Those with inbuilt kitchenettes and bathrooms, how much do you use them?

[jonsam]

I'm looking for some advice.
I've not got a motorhome yet but have been browsing for a while. Up to a point, I've only been looking for motorhomes with kitchenettes and bathrooms. Facilities do seem to push the price up quite a lot. It's just for me, single berth and I probably will spend plenty of time on camp sites when touring rather than 'wild camping'.
Chatting to a few owners, they've said they don't use the kitchenette or bathroom all that much. They have external cookers because they prefer to keep the food cooking outside, a portable toilet that they only use in emergencies or for late night wees, and they wash crockery in campsite facilities. The consensus from them was while the internal facilities are nice to have, they don't actually get used that much.

I wondered if that was a common theme amongst existing owners? It was certainly make the purchase a lot easier if I bought one with storage for portable facilities. I'd still want a fridge and some storage inside the van

 

[Jo-jo]

We use all of our facilities all the time. We cook our evening meal every day. If we're on a site with nice facilities, we'll use their showers, but sometimes they're not that nice, so we use our own. We wash-up in the moho too, can't be bothered carrying stuff to the pot-wash.

 

[Otter Spotter]

We use the kitchen every day as we don’t like BBQ food, as for cooking smells our maxxair fan really clears them out before they can linger. We find that we use the toilet as much when we are travelling as we do when we are pitched up on a campsite, though we try to use the site facilities when convenient.
As for the shower, we have never used it in anger yet, though as we go more ‘off grid’ maybe we will. Don’t look for a van that doesn’t have them as you will be in the minority and if you decide to sell you may struggle to find a buyer.

 

[BusyBuilder]

Depends if you will off grid or not. If going to Europe and using aires, then you need both. If only using fully equipped camp sites then no

 

[Gromett]

I always use all my facilities.

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[BusyBuilder]

Just buy a roof tent

 

[dunnah01]

We've never used any site facilities and always use the kitchenette and bathroom in over 2000 nights on board

 

[westhamman]

We use ours all the time, I couldn't get mrs Westhamman to use a shower block since covid. Yes emptying toilet not fun but in most places not too bad. Consider all things but if you have your own toilet and shower you can go anywhere.

 

[scotjimland]

All the time... wouldn't have a van or caravan which didn't have all creature comforts ..

but If on a site with toilet block and showers , especially CMC sites which have excellent facilities will use them .. but prefer using our own toilet..

 

[Bonsaiman]

Use all our facilities, cook most meals in the van apart from BBQ’s, do occasionally use site toilets and showers but being a lazy bugger why walk to them when you have your own in the van plus if on aires or wild camping what are you going to use

And if it’s pissing down it’s not much fun cooking outside or walking to the site facilities

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[Tonks]

Almost every day I'm away in the van.
Kitchen, every day.
I don't have a 'bathroom', but I use my on board loo routinely. Wouldn't want to have to get out of the van and walk over to a shower block in the middle of the night. At festivals I'd rather use mine than the portaloos provided at most!

 

[enark]

Like many things in life, what do you want to pay for?

For us, kitchen and toilet is a must.

Shower not so, as hardly used if site (endless high pressure hot water) facilities are available.

Outdoor cooking is also a must, awnings help if its raining - but care with fire and CO poisioning!

 

[carolyn]

Use all our facilities most of the time. If the site showers are really nice we use them as our tank isn’t that big in a PVC . On MHF you’d be in a minority if you didn’t use your motorhome as intended. Most of us travel in all weather so cooking only outside isn’t really an option. What you’re talking about sounds like camping in a tin can rather than motorhoming

 

[AndyPK]

All we wanted was a ‘proper’ toilet, rather than a Porta Potty - always use sites’ shower facilities, never ‘off-grid’ - that’s one of the reasons that we chose the Devon Firefly ‘van which also has a small kitchenette……

 

[eurajohn]

As already said it depends on your preferences, but more importantly where and how you choose to travel and when you stop what you expect to pay on a daily basis for your overnight stay.
Definitely would not consider relying on campsites or cooking outside.
You cannot beat being totally self sufficient.

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[Nanniemate]

The only criteria I had as well as wheels and engine was shower and loo.

Even in sites my 'bathroom' is fully utilised.

