# Motorhome v caravan for 12 month tour of Europe



## 106361

Hi all 

we are planning a year long tour of Europe with our 2 kids 8 and 5. It won't be a 'rush' to see every site possible but more like a month in 12 places, starting with a couple of months skiing in the Alps in the new year. 

Any advice would be great but my biggest issue is the vehicle, I like the idea of a motorhome but don't like the idea of it being our only vehicle for local siteseeing / shopping etc. So I wondered about a large German winterised caravan and equaly large 4x4 to tow it. 

A daft question bur with onboard water tanks on a caravan how do you fill them up if there is no water on your pitch ? tow it to the taps ?? Or. I guess use an Aquaroll to transfer the water to the tank ? 

Any advice welcome 


thanks 


Russell


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## cavaqueen

Hi there,

Everyone prefers different things, having had a motor home with a motorbike on the back, we have changed to a fifth wheel, which suits us better because of the fact that we have a car to go sight seeing in, and found that we have more freedom to choose different campsites, as they do not have to be close to the towns or transport.

The benefits of the fifth wheel that we have is that it has 50 gallon on board tanks, and it has a slide out, which gives loads more space for lounging, I would describe it having the benefits of a caravan, with regards to being able to pitch and drive off, and with the payload and stability of a motorhome.

Just to give you another option, and more to think about !!!!!

good luck Kerry


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## Scotjimland

Hi

It's not much fun having to move an RV around a small site to fill up either so we carry plenty of hose, a total of 65 mt on three rolls, a 15mt, 20mt and 30mt .

One of the downsides to a caravan is not being able to use French Aires or German Stelplatz and many sites are closed from around Oct. to Apri.

We have fulltimed for a year with two kids without a car and don't miss it, we plan ahead, re stock food etc before arriving on sites. Most sites are easy cycling distance to town centers or beaches and you don't have the hassle of parking. Public transport is also cheap and very good in Spain.

My advice is to look for an ARV for fulltiming with two kids, they have every thing you need, large fridge/ freezer, washing machine, built in genny, etc etc etc and most important ... huge payload.

Click the WWW below for our website.

And here for some pics.. http://picasaweb.google.com/scotjimland

Good luck with your plans..

Safe travels

Jim


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## 106361

Thanks Kerry and Jim

both helpful. Jim, we currently live in Alhaurin El Grande, Spain and I thin I recognised a couple of people on your tour photos !

RV questions !

My wife is keen on safety in cars and I wondered how the kids would travel as there seems to be no 3 point seatbelts for child car seats in the back of RV's?

Also they all seem designed for 2 people - huge great motorhome with only one double bed ! I would probably give the kids the bedroom and we sleep on a sofabed I guess as the kids would be first to bed, not come across one yet with bunk beds !

Thanks again

Russell


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## Scotjimland

phieziem said:


> Thanks Kerry and Jim
> 
> both helpful. Jim, we currently live in Alhaurin El Grande, Spain and I thin I recognised a couple of people on your tour photos !


Hi Russel ..

The home of Ray, Desert Detours ! 
We visited there in Oct 07 and Jan 08, prior to our Morocco trip.. stayed overnight in the town centre where they have the market.. what a lovely town..

RVs don't generally have 3 point belts in the rear but I'm sure it would be easy to fit a couple in place of the lap belts, a small price to pay for all the other benefits.

Never seen bunk beds, as you say designed for two to live in style, that said our son (17) sleeps on the rock n roll sofa bed and our daughter (7) in the dinette bed, never been a problem.

Kind Regards

Jim

Alhaurin El Grande, Spain. Oct 07


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## ianhibs

This is an impossible thing on which to advise without knowing more information. Personally, I wouldn’t cross out the caravan idea too quickly but I do wonder at your outline plan to stay 1 month in each place. It may look fine on paper but I suggest that in practise you may be tempted to move more often.

