# Feasability of PVC for wildcamping long trips?



## nicholsong

We are considering getting a second MH(geographical reasons combined with shortage of time)

For various reasons we are thinking that the second MH might be a PVC. We normally wildcamp and travel for a few weeks at a time.

Is it feasible to use a PVC in this way?

One doubt is the number of times one is looking for water/dumping etc., which might make life difficult.

Which ones are fully-winterised? i.e. internal tanks - not a bit of foam wrapped around an external tank?

Fixed double bed and shower and internal tanks - is that asking too much? :roll: 

Sorry if this is all naive on PVCs; I did a lot of research on 'A' Class before buying the Arto, but here I am starting from scratch and tapping into the goodwill and knowledge of MHF PVC owners to shorten the learning process.

Thanks in advance for replies - positive or negative - all info will be well received.

Geoff


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## Jamsieboy

Geoff 
I think the Adria Twin has a fixed double bed and internal fresh water tank but external grey water tank.

Two van eh - now that is luxury :wink: :wink: :lol:


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## whenIretire

Globecar also do a range of PVCs with fixed bed, but like the twin they have an internal freshwater but external waste water tank (12v heating for the tanks was an optional extra I think) - or they did when I looked at them a year or so ago.

We've an Adria twin and I've got a slimline waste water tank that fits in the storage area to use if it's likely to freeze so that the waste can be drained directly in that and then stored in the boot until we get to somewhere to dump it. Not sure how practical this would be for long term travelling though. 

As for long term living in a PVC I believe that Adam and Sophie, 'Addie' on here, spent over a year touring Europe in their Adria, so it's obviously doable. Their blog - Europe by Camper is worth a read.

With careful water usage we can get about 3/4 days before dumping/filling our tank on the Adria Twin. 

I also looked at Trigano Tribute and Pilote when we were looking for a PVC with a fixed bed and I think Rapido do one as well


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## nicholsong

Jamsieboy said:


> Geoff
> I think the Adria Twin has a fixed double bed and internal fresh water tank but external grey water tank.
> 
> Two van eh - now that is luxury :wink: :wink: :lol:


I once knew an ex-stockbroker from NY who had 2X40ft cruising yachts - one in the West Indies and one in Greece, because he liked cruising both areas but got 'bored with the bit in between' :roll: :lol:

My reason is a bit similar.

Geoff


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## coppo

A very good question and one I am interested in.

The answer.

Only the German built ones HRZ, CS, DOPFER. Not sure about La Strada.

Wildax say their motorhomes are winterised but that means external tanks with 12v heaters.

Globecar Trendscout has both tanks internal but its a bit too small at 5.6 metres and the reviews I have read say the shower can only be used in a dire emergency.

That's why I have been considering buying a Merc panel van and then getting someone to convert it. But that brings about a new set of problems ie, you don't know what the finish will be like or payload.

Paul.


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## Tucano

Andy Stothert and his able assistant Marion have been doing just that and writing about it all in MMM magazine for years.
He is a very approachable guy and he even sent me photographs of his van when I was considering a PVC myself.
Have fun whatever you do.
Norman.


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## sideways

We have toured Australia 3 times now in our friends long wheel base sprinter(professional conversion). I know its a bit different as you spend most of the time outdoors, but the van was big enough with a brilliant shower, inboard water and underslung waste, do you need a waste tank for wilding its only water after all and if you are on a site or elsewhere where its innapropriate use a bucket. the best thing about having a panel van converted is you get what YOU want where you want it..


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## Mark993

We spent 3 weeks mostly wild camping this summer in our SWB Transit PVC. It is smaller than you are looking for (we have a good shower but not a permanent bed). We could have stayed away for ever so far as I was concerned by other half had to return to work. :wink: 

The issue is not so much size of van but tank capacity combined with nature of the terrain you are in (how easy to find places to refresh the tanks). Our 54 litre fresh water tank is our constraint (I wish I could find space for additional fresh water capacity.


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## nicholsong

Mark993 said:


> We spent 3 weeks mostly wild camping this summer in our SWB Transit PVC. It is smaller than you are looking for (we have a good shower but not a permanent bed). We could have stayed away for ever so far as I was concerned by other half had to return to work. :wink:
> 
> The issue is not so much size of van but tank capacity combined with nature of the terrain you are in (how easy to find places to refresh the tanks). Our 54 litre fresh water tank is our constraint (I wish I could find space for additional fresh water capacity.


