how long do you keep yours... (1 Viewer)

[Dave K]

We started camping about 20 years ago, since then we have been on a constant run of changes, we had 2 or 3 tents then 2 or 3 folding campers and then 3 caravans until we've finally ended up with our first MH, it seems every couple of years we're changing/ upgrading so I just wondered if we're not on our own, do most people change every couple of years or do you keep things for ages, I can see in a couple of years time we'll be changing the current MH, not sure where this cycle will end, a private jet maybe..

 

[Wildman]

14 vans since 1970 had the present one for 6 years, maybe due for a change, who knows.

 

[GeriatricWanderer]

I think for most of us there's always another van that "looks like it might be a better option" but as we get older the urge to change/upgrade/downsize or whatever, gets less and we tend to be more content with what we have - and what we have is often the last of a long line of changes.
There are of course those who get it right first time and remain happy with their lot.
For me, the van I now have is a model I've been searching for for (?) years but had never seen one for sale at the right price, until recently. I have to admit though, it's number 9 - but that is in 40 years travelling so not too bad.

 

[JJ]

Never understand people changing their vans unless their needs have changed.

I run my vans until they die or in the case of the Wagon (aka The Black Beast) re-registering is too expensive.

Hardly a week goes by with someone asking me if I will sell my 1987 Hymer 660S...

I tell them I will sell it to them for €25,000.00.

(Of course I wouldn't really sell it as I couldn't find a better replacement at that price.)

JJ

 

[scotjimland]

Never understand people changing their vans unless their needs have changed.

likewise..
over the years have had many, but only ever changed due to circumstances... family getting bigger then smaller .. full time or part time.. etc

the latest one will probably see us out..

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[Snowbird]

Four in the last 12 months. The outfit am running at the minute was almost sold the day I bought it, as a matter of fact there was interest in it before I had transhiped the stuff out of the previous one. But I do value my life a little more than that.

 

[tonyidle]

likewise..
over the years have had many, but only ever changed due to circumstances... family getting bigger then smaller .. full time or part time.. etc

Me too. I put so much effort into sorting out niggles & modifying where I think its appropriate that I never want to start again.

 

[scotjimland]

Hardly a week goes by with someone asking me if I will sell my 1987 Hymer 660S...

I remember when you were hunting for that one JJ ... took you ages to find it.. and not surprised you won't sell..

mind you, everything has a price..

 

[deleted-member02]

likewise..
over the years have had many, but only ever changed due to circumstances... family getting bigger then smaller .. full time or part time.. etc

the latest one will probably see us out..

This....

First van, only two of us, then two kids, sold when No.2 was six months old.
Second van, four of us, kept until No.2 was five
Now on van three (with bunks), think it's good for the next few years.
Maybe rear singles for van four (depends on how kids/teenagers are turning out)
Hopefully, van five will be long term touring for the two of us - bit of a way off so not thinking too much about it yet...

We're also not ones to change for the sake of it !

 

[Chockswahay]

Only ever owned one........... still got it

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[bertiebasset]

I must be a bit boring too,, only ever had the one,, same as wives.

 

[FIDGET]

Currently on our 10th, def the last ( said that at least 5 times)
Like Bertie , still with first wife !!!
not sure how she puts up with me.

 

[hilldweller]

I can see in a couple of years time we'll be changing the current MH.

It's our mobile home, not a vehicle, we've had it 8 years now, customised it to our needs and not seen a better package for us.

We've lived in our non-mobile home for 40 odd years.

 

[hilldweller]

Four in the last 12 months.

I know, I know "I can give up whenever I want to". You should have stuck it out a Motorhomers Anonymous.

 

[Reallyretired]

I've lost count of how many I've had. Changes were usually prompted by a change of circumstances. When my boys were young I ran a 7 berth mh because I needed it.
When I was between wives I bought a 3 berth Dethleffs which was ideal for me, when remarried we realised we needed more space with a low level bed and a separate shower, hence current mh. I plan to keep this for as long as I can keep a licence to drive it (C+E)

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[denisejoe]

Like the OP we've been camping for many years and started off with a little A Frame when we were on our own. As kids came along we moved on to a series of Frame tents then on to a small trailer tent which was a bit small for us with 2 growing kids who were by now 5 & 8 so bought a bigger trailer tent.

We then moved on to caravans and probably had about 4 before we got the layout right for us. Kept the last one for several years and then decided it was too big for just the 2 of us and went back to a folding camper.

