Caravan & Motorhome Prices

[b0rn2sk8]

We don’t have kids but we have a dog that we would never kennel so our circumstances for wanting one is different but I’d imagine a family of four would soon pay for itself

You would have to factor in the cost of using it (pitch fees etc.), running a caravan and using it on holiday isn’t free. Sites that have good amenities tend can be quite pricey, if you want a pitch were you don’t have to fetch your own water etc. (Your on holiday after all!) then it’s more on top of that.

Compared to going to the EU on a plane, it isn’t necessary cheaper, it’s just different and they offer flexibility (e.g. you can take more stuff, dogs etc.). You really have to use them before they come into their own.

 

[ci_newman]

I never understand caravans. Spend 20k. How many hotels does it take before you even break even?

Camping I totally get as it is cheap.

You're forgetting resale value though Generally speaking caravans (especially second hand) don't depreciate as long as you maintain them properly

 

[GinG]

I never understand caravans. Spend 20k. How many hotels does it take before you even break even?

Camping I totally get as it is cheap.

Caravans hold the value so never cost that.

Also when a 2 week family holiday in order for 4 costs £4-£5k the payback is very quick!

2 week holiday for family of 4 in Cornwall on 5

 

[b0rn2sk8]

Caravans hold the value so never cost that.

Also when a 2 week family holiday in order for 4 costs £4-£5k the payback is very quick!

2 week holiday for family of 4 in Cornwall on 5

Not really sure the two are comparable like that, £5k would get you something long haul and reasonably up market, it’s a very different experience to 2 weeks in a caravan in Cornwall.

I’m not saying one experience is better than the other, they would just be very different. Some people want what a caravan can offer, others want something all inclusive or a different culture (or just better weather ).

I wouldn’t say caravanning is cheap, it really isn’t, particularly with all the capital you need to have tied up in a decent one or paying finance. They just offer lots of flexibility to hitch up and go exploring for the week/end. I used to go caravanning all the time with my family and it was great but I don’t think I’d buy one at this stage of my life, even in this post pandemic world.

Foreign travel is just so accessible these days, and there are so many interesting places you can get to relatively cheaply.

 

[adam cool dude]

Caravans hold the value so never cost that.

Also when a 2 week family holiday in order for 4 costs £4-£5k the payback is very quick!

2 week holiday for family of 4 in Cornwall on 5

I have two kids and a dog. We go camping to the lake district quite a lot in the summer months. It is super cheap and as long as you pick a decent site you have all the amenities like showers, place to wash up plates, small shops etc. We never really plan it but book last minute when good weather can be guaranteed. Normally when we fly abroad we go for a week as it is more than enough for me. Normally around the 2K region. That's 10 holidays for the same price as a caravan.

 

[ci_newman]

I have two kids and a dog. We go camping to the lake district quite a lot in the summer months. It is super cheap and as long as you pick a decent site you have all the amenities like showers, place to wash up plates, small shops etc. We never really plan it but book last minute when good weather can be guaranteed. Normally when we fly abroad we go for a week as it is more than enough for me. Normally around the 2K region. That's 10 holidays for the same price as a caravan.

Again, you're overlooking resale value. For a start there are literally 1000s of caravans available for < £10k. Secondly, you can use it for 5 years and sell it on at the same cost as what you originally paid for it so no actual cost except running costs.

People use their caravans exactly in the scenario you are talking about, but it's x100 more practical than camping in a tent. Camping / caravanning at the weekends in spring / summer / autumn, plus holidays abroad for longer trips.

Use the caravan for 5 years, sell it on at zero cost.

 

[b0rn2sk8]

Ignoring the current crazy pricing of things like caravans, I just don’t see how you can get the same money for a caravan that you have used for 5 years.

Why would someone buy a 10 year old caravan if they can buy a 5 year old one for the same price (same size and spec). They just wouldn’t.

The older the van, the more likely it’s going to develop faults, it’s interior will be older and is likely to have more general wear and tear and as caravans age they are more likely to develop issues with water ingress which is ultimately what causes their demise.

 

[ci_newman]

Ignoring the current crazy pricing of things like caravans, I just don’t see how you can get the same money for a caravan that you have used for 5 years.

