Motorhome Or Caravan? Which Is Best?

Many people have long debates as to whether to purchase a caravan or a motorhome. Both have their advantages as well as disadvantages and there are no shortage of supporters on both sides of the fence who would swear on the pros of one over the other. Getting yourself a motorhome or caravan is a major purchase which will affect all your future travels in the years to come hence it is vital to know the facts about both the vehicles in full detail before you take the plunge. The insurance Factory have gone through and have taken a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of each so as to make your decision a little easier (hopefully) by helping you understand which of the vehicle fits your travel and leisure needs more.

Caravan Benefits

Caravans quite simply cost a lot less than their motorhome cousin. To put into perspective you can pretty much buy yourself a caravan palace for under £20,000 and still have change. To get the equivalent specification on a motorhome you will be looking at three times that or even more!

The other considerable benefit that you may have heard from proud caravan owners is that they can travel around in their caravan in the UK or Europe, drop there caravan off at the caravan site and use their vehicle to travel around and see the sights for the rest of their holiday. This is very difficult to do with a motorhome, especially a large A Class, unless you are a very confident driver then you may be a bit fearful navigating your motorhome around the country lanes just to visit the local fish and chip shop.

Caravan Disadvantages

Often, caravans are not as well built as motorhomes. Thus, they might not fare too well with extremely long and rough terrain as compared to a motorhome hence, making your travel destinations limited and restricting the routes which you can take to get to your destination. To be fair many modern caravans are built much better than the caravans of old, but you still need to take care where you drive.

Parking. Yes this is the biggest complaint for the motorhome owners jeering at their caravan cousins. You need to know what you are doing when you are parking a caravan. If you dont then you risk damaging it which quite frankly can be catastrophic as the outer frame of a caravan is made of fibreglass so not particularly good if you back your caravan into a post. There are however remote controlled caravan movers which can help you place your caravan onto its pitch, nevertheless you still need to be experienced when parking up your mobile home.

Motorhome Pros

Strength: Motorhomes have been constructed in such a way that makes them sturdier than a caravan this means they can handle rougher routes on your travels.

Sense of freedom. Now this may sounds like a bit of a wonky type of reason for buying a motorhome, but let us continue. Of course with a caravan you get that great sense of freedom with the feeling you can travel anywhere. But..with a motorhome, this is even more true. You can be stuck on the M25 in a 4 hour traffic jam – but it wouldnt matter as you could just turn around and make a cup of tea and put the television on. Even with a caravan you cannot do that as you are towing your vehicle. You can drive up to the bottom of a remote mountain and just park up for the night in a layby, all you have to do is lock your doors, with a caravan you would need to dismount your caravan and still set it up.

Motorhome Disadvantages

Cost: As mentioned above, motorhomes do cost a lot more. Whether it is an entry-level coachbuilt motorhome with a van chassis, you are essentially paying for a caravan built onto a bespoke van chassis, so you need to be prepared to spend more money.

Size: A few issues might arise to the very huge size of motorhomes. It makes them extremely hard to manoeuvre as compared to a caravan, especially when you’re driving too fast. Due to their heavier weight the costs of fuel is higher for a motorhome as compared to a car pulling along a caravan nonetheless there are more efficient models of motorhomes rolling off production now.

To drive a motorhome with a MAM of between 3.5 and 7.5 tonnes, you need a category C1 licence. To drive a motorhome with a MAM of over 7.5 tonnes, you need a category C licence. Something that you need to be aware of if a motorhome is for you.

Insurance: For a motorhome it is a roadworthy vehicle so it is a legal requirement to have motorhome insurance, whereas technically it is not a legal requirement to have caravan insurance, although it is highly recommended, as it is home away from home after all.

So which is better? Caravan? Or motorhome? There is no definitive answer by any means we are afraid. It all comes down to what you want and what suits your family best at the end of the day.