# Why did people change from caravan to motorhome



## Chic (Mar 2, 2011)

I am puzzling over why people go to the expense of buying a motorhome and then drive to caravan parks and stay in the same place for a week or two? We recently met a really nice couple on a campsite who had a super van. We got chatting to them and we learnt that last year they had changed from a caravan to a motorhome but they then went on to say they had been staying on this same caravan park for 10 days and apart from a walk to the local shops for fresh provsions they had barely left the campsite. They also mentioned they had only been away in the van a few times since they had bought it! :roll: 
Ive asked this question because to my mind a motorhome is designed for travelling around in wheras a caravan is more suited to those who prefer to stay in one place and not venture too far away from their chosen location and i wonder why this couple felt the need to spend so much money on a motorhome which they then dont use to its full potential? 
We changed from a caravan to a motorhome 2 years ago and we love the new found freedom our van gives us and i guess it just baffled me why some people use their motohome the same way as we did our caravan and so im rather curious as to why this is?
Brad


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## 96299 (Sep 15, 2005)

Chic said:


> I am puzzling over why people go to the expense of buying a motorhome and then drive to caravan parks and stay in the same place for a week or two? We recently met a really nice couple on a campsite who had a super van. We got chatting to them and we learnt that last year they had changed from a caravan to a motorhome but they then went on to say they had been staying on this same caravan park for 10 days and apart from a walk to the local shops for fresh provsions they had barely left the campsite. They also mentioned they had only been away in the van a few times since they had bought it! :roll:
> Ive asked this question because to my mind a motorhome is designed for travelling around in wheras a caravan is more suited to those who prefer to stay in one place and not venture too far away from their chosen location and i wonder why this couple felt the need to spend so much money on a motorhome which they then dont use to its full potential?
> We changed from a caravan to a motorhome 2 years ago and we love the new found freedom our van gives us and i guess it just baffled me why some people use their motohome the same way as we did our caravan and so im rather curious as to why this is?
> Brad


Exactly-old habits die hard and all that. It has to be an exceptional place for us to stay more than two nights anywhere. I would go home before the ten days was up with boredom. :lol:

Steve


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

Hi Brad, and welcome



Chic said:


> a motorhome is designed for travelling around in wheras a caravan is more suited to those who prefer to stay in one place and not venture too far away from their chosen location


Yep, I agree. Sometimes, people only want one vehicle, which has to fulfil a range of uses.

We used to use sites a lot, but would still travel a bit from one to another. Now, we use it a lot for cruising from aire to aire in France, for which it's perfect 

Gerald


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## Jezport (Jun 19, 2008)

It takes all sorts!

If I wanted to stay for long periods on one site I would consider a caravan but we rarely spend more than a couple of nights on one pitch so the moho is best for us. I have thought about a 5er a few times though.


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

We changed from Caravan to a Motorhome for the folowing reasons.

Freedom to move conveniently from site to site or aire, whichever.

No kids to take with us.

Not have to return to the same base camp everynight.

Less stress than towing a caravan.

Holiday planning now consists of, getting off the ferry and going to where the weather is best. no set destination.

I could afford to buy mh and still run two cars.

At the time of purchase nearly six years ago financial considerations did not enter the equation. 
Neither did the dependancy on us by mother in law.
Both are now factors.

Nothing wrong with either caravan or motorhome, we are all campers at the end of the day.


dave p


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## jimmyd0g (Oct 22, 2009)

We have totally the opposite philosophy to Chigman. Unless we are staying somewhere en-route or it's a 'local' weekend away we never stay for less than a week on a site. How else is one to get to know the area? Two days? Three days? Barely scratched the surface of a location. A week plus? We've got the chance to get to know somewhere reasonably well.


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## Rosbotham (May 4, 2008)

Why do people tow a car?
Why do people have a PVC?
Why do people have huge coachbuilts?
Why do people have awnings?
Why do people spend a fortune on a satellite system when a terrestrial aerial / good book would do?
Why do people have fixed beds?
Why are people without fixed beds happy to make up their sleeping quarters every night?
Why do people want proper ovens?
How do people manage without proper ovens?
Why do people prefer to stay on campsites when there are lots of places they could wildcamp?
Why would anyone want to wildcamp when they can have facilities?

*Why is there a propensity to think that one's mode of using a motorhome is the only sensible way and anyone who does things differently isn't doing it "right"?*

We've just stayed 8 nights on a site...think it's the longest we've ever done so. Why? 260 miles / 6hrs each way, I was happy not to move on for a while. However our most typical stay is a couple of nights away for a weekend. Don't assume that because someone stays in the same location for a while when you see them, that's always the case. So long as we're all enjoying ourselves, who cares if others' holiday plans aren't quite the same as our own?

