

Hope this helps.

wodahs · 16-08-2009, 02:44 AM

motor vehicle regos are more expensive than camper van regos so if you have a motor home + vehicle to get around in can cost a bit to license all the time
as apposed to vehicle to get round in towing a van

mik · 16-08-2009, 03:29 AM

i think theres a bit more work with caravans getting them ready , maintaining them, a bit more of a pain on the road(mostly to others) towing than a motor home,although the xr6 towed it very well, not quite as comfy as motor home....... but still quite good, once you get out into the road, the caravan people they are just the best, helpfull and ready for a yarn, my my trip from melb up around queensland and back i found that my fuel bill roughly doubled with a high van.... but ah well you expect that, for a 6 month trip sorta thing i think a motor home would be the go if you could swing it , check out this baby

. http://www.volkner-mobil.de/Reisemo/.../Pict_12f.html

lemon · 16-08-2009, 08:12 AM

My dad just went around Aust in a Mazda T3500 in a converted Bus,by himself.The caravan stayed at home.The only trouble he had ,he went through 4 tyres.He is 69 and going to do it again.He loved it

Trevor 57 · 16-08-2009, 08:17 AM

We were trying to decide whether to go down the caravan or the motorhome path, so when we were on holidays in Darwin a couple of years ago we hired a Maui motorhome.

It was the 2 weeks in it that made us decide to buy a caravan, not that there was anything wrong with satying in the motorhime, it was just the lack of flexibility it gave us.

We couldn't get it into places we wanted to go, when you set up your campsite, but then decide you want to go for a drive, you have to pack everything up again.

So we bought a A'Van, bloody fantastic, but it is only for 2 people, which suits us just fine. External shower, gas/electric hotwater, gas/electric/12v fridge, solar panel, 30 seconds to set up. Bloody great.

cob115 · 16-08-2009, 08:28 AM

iv got a isuzu npr 300 crew cab with a masive slid on camper sleeps 6 n u can tow 3 n half ton,take the slid on of n u have a truck

:,iv taken my truck with slid on bush its got great ground clearance `,city every were n bought all the comferts of home ,the only pain is its ur only form of transport it u havnt towd a car or bike

: feul economy is great,at this point in life weve decided2sell it n go a masive caravan ,family is getting bigger,

**Burnout** · 16-08-2009, 08:37 AM

Motorhome v Caravan.

There is only one factor controlling choice in my mind given your choices above. So I'll tell you a story.

Some years ago I was camped in a van park & watched as a large motorhome came into view and parked in the space over the road. The driver & passenger (a couple) got out. She went inside and he connected up the power lowered the awning, stableised the unit. He then went to the door and was passed the fold up table and two chairs which he set up under the awning.
She came out wit the tea n' bickies and they sat down and enjoyed afternoon smokeo! They then had a conversation and his head fell a little, then he got up, she got up & took the tea cups in side, he packed up the table and chairs and passed them inside. He then unplugged the power, rolled up the awning and lifted the stablisers, she came out and they got in and drove out.

An hour later they returned with........ a couple of hand fulls of shopping
bags and they then set about setting the whole thing up again.

I wondered to myself what would happen if she decided she wanted to have a look around town.

A caravan is your best choice, sure you can buy a couple of bikes, however you are still restricted as to distance.

**DJR-351** · 16-08-2009, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walt Kowalski

Horses for courses.

For short trips the camper trailers are OK. Not for extended touring.

If you call 13 months traveling around and through Australia a short trip with a camper trailer then you could be right....

You can virtually stop anywhere and set up in mins, we carry a tinny with 15hp outboard, quad bike, XR600,two Kayaks,small generator etc etc, we do not need a van park or sealed roads....

We look knowingly at the sad faces of the RV and Caravan owners when we say we are of up to the cape, they take a look at there palace on wheels and just know it wont make it in one piece, we did the same a few years ago never again....

If you want to get to see some of the best sites in OZ then you should not discount an 4x4 and off road camper trailer, one of the highlights of our travels was camping for a week on the Mitchell Plateau deep in the Kimberleys WA....

There are plenty of off road camper trailers out there from the basic to virtual homesteads on wheels, have a look, you are bound to find something, just be carefull tho, there are a few out there that are claimed to be off road but in reality the furthest you would take them off road would be to park it on the front lawn for a wash.....

Get a hold of this magazine.... http://www.discoverdownunder.com.au/...australia.aspx and have a read....

Happy Camping....

