Are motorhomers missing out on..... (1 Viewer)

Aug 27, 2009
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Motorhome parking facilities are in the main outside towns and villages, so getting involved in village activities is not really an option. Cornwall is a good example of missing out on all sorts of local activities. You always have to leave early stay sober and park miles from the heart of the village and appear as outcasts.

I was just chatting to a lady who has booked a hotel in St Ives for next week. I can say from experience that staying in a hotel in St Ives is a different experience from staying in my motorhome.
I must admit that I sometimes feel that I am missing out when motorhome touring in places like Cornwall. Am I alone in this feeling or not.
 

vwalan

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depends where you camp and which villages you are staying at .
i wouldnt call st ives a village . and where on earth do you think m,homes ,caravans and tents could stay in a busy town?
but move away from torist areas and villages do have village campsites or places to stay within walking distance .
abroad is a bit different as many of the tourist towns were only set up for tourists not locals .
in many areas the first km from the sea was mozzy territory . thats why locals didnt live there . but it suited tourism later on when chemicals had been sprayed for years to kill the mozzies .
you possibly do miss out if you follow tourists guides etc . they dont take you to the local places just tourist town.
much more interesting places in cornwall if you try abit different routes . devon is the same . but anywhere avoid tourism see the real places .
 

scotjimland

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Never felt that, but I guess it depends on who you want to do.

Cornwall is a good example of missing out on all sorts of local activities. You always have to leave early stay sober and park miles from the heart of the village and appear as outcasts.

we enjoy quiet places away from touristy towns and villages.. national parks, forests, beaches, coastal areas without tourists

motor homing is what you make it.. people use them differently.. Soon we will be off to Wales to a quiet site, away from the hustle and bustle.. relax and enjoy nature. No tacky tourist shops, no pub, just peace and tranquility



meant to say.. don't like hotels , never have done, I hate sleeping in a bed that hundreds of others have used .. abused..

For us motorhoming is not a second best or a cheap holiday ..it's a choice.. no amount of money would change that

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Aug 27, 2009
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depends where you camp and which villages you are staying at .
i wouldnt call st ives a village . and where on earth do you think m,homes ,caravans and tents could stay in a busy town?
but move away from torist areas and villages do have village campsites or places to stay within walking distance .
abroad is a bit different as many of the tourist towns were only set up for tourists not locals .
in many areas the first km from the sea was mozzy territory . thats why locals didnt live there . but it suited tourism later on when chemicals had been sprayed for years to kill the mozzies .
you possibly do miss out if you follow tourists guides etc . they dont take you to the local places just tourist town.
much more interesting places in cornwall if you try abit different routes . devon is the same . but anywhere avoid tourism see the real places .
I know Cornwall pretty well vwalan I lived and worked in Falmouth for a while, I still have a very good friend who lives in Cambourne who we visit from time to time. I used Cornwall because I do know it well and have stayed both in hotels and often in the motorhome. (y)
 

Big Nick

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Depends what you want out of a holiday

I wouldnt want to stay in a hotel in St Ives chock a block with tourists all day long but love Cornwall for its scenery and coastal walks

We bought a motorhome to get away from it all which is why we also only use CL, CS or wild camp

We jump on a bus if we really feel the need to visit a town which is not very often.

Plus you don't have to go in the motorhome every time you go away!!
 

Anthea M

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Never felt that, but I guess it depends on who you want to do.



we enjoy quiet places away from touristy towns and villages.. national parks, forests, beaches, coastal areas without tourists

motor homing is what you make it.. people use them differently.. Soon we will be off to Wales to a quiet site, away from the hustle and bustle.. relax and enjoy nature. No tacky tourist shops, no pub, just peace and tranquility



meant to say.. don't like hotels , never have done, I hate sleeping in a bed that hundreds of others have used .. abused..

For us motorhoming is not a second best or a cheap holiday ..it's a choice.. no amount of money would change that
Jim do you find that is enough for your daughter being of that age where they want some more activities after a bit?

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Aug 27, 2009
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Depends what you want out of a holiday

I wouldnt want to stay in a hotel in St Ives chock a block with tourists all day long but love Cornwall for its scenery and coastal walks

We bought a motorhome to get away from it all which is why we also only use CL, CS or wild camp

We jump on a bus if we really feel the need to visit a town which is not very often.

Plus you don't have to go in the motorhome every time you go away!!
My motorhoming enthusiasm over the past 35 years has been up and down as my situations change, I guess the kids leaving home was the biggest marker. I do agree though we dont have to be restricted only to our motorhomes.
 

GeriatricWanderer

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The answer............................... downsize.