*(PS Welcome to the site Chic!!)*


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## Techno100 (May 8, 2010)

I like sitting high up 8)

Strictly speaking I've never been a tugger or a camper. Straight in at the deep end


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## gbnut (Jul 19, 2010)

We changed from a Twin-Axle caravan last year to a Bessacarr E560, best thing we ever did. 

Why did we switch:-

1) Availability - We try and go away at least once a month, with the caravan we required alot more planning, I needed to take more holiday as my wife was unable to hitch the van up and did not like towing. Now she packs up the car on a friday whilst I am at work, drives to the storage location parks the car and drives off to wherever we are going and sets up on arrival (I normally come via train or motorcycle)

2) Flexibility - If we choose to go away it is now much easier, empty the fridge a few clothes and go

3) European touring - Not so straight forward in the caravan

Cost wise, things are not much different, we sold the tow car and now have a single car and I use a motorcycle most of the time. The van is more fuel efficient costs less than the Caravan + Car to insure.

When I go away on holiday, I don't always want to go touring around, we spend a few days getting to wherever we want stay a while, then meander back. Using the van in between to visit local attractions etc like you would a car.

At the end of the day people have different ideas about how to spend their holiday, as long as we all enjoy it, what's the difference.

James


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

:lol: Nice one Rosbottom, answered a question by asking twelve,
Lawyer or politician by any chance :wink: :lol: 

People also change from motorhomes to caravans.

Dave p


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## Chic (Mar 2, 2011)

jimmyd0g said:


> We have totally the opposite philosophy to Chigman. Unless we are staying somewhere en-route or it's a 'local' weekend away we never stay for less than a week on a site. How else is one to get to know the area? Two days? Three days? Barely scratched the surface of a location. A week plus? We've got the chance to get to know somewhere reasonably well.


I understand your philosophy and what you say kind of makes some sense to me but to only venture out to buy fresh provisions does not really suggest this couple go around exploring the area they are visiting does it? 
I suppose we personally found that after owning a caravan we wanted to use our new motorhome to explore whatever location we were in and these days we don't always feel the need to return to the same caravan park at the end of the day and if during our travels we decide to move on, we can do and we are not committed to anyone or any caravan park. We do sometimes overnight if we find the right spot and it feels safe to do so and this is something we could never do with our caravan and although my wife is a little wary of staying anywhere too remote, we have enjoyed some great spur of the moment stopovers during the last year or so.
I am not critisising anyone just merely asking why buy a motorhome if you then select to use it like a caravan?
Brad


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## jimmyd0g (Oct 22, 2009)

Chic,

Continuing in the spirit of friendly debate, please do not assume that because our van stays put, so do we. The bikes come with us wherever we go (unless we know for certain that the location to be visited will be against sensible cycling); we have a dog who is, to say the least, energetic; we are both keen country walkers; we are not averse to using the local public transport. So yes, the van stays put (saves on a bit of diesel as well) but that is purely so that it can provide us with a bed for the night & is somewhere warm & dry to cook & not because we are tied to the confines of the site.


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## rogerblack (May 1, 2005)

When our daughter was still a child, we used to stay for one or even two weeks on a single site in the west country every year, however we also drove the 'van out nearly every day. We had a stand-alone awning in which we could leave some of the kit but we still had the advantage of our on-board facilities when we went to the beach or town or touring around for the day. We noticed caravanners would be loading tons of stuff into the boot of the car, we just drove off with all the beach gear, towels, change of clothing, along with a loo and shower, drink and food preparation, etc all on board. That for us was part of the attraction of a motorhome. We also used it around the year for day trips, weekends away, etc.

Now it's just me and Mrs B we tend to stay for no more than 2-3 nights in one place, although when we found a really nice site on Ile d'Oleron we did stay for five! We also use the 'van to travel between our brick/stone houses in Berkshire and Fife so we can stop for a night or two en route rather than rushing it in one day (or paying for a hotel!). So for us, a motorhome is the most flexible option, but we recognise that that isn't so for everyone - each to their own.

PS Techno100 made me smile - that's one of the reasons Mrs B does the lion's share of the driving, she doesn't get tailgated like she does in the little Focus - and she can beak over people's walls and fences!