PS: We got ours from here http://www.kimberleykampers.com/?gcl...FRFWagodnzvBkA

**ebxr8240** · 16-08-2009, 11:28 AM

We hired a Transit campervan for four weeks driving around the N.Z ...
Had no issues and had a GREAT time..
It would still be pain to disconnect the caravan..
6 of one and half a dozen of the other..
I've been looking at a bus to do up with a small 4wd or Subaru type vehicle that can be driven up the back..
But again buying one ?? You really need to check mechanicals etc..
Turbo diesel is very economical compared to petrol ..
What amazes me the U.S still use V10's in there small motorhomes..

vik351 · 16-08-2009, 12:09 PM

All you need is money...

:

"Classic" motorhomes...

Free camping with a caravan not as easy as a MH...If its raining and you want a cuppa,you have to get out and get wet...

This would be my choice...towing a van makes a long rig to pass 40 MPH grandpa hoggin the road...

There are mobs that let you drive their MH's back to town for free eg Brissie back to Melbourne,they allow you a few days,and some pay for fuel...

http://www.apollocamper.com/reloc.aspx

vik...Suck it and see...

Boza · 16-08-2009, 12:55 PM

Thanks for the replys guys i was gonna go to a few dealerships today but the weather here in melbourne isn't the best oh well maybe next wekend

jd dad · 16-08-2009, 01:06 PM

4x4 show at Melb Showgrounds coming up in a cpl of weeks and leisurefest at Sandown in about 6 or so weeks to check out all types in the flesh. Just back from 3 months with a campertrailer through NT and WA and loving it. For mine motorhomes are for grey nomads who just do the bitumen and camp at roadside stops and caravan parks ie not practical for offroad. Why have a motorhome and a car/4wd as well, two regos/fuel/upkeep?

Buzz Box · 16-08-2009, 03:01 PM

I think like a few people have said its 6 and 1/2 dozen.

You speak to motorhomers and they say its great just pull up and open the door and your done.

You speak to caravaners and they say it takes a bit longer but at least we can go down the street.

I think like any decision theres pro's and con's of both choices and you have to work out whats best for YOU. If your in Melb theres a HUGE caravan place in Bayswater just across from Dorset rd.

**janddbone** · 16-08-2009, 04:51 PM

I suggest a ute with a slide on... Most versatile all round in my opinion, we have one on our shopping list at the moment.

cob115 · 16-08-2009, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr_br_johnstone

I suggest a ute with a slide on... Most versatile all round in my opinion, we have one on our shopping list at the moment.

weve had slid ons4years and agree ,plus u still got your tow bar free to tow

Tobey · 16-08-2009, 06:53 PM

Have a look at:

http://www.aussieswag.com.au/

They have a good range of go-anywhere camper trailers (the picture on the home page is my boss).

They have everything you could want in a camper trailer.

Also a little bird tells me in a month or two, 4wd action will have a caper trailer comparo, they took a heap of them off road for two weeks. Should be a good read.

chevypower · 17-08-2009, 02:27 AM

I would rent what suits you best for each trip. There's an RV dealership near me that rents out everything from small tow campers, 40' tag trailers, 40' fifth wheelers, Class C motorhomes,Class A (bus size). Most people who buy them don't even use them all that much,so I am convinced renting is the best way. See what's available in your area and price out renting versus owning before you make your decission.

Walt Kowalski · 17-08-2009, 03:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chevypower

I would rent what suits you best for each trip. There's an RV dealership near me that rents out everything from small tow campers, 40' tag trailers, 40' fifth wheelers, Class C motorhomes,Class A (bus size). Most people who buy them don't even use them all that much,so I am convinced renting is the best way. See what's available in your area and price out renting versus owning before you make your decission.

GREAT advice I reckon.

That way she can have her wish and at same time really get the right product for each trip without burning up money on something that will not suit all needs

Chilla · 17-08-2009, 12:22 PM

One thing to consider when making your decision over an caravan compared to an motor home is... 'what happens in the case of a breakdown where your MH requires workshop attention'? You have not only lost your home and contents but also your means of transportation. At least if its a caravan you can still drive to a motel etc. Remembering of course 'Murphys law', if this scenario were to happen it would be in the boonies somewhere.
I once had a similar problem but in reverse. Towing a van with a VC valiant the battery earth strap shorted and started a fire which ignited the air cleaner element. Was able to get going and limp into Hay (NSW) and live in the van whilst waiting for carby parts etc to arrive from south aust.
Great fun travelling our country however you finally choose to do it. Good luck!

:

Trevor 57 · 17-08-2009, 07:51 PM

This what we have:

http://www.avan.com.au/products_campers.html

weevee · 19-08-2009, 05:38 PM

Interesting debate which has been going on for many years. Just as well we are all different or it would be boring! We wanted to put our investment to good use by using it to travel overseas using www.rvworldwide.com which meant a motorhome. A caravan would not be satisfactory as we would have to swap our main form of transport as well.