Campervan purchase - thoughts please

[di65]

I have just had a windfall and was considering buying a campervan to enable us to take few days away occasionally. I was thinking, that rather than the confusion of going to different accommodation every night, the familiarity of a campervan (plus I can keep an eye on where he is) may be a better option.
Has anyone had experience of this type of travel?

 

[Kevinl]

I say a big YES. The one thing I don't regret is we still have our narrowboat (as you're in NZ and may not be familiar google image "narrowboat" they're a specifically UK type of canal boat). It's a home away from home and even though we may only go a couple of miles from the marina we can moor up in the Cheshire countryside and it get's us out of the house. As we had the boat well before my wife was diagnosed she still recognises it as a part of our "home" and as the whole thing is so self contained and I'm literally never out of her sight she's really quite content there in some ways more so than at home where I'm often in another room, upstairs or wherever and she can't see me. Buy a cheap one first and see how it goes for while before you do the whole Winabago thing though.
K

 

[Loopiloo]

You could consider hiring a campervan for a week to see how it works out?

Loo

 

[jenniferpa]

I'm with Loo - hire one for a week before committing to such an expense.

 

[Kevinl]

I did say "buy a cheap one first" I should have said then park it next to the house, make it part of the home then when you go away you take part of the home with you, that's my theory. Once it's a place they know then they're no "where are we" surrounding syndrome, I was lucky we had a mobile (boat) home away from home before she got ill.
K

 

[jenniferpa]

I don't think anyone was saying you didn't make the right call, Kevinl. You had the narrow boat already, so the situation is rather different. But I wouldn't expend however much it might cost (and in the US it would be upward of $20K) without trying it out first. Because these things lose value as soon as you have purchased them I'm afraid.

 

[di65]

Thanks for your comments everyone. I hadn't intended get a large one, just a small one with a bed, shower and toilet. I have looked online and I can get one with far less money than my windfall from any of the many many campervan rental companies here in NZ. We, many years ago, had a caravan and were off at the drop of a hat, so the life on the road is not unknown to us.

 

[colincampsite]

When my wife started with forgetfulness 14 years ago, we bought a campervan (VW Transporter) and set off from the UK. We lived in it for 2 years in Spain before getting a permanent caravan. We sold it 4 weeks ago having only used it for 2 weeks last year as everything is very difficult as the Alz. takes a stranglehold and we are faced with the possibility of having to return to the UK for some help.
We have visited places all over Europe and Morocco and have never had one moment of regret with it. It enabled us to enjoy a great side of life. It has also meant we met new people every day and have some wonderful friends (and I) memories.
Go for it

 

[Chemmy]

We bought a little one when we both retired and had a few enjoyable breaks - although it is like sleeping in a car wash when it rains

If you like camping, you'll probably be OK. I found the toilet/sink/shower arrangement too compact and used to use the shower block instead and it's a pain having to stow everything away whenever you want to drive somewhere, even if it's just down to the supermarket.

However, NZ is so well geared up for that style of living (coin-fed public BBQs by the beach) and your roads are so traffic free, you should have a great time.

I found cooking inside difficult in ours. I never used the oven and rarely used the gas hob, as dealing with pans of hot water in such a confined space was tricky. A microwave would have been a far more useful appliance. I did use our toaster and kettle, and bought a halogen oven and electric steamer which were great as I could set these up on an extension lead outside if the weather was OK.

Not meaning to be negative, just honest; as I said, if you're used to camping I'm sure you will enjoy it....but it wasn't really for me. We would have been much better towing a caravan as then we would have been able to park it up an have full use of a normal car.

 

[di65]

I did think about a small caravan, but then remembered my backing skills

 

[Saffie]

it's a pain having to stow everything away whenever you want to drive somewhere, even if it's just down to the supermarket

A number of people with campervans tow a small car behind for sight-seeing, shopping trips etc so that the van can be left on site.
I've seen a lot of these on motorways and it seems an easier option than using a large car to tow a caravan.

I'd go for it. If you buy second-hand, you wil lose less in a resale if it doesn't work out.

