Why do people tow cars behind motorhomes, rather than have a caravan?

[Shrimp]

How wrong can you be. Before motorhoming, we towed a caravan abroad every year. We never booked and moved on every few days (itchy feet me). In fact over the years we have seen more of europe from our caravans than our motorhomes.

I do wish people would read posts properly before jumping in!
Manic put this-tongue in cheek!
“It would be difficult, no impossible to take just a caravan touring in Europe,”

 

[gwyntaxi]

Another advantage for the car and caravan - that car can be your only motorised vehicle. Whereas if you have a motorhome and tow a small car, that car may well not be enough for your daily use at home. So you end up with three motorised vehicles, 3 lots of tax, 3 MOTs, etc.

Yes, I’m not arguing that a car and caravan is better than a PVC, or even than any motorhome. The argument is: if you tow a car behind your motorhome, why wouldn’t you have a car and caravan instead? The argument seems to be mostly about use of aires and set up speed - but it seems to be that you are paying a lot for that fairly minor convenience.

Far from a minor convenience, you can't take a car and caravan from your home for a day out parked in some idyllic locations such as a seafront, marina, beach, or promenade so that you could enjoy a whole day out with all your facilities at hand ️ even to cook a meal if needs be, and you wouldn't have to worry if there are any toilet facilities within reach,which there often are not....Just my thoughts and that many of other folks too, no doubt

 

[dpsuk999]

Dare I say you're an exception that has little do do with this debate.
Nice though!

maybe Iam an exception, however I just put up points to counter the disadvantages, all adds to the debate

 

[JaG]

We towed a caravan for 45 years, ending with a Volvo XC60 and eight+ metre Adria Isonzo travelling all over Europe and Croatia.
Age, health and change of holiday style meant a change may be better to motorhome/toad. Wife is almost totally disabled mobile wise and we like to spend a few days here, few days there. Had intended Europe travel however, wife's ailments shot the insurance up to £2,500 for 31 days so that ended that. Plenty of nice places and bargains to be had in this country, i.e. five nights on Europitch at Haven for £58.
The motorhome has worked better than we thought, 7.4m Autotrail/Electric Wheelchair is brilliant for a few days away in an area near to where we want to be or visiting family. No vehicle required.
The motorhome/toad works perfect for five days+ so we can get around and see places that a wheelchair will not reach.
Now maybe the OP can see some logic in our motorhome/toad combination. The car/caravan is too restrictive in what we now want to achieve.

 

[Billylou]

So you specifically purchased a car to tow, insured it, petrol, ferry costs, servicing, depreciation etc etc. This would obviously come at a cost. Would it be cheaper to hire a car on the occasions it was needed or would that be too much hassle? I can understand that those who tow a car want the convenience and spontaneity of it and I totally understand that.

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[Larrynwin]

Far from a minor convenience, you can't take a car and caravan from your home for a day out parked in some idyllic locations such as a seafront, marina, beach, or promenade so that you could enjoy a whole day out with all your facilities at hand ️ even to cook a meal if needs be, and you wouldn't have to worry if there are any toilet facilities within reach,which there often are not....Just my thoughts and that many of other folks too, no doubt

True, we often take a day trip in the motorhome, park up in a nice spot and have lunch and a brew all with no hassle especially when toilet is needed.

 

[Folkranger]

I can understand that those who tow a car want the convenience and spontaneity of it and I totally understand that.

I don't. I may be wrong but watching people I know getting so frustrated trying to hitch/unhitch a toad seems anything but convenient or spontaneous. (wait for the flak!)

 

[DuxDeluxe]

Or a yacht trying to anchor.

That depends very much on who is doing the driving......... more fun watching a Norfolk Broads cruiser lot trying to moor stern first. It is dead easy when you know how

 

[JaG]

I don't. I may be wrong but watching people I know getting so frustrated trying to hitch/unhitch a toad seems anything but convenient or spontaneous. (wait for the flak!)

If you are clever enough and have a camera on the back of the motorhome you can reverse right onto it, as I do.

 

[punto338]

.

@Jane And Rog, I wonder how different your recent trip to Morocco would have been in a caravan compared to your PVC, would you have even thought of doing the trip in a caravan?

Without wishing to contribute as it runs similarly to the debate early on this year about MH versus caravans, all I will say is "we did".

