How many vans? (1 Viewer)

Chris

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May 5, 2010
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How many motorhomes have you owned?

Just reading Haganaps thread about his new van and I think he said it is his 4th van in 10 years.

We are on our second van since 2008.

So who has owned the most, and what were the motivating factors for change?
 

Armytwowheels

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Aug 10, 2012
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Market Harborough
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Since 2011
We are on our 4th van in 5 years.
1st - a self converted ambulance called Geoffrey,
2nd - Hymer B564 called Herman,
3rd - Hymer B644 called Dora (still currently owned but a deposit has been taken)
4th - Dethleffs Eprit called Nessie the Monster van.
Motivating factors - bigger van = more space = more comfort

We started full timing in Dora but knew without doubt we were bitten by the motorhome bug by the time we finished our first trip in the 1st van.

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Chris

Chris

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May 5, 2010
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We are on our 4th van in 5 years.
1st - a self converted ambulance called Geoffrey,
2nd - Hymer B564 called Herman,
3rd - Hymer B644 called Dora (still currently owned but a deposit has been taken)
4th - Dethleffs Eprit called Nessie the Monster van.
Motivating factors - bigger van = more space = more comfort

We started full timing in Dora but knew without doubt we were bitten by the motorhome bug by the time we finished our first trip in the 1st van.

4 vans in 5 years - that's going some!
 
Aug 27, 2009
19,788
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Hertfordshire
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8,178
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Van Conversion
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40 years
We changed from a caravan to a motorhome in 1988 new on an F plate. Picked it up loaded it up and was off to Spain for month within the week sold that with 90k miles on the clock. Since then I have had three new vans all totally different as my requirements have changed. It pays to measure twice and cut once when buying a new van.(y)

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Techno

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Deceased RIP
Jul 28, 2010
15,475
20,752
Leeds the one up North
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12,905
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Rapido 7090F 3 litre 160
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May 2010
Second in 5 yrs
First van bought on a whim without any research. Wifey just wanted a rear lounge so I looked on ebay that evening and bought a 2004 Autocruise Starspirit.
We used the van so much because the life style just bit us that we got tired of making a bed every night and all the restrictions that go with it.
So top of the list on our current van was a bed! Rapido7090F
Next was payload big engine auto and good storage, left hand drive was a bonus.
Love it
 

parknride

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Jan 21, 2014
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1: Sprite 4 berth caravan, OH took FIL to NEC for his first Van, saw the sprite for £4,100 as a dealer ex demo called me and said did I fancy a caravan. Wow yes, it seemed like a little palace after the frame tent. We had to press a floor pump for the water and buy a porta potti for the bathroom. Hard work too small upgrade
2: new sprite musketeer, 5 berth. Hot water, flushing loo, enough beds for 3 growing boys. Got terrible damp ingress where the "musketeer" logo was riveted to the side of the van.
3: new eldiss wisp 2 berth. Luxury without the kids. This got damp all around the front windows. Saw a dealer (bargain?) at goodalls, New R reg swift 590
4: new swift 590 4 berth. Briefly, had about 7 fridges fitted, and the damp was unbelievable. This van spent more time in repair than on site. We sold after moving to Cumbria and didn't have time to use it. After a few years "vanless" we saw an
5: Ace jubilee 2b caravan only 9 months old, we had settled down a bit after moving house twice in 9 months. Strangely kept this the longest but used it least, spent most of its life in storage. Bumped into a tree on a French holiday which opened up a large crack and let in a lot of water. Swapped for a
6: new 2b end bathroom challenger sport. Had this 2 years and as we were now retired unexpectedly early, used it a lot. Got sick of making bed every night, too small and we moved about a lot more having more time.
7: bailey 740, only had 2,900 miles private sale. Sorted. Maybe could do with something with a garage though.......,..
 

Cal54

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Apr 25, 2014
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Southport, UK
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31,130
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Leisuredrive Renoir
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Since 1996
8 vans over a number of years. Initially a converted old ambulance that gave me loads of fun (and expense!) then onto more modern, better facilities, more space, then reduced size for more ease of touring. The most research I have done was for my current van which is the only new one, and I don't intend changing!

