Are Hobby Motorhomes Discriminated Against?

[Grumpyfrog]

As an ex Vanner, there was always a suggestion that Hobby caravans were either frowned upon or refused entry to some campsites.
Does the same apply to Hobby motorhomes?

 

[Blue Knight]

If you referring to the travelling community then not to worry as their new preferred motorhome choice is the Swift Bolero with an occasional smattering of Autotrails.

 

[Grumpyfrog]

If you referring to the travelling community then not to worry as their new preferred motorhome choice is the Swift Bolero with an occasional smattering of Autotrails.

I can agree with you in that our travelling brothers are not too fussy regarding their preference of manufacturer. A recent report of a theft near me, was of a Lunar caravan!

 

[Lenny HB]

We used to have a Hobby caravan never had any problems.

 

[Eggs]

We used to have a Hobby caravan never had any problems.

And me, twin wheeler towed by a van. Never had any problems either.

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[Grumpyfrog]

I admit to never knowing of a problem first hand.
However there is always someone ready to point out after a sharp intake of breath, that they wouldn't own a Hobby because they would not be allowed on many campsites.
We have looked at a couple of Hobby motorhomes and they look solidly built, stylish and one make we are certainly considering.

 

[TinaLes]

How would the campsite know, or even ask the question,about the type of van you have, its not on any website I have seen, only size mainly, unless of course you sound like a Romany which is hard to cover up I guess.
Anyhow, must go now, cos I have the devil on me back!.
LES

 

[pampam]

I like hobby motorhomes i think the 600 is a lovely size (for me)
travellers do like hobbys……………cos they are well made,and quite wide and if made to order are dry vans

 

[Jim]

This has to be an Urban Myth I've heard it said many, many times, but never heard a single first hand account of a Hobby motorhome being refused entry.

 

[Winger]

I think this relates to caravans, for years I used a caravan on sites for digs whilst working away from home and maybe staying on the same site for 2-3 months. When I was asking about long stay several would ask if you had a Hobby as they didn’t allow them and sometimes they would ask if I had a Continental caravan as they did not allow them either

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[Spriddler]

Do you mean Hobby or hobby?

Optima On Tour Edition - Hobby Caravan

Even Better

www.hobby-caravans.co.uk

 

[Grumpyfrog]

Do you mean Hobby or hobby?

Optima On Tour Edition - Hobby Caravan

Even Better

www.hobby-caravans.co.uk

Well I mean Hobby.
The Optima range among others, is one we are hoping to view.

 

[maz]

As an ex Vanner, there was always a suggestion that Hobby caravans were either frowned upon or refused entry to some campsites.
Does the same apply to Hobby motorhomes?

In a word ‘No’.

I fulltimed in a Hobby 750 for 5 years. Great van, no discrimination.

 

[Caggsie1]

Had ours 8 years, not a problem

 

[spitfire]

Had our 750 for 17 years with no problems . Loved it

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[funflair]

I certainly know somebody who was turned away from a municipal site in France, but it was a caravan.

 

[pappajohn]

If you turn up in a battered trilby hat, a kneckerchief and rolled up shirt sleeves you'll as likely be turned away in a £500,000 gin Palace.

 

[The Coops]

I had a Hobby and 5 years of problems, nothing to do with discrimination just a Friday afternoon/Monday morning build and got rid of it when the service manger quit the dealership! BUT when travelling abroad and passing illegal/traveller camps were often *waved* on to the pitch to join them! So could be an opening for *free* Aries abroad! To be fair the design was brilliant, the execution was poor! We even went to the factory at Fockbeck in Germany to get some *problems* fixed. We went up to a town in Northumbria last year, no names no pack drill, and stopped on the rugby club site, in our new van, a Hobby, same model as our old one rolled up next to us, *Could it be our old one?* we wondered? Said hello to the occupants and discretely asked about the van, thinking it might be our old one( It was on a private plate) But it had had five years of sorting out the problems!! *Trouble? we have taken the **ing thing back to the factory in Germany twice with the problems! * * But we don't want to get shut as its a brilliant design, a great engine package and just seems to have been built on a Friday afternoon/Monday morning!* SNAP! So would I buy another Hobby? The short answer is maybe! We loved the design and layout but should have rejected the van asap as the build quality was appalling . It did not leak, did over 35 mpg had a payload over 4200kgs but when the cabinets fell off the wall onto DC's head as they had been stuck on with double sided tape and 5 sets of windows and 13 bathroom doors plus 5000 miles done back and forth to the dealership to get things sorted enough was enough! The service manager was brilliant but the company owners were spineless, they promised the earth to sort it out and delivered nothing! Even made the point of avoiding us at a national motorhome show when we tried homing in on them!