Why would someone buy a 10 year old caravan if they can buy a 5 year old one for the same price (same size and spec). They just wouldn’t.

The older the van, the more likely it’s going to develop faults, it’s interior will be older and is likely to have more general wear and tear and as caravans age they are more likely to develop issues with water ingress which is ultimately what causes their demise.

Because intrinsically they haven't actually changed much. The frames don't rust and the shell is made from fibre glass. As long as you DO keep out the water ingress (or resolve any leaks as soon as they are found) then most caravans that have gone past their initial "new vehicle" depreciation don't fall much further because there's nothing to actually break.

Use the same analogy with cars. The reason they stop being viable as they age is because a) rust or b) the engine wears out. Aside from the brakes, there's no components to "wear out" or rust on a caravan.

At that point, you're buying on size / features, not age.

 

[adam cool dude]

People use their caravans exactly in the scenario you are talking about, but it's x100 more practical than camping in a tent. Camping / caravanning at the weekends in spring / summer / autumn, plus holidays abroad for longer trips.

Maybe but the gulf in price for that practicality is massive. And for that gulf in price I could stay in some nice little cottage somewhere. I have always felt that caravanning is like paying to camp but in a halfway hotel. When the reality is you could just stay in a hotel. Especially with how easy it is now to book online. Maybe it was a different scenario 15-20 years ago

I would also argue that practicality is not that much difference. I simply go into my loft and get the tent out and stick it in the boot of my car. Spend an hour each end making it up/packing it away. Everything else that you prepare for is no different plus I don't have a caravan sitting outside the house for 300 days of the year.

 

[dlockers]

<irrelevance>

What is it with OCUK, that people feel the need to say "I don't like x" where the topic is about "x"?

It is a forum, you literally chose what threads to tune into. If you aren't interested, don't subscribe?

 

[ci_newman]

Maybe but the gulf in price for that practicality is massive. And for that gulf in price I could stay in some nice little cottage somewhere. I have always felt that caravanning is like paying to camp but in a halfway hotel. When the reality is you could just stay in a hotel. Especially with how easy it is now to book online. Maybe it was a different scenario 15-20 years ago

I would also argue that practicality is not that much difference. I simply go into my loft and get the tent out and stick it in the boot of my car. Spend an hour each end making it up/packing it away. Everything else that you prepare for is no different plus I don't have a caravan sitting outside the house for 300 days of the year.

Well, it is different. No packing of crockery or cutlery, a proper fridge, integrated gas cookers, no sleeping on the floor. Its an ascended state of camping. You pack some clothes then hitch up and go.

Your analogy to staying in a hotel is comparing apples to oranges, they are not the same type of holiday. Aside from the cash locked away in the caravan itself it's probably the cheapest way to holiday in the UK aside from sleeping in a tent. I'm nearly 40, I've done many years of camping in tents but I dont want to sleep on the floor any more.

As for practicalities, the whole reason we moved from tents to caravans was after a VERY wet weekend away camping followed by a solid week of rain when we got home - trying to dry the tent and kit indoors to pack it away was an absolute ballache (two young kids, we needed a big tent) and something we vowed never to repeat again.

[Edit] I mentioned it in another thread, but my 6-birth folding camper cost me £450 two years ago. Find me *any* 6 bed cottage for a summer week in the Cotswolds for less than that... and I only paid that once.

 

[adam cool dude]

Well, it is different. No packing of crockery or cutlery, a proper fridge, integrated gas cookers, no sleeping on the floor. Its an ascended state of camping. You pack some clothes then hitch up and go.

Your analogy to staying in a hotel is comparing apples to oranges, they are not the same type of holiday. Aside from the cash locked away in the caravan itself it's probably the cheapest way to holiday in the UK aside from sleeping in a tent. I'm nearly 40, I've done many years of camping in tents but I dont want to sleep on the floor any more.

As for practicalities, the whole reason we moved from tents to caravans was after a VERY wet weekend away camping followed by a solid week of rain when we got home - trying to dry the tent and kit indoors to pack it away was an absolute ballache (two young kids, we needed a big tent) and something we vowed never to repeat again.