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[Gina M]

That depends very much on who is doing the driving......... more fun watching a Norfolk Broads cruiser lot trying to moor stern first. It is dead easy when you know how

We got caught out last summer, me trying to tie the ropes when we got back. At the end of the "show us how to do it" the guy said have you got any questions and that is the one thing I wish I had asked him to show me what a nightmare!!! There was a woman actually filming me struggling on her mobile phone I managed it in the end and I ran into the office to get help to make sure it was ok and the guy said you have done it!! why are you worried that is perfect

 

[Gina M]

If you are clever enough and have a camera on the back of the motorhome you can reverse right onto it, as I do.

Us too

 

[Gina M]

I say each to their own. Live and let live. I don't laugh at people tugging caravans

 

[ashley 1340]

Hi We tow a road legal quad which is very light weight and is hardly noticeable on the back. It has a large storage box on it for shopping , is easy to park and costs very little to run................Here in France and also in Spain the use of A frames is illegal and you can be heavily fined for their useage.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

If you are clever enough and have a camera on the back of the motorhome you can reverse right onto it, as I do.

Us too

No jockey wheel on the A frame so I hold it up and use hand signals for the "docking" with whoever is driving the car. Takes about a minute

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[Clive Mott]

Tried all combinations, Always come back to a motorhome, But what do we tow? For us a box trailer with a motorbike and sidecar inside. Very much Wallace and Grommet. Lots or waves, grins and smiles. Helmet intercom between herself and himself. Mind you we could towa car on a trailer, no A frame job on the continent. Or perhaps a pvc and tow a caravan. The drivers view of the countryside is much better in a motorhome and the original seating designed for someone to spend all day in it, unlike most cars where you are too laid back. There are the thoughts of the Ayatollah.

 

[Peter and Julie]

We are in this category of large motorhome, small toad, and then an Suv for everyday use at home.
We only take the toad on long trips in UK , ie touring Cornwall or the Lake District, but the majority of our trips in the Motorhome are without the toad, we much prefer this setup to the 20 years we spent towing a caravan
As for the extra costs , they are not extra costs if it's for your enjoyment.
There are no pockets in a shroud,if we wanted to save money and not do all the things we enjoy we would sell the motorhome and both the cars and live as a recluses
Everyone to their own I suppose

You have a lovely van! That was our first motorhome your next will be an RV

 

[missmollie]

We have an old Smart car which I tow on an A Frame if I am going anywhere in the UK for a week or longer. Would not dream of taking it abroad no need, If I was staying in the UK all the time I wouldn't even think of a motorhome, it would be a caravan all day long.

 

[WallaceandGromit]

As an ex tugger of more than 40 years, I always said I wouldn't be caught dead in A MOHO and what happens I go out and buy one and a toad. Why you ask simple I was fed up with towing and my oh has a heart condition which means I had to do everything only been out twice so far but love it's easy to set up and such a relaxing drive without dingbats trying to cut you up at every opportunity I weighed 4 ton Oh Please! I can't stop on a six pence.

 

[bigtwin]

Far from a minor convenience, you can't take a car and caravan from your home for a day out parked in some idyllic locations such as a seafront, marina, beach, or promenade so that you could enjoy a whole day out with all your facilities at hand ️ even to cook a meal if needs be, and you wouldn't have to worry if there are any toilet facilities within reach,which there often are not....Just my thoughts and that many of other folks too, no doubt

I think it’s just a windup to stimulate debate.

Ian

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[Larrynwin]

I don't. I may be wrong but watching people I know getting so frustrated trying to hitch/unhitch a toad seems anything but convenient or spontaneous. (wait for the flak!)

A piece of cake. A frame down on jockey wheel, white spot on top of towball and a frame hitch , reverse motorhome watching reversing camera and line up white dots, handbrake on, hitch connect, a couple of connections and off. A few minutes at most and even less for unhitching.

 

[Larrynwin]

No jockey wheel on the A frame so I hold it up and use hand signals for the "docking" with whoever is driving the car. Takes about a minute

I fitted jockey wheel to my a frame and painted large white dot on top of towball and tow hitch and with a frame down reverse motorhome to towcar watching on rear view camera to line up white dots, a piece of cake and a one man person job.

 

[Tony50]

We rarely stop at any one place for more than a day or two when we are touring.
With our MH we pull up and park and we virtually setup as soon as we have stopped and the same when we move on.
Having enjoyed hours and hours of watching the comedy of tuggers setting up, there is no way on this earth would I put myself through that fiasco every time we moved sites.

