Campervan VS Caravan | Fifth Gear

Jason & Jonny put the Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo and ANTARèS 485 up against each other to see which delivers the premium camping experience. This clip is taken from Series 27 of Fifth Gear, first broadcast on 27th September 2018.
#FifthGear #TeamTest #Camping
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[@seljd]

if you're constantly on the move, get the van, if you stay on one place for longer, than get the trailer

[@hArDsTyLe2259]

Took the words out of my mouth!

[@clownworld-honk410]

Or buy a 7 metre motorhome for more space, toilet, shower. The VW campers are way over priced imo.

[@julianevans9548]

And ruin everyone's summer by clogging up Britain's narrow country roads with them and never pulling over (caveat: it did actually happen once - in over 20 years of driving).

[@teundevries8134]

Lmao

[@teundevries8134]

Yes

[@jimappleby9227]

6m renault master should do it. No need to be extravagant.

[@earthstick]

Overpriced, overrated, inferior quality

[@qasimmir7117]

What a shoddy thumbnail.😐

[@willamos13]

Used to go to Spain when we had a caravan back in ‘03/04. Take us 2 days, park up, unpack, awning up, things out the car and away, off on a day trip somewhere! Loved it!

[@Cars_and_adventures]

The plane was an RAF Tucano Jonny. Stage 2 in RAF fighter school training

[@user-fs8lz9re2q]

Show off, nah joking I love knowledge

[@jordanimatedstreaming]

seeing Plato and Jonny old makes me feel old :X

[@interceptor-ss8kb]

I will hold my hand up I've owned a Vw camper van and it was hopeless for a holiday it was so cramped, I didn't even keep it a year and flogged it.

[@joemacleod-iredale2888]

XC90 and a tent, every time.

[@deltagames3864]

XC90 is big enough to sleep in

[@maddog7139]

Remove the towing mirrors when not towing

[@edenbreckhouse]

65k for that size of camper is bonkers money.

[@mtbmac2692]

I live in mountain bike country. It's crazy what poseurs will pay for a glorified van....

[@chrise8442]

Because those who make them understand the buyer. All inheritance or money from inflated stocks thanks to PRINTED PAPER. I agree with you. Over priced wank

[@BK-it6wg]

Out of the two id definetly choose an apartment

[@siraff4461]

Or buy a normal car for half the price which will be better at everything day to day then book a caravan/hotel/cottage/etc when you want a holiday. Drive there in comfort and have more space then either. £30k difference to a normal nice car pays for a lot of holidays.

[@binyamina8850]

Those things are fun but pain to maintain

[@aaronmills3105]

Love the Volvo XC60, beautiful 😍👌

[@fatpigeon1066]

Absolutely 😍

[@grinpanic132]

Save money, don't buy the caravan and the Volvo, just buy a proper motorhome.

[@Vger77]

Just found out now! S27 was broadcasted So glad you guys are back with FG

[@Marpurrsa]

each of these have their own usecases caravan is for the traveler who goes to one camping in a certain place, sets the caravan down and goes to places from that camping and comes back in the evening the campervan is for people who hop from camping to camping, exploring a wider place

[@Marpurrsa]

@MrAbletospeak yeah duh you can do both with either i didn't say that you couldn't Just they are both more suited to a specific task You can technically slice something with a spoon but it's not its main purpose

[@ScottZ370]

What you need is the Mercedes to pull the caravan and maybe a tent to join them 😂

[@jonathonedwards6741]

See Clarkson a caravan holiday without a fire.

[@hugos2475]

And without the "UOH AAAAAAAAAAAH"

[@AqueleDoHonda]

I love to see new bits of the new Fifth gear !

[@dannieboyize]

finally some good content! love this.

[@charliechetwood2358]

Is there anywhere I can watch full episodes of this new series?

[@kellingtonlink956]

A brilliant idea for a video. Thanks.

[@martian9999]

I bought a used Transit Westfalia a few years ago. What you need to know is that the commercial van underpinnings are not made to be used for long -- they're for a quick 200k miles in 4-6 years. After a while, everything starts going wrong in these things. Also, you can't enter many European cities in a campervan because they have parking restrictions. On the other hand, in many European countries you are speed restricted to 80-100 kmh when you tow something. That is seriously slow, especially when you see Campervans overtaking you at 130, 140 or 160. It's great to be able to pull up into many camping sites without advance reservations, even in high season. But when you realistically compare the total costs, using AirBnB and going to restaurants is always going to win, unless you have 6 kids and therefore plan for family holidays for 25 or so years.