I've worked my way through the usual range of MHs over the years being persuaded to go bigger and bigger and then being unable to stop/park/overnight where I chose but forced to find parking/camping some distance away - often saying "Sod It - I can't be asked to do this" and just driving on.
It took me a long time to wake up to making what some would call the Ultimate Compromise and downsizing.
Sure, I don't have all that space, no garage, no sat dish, no wet room, no cocktail cabinet but I have sitting/sleeping/cooking/eating/abluting facilities in sub 5 metres and can park in St Ives car parks :)

For me the Ultimate Compromise was Bargain Of The Year and the best change I made. I know, and appreciate, that others would not be happy to go this way and I will always wave to them as they pass on their way to those well appointed sites 3 miles out of town.

Everyone to their own.

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scotjimland

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Jim do you find that is enough for your daughter being of that age where they want some more activities after a bit?

yes.. it's all we normally do..

we also go canoeing which she likes.. in fact .. anything outdoors.. and anything with water involved, hence her love of the Army Cadets and wanting to join the Army..

of course she likes a bit retail therapy.. all girls do...

but she won't be with us this trip. to Wales.. she is off to Army Cadet camp in Yorkshire.
 
Apr 22, 2013
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For St. Ives the CC&C have a THS at the rugby ground every year. It's very popular and you need to book. From the rugby ground it's an easy walk to the centre or there is a half hourly bus service.
We are currently at a THS just outside Falmouth. On Wednesday the site was on the flight path of the Red Arrows display, so sat outside the MH and watched it. Yesterday we caught the bus from at the gate of the THS into Falmouth, had a good walk around and lunch in a pub overlooking the harbour. We sat next to a German couple who had come in on a cruise ship. It turned out they came from Erlangen, and were surprised to find anyone who had heard of the town. I had a 12month secondment to Erlangen 20 years ago. Talking to them brought back many happy memories. Tomorrow we intend to use our bus passes to get to Penzance or even onto Mousehole, our favourite place in Cornwall. Lunch in The Ship sounds brilliant to us. We enjoy Cornwall, stay at some lovely places and don't feel retricted one bit.
 

vwalan

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I know Cornwall pretty well vwalan I lived and worked in Falmouth for a while, I still have a very good friend who lives in Cambourne who we visit from time to time. I used Cornwall because I do know it well and have stayed both in hotels and often in the motorhome. (y)
just sounded like you didnt know it very well. there are some lovely places round here . as it is i dont use campsites .always wild is my way. but have worked on campsites and visited to empty septic pits on weekly visits to many .
even falmouth can be great .my gran lived at swanpool on a caravan site for years . spent alot of my teenage years around that area .
but like every where the nicer places are just that bit further away.
have fun where ever you go.

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Muddibootz

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The answer............................... downsize.

I've worked my way through the usual range of MHs over the years being persuaded to go bigger and bigger and then being unable to stop/park/overnight where I chose but forced to find parking/camping some distance away - often saying "Sod It - I can't be asked to do this" and just driving on.
It took me a long time to wake up to making what some would call the Ultimate Compromise and downsizing.
Sure, I don't have all that space, no garage, no sat dish, no wet room, no cocktail cabinet but I have sitting/sleeping/cooking/eating/abluting facilities in sub 5 metres and can park in St Ives car parks :)

For me the Ultimate Compromise was Bargain Of The Year and the best change I made. I know, and appreciate, that others would not be happy to go this way and I will always wave to them as they pass on their way to those well appointed sites 3 miles out of town.

Everyone to their own.

I have to agree. We used to have small PVCs that we could take pretty much anywhere that you could take a car. We have a slightly bigger van now so don't have that flexibility. It doesn't bother me as I choose sites where we can walk or cycle or get the bus or train. But If it did, I'd be looking to downsize too.
 
Feb 22, 2008
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We find a convenient site and tow the car. We can then explore an area and if I need alcoholic beverage wait until onsite or let the wife do the return run.
That way we have the comforts of reasonable living comfort but not tied to public transport.
 

scotjimland

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I can say from experience that staying in a hotel in St Ives is a different experience from staying in my motorhome.

of course it is..

It's not your bed, not your shower, not your cooking.. but maybe you like that.. ?

Personally I had enough of hotels while working away from home.. you couldn't pay me to stay in one now..

The last one I stayed in (under duress I must add), was the Holiday Inn at Rochester, my son booked it for us for his wedding.. Pubic hair in shower, marks on pillows and sheets , dust under the bed.. I decided to sleep on top of the bed cover rather than go between the sheets.

I know I am fussy.. but that's just me..

For the cost of my motorhome I could have spent the rest of my life in hotel holidays.. no thanks.