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## peedee (May 10, 2005)

I've got the best of both worlds  Towing a car allows you to behave like a caravanner. No hassle of looking for parking spots on days out and no worries about narrow country lanes when touring a local area, especially Cornwall. I can go on 10 day rallies and not have to rely on others for transport and finally it is far more convenient and safer than towing a caravan. On the other hand if I want to tour, which is always the case across the other side of the channel, the car is left behind. 

It is the best of both worlds :wink: 

peedee


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## Blizzard (Sep 21, 2009)

[quote="Chic *CLIPPED*.... I am not critisising anyone just merely asking why buy a motorhome if you then select to use it like a caravan?
Brad[/quote]

Brad,

I don't know the answer as I was not there, however how do you know that they use the MH like that all the time ?

We too made the change from a large twin axle caravan & 4x4 a couple of years ago and on occasions, when it suits _us_, we use the MH as we did the caravan. This is usually during kids holidays, when we have the kids away with us for the whole trip and we tend to cycle or walk into the locality. This gives the kids time to settle on site and make friends.

On other occasions, usually shorter breaks, we get away without the kids   and use the MH to tour.

IMO we've got the best of both worlds and we use it how and when it suits us.

Ken.


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## mjpksp (May 8, 2010)

Went to buy bits and bobs from local dealer in preparation for taking caravan to France/Switzerland. Whilst I was shopping, wife and kids went for 'a look around'. By the time I got back to them it was 'come and look at this!'. MH had massive garage which suited me as I like to take push bikes where ever I go. Idea of towing on continent didn't appeal so ended up purchasing MH! 8O. Very expensive spare caravan bulbs!!!!!!!! Mind you my wife and I were once on our way to do the weekly supermarket shop when we saw signs for a new housing development. That was an even more expensive shopping trip......................still paying for it!

No faffing around when get to destination, kettle on in a minute or so. We stay as long as we want to. 

Each to their own. 

Caravan owner friend did take offense when I said we'd 'upgraded' :twisted:


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

We changed because we were not usingthe caravan - it was too much of a hassle for the two of us to get out of a very tight parking. We had to block the entire road and without the extra muscle of the children it became increasingly difficult.

With the MH we can simply move when we want, so it's convenience primarily.

We also like the raised seating position and better comfort levl c/w our caravan.

It meant we did not need a very large car for every day use and could downsize and buy more economic and fuel efficient vehicles. The MH uses fuel, but only when we are driving it, not every day....

It has proved an excellent move and one we are very glad that we made.

Dave


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## Chic (Mar 2, 2011)

Blizzard said:


> Brad,
> 
> I don't know the answer as I was not there, however how do you know that they use the MH like that all the time ?
> 
> ...


You are quite correct i have no idea if this is how they use their van all the time or not but from the conversation we had together this was the impression we got and it seemed that they hardly used their van. They only lived half an hour away from the camping park too so it just seemed such a lot of expense to spend on something that they appeared not to be using very much. i meant no offence and like everyone says its down to them in the end what they do and it makes no odds to me or anyone else how they lead their lives. i was just mildly curious to see if anyone had changed to a motorhome for the same reasons as us.
Brad


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## artona (Jan 19, 2006)

We have had caravans in the past and also big motorhomes and an RV. We now have a self build motorhome which is the best thing ever.

I found the caravans great but built like a balsawood model that I was forever scared of breaking. It was a chore towing it and you could not pull over and jump in th eback and put the kettle on with ease


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Thinking back to 7 years ago, we had a caravan and we did a tour of Brittany. Left caravan at home 
Prebooked hotel rooms for seven nights with 5 nights in a mobile home, then two nights in hotels prior to comming home.

It was brilliant, easy driving no pots to wash for at least a week and not all that expensive.

Dave p


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## Jented (Jan 12, 2010)

Hi
Enjoyed both,gone back to a c/van as you can see,both have drawbacks,but i have been further from home in C/vans,than we ever did in the m/home,strange that. On the m/h plus side,on a trip down to Portugal,we did take 6days to get to Bairitz,just footling along and had to Turbo Boost,to get to our daughters birthday party...ooops!.
The money side of it does not come into the equation,you can get a super m/home ,say£60,000,and a c/van(dearer than ours) plus 4x4,comes out £60,000,so its all down to personal choice,and the ability to make the most of what you have got,no matter what you lay your head in at night,those in the same field as you,are sharing the same joys of life. A mate and i were on a site after tea,when a pop up trailer arrived,with one lady and three children,the lady was struggling,so we offered to help her,when we had her sorted we went back to our c/vans,and admired her bravery,her "Unit" and those in it,were having the time of their lives,and that to me is what its all about.
Ted.
PS. Wild camping/stopping one night and moving on?,enjoy it to the full,i did,driving a lorry.oh yes....and i got PAYED LOL.