[Edit] I mentioned it in another thread, but my 6-birth folding camper cost me £450 two years ago. Find me *any* 6 bed cottage for a summer week in the Cotswolds for less than that... and I only paid that once.

I am not arguing that and bargain campers are a great idea in my mind as it makes more financial sense. I was merely pointing out at the 10-20k end of the scale it just seems far better use of capital to just stay in a hotel of the destination you want to visit.

 

[Dangerous Dave]

We have used a caravan for several years before our son went to school we would tour Europe for 10-12 weeks each summer (down to 4-6 now) as we took the family dog and my MTB/road bike it was much easier going with our own car/caravan than moving around hotels etc. We've done plenty of hotel breaks moving through countries and taking a caravan isn't that much cheaper than hotel/travel costs but we save a significant amount on meals.

I've recently sold the caravan when I realised we wouldn't be using it and demand has caused prices to rise significantly plan is to buy another one when folk start to sell them off next year. A bit of luck in the current climate meant I am up over the cost of our two caravans.

 

[Begbie]

I never understand caravans. Spend 20k. How many hotels does it take before you even break even?

Camping I totally get as it is cheap.

Caravans I don't get, but the lust for a camper is real. Driving through the uk/europe with my bike in the back and not having to book/worry about where I'm going is an absolute dream. Same as above, was looking for a caddy maxi this year, prices are insane. Might try again in winter.

 

[adam cool dude]

Caravans I don't get, but the lust for a camper is real. Driving through the uk/europe with my bike in the back and not having to book/worry about where I'm going is an absolute dream. Same as above, was looking for a caddy maxi this year, prices are insane. Might try again in winter.

I drive over the continent during the summer most years. All the way to Lithuania and back. We stay in plenty of hotels and never pre-book. Even with the language barrier we have stayed in many hotels across Germany and Poland which have been absolutely fantastic, never fully booked and super cheap. Also these are proper hotels and not some premier inn style thing. You get to meet new people and cultures. Something you completely miss out with a caravan.

Like I said earlier we live in the world of the internet where it is just so easy and simple to find accommodation compared to say 15 years ago.

 

[ci_newman]

I am not arguing that and bargain campers are a great idea in my mind as it makes more financial sense. I was merely pointing out at the 10-20k end of the scale it just seems far better use of capital to just stay in a hotel of the destination you want to visit.

You can say the same thing about peoples spending choices on a £100k Tesla though. There are far more sensible / cost-effective options, likewise for buying £50K+ BMWs, or massive & expensive SUVs.

 

[Dangerous Dave]

Caravans I don't get, but the lust for a camper is real. Driving through the uk/europe with my bike in the back and not having to book/worry about where I'm going is an absolute dream. Same as above, was looking for a caddy maxi this year, prices are insane. Might try again in winter.

We've got use of a camper and for short breaks it is good particularly for a MTB'ing weekend where once parked up with no need to go anywhere on longer breaks it becomes a chore packing it back up to drive it.

 

[Begbie]

I drive over the continent during the summer most years. All the way to Lithuania and back. We stay in plenty of hotels and never pre-book. Even with the language barrier we have stayed in many hotels across Germany and Poland which have been absolutely fantastic, never fully booked and super cheap. Also these are proper hotels and not some premier inn style thing. You get to meet new people and cultures. Something you completely miss out with a caravan.

Like I said earlier we live in the world of the internet where it is just so easy and simple to find accommodation compared to say 15 years ago.

Yeah, which is fair enough. But it's not also so easy with sports equipment full in the back, especially if you want to stay in the mountains to hike/bike. It also adds a bit of freedom to the journey.

We've got use of a camper and for short breaks it is good particularly for a MTB'ing weekend where once parked up with no need to go anywhere on longer breaks it becomes a chore packing it back up to drive it.

Yeah, it's why I was looking at caddy maxis or similar.

 

[dlockers]

Not sure how financial sense can be the argument when spending £20k on hotels means the money has literally evaporated versus spending £20k on an asset that depreciates slower than a drip.

 

[phil675]

I don't really see the point in them unless you're retired or can have long periods off. The idea of having 2 weeks off but spending at least a quarter of it dragging a caravan through Europe instead of getting a plane doesn't make sense to me. If you can go away for 6 weeks or more and take a mini house with you then I get it.