Campervan used as an everyday car

Spidey

Spidey

Joined
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Since May 2014
We have a lovely hymer motorhome which we want to keep and is perfect for our holidays. It is now just the two of us and we thought about exchanging our everyday car for a small camper. This we could use as a day out camper or a quick weekend away etc. Looking at the Toyota Alphard hybrid. Does anyone have a bigger motorhome and a small camper? Can't see any pitfalls as it is the size of a car and will still have 4 belted seats. I love the idea of a car not just being a car. We are both just retired early so will get to use both loads.
 
Hi Spidey - good to see you posting again :hi: Do like the idea of having a car that can accommodate the odd overnight stop - these seem to be very popular plug in option https://campal.co.uk/ here & overseas from £1350 (plus £80 UK delivery) for two bed in various designs for a wide range of cars & can be made to order too :

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Wombles said:
Hi Spidey - good to see you posting again :hi: Do like the idea of having a car that can accommodate the odd overnight stop - these seem to be very popular plug in option https://campal.co.uk/ here & overseas from £1350 (plus £80 UK delivery) for two bed in various designs for a wide range of cars & can be made to order too :

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Hi Wombles, thanks glad to be back, not sure why I stopped posting I never stopped motorhoming. :giggle:
that looks an interesting design very ingenious. I will have a look. Now we have retired the car looks really boring! :LOL: want lots of days out (when we can of course over night as well). Also I worry about lots of cities not allowing us in with the big motorhome being diesel.

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The ubiquitous VW T5 (or T6) campervans are a good compromise between car & camper

However as you are used to a more 'home from home' motorhome, may I suggest you hire a small campervan first to check it's suitability (sorry if I'm trying to teach you to suck eggs)

As soon as I decided to upgrade from a T5 to a bigger van, the T5 suddenly became the Smallest van in the World 🙂
 
I cant see why you want 2 campers.

If you are going away for the night you take the camper
If you and not going away for the night you take the car

I think you would find the comfort level of a small camper (when compared to your motorhome) leaving a lot to be desired
 
Use an estate with a mattress and free standing cooker. Go rough gets over the height problem
 
Brains said:
I cant see why you want 2 campers.
If you are going away for the night you take the camper
If you and not going away for the night you take the car
I think you would find the comfort level of a small camper (when compared to your motorhome) leaving a lot to be desired
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I have 2 campers, 1 for extended trips the other as a runabout.

20171015_132905_resized_1.jpg


The Eriba is a bit 'old school' but has exactly the same facilities as the A class except for a made up bed - and living space.

Shame they don't make a modern version

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We used to have a Honda spacewagon pop top, full side kitchen, rock n roll bed. Would be ideal for the odd quickie night away.
 
Brains said:
I cant see why you want 2 campers.

If you are going away for the night you take the camper
If you and not going away for the night you take the car

I think you would find the comfort level of a small camper (when compared to your motorhome) leaving a lot to be desired
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This is our big question, but with so many cities thinking of turning away from diesel. Also just find having a car a bit of a waste when you could have a car and camper. :giggle:
 
Langtoftlad said:
No I didn't mean height in that way... :giggle:
I meant that even a small camper might not be able to access places that cars can get into because of barriers and/or ceiling in multi storey car parks...
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:LOL: sorry yes that is another reason to get one.
 
MisterB said:
We used to have a Honda spacewagon pop top, full side kitchen, rock n roll bed. Would be ideal for the odd quickie night away.
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I will have a look at that one as well. :giggle:
 
VW Caddy, there's a camping version, smaller brother of the T5

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Langtoftlad said:
No I didn't mean height in that way... :giggle:
I meant that even a small camper might not be able to access places that cars can get into because of barriers and/or ceiling in multi storey car parks...
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A lot of campers with pop tops are under 2m, daughter has a Toyota Hiace with a pop top and gets under many car park barriers in France and can find nice places to overnight when the nice Aires are full.
 