 

[Cathy*]

We hired a campervan for 6 weeks touring in NZ from MAUI. The roads are great and plenty of campsites with excellent facilities. A friend of ours bought an ex MAUI rental last year, used it for 4 months and has left it in NZ ready for his next visit. We've camped and caravanned and boated (is that a word?) for nearly 40 years so I'd have no hesitation in buying one. You can take as much of your own kit with you as you want and sleep in your own bed every night. If you haven't camped before defo hire one first and give it a go. As far as depreciation goes, we've found the opposite in the UK. We bought ours in 2007, it was 6 months old, and looking at second hand values it's still worth what we paid for it.

 

[Chemmy]

Hiring one first would be a good idea as you will soon recognise the features/layout you like and those you don't before you commit to buy. For example, I couldn't have slept in the over cab space - we just used that for storage. We bought a small 4berth second hand starter one, but I couldn't imagine four people in it.

The other advantage of a caravan is that you can easily attach an awning which can double the useable covered space; this seems to be more of a problem in a MH.

But I appreciate what you say about towing - my OH wasn t keen on that either. However a second hand caravan will cost a fraction of the price of a second hand MH - and although the forecourt signs in the sales outlets might look as though MH prices are holding in the UK, the reality is that one of the manufacturers started heavily discounting new ones a couple of years ago and the bottom fell out of the second hand market over here.

 

[jeany123]

My Son had an awning for his motor home and it was very useful for storing things and having meals in,

My sister had a MH for years but when it got old they sold it and hired one every year after that,

 

[Chemmy]

That's interesting, Jeany. We never found an awning to fit ours....something else to consider when choosing one!

 

[Trisha4]

I have just had a windfall and was considering buying a campervan to enable us to take few days away occasionally. I was thinking, that rather than the confusion of going to different accommodation every night, the familiarity of a campervan (plus I can keep an eye on where he is) may be a better option.
Has anyone had experience of this type of travel?

We had a caravan for years. We changed to a campervan a year ago. I had the same thoughts as you, that it would be familiar even in a strange place.
We spent 5 weeks in it in France last summer which was very successful. When we got to france, husband decided he didn't want to drive abroad so I drove the whole time which wasn't a problem.
I would certainly recommend this for breaks and hope you find one you like. We went for one with a fixed bed which saved too much upheaval at bedtime which can be a more difficult time for husband particularly if he is tired.


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[angiebails]

Hi I have had a motorhome for over 9 years now we are on our 3rd and have travelled all over Europe. I don't know what stage you are at with the illness but it is a godsend to us as my OH is so at home in the van. He can take all his things with him and he knows where they are as when we go on holiday he has to learn where everything is. I don't know who would be doing the driving etc and what size outfit you are interested in but we did hire one for a week but it wasn't the same as owning one as you turn up with just your case like being on holiday and there is nothing familiar around you. It is hard as you don't have the items that you want as it is a hire van so it can be stressful with a dementia sufferer. Would you be thinking of using it quite a lot as it is an expensive business. We have a 8 metre van and I tow our vauxhall agila with us so that we can get out and about when we arrive without moving the van. We have been away for weeks at a time and my husband does love it. I obviously have to do all the planning driving and navigating but it is nice not being stuck at home as we spend most the summer touring England once we get back from our winter break in Spain.
.


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[di65]

Hi Angie I would be doing the driving, but I am a confident driver and have driven larger vehicles (light trucks etc), so have no worries on that score. My husband in probably mid-stage, and gets easily agitated in unfamiliar surroundings, hence the idea to buy a small campervan. NZ is well set up for campervans, with thousands being hired out annually to overseas tourists, so sites and facilities are everywhere. I would however only be taking it to out of the way places (not cities with the crowds OH hates). I am also thinking that once OH is eventually in care I will take off to fulfill 'bucket list' things, also taking the grandchildren for jaunts in their school holidays. I only require a shower, toilet and a bed. We have a friend with a business that makes awnings, so will get him to make one suitable. I have been looking through the internet sites and can probably get a second hand one quite reasonably, and I have, in the meantime, put my windfall into an interest bearing account until I have made my decision.

 

[Chemmy]

Sounds like a plan, di65

No better place to do that than NZ.

 

[angiebails]

Sounds great. Good luck. Just a little warning. Take care that the camper you buy is exactly what you want as we rushed into buying our first thinking it would be ok and had to sell it within a year as it wasn't suitable to our requirements.


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