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Feb 16, 2013
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The answer is , get your buss pass, we have been in chapel st Leonard's this week , stayed parked in a field and caught the bus to where we wanted to go , free! Far better than finding parking in towns and getting charged through the nose for the privilege (y):) have a drink if you want , no problem.
 

vwalan

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i like my set up. i can drop the trailer and the truck is a seven seater vehicle .
the canter is a very small truck . fits in a car space easy.
plus a m,bike in the back of trailer so i get lots of options .
mind i do carry a push bike as well.
so lots of options .
even the full out fit fits in 2 carpark spaces .
its just under 10mtr long so ideal.
i have had smaller campers but find this set up gives
better load capacity and the space is great.
i can sleep across just if need be on the cab backseat.
i have considered adapting it to a two bed sleeper cab .
choices ,we can all make them.
 
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Aug 27, 2009
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The answer............................... downsize.

I've worked my way through the usual range of MHs over the years being persuaded to go bigger and bigger and then being unable to stop/park/overnight where I chose but forced to find parking/camping some distance away - often saying "Sod It - I can't be asked to do this" and just driving on.
It took me a long time to wake up to making what some would call the Ultimate Compromise and downsizing.
Sure, I don't have all that space, no garage, no sat dish, no wet room, no cocktail cabinet but I have sitting/sleeping/cooking/eating/abluting facilities in sub 5 metres and can park in St Ives car parks :)
For me the Ultimate Compromise was Bargain Of The Year and the best change I made. I know, and appreciate, that others would not be happy to go this way and I will always wave to them as they pass on their way to those well appointed sites 3 miles out of town.
Everyone to their own.
You are preaching to the converted GW. I took this root twenty years ago with three consecutive VW Pop Tops all would fit under any 2m high barrier. Before my present van conversion which I still find too big for what I do with it. I must say that I am really missing the Pop Top and there could be one on the horizon again soon. Small is beautiful GW.......(y)
 

laird of Dunstan

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I'm in the same boat as Jim on this one , I prefer the smaller less crowded campsites ,I've just driven for a couple of hours to reach a small cl in the peak district ,we are listening to Jazz music as we allow our dinner to go down ,a fantastically cook pair of steaks :)

Tomorrow we will get on our ebikes and go cycling for 30-40 kms , stopping off for a coffee and a cream bun somewhere

Don't miss noisy pubs and if the missus wants a drink ,there's wine in the fridge and conversation without us yelling in a noisy bar
1471030602948-1565064302.jpg


Just looking out of the MH window (y)
 
Feb 22, 2008
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We have down sized from RVs to our present 6.5m b544, lots of lounge space on the typical wet cold days which can be a regular occurence in this country.
Would we downsize further, not keen, OK for parking but must be claustrophobic after a couple of days poor weather.
 
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You are not alone otherwise we would not have trailers and toads.
That goes part of the way Brian but although I'm not an alcoholic, I do enjoy a glass of something and a bit of atmosphere that a good drinking establishment can give. :)

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mikebeaches

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Motor homes are always a compromise in some shape or form, but on balance I'm sure most on here are pleased to have one.

We have just changed from a coach built to a van conversion, and it's a revalation. How much easier to drive through town and along country lanes. We've saved about a foot in width - so much more relaxing to drive and park, even though we are still quite long for a pvc, at 6.4 m.

Currently enjoying touring in Brittany - the roads and parking in town or otherwise are just so easy.
 
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I'm in the same boat as Jim on this one , I prefer the smaller less crowded campsites ,I've just driven for a couple of hours to reach a small cl in the peak district ,we are listening to Jazz music as we allow our dinner to go down ,a fantastically cook pair of steaks :)

Tomorrow we will get on our ebikes and go cycling for 30-40 kms , stopping off for a coffee and a cream bun somewhere

Don't miss noisy pubs and if the missus wants a drink ,there's wine in the fridge and conversation without us yelling in a noisy barView attachment 119812

Just looking out of the MH window (y)
Nice view LofD and I do still do my share of CLs and the like but at times I find it can sometimes get a bit repetitive.:(
 
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Motor homes are always a compromise in some shape or form, but on balance I'm sure most on here are pleased to have one.

We have just changed from a coach built to a van conversion, and it's a revalation. How much easier to drive through town and along country lanes. We've saved about a foot in width - so much more relaxing to drive and park, even though we are still quite long for a pvc, at 6.4 m.

Currently enjoying touring in Brittany - the roads and parking in town or otherwise are just so easy.
I think this size reduction will be a growing trend mike....(y)

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Feb 16, 2013
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Nice view LofD and I do still do my share of CLs and the like but at times I find it can sometimes get a bit repetitive.:(
The older you get the more you have done, harder to find something new
 
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Aug 27, 2009
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We have down sized from RVs to our present 6.5m b544, lots of lounge space on the typical wet cold days which can be a regular occurence in this country.
Would we downsize further, not keen, OK for parking but must be claustrophobic after a couple of days poor weather.
Wet cold days Larry. What are they, it is dry roast here at the moment and is predicted to stay for some time yet.....(y):cool:
 

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