5 Reasons To Choose A Motorhome Over A Caravan
5 Reasons To Choose A Motorhome Over A Caravan
For people who love to spend time outdoors camping, motorhomes, or caravans present them the opportunity to enjoy some form of home comforts. For some time there has been a debate concerning which of the these is the better option. Here are five reasons why you should consider a motorhome over a caravan.
Table of Contents
Convenience
After a long and tiring drive to the campsite, you can just park up on your pitch on a fantastic campsite or touring park. On the other hand, with a caravan, it takes some skill and patience to pitch it in the desired spot. Then you will need to unhitch the caravan, legs down and levelling, connect the electric hook up, and seek out a water tap. Pitching up is certainly much easier, but there is always a compromise. It is fair to say that having your car available makes leaving site easier. This is probably why so many motorhomes still take a small car with them when touring. If you need to quickly get a few groceries from the nearest store, it’s certainly much more convenient to have a small vehicle such as VW used cars from a second-hand car dealer.
Easy driving
Driving a motorhome is as easy as driving any regular van, an automatic gearbox will make it much easier too. Most motorhomes are built on a Fiat, Mercedes or Ford. Depending on the size of motorhome, country lanes and narrow roads shouldn’t be much of a problem.
Driving with a caravan in tow can be a more challenging experience, especially your first few times. You will also have reduced visibility around and will have to consider the extra length when towing a caravan. You must account for the extra length when negotiating roundabouts and tight bends. If you buy an 8ft wide caravan then those narrow lanes will not be your friend.
Initial cost
Though caravans are cheaper to buy than motorhomes, you have to consider the extra cost of the car to tow it. If you own a small vehicle, it may not be able to tow a caravan. In this case, you may need to rent or buy a more powerful car that will be capable of towing the caravan. If you can tow the caravan with your current car, it will put a lot of strain on it and may affect its resale value. When you compare the overall costs of purchasing a motorhome with a caravan, you will notice that the difference is not much. Motorhomes have a better resale value than caravans, and some people choose to rent out when not in use. This might generate some income but consider damage that may be caused to your pride and joy.
Depreciation
As stated in the point above, motorhomes experience a far lesser depreciation than a caravan. Arguably, a 20-year-old motorhome has a higher resale value than that of a 20-year-old caravan. A motorhome can be used for decades and still be resold at a good price to offset the cost of an upgraded one. On the other hand, after you have used a caravan for ten years, you will have to spend the same price or more to get a new one. A motorhome will hold its value due to demand, but you must maintain and service it to maintain its condition.
Versatility
Touring in a motorhome makes it much easier to move around from one campsite to the next. More people are beginning to use motorhomes for their hobbies, such as cycling, fishing, motor-racing and traveling across countries. Caravans cannot just match the versatility of motorhomes in this regard. A motorhome makes a great mobile home office for those that work remotely and can travel at the same time.
If you are wondering which choice to make, these reasons should be considered when thinking caravan or motorhome.
Well if you can’t bring a small car or moped then a pint of milk or a bottle of fizz means the whole kit and kaboodle is off to the local shop. Faff around getting a caravan settled and your car goes for milk and vino. Very simply
Go to a local place of interest take your tow car, or your whole world
Caravan= flexibility ( my view)
Thanks for commenting Mark,
Yes its a very personal topic. This is why we looked at Caravan V Motorhome and all the other videos around this. I think the genuine answer is ‘It totally depends where you are in life and what your holiday needs and requirements are’
We still love caravanning, but at this moment in time motorhoming fits our wants and needs at this moment but I am sure that in time we will look at this again. We look at it all in the same light – freedom getting away and finding and spending time with like minded people and friends. Hope you have a great time when you get chance to get away next. All the best Jules, Karina and Fudge.