Winter staycation

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5 Reasons To Choose A Motorhome Over A Caravan

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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.

Convenience

Here We Tow - 5 Reasons To Choose A Motorhome Over A Caravan
Image Credit : Pixaby

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

Here We Tow - Campervanning
Image Credit ; Pixaby

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.

snowfield

Your Holiday Home Drain Down Checklist: Winter Ready In 10 Easy Steps

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Your Holiday Home Drain Down Checklist: Winter Ready In 10 Easy Steps

That time of year is nearing, drain down time! Anyone who has ever owned a holiday home, or static caravan, will be familiar with the yearly drain down.
In this blog we will go through a step-by-step guide to show you how to do this in 10 easy steps.

Winter Ready In 10 Steps

It is important that you protect your holiday home from any possible damage during the winter months. Most holiday parks will close for January and February, when the worst of the weather arrives. What you don’t want is damage from frozen pipes, a build up of rotting leaves in your gutters and valuables left unattended.


We contacted Lyons Holiday Parks, the leading North Wales Holiday Park for holiday homes, to ask what their top tips were. Here is what they advise for staying safe and draining down your holiday home for winter.

Your Holiday Home Drain Down Checklist: Winter Ready In 10 Easy Steps
conkerws

What People Forget About Wet Weather Caravanning

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What People Forget About Wet Weather Caravanning

Here we tow - What People Forget About Wet Weather Caravanning
Image Credit – Unsplash

It’s the perfect season to hunt for mushrooms and conkers in the woods! If you’ve got some road trips planned, you can be sure that you’ll have plenty of activities for a caravanning weekend away. After all, most of us have felt prisoners of the COVID restrictions. Many families have cancelled their holiday abroad this summer for a staycation at home.
If you’ve still got itchy feet, why not make the most of the half-term break coming soon for a camping break?

Wet weather caravanning needs some essential preparation, starting with investing in the proper weatherproof gear, towels for your pets and a heating solution for your caravan. But there’s a lot more you can do to stay warm when the weather takes a turn for the worse. 

Here we tow - What People Forget About Wet Weather Caravanning
Image Credit :- Unsplash – CC0 Licence

Don’t ignore a leaky caravan- damp is bad!

You can make your caravan nice and warm by Turing on your air blown or wet central heating. You may have a gas fire or even an electric fan. It’s hard to fix the damage made by a small leak to the structure and it can be costly. Water ingress will lead to damp within the caravan, including the floors and walls. Damp is harmful to your health and it can cause your caravan to rot and become unfit to use. If you are planning to travel in a caravan or motorhome that has water ingress, you may want to consider a repair or even a replacement. The new 2021 leisure vehicle models have arrived and there are plenty of deals to be done across the country.
For inexperienced buyers, it’s best to head to a reputable dealership that can advise and monitor the quality of their caravan and motorhomes. A dealership will have a number of manufacturers vehicles available to view, all in one place. A brand such as Burstner Motorhomes, has a well-deserved reputation for providing a mixture of comfort and luxury that suits most budgets.

Insulated drink-wares for hot drinks in the awning!

Can there be anything more comforting than holding a warm cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate between your hands? When you’re caravanning, you might find that your warm drink can rapidly hit an unpleasant lukewarm drinking temperature, as a result of a cold environment. Nobody likes lukewarm drinks when they are sat out in the awning enjoying a winters day. Something as simple as buying insulated drinkware can make a huge difference to your perception of cold. Indeed, drinking a hot and freshly brewed cuppa instantly warms you up! 

Cold weather - Here we tow - What People Forget About Wet Weather Caravanning
Image Credit – Unsplash

Don’t forget your thermals!

You may spend every day in a pair of jeans, but when you’re caravanning in the wet weather, you want to add a pair of thermal leggings. They may not sound like an elegant fashion statement – thankfully, most of them are to be worn underneath your clothes – but they can keep your legs warm and cosy. Fleece-lined leggings are a must-have for a cold weekend away. When you’re out exploring the area from the campsite you will be warm and snug. These and a cup of tea in your new insulated drinkware, and you won’t even notice that it’s raining outside! 

Buy the best caravan bedding for the cold!

Caravan and motorhome bedding comes in different shapes, sizes and togs. Whether you’re sleeping inside the caravan, or in the awning, buy the best. One thing is for sure; you can’t carry around a pile of blankets and duvets as they are space-demanding. But simple changes such as a quality memory foam or quilted mattress topper can prevent cold nights. The Duvalay products are some of the most popular, they certainly get our vote.

Travelling without fearing the wet weather, that’s what you need to make the most of a weekend getaway before the end of the year. There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad preparation, or so they say. With the right gear you can enjoy a winter of touring and a whole new experience of caravanning.