Although we’re away for a year too, our circumstances are quite different as there’s just two of us plus a dog. We use aires and stellplatzes mostly which cuts down on costs. We’ve just sat here and calculated that we’ve stayed in 65 different places in four and a half months.

The problem is that you’re staying somewhere, let’s say in the Dordogne for example, which offers all you want. Then someone tells you that the valley of the Lot is even nicer (which it is) and you should visit the lovely town of Cahors when you get there. Away you go but after a few days you say to yourself that it’s nor far to see the Millau Viaduct and you really don’t want to miss that. And so on.

Obviously you can’t see everything but IMHO using 12 different camp sites will show you very little of Europe. However I see that you live in Spain so you may be well travelled already.

We use campsites every couple of weeks for washing clothes etc but I must tell you that after a few days we tend to go a bit stir crazy. There’s plenty to entertain the kids but that is only during the short high season and outside that period they are pretty desolate places for children unless you go to a winter camp.

The RV men will all advise you to buy one of these (please don’t be offended you guys but you are all evangelical about your passion) and for genuine full timing I guess that makes sense. I may be wrong but I imagine your trip is more of a sabbatical and includes showing the children a little of the world outside for educational purposes.

My own inclination would be to go for something like a big Euromobile with a large garage for bikes.(We’ve seen quite a few of these on our travels and they are usually packed with children and dogs). That would give you maximum flexibility as you can stay on most of the aires, can get into most campsites (which RV’s cannot) and is not too difficult to drive. However, if you are totally firm re. your 12 sites then the caravan idea seems best to me as you will want to travel further than the nearest village during your month’s stay.

Ian


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## Boff

Hi,

if you really intend to stay for extended periods on the same spot, so not move on every other day or so, then I would definitely opt for the caravan solution. You would then be restricted mainly to camp sites anyway, as on most aires and stellplatz sites restrictions regarding the length of stay are in place, usually 2 or 3 nights, sometimes just one. And even in Europe's most motorhome-friendly places a motorhome that parks for weeks in a row on an ordinary car park or road side will be frowned upon.

More than a few continental camp sites nowadays offer pitches with fresh water taps on the spot or at least in proximity. Some even offer ground sinks for waste water on the pitch. So water supply is not an issue.

If you do opt for the motorhome, then I would agree to Ian and vote for a large, maybe twin-axle, European van. Something like a Bürstner 747 or an Euramobil Activa 820. 

Best Regards,
Gerhard


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## 106361

Great post, thanks Ian,

we are heading towards a Burstner 747, similar to what you recommend, great layout with large garage.

Yes it is a bit of a 'gap year' with the kids, partly to spend time with them and partly an educational tour taking in Rome, tower of Pisa etc.

Itinery still vague so any advice would be welcome, basically intend to set off from here in southern spain (near Malaga) and head up the west coast to portugal and up into southern France, across to the med and up into the Alps at around January time for the Skiing. Stay in Alps for 2 months to get us all skiing - probably on to Zell am Zee in Austria to finish off the ski season then down to Venice and a spring tour of Italy.

Then back north for the summer maybe through alps again to Holland and back down France.

We will avoid southern Spain for summer as it's too bleedin hot here at the moment !

any advice welcome

Russell


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## ianhibs

I like your itinerary and I have only 1 suggestion for you. When you qo north visit Germany. It was a revelation to us. Beautiful country, wonderful medieval towns, bags of history, and all served by a stellplatz system that is even better than France. I would tell you more but I am writinq this on an Ipaq. If you want further information PM me with your email address and I will send you some extracts from my pictorial diary.

Ian


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## Boff

ianhibs said:


> When you qo north visit Germany. It was a revelation to us. Beautiful country, wonderful medieval towns, bags of history, and all served by a stellplatz system *that is even better than France.*


Being German, I would doubt that. But, as you all know, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence... :wink:

Just be aware: Most of the stellplatz (or aire) sites will be taboo if you tug a caravan.