We have had both caravans and Motorhomes, and, enjoyed both. After getting stuck in Strasbourg, no way would I tow a car behind a Motorhome,we manage Europe for 60 plus days with out taking a car, if we want a car we could hire one over there or in UK, but we have not
needed too.

 

[Larrynwin]

That depends very much on who is doing the driving......... more fun watching a Norfolk Broads cruiser lot trying to moor stern first. It is dead easy when you know how

Bow thrusters have taken some of the fun and skill away.

 

[Don Campbell]

What's all the discussion about when it's down to personal preference in the end. For what it's worth we did 76000 miles in the USA over 6 years of owning an RV over there and never towed a car because everywhere was accessible. In UK, with a downsized vehicle we tow a Smart sometimes, depending on where we are going and our intended end use. When we don't tow we take ebikes. Smart does 60mpg, PVC around 30 with very little difference whether towing or not. If you want to tow a caravan go ahead - no-one's stopping you.

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[enark]

I just don’t get it. If you’re going to tow, surely it makes more sense to get a really decent car, and tow a large caravan. I must be missing something.

Advantages of car & caravan
Cheaper purchase cost
Only one vehicle with an engine, less to go wrong, lower road tax, lower MOT
Better fuel consumption
Much better car to drive around when you get there
More living space in the caravan (probably)

Disadvantages
Longer to set up, but then if you’re towing, you’re not moving on every day anyway.

Not sure about cheaper purchase cost? At the NEC this week caravans can be 30-40k, then add a decent tow car, that’s another 30k and your into nice MH territory.

only one engine, but working hard? MH vans are built to do lots of miles.

yes more living space in caravan, but as just a couple, we don’t need it.

if you need a car when you get there?

lower road tax, depends a PHGV only costs £165 tax per year? Insurance may be a little more for a MH, but that’s the theft element, which is true for caravans too?

not sure about better fuel consumption? Towing cuts the cars right down so probably not a lot in it? Also you then have to use the large tow car for the commute etc?

it is however horses for courses, when we had young kids, a caravan was ideal, go to a site, stay a week, set up a huge awning etc, great, then bob around in the car for day trips.

no longer young kids, MH suits, minimal set up, easier drive, especially with auto box, and just bob around a night or two here and there. Couple of push bikes still gives us a 10 mile radius of sightseeing, pub going etc…..wobbling back!!!!

I don’t tow a car, but see the advantage if that’s also the car for daily use when at home. But as long as my legs still turn the wheels of my push bike, happy with this at the mo…

 

[Feltwell]

Shirley shome mishtake!?
Did you mean Irish passport as NI passport is uk passport!?

Yes, you're right - Irish passport. But you can get one of those if you're Northern Irish - or - if you've lived in NI for at least 5 of the last 9 years, I believe.

 

[Folkranger]

If you are clever enough and have a camera on the back of the motorhome you can reverse right onto it, as I do.

Nice to know you're clever enough

 

[TonyEmm]

I just don’t get it. If you’re going to tow, surely it makes more sense to get a really decent car, and tow a large caravan. I must be missing something.

Advantages of car & caravan
Cheaper purchase cost
Only one vehicle with an engine, less to go wrong, lower road tax, lower MOT
Better fuel consumption
Much better car to drive around when you get there
More living space in the caravan (probably)

Disadvantages
Longer to set up, but then if you’re towing, you’re not moving on every day anyway.

Because they choose to! Each to his own…. what suits one won’t suit another.
Disadvantages of car & caravan.
Slab sided trailer.
Subject to snaking. Extreme care needed when going downhill.
Fuel consumption is debatable!
Caravans (& trailers) should be subject to MoT’s. DfT and DVSA are aware….
To tow a large caravan, you need a large vehicle as your everyday runabout… many folk prefer a more agile ‘city car’ which they can then tow, if needed!

 

[TonyEmm]

To make a big enough vehicle, capable of towing a caravan, road legal must be quite expensive and of course you’ve got to have your caravan insured as well!
Some of these big towing cars have expensive RT!

You haven’t GOT to insure the caravan, there’s no legal requirement for any trailer to be insured, other than the third party cover provided on the towing vehicle’s policy.
That said, it would be foolhardy not to!

any self respecting storage site wouldn’t allow an uninsured caravan on….

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