1 ambulance
2 Compass Calypso (petrol/lpg)
3 Swift Mondial
4 Hymer
5 Hymer (fixed bed)
6 La Strada
7 Autotrail
8 Autocruise Alto - current van

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Doctor Dave

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May 18, 2015
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7 years followed by a break of 11 years and then 4+ years but given up now
First van was an old Commer with lift up roof, after some years a Camalot on a Talbot Express (both petrol!) and a year ago we bought an Autocruise Pinto on an Iveco Daily (diesel and pre Swift take over.)

The first one was in the 1970s then after a gap the second was in the 1990s. Used to tow a stock trailer with the Talbot. This was followed by a gap of some 12 years when we went boating and then in 2014, having sold the narrowboat, we got the Pinto - the best of all.

Dave
 

Popeye

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Sep 5, 2011
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Watcher buddy, it's only you, Anne and the passport Office that know Jackie's real age and the Fact that I'm into the older woman......

.....lets go off at a tangent shall we, @Chris won't mind
 

pops

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May 1, 2012
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since1997
6 since 1996, Autosleeper Rambler GL, Swift KonTiki 620, Autosleeper Ravenna, Swift KonTiki 610, Bailey 745Se, Pilote F630 DJA.

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Oct 20, 2014
452
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Wicklow Town, Ireland
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2020 Avantgarde 175
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A good few years
3 Campers during the past 20 years.

1st was a 1972 VW Camper Van.
2nd was a 1984 7.4 litre chevy engined Champion RV
Current is a 1999 Adria Adriatik 580...
 
Nov 4, 2011
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2001
3rd since 2006
1992 Autosleeper Trooper
2001 Autocruise Starfire
2001 Hymer B584
 

magicsurfbus

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'05 CI Carioca 656 from 2005 onwards

That's all folks.

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mariner

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Nov 21, 2013
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Isle of Dogs, but mostly Artola Spain.
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29,109
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Caravan
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Since 2007. But no more.
December 2007 Sold the caravan and bought a MH. since then Ive had 4 MH's and 3 Caravans.

Now I'm without, as the last caravan was written off on the 13th July when a wheel fell off, while doing 60mph on the A17.

List.

MH's
Adria Coral 650
Hymer 630 Starline
Hymer 640 Starline
Autocruise Pace.

Caravans.
Bailey Ranger 500/5
Sterkerman 390 CP
Bailey Olympus 464 ( now written off)

Picking up a Bailey Pegasus II Verona tomorrow.


:cooler:
 

TheBig1

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many many years! since I was a kid
just spent 10 minutes discussing this with the wife, she says too many. we've both lost count years ago. I tend to buy vans and caravans, tidy up and sell on. back in the 90s we would buy and use a different one every other weekend in the summer season. add to that I converted 5 different vans for our own use over the years too. in total its got to be dozens. everything from a folding caravan and a dormobile up to large modern coachbuilts. but only ever bought brand new twice and one of those was a disaster back in 2004
 

Janine

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1988 1st van - Toyota Hiace - lovely but no loo.
1991 2nd van - Bedford CF - A801 OFV- sold it to buy a car in 2001 but missed it so much...
2005 3rd van - Holdsworth Valentine VW T4 - 20 years old but perfect!

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Popeye

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Had you got the 3rd & 4th letters reversed you'd have described him to a tee

Twenty years ago any spell checker changed my sign off "Griff" to "Grief", Terry's @FIDGET did the same and he has stuck with it, for comedic reasons, very doubtful parentage though!
 
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Teuchter

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I have been caravanning for 32 years but in 2014 I have"gone over to the dark side"
After 30 years of caravanning and owning 5 vans (2 of them for over 10 years each) westarted motorhoming:-
Sep 2014 1st van - 2005 Rapido 966m
May 2015 2nd van - new Knaus Sky TI
 

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