Ridgeway said:
VW Caddy, there's a camping version, smaller brother of the T5
Click to expand...

The Caddy takes up almost as much space on the outside as the T5 / T6 so it doesn't offer much advantage for ease of parking but will be more cramped inside. Probably why there are very few Caddy conversions.
 
matamoros said:
A lot of campers with pop tops are under 2m, daughter has a Toyota Hiace with a pop top and gets under many car park barriers in France and can find nice places to overnight when the nice Aires are full.
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...but AFAIK the Toyota Alphard is 2.1m without a poptop - which could be problematic

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If you still require a toilet and shower, then take a look at the 5.4m Globecar Roadscout R based on Fiat Ducato 5.4m van. Fixed rear bed across the rear and plenty of storage and you can park it in most standard spaces.
 
Ridgeway said:
VW Caddy, there's a camping version, smaller brother of the T5
Click to expand...
We had one of those - got a caddy kitted out by Simon and Gemma in Wrexham. It even had a potty we never used. sold it to get a T5 - sold that to get a pvc Motorhome. But the caddy was a lovely drive.
 
I have a fiat high top more a day van than a motorhome, Only problem has been height barriers on some car parks, mine is an ex mobility vehicle and it does go under the majority of barriers at car parks. Have in the past had a romahome only downside again was height barriers Believe the Alphard is fuel heavy.
Brains said:
I cant see why you want 2 campers.

If you are going away for the night you take the camper
If you and not going away for the night you take the car
Click to expand...
well I have both, replaced my car with a doblo day van, sleeps two but also only has 2 seat belts. It has much better fuel economy than the motorhome. like to visit family and friends and sometimes end up having a stopover, like my own space for that. Big motivator was a friend in a nursing home, too far realistically for a day visit and the homes and local hoetels nightly charges were OTT there is a campsite a couple of miles away a CL on a farm and the road is not one I would want to take a 7+M van on, although i have done in the past. Means too that one of us can use the big van when the other also has a meet they want to attend, that is getting away from the OP though apologies.
Would I have the doblo as the only vehicle for a couple? No
Friends had a California but no loo and shower. I have never wanted a VW although a coachbuilt on a VW base would be acceptable :winky:
Spidey fully understand how you feel hope you find something suitable. I do have a thetford fr the doblo but have yet to alter the inside to fit it. Not able to get it in our garage and no drive otherwise would have been fettled during lockdown.

So many on here have 2 or more motorbikes so why not motorhomes/campers.

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We had a Bongo for years,I would have one now but they're too old, shame because it was a great van to drive and a good camper too.
 
Nasher said:
You mean it's possible to have only one motorbike? How? Why? 🙂
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sometimes happens because mr magpie has so much crap sorry useful stuff in the garage he struggles to get more than the car 5 pedal cycles and 1 motorbike in.
 
Spidey said:
We have a lovely hymer motorhome which we want to keep and is perfect for our holidays. It is now just the two of us and we thought about exchanging our everyday car for a small camper. This we could use as a day out camper or a quick weekend away etc. Looking at the Toyota Alphard hybrid. Does anyone have a bigger motorhome and a small camper? Can't see any pitfalls as it is the size of a car and will still have 4 belted seats. I love the idea of a car not just being a car. We are both just retired early so will get to use both loads.
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Hi.
We have had both a Hymer Tramp (6.5m fixed bed ) and a pop top Toyota Granvia for a few years now. Pop top goes all around UK and shopping (2.1m tall) and once to southern Spain for the winter. Hymer goes to beer festivals and Spain a few times. Fantastic combination.
Cheers Andrew
 
If the height is not a problem you will find a VW T5 of ours advertised in the Classifieds on this forum. Broken Link Removed

We use our camper as everyday transport and where we live height of vehicle to access all of the town's services that we need is never a problem but I do understand that some towns are not like that.

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