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## grandadbaza (Jan 3, 2008)

Rosbotham said:


> Why do people tow a car?
> Why do people have a PVC?
> Why do people have huge coachbuilts?
> Why do people have awnings?
> ...


Yep I can go with you Rosbotham agree with the lot , when I joined MHF I didnt think I would have to do everything all members did , When I was a Tugger I did what I wanted ,and now as a MHomer will do the same ... enjoy every minute in it !!!! what ever anybody else does , not saying anyones right or anyones wrong , we should all do our own thing and enjoy life ,it does not last forever!!!


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## ThingyFromWales (Jul 15, 2007)

Simple answer from me...
Pull up, put the kettle on! Base camp established!

Debs


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Why is*

People watching

Why is it..........

Caravanners can't sit still for five minutes. And when they do go out it is almost always in the car?.

We watched a couple on a site in the south of France. They pitched up the van, drove back to reception, then back to the caravan in the car.

She drove to the campsite shop in the car
He drove to the swimming pool in the car
They drove to the beach in the car (5 min walk)

We were in Vis Sur Aisne and I was amazed at the number of caravanners who did the same as the above.

One bloke who was pitched about 500 metres from the campiste shop used to get in his Range Rover, drive to the shop like he was at Brands Hatch, then back to the pool at lunchtime for a swim. I even saw him start to park on a vacant pitch near the pool until one of the staff asked him not to.

And when we watched him driving away with his caravan, he opened the car window and emptied all the rubbish out along the entrance road.

Lazy B******

UNBELIEVABLE !


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## VanFlair (Nov 21, 2009)

Hi all

Reading this thread with interest, we are still caravanners or tuggers as you MH'ers would call us. We like the idea of a motorhome as we would like to retire and do more travelling and a MH might be better for that dream, also we might just need a change.

We are slightly unsure how we would use a motorhome as we do sometimes put the caravan on a site and then drive, for example we went to Edinburgh club site and spent the day in Edinburgh and then the next day drove into Knockhill race circuit for the bike racing (the fields were really boggy to take a MH into just to park) we often just park up on site and then cycle for a few days so then the lack of a car is no problem.

The other problem is persuading the OH that we can manage with a smaller kitchen (we would want a European MH). I think that when you have used either for some length of time you you get a bit stuck in your ways.

Keep posting.

Martin AKA Vanroyce


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

vanroyce said:


> we do sometimes put the caravan on a site and then drive


Hi Martin

We used to use Caravan Club sites, because we thought it was what we wanted to do. Our last one was about 3 years ago now.

It was a lovely CC site ... in the middle of nowhere. Surrounded by narrow lanes, no footpaths or pavements, lots of cars / white vans up and down the lanes all day. It was positively dangerous for us to go outside the CC site. That's why they had a "dog walk" on site. And then the penny dropped - the site (like many others) had been designed for tuggers, the 'drop the van off and drive everywhere' set.

Since then, we have used more motorhome-friendly CLs, although nearly all of our use now is across the channel. We use aires all the time - there are some great walks, most are close to a village or town, and some have fantastic views. For us, this is how we want to use our van.

But we have also stayed on site for 2-3 weeks at a time too.

Gerald


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## dodger148 (May 9, 2005)

The question is a good one which has and will get many answers.

Ours was simple, I had extensive re-plumbing of some arteries and the PTB said no pushing or pulling. As I interpreted the Hoover to be in these instructions I could hardly get away with shoving the caravan, and friends had at the time recently converted and the idea of, apply handbrake, turn off engine, put on kettle.

Much better than, position van, apply handbrake, drop corner steadies, go and fetch water, get waste water carrier out, (if on the SW of Scotland get bitten by the beasties) sure there must be other stuff I have forgotten over the last 13 years.
Oh I forgot then put on kettle


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## Foghorn-Leghorn (Jul 10, 2010)

*Re: Why is*



teemyob said:


> People watching
> 
> Why is it..........
> 
> ...


Your generalising here !! were not all like that I use my bike to get about and when we take the van instead of the MH my towcar sits idle and we cycle or walk .


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## Sonesta (May 10, 2005)

We'd never owned so much as a tent prior to purchasing our first mh and to be honest, neither myself or Gilb had any desire for anything other than a motorhome/campervan! it's not that we have any dislike towards any other type of outfit, it's just owning a caravan was not something we had ever even considered!

