What to live in?

February 2010

There are some very strongly held views about caravans versus motorhomes/campervans. VERY strongly held.

We have had a caravan for the last two years. Our decision to buy a caravan was based on how we were going to use it - for weekends and two or three longer trips a year. There was no point in buying something with an engine when it wouldn't get used very much - particularly as we still needed two cars for our working lives.

But now we were facing a new decision. What would suit our needs - once we actually worked out what those needs were?

There were really three choices.

The first option was a caravan. This was immediately attractive - we were used to the lifestyle, we already had the tow vehicle, it offered spacious and comfortable living, there would be little capital outlay even if we upgraded to a larger model.

The second option was a campervan - we quickly discounted this for a number of reasons, the main one being sleeping arrangements. To get a permanent bed (for who wants to make a bed up every night for the rest of their lives), we either had to sacrifice living space, or be happy to sleep above the cab. The idea of sleeping at the top of a ladder was just not appealing for us.

The remaining option was the much larger motorhome, whether it be a bus conversion or one of American-style purpose built varieties. This was a somewhat daunting thought - they're big, they seem to cost so much, driving them would be a challenge. Much of this was about the unknown; it really wasn't a lifestyle we'd had much contact with.

And so began three months of almost frenzied 'shopping' for a solution.