Didn't keep that long as it was freezing when we used it in September for our holidays and ended up in a hotel for the last couple of nights! Went straight back to another caravan. Kept that a few years and then decided on a MH as we wanted to tour more rather than just staying on campsites.

We're on our 3rd one now but each change was for a particular reason. Our current van we're really happy with and not planning on changing it. We'll keep this one at least until we know whether Joe will be able to still drive it once he reaches 70. If we have to go back to 3.5 ton then we've decided we'll go back to a caravan.

Denise

 

[Deleted34567]

Only ever owned one........... still got it

I must be a bit boring too,, only ever had the one,, same as wives.

Snap,
Only had the one, only really doing any touring in the past couple years.... Goodness knows what will happen in the future.... maybe another, maybe a complete change in direction.
Time tends to steer us in a direction we never expect.

 

[Puddleduck]

Three motorhomes in twenty years but a long gap in between numbers two and the current one due to family circumstances.

Still have the same Drake though and he's a keeper.

 

[magicsurfbus]

I've still got the orange Vango Force 10 ridge tent I first used 40 years ago. I haven't slept in it for over a decade but it would still do the job. I also still have the lightweight tent I used when backpacking the Pembs Coast Path in 1987.

Truth be told, the only camping kit we ever got rid of was our Conway Oxford Trailer Tent, a cheapo dome tent, and (eventually) the 1975 VW Kombi which we owned for 7 years between the Trailer Tent and the MH.

Our first MH (which we bought new) is 10 years old this year with just less than 50,000 on the clock, so barring any serious leaks it's still got some life left in it. I see no reason to change while it's running properly. I have a similar attitude with cars - we had a Nissan Sunny Estate for 12 years and a Megane soft top for 10 years. My Dad used to change his car every 18 months.

 

[sedge]

Surely Motorhomes are much the same as 'other stuff' ?

I've known people who changed their entire living room - including furniture, carpets and décor - every 12 to 18 months. Batty. One of them whilst visiting a mutual friend, spied a piece of Lladro and fell in love with it. So she went out and bought every piece of it she could find.

It doesn't look the same at all when there are 20 pieces plonked on every flat surface in a room!

Anyway, I guess cars and motorhomes or caravans or tents, are just the same. People either treat them as disposable like tights - ladder them, sling them away - or expensive possessions, made to be used - but looked after - so they continue to be used for the foreseeable future. Like OUR 3 piece suite, carpet and ornaments etc.

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[Ralph-n-Bev]

Bought our Mizar 7 years ago. Got it right first time. If the kids still came with us , I think we'd have kept her a lot longer.
She's now for sale , waiting for another family.
http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum...pclass-2006-30k-on-clock.105202/#post-1366204
Ralphs wanted a pvc since day one. Impossible for what we wanted with 3 kids . Now there's just us Two the time was right for him to buy a brand new xlwb van and build it to our exact requirements. While we still had a healthy income to do it right. We plan on keeping Pug indefinately. He will become what everyone calls the old sheds , a classic !

 

[keith]

Sounds to me like most of us have the same ideas, just varies according to circumstances.

We have had 4 and the last for coming up 8 years and no plans to change it. One of the main factors is that you personalise it to fit, then don't want the hassle of doing it all again. Or am I getting old. :-(

 

[Dave K]

Sounds to me like most of us have the same ideas, just varies according to circumstances.

We have had 4 and the last for coming up 8 years and no plans to change it. One of the main factors is that you personalise it to fit, then don't want the hassle of doing it all again. Or am I getting old. :-(

You're right, seems like we're oddballs, I think having caravans previously has helped us get the layout right so there's no reason for us to change other than getting the 'i wants', never say never but I can't see us getting a fixed bed model, we had them as caravans and to us it's just dead space so fingers crossed we'll have many years with the current one

 

[Chockswahay]

I should 'fes up' and add that the one I bought and still have is because we have only been MH'ing for two years now

 

[WillH]

Like Hilldweller we have had ours 8 years and 44k miles and no thoughts of changing it yet, haven't seen another we like. On top of that have nearly sorted out all the niggles I have found over the years and customised it to our liking, though we my go for new carpets soon as ours have nearly worn out and even I think they are a little scruffy now.

Bill

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[jonandshell]

5 years and still not fallen out of love with it!
In fact we have never seen another model on the market which fulfills all our requirements like ours does.
I think we will say the same in 5 years time too!

 

[Deleted member 29692]

1st one about 9 months. This one was new about 8-9 months ago and will be staying a long time. There's nothing we want or need to change about it so we won't. As long as it stays dry and mechanically sound no reason why it shouldn't be a 15+ year job.