I think to us a motorhome represents freedom, fun and adventure and it allows us to visit places and other countries accompanied by our own little holiday home on wheels. To my mind, being able to pull up and wildcamp in some fabulous location and then for that day or for that evening, the view from our mh window is momentarily our own front or back garden, is something that never ceases to inspire, excite and thrill me! A motorhome means we get to see sights, meet people and do so many interesting things and we find owning a mh has enhanced our enjoyment of life dramatically. I truly do not think a caravan would offer us the same exciting opportunities and adventures and if we couldn't ever wildcamp I think I would feel trapped!

As for motorhomers who choose to stay put on a campsite for several days and not really go anywhere ... well although that would not be something I'd want to do all the time, there are occasions where we do sometimes spend a few days away with our best friends staying on the same campsite; where the men can do a spot of fishing and my friend and I can then sit chatting and sometimes it's just nice to simply chill out and not do a lot of gadding about! On holidays like that, we are both more than happy to stay put and not venture too far! 

I believe it's up to others how they choose to enjoy their mh and if they're happy to stay on campsites for a week or two, then where's the problem? Not everyone likes to go off sightseeing or taking in the local culture etc and maybe just a change of scenery and mixing with likeminded people, is just what they enjoy doing and as far as I'm concerned, although it might not suit everyone, if it suits them then that's all that matters! Let's face it, we all have our own opinions of what makes holidaying in our mh fun don't we? 

Sue


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## Jodi1 (Mar 25, 2010)

peedee said:


> I've got the best of both worlds  Towing a car allows you to behave like a caravanner. No hassle of looking for parking spots on days out and no worries about narrow country lanes when touring a local area, especially Cornwall. I can go on 10 day rallies and not have to rely on others for transport and finally it is far more convenient and safer than towing a caravan. On the other hand if I want to tour, which is always the case across the other side of the channel, the car is left behind.
> 
> It is the best of both worlds :wink:
> 
> peedee


With peedee on this and tow a car. 
We were tuggers and tended to stay put at a site for up to 2 weeks as it was such a *** moving around. On the other hand it gave us a good opportunity to explore an area thoroughly and walk with the dogs from somewhere remote with parking not suitable with a mh, however I did find I was getting bored after a while. 
We bought the MH because my husband started to work 4 day weeks and we were able to have long weekends away every other weekend, ideal with a MH. Also we inherited some money to buy the van and it was easier to manage the mh on our driveway. 
Things changed again and we have both retired and have also bought a static van on the Suffolk coast and spend quite a bit of time there, so not using the mh as much at the moment. Just checked my bookings (prefer to know where I'm staying) and we are staying at some sites 3/4 days and others up to 8 days. Gives us more choice having a mh especially towing a car, but may not have bought a mh with our lives now. Still enjoying her for now though, never know what the next change will be in our lives.


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Re: Why is*



Foghorn-Leghorn said:


> teemyob said:
> 
> 
> > People watching
> ...


I know, but I thought my pist was funny and a bit tongue-in-cheek to the original post.

But I have seen sites where you have to park your car in the Car park after pitching your Van. Great Idea.

TM


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## CliveMott (Mar 10, 2008)

For all of the above reasons plus you can generally carry more weight.
With our last caravan (Swift Challenger) we were half way up the Alps on a Saturday night when the fabricated welded assembly called the towing hitch decided to split down the sides causing the jockey wheel to bump on the ground. We were towing with a Landrover Discovery. Problem was too much nose weight because of an underseat water tank fitted by the caravan dealer. We travelled full because we did a lot of wild camping. So that was emptied onto the road and ran down the mountain, clutter was re-distributed to achieve zero nosweight. Very gently we continued checking frequently until we reached our chosed camp site at Agde when I removed the coupling and had it welded and plated locally. Sold the van when we got back!

C.


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*towing*



CliveMott said:


> For all of the above reasons plus you can generally carry more weight.
> With our last caravan (Swift Challenger) we were half way up the Alps on a Saturday night when the fabricated welded assembly called the towing hitch decided to split down the sides causing the jockey wheel to bump on the ground. We were towing with a Landrover Discovery. Problem was too much nose weight because of an underseat water tank fitted by the caravan dealer. We travelled full because we did a lot of wild camping. So that was emptied onto the road and ran down the mountain, clutter was re-distributed to achieve zero nosweight. Very gently we continued checking frequently until we reached our chosed camp site at Agde when I removed the coupling and had it welded and plated locally. Sold the van when we got back!
> 
> C.


Those sort of tales put me off towing anything!


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