Best Regards,
Gerhard


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## Scotjimland

Boff said:


> Just be aware: Most of the stellplatz (or aire) sites will be taboo if you tug a caravan.


I made this point in my first post and that many commercial sites are closed through winter. 
Re. RVs, they are far better equipped for full time living and have masses of payload, this is the most important factor in deciding, a huge garage is of little use if the payload is a miserly 400kg.

Ian states: 
_That would give you maximum flexibility as you can stay on most of the aires, can get into most campsites (which RV's cannot) and is not too difficult to drive._

No disrespect Ian, but I refute this, we have had little trouble finding suitable sites or aires in any country, I'm not saying we can get into every site, some in Spain would be a challenge for a 20ft van never mind an RV. also, they are not difficult to drive..

Before anyone starts jumping up and down defending their choice of van, this is not a debate about American versus Euro , it's about choosing the most appropriate vehicle for a family of four wishing to fulltime for a year.. in all climates maybe carrying sports equipment and bikes.

If you fall into this category and live in a euro motor van or caravan Russel and I would love to hear how you do it.

Regards

Jim


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## ianhibs

Sorry Jim - I didn't mean to be provocative. It's just that many of the sites we've stayed on have fairly small pitches.

Cheers

Ian


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## Bernies

I'll second what Ian said about going to Germany, we went last October/November to do some family tracing - all the way to Schwerin in the north via Berlin which is an excellent place of historical/educational value to the kids! 
We stayed at a fantastic Stellplatz in Parchim,south of Schwerin, beside a canal, lovely clean showers and toilets too! It is a lovely small town with shops, cafes and a great pub which had an Irish folk singer on when we were there!


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## 106361

sounds great we'll include Germany on our Northern leg !

I think our ideal solution would be;

load capacity of an American RV
imaginative interior layout of a European motorhome
detachable cab once on site

fifth wheel may be the closest but i do like the idea of the journey being in the motorhome.

Our other motive for this trip is to look at other possible places to live along the way. We left the UK 2 years ago and have lived in Northern Spain since - a great location but, before we put firm roots down we like the idea of a look around first. So any great places you guys have visited would be great help to us.

I'll run a blog once underway so you can keep an eye on how we get on with the eventual choice we make and make route suggestions 'en route' !

just came across this caravan with perfect interior layout for us - just need huge 4x4 to pull it - 
thanks all for your input - keep it coming 
!mobile.de


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## 106361

Thanks again all - I am getting the debate I hoped for !

Although I love th eidea of an American RV it is the layout that puts me off to be honest, when you look at something like a Burstner 747 with double bed over cab and double bed at rear which i would divide in 2 with a curtain so the kids had a 'bedroom' each. Payload is an issue but they have twin rear axle, large garage and 1500kg payload so not too bad.

Having said that i love the 'capacity' of the american stuff, you could go for a long time without services !

But then i find myself looking at caravans and come across something like a Burstner 650tk caravan with permanent double bed at one end bunk beds with dinette at the other and kitchen with dinette in the centre, put an awning on that and that would be the best living space of any option ! But it is the huge 4x4 to pull it and manoeverability, the fact that you are not travelling in your 'house' that puts me off.

I think travelling in a motorhome, even with the kids in their child seats, would be great - mum would be entertainments manager though !

thanks all again

Russell


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## 106361

oops sorry - couple of posts there in between upgrading my account !

Russell


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## Scotjimland

ianhibs said:


> Sorry Jim - I didn't mean to be provocative. It's just that many of the sites we've stayed on have fairly small pitches.


Hi Ian .. 
no offence taken, of course there are sites which an RV cannot get on but this inconvenience has to be balanced against the stress of living in a van that is too small, which is the more important.? 
All is compromise, it's just a matter of deciding on priorities.. horses for courses..

Regards

jim


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## takeaflight

One other point to bear in mind RE large caravan, check that you can legally tow it in the Uk other than with a commercial vehicle.


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