 

[Spriddler]

If you turn up in a battered trilby hat, a kneckerchief and rolled up shirt sleeves you'll as likely be turned away in a £500,000 gin Palace.

From my very many years of yachting it was usually the scruffiest and least stylish bloke who had paid cash for the half a million quid gin palace in the marina.

 

[suavecarve]

I was told (so don't know it to be true) that Hobby was preferred by travellers as many did not have a toilet inside.
They didn't want to cook next to it.

No doubt someone will correct or confirm it

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[Eggs]

I was told (so don't know it to be true) that Hobby was preferred by travellers as many did not have a toilet inside.
They didn't want to cook next to it.

No doubt someone will correct or confirm it

Travellers order them 'dry' out of the factory, that said, lots of travellers have the kitchen sink and toilet but never use them. So yes, there are a lot of Hobby's out there with no toilet.

 

[pappajohn]

I was told (so don't know it to be true) that Hobby was preferred by travellers as many did not have a toilet inside.
They didn't want to cook next to it.

No doubt someone will correct or confirm it

A childhood gypsy friend's parents had two vans... A living van and a smaller sleeping/toilet van.
The large living van was permenantly pitched on a farm and the smaller van used for travelling.
Never saw inside the smaller one but the big one was 'showroom' immaculate.

 

[spitfire]

I had a Hobby and 5 years of problems, nothing to do with discrimination just a Friday afternoon/Monday morning build and got rid of it when the service manger quit the dealership! BUT when travelling abroad and passing illegal/traveller camps were often *waved* on to the pitch to join them! So could be an opening for *free* Aries abroad! To be fair the design was brilliant, the execution was poor! We even went to the factory at Fockbeck in Germany to get some *problems* fixed. We went up to a town in Northumbria last year, no names no pack drill, and stopped on the rugby club site, in our new van, a Hobby, same model as our old one rolled up next to us, *Could it be our old one?* we wondered? Said hello to the occupants and discretely asked about the van, thinking it might be our old one( It was on a private plate) But it had had five years of sorting out the problems!! *Trouble? we have taken the **ing thing back to the factory in Germany twice with the problems! * * But we don't want to get shut as its a brilliant design, a great engine package and just seems to have been built on a Friday afternoon/Monday morning!* SNAP! So would I buy another Hobby? The short answer is maybe! We loved the design and layout but should have rejected the van asap as the build quality was appalling . It did not leak, did over 35 mpg had a payload over 4200kgs but when the cabinets fell off the wall onto DC's head as they had been stuck on with double sided tape and 5 sets of windows and 13 bathroom doors plus 5000 miles done back and forth to the dealership to get things sorted enough was enough! The service manager was brilliant but the company owners were spineless, they promised the earth to sort it out and delivered nothing! Even made the point of avoiding us at a national motorhome show when we tried homing in on them!

Ours was a 1999 750fms bought when 3 years old and kept it for 17 years and it gave us little problem . Love our new Bavaria but has had more issues not huge ones in the year we have had but more than the Hobby in 17 years !

 

[grasscutter]

Never had a problem.

 

[The Wino]

We had a hobby caravan about 18 years ago. It was very well made every after we drove forwards with the wheel clamp on all it did was break a plastic trim. At the time there was some anti non UK made sentiment and it was a bit of a pain registering it with cris. We were never turned away from a site but had a couple who questioned the make but still accepted us presumably based on accent. I got the feeling that the UK manufacturers were quite keen to try and keep hobbies out as they couldn't compete on build quality.