Tank capacity was uppermost in my mind.

I have just had a thought about increasing the capacity, at least for non-freezing months, by fitting an additional under-slung tank(with its own pump) which would feed the existing tank, but either have an internal heater or be left empty in the coldest weather.

Feasible?

Geoff


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## Lesleykh

We managed a year touring Europe in our Devon Monte Carlo, and Rob lives in it during the week and has survived 2 winters.

It's not a fixed bed, though in the last couple of years we've kept the bed down most of the time, but Devon do fixed beds.

It's not winterised, at least I don't think it is, but I'm not fully sure what the term means! :? We put an extra layer of carpet down and have rugs on top of that, whih keeps the floor warmer but was mainly to protect the carpet and gives us something we could easily brush/shake out.

Our water tanks are external and that does cause problems so in the winter we always have a couple of 5L bottles of water in the van. We don't let much go into our grey waste, so that's rarely a problem, but we have never stayed in freezing conditions for more than a few days at a time. Mostly the waste pipes have defrosted by evening.

Emptying your toilet cassette is nothing a good shovel can't solve. We've taken on water from village hand pumps and taps, garages, cemeteries (also good for quiet wild camps), and even gurgling fresh water springs and Norwegian glacial outflows.

Wild camping for us could be in a beautiful, isolated location or on a city street. The beauty of a PVC is that you are so much more anonymous. No-one has ever bothered us when we've done city centre wild camping. The only time anyone's ever questioned us was in Italy, when we camped outside a village but by some important water control system. We had 3 knocks on the door that night, one from the police! Oh, and we got told to move on from the beach by police in Holland - at 1 a.m. - Zeeland bylaws say you can park in a vehicle overnight, but not sleep.

Our biggest problem was always gas because we never had an underslung tank or solar panels fitted. We still haven't, but I keep saying we should!

Lesley


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## coppo

Lesleykh said:


> We managed a year touring Europe in our Devon Monte Carlo, and Rob lives in it during the week and has survived 2 winters.
> 
> It's not a fixed bed, though in the last couple of years we've kept the bed down most of the time, but Devon do fixed beds.
> 
> It's not winterised, at least I don't think it is, but I'm not fully sure what the term means! :? We put an extra layer of carpet down and have rugs on top of that, whih keeps the floor warmer but was mainly to protect the carpet and gives us something we could easily brush/shake out.
> 
> Our water tanks are external and that does cause problems so in the winter we always have a couple of 5L bottles of water in the van. We don't let much go into our grey waste, so that's rarely a problem, but we have never stayed in freezing conditions for more than a few days at a time. Mostly the waste pipes have defrosted by evening.
> 
> Emptying your toilet cassette is nothing a good shovel can't solve. We've taken on water from village hand pumps and taps, garages, cemeteries (also good for quiet wild camps), and even gurgling fresh water springs and Norwegian glacial outflows.
> 
> Wild camping for us could be in a beautiful, isolated location or on a city street. The beauty of a PVC is that you are so much more anonymous. No-one has ever bothered us when we've done city centre wild camping. The only time anyone's ever questioned us was in Italy, when we camped outside a village but by some important water control system. We had 3 knocks on the door that night, one from the police! Oh, and we got told to move on from the beach by police in Holland - at 1 a.m. - Zeeland bylaws say you can park in a vehicle overnight, but not sleep.
> 
> Our biggest problem was always gas because we never had an underslung tank or solar panels fitted. We still haven't, but I keep saying we should!
> 
> Lesley


Excellent informative post Lesley, its just the sort of experience that people find useful regarding potential issues and ways around them.

Paul.


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## wdaljal

*Potential Newbie*

I am thinking of buying a PVC but is motorhoming as much fun as everybody seems to say it is or are there downsides to it as well Any comments would be very welcome Thanks


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## wdaljal

*Potential Newbie*

I am thinking of buying a PVC but is motorhoming as much fun as everybody seems to say it is or are there downsides to it as well Any comments would be very welcome Thanks


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## nicholsong

Hoedown is obviously demonstrating his 'strong silent type' side :lol:


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