No matter how clean or 'nice' communal shower blocks are , they are not my cup of tea. Gathering together all your bits and traipsing across a field and either in a dressing gown or clothes

No thanks

 

[activecampers]

No right answer
But be aware, without kitchen facilities and water then the van isn't a campervan/motorhome and is just a van with a bed. Matters not if thats how you want to use it, but MAY affect MOT if the tester is pedantic (MOT class 4 is for motorcaravans AS PRESENTED so they could rightly say its not a campervan). Also insurance may have stipulations on internals if you have motorhome insurance, and ignoring DVLA, in law, Road traffic act 1979, a motorcaravan is defined as having bits to live in - so arguably not a motorhome in law, ergo insurance needs to be for commercial vehicle/day van, and speed limits will be commercial.

The above will be argued by many, so DYOR and MYOMU.


For us, 99% of the time cook, shower, and use the loo inside the van. Sometimes cook outside with BBQ (3/3 this weekend!) but kettle/sink all the time. Seldom use site facilities but may do if they are fantastic. We also do cycle/motorbike camping where we have no choice but use site facilities, but the van is certainly cleaner/hotter/better than most of the sites!

 

[ChrisL]

I use all the facilities, all the time, except for the shower which only gets used if there are no site showers. Everything else is in use daily.

 

[gus-lopez]

Everything all the time .

 

[jonsam]

Well that all sounds like fairly conclusive agreement that in built facilities are reasonably important.
Thanks all.

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[ROCHESB]

It isn't a lot of fun trailing across a campsite in the early hours needing to use 'the facilities' especially when you are advanced in years so we would never consider a vehicle without at least a toilet & washbasin. We do have a shower but only use that if we are staying on a site with no/poor facilities.

We use the kitchen every day, including the oven/grill. My wife insists we have at least three burners, oven & grill

 

[oldiesontour]

The clue is in the name... Motor(ised) Home.....what home doesn't have kitchen and bathroom?never used site showers or toilets or EHU ,cook and shower daily in the van...Many rallies don't have WC or shower.

 

[Branston]

Well that all sounds like fairly conclusive agreement that in built facilities are reasonably important.
Thanks all.

Yes use them all. You may find that when you get more used to the freedom you have with your home on wheels you could choose to stay somewhere without any facilities. How will you manage if you wish to join in with one of our friendly rallies where no shower block exists?

 

[Nanniemate]

The clue is in the name... Motor(ised) Home.....what home doesn't have kitchen and bathroom?never used site showers or toilets or EHU ,cook and shower daily in the van...Many rallies don't have WC or shower.

Well, sating that when I movedd house I offered my parents my cooker as theirs was on the way out and mine better quality

My father made comment how lovely and clean it was for a 15 year old cooker and that I'd looked after it

I didn't have the heat to tell him I had only just removed the plastic covers from the shelves . So he would not know I'd never used the oven

 

[Bertilak]

It also depends on other desires... for us, sub-5.5m length and North-South beds were important... (and not a pop-top... or premium price oddities).
The compromise was to omit the the toilet cubical. That said, we've got an easy to deploy port-potti, and spacious washing area, with privacy via a curtain.
We generally cook "properly", all inside, and done on 2 rings. Veggie tendencies remove the desire have to scorched meat from a bbq; inside is just easier, esp in the UK or on aires.
Without a toilet room, the van is much more open and spacious, with the lounge area in front of a wide open side door. We don't think many vans match this at any size / price.

and we can shower inside, but admittedly, that is a bit of a palaver. Reminds me of what using a tin bath in the middle of the kitchen must have been like. So we use it when there aren't alternatives, and when absolutely needed.

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[Jev88]

When we deciding on layout as advised by many...... Separate Shower, not a shared loo/shower cubicle became a deal breaker.

Occasionally use facilities on sites but quite happy to use our own whenever. Because of this we also improved on it - better roller shower door, new thermostatic valve mixer tap (why didn't I do this years ago!) and an extractor fan.

 

[RetiredPope]

We use all our facilities. The shower least of all as we only use it if off-site for more than 3 days, or if the site showers are grim. We like the flexability that having facilities gives us and wouldn't be without them.
My brother has a campervan with no toilet facilities and finds it restricting in the summer. Trips need more planning and it's difficult to change plans at short notice.

 

[Barriesimpson]

We use ours every day, that's why we have them after all. Even on sites we always use our own facilities.

 

[Jon Stewart]

All we wanted was a ‘proper’ toilet, rather than a Porta Potty - always use sites’ shower facilities, never ‘off-grid’ - that’s one of the reasons that we chose the Devon Firefly ‘van which also has a small kitchenette……

Sh1tting in a bucket (however fancy) never appealed to me after my parents 1980’s van didn't have a cassette toilet!

Sorry to lower the tone of the thread.

 

[pappajohn]

A bit like going to a pub or cafe then nipping home to use the toilet.
Without toilet and kitchen it may sound like theres more room but its because there was never room to install them in the first place.

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