[@tobysemler]

Potato looks about as old as in Series 1. Jonny not so much! Great piece!

[@leenevin8451]

toby semler does he fuck

[@zatdude]

holy shit yeah hes gone gray ffs!

[@grim-upnorth]

Thing is... the camper van isn't supposed to be a competitor to the caravan, it's supposed to be an alternative to camping. In that respect, the camper van experience is closer to that of camping, but inside a van (clue is in the name). The true "competition" for the caravan is the motor home. Do a motorhome vs caravan for a closer match.

[@69bock69]

yea camping tent etc v's 30-40k camper van.....

[@richardchung7198]

This is what I will do, buy the VW and go camping with a mate with a caravan. 😁

[@charlietownend4721]

*Thing is, if you regularly used a caravan, you would have an actual idea which is better. Caravans don’t sit as much as you think and it’s not hard to tow them either.*

[@LoggyWD]

What happened to Jonny's hair

[@bigjohn606]

In the UK you can't just pull up at the side of the road or a field with a caravan since 1968, you have to stay at a campsite. These have all the facilities you need so forget about a shower/toilet/sink as these are simply not needed; just think of it as a really comfortable tent. A camper van does give you more freedom, but you've got to factor in the running/maintenance costs. Before parting with the cash, with both options you should realistically estimate how often you think you are going to use them, because 40 grand can buy you quite a few nice foreign holidays or, like me, a farmhouse in Normandy.

[@jockd7]

Yes you can ...in Scotland...just dont leave your rubbish behind...

[@bigjohn606]

@@jockd7 Ok, I stand corrected... but Scotland... really?

[@jockd7]

@@bigjohn606 I dont like the tin cans(caravans) but the highlands of Scotland is choc a bloc with tin cans....IT DOESN'T RAIN IN SCOTLAND ALL THE TIME...

[@user-tv8sm6so9y]

Great Video, answers a lot of question's. I think Jason would have been better off with a proper Campervan/RV for the same sort of money than that merc which is basically nothing more than a pimped up work van, With a proper Campervan he would of had the same level of comfort as Johnny had but the down side is he would of had a much bigger vehicle to deal with, Well done Guys Great Video.

[@nigelturner3251]

Not a fair comparison. My Hymer A Class Motorhome has all the space of the caravan and the luxury of the Marco Polo for similar money, plus I can tow a Toyota Aygo on an A Frame on the back if we are exploring the surrounding area where the roads are narrow or parking is restricted.

[@marymadalenem2351]

Good job

[@gazza141]

Where are they? What’s the village called?

[@Builditfixituseit]

Scrap all that and buy a sprinter or crafter and build it yourself...then everything will be just as you want it.....I'm currently sat in my van in Italy and always get the best spot as I'm there 1st🤙

[@fatpigeon1066]

"A fresh poo" 😂😂😂

[@jameswarden9136]

I love Volvo :D

[@russcattell955i]

I'd say if you are going to change locations every day or 3 the campervan is the winner, however for longer stay's the caravan is more comfy & the ability to act as a base for day trips in the car. Mr Plato is wrong about the karsey. Who wants someone having a stinky dump next you eating dinner ? Not me, a shower cubicle makes more sense. We have a 8.5m cabin cruiser boat, a pee only policy in the heads & hot n cold pumped shower.

[@keirangeorge9046]

What channel is this even on anymore?

[@SocksWithSandals]

When I have Angel Delight it has to be butterscotch. Take a couple of gulps from a pint of milk, pour in the powder then shake it for three minutes. Pour. Fridge 15 minutes. Oh yes.

[@Nile9063]

Actually travelling with a motor home is kind of the best experience I think... At least if you have the money... I've just had a vacation in a rented one and the driving experience is ok and you've got everything you need with you including a bathroom... You don't have to worry about towing but you're not living in a cramped place either...

[@rickhurst9058]

As everyone is saying, totally bizarre comparison - should be Motorhome (with toilet and shower) vs that caravan. Campervan vs a little 2 berth Eriba caravan maybe? To those saying get a Hotel instead - if you don't get the appeal of camping (in relative comfort and wind-proofness compared to a tent) next to a beach or forest, or at a festival, then stick to Hotels, that's fine! There's places you just can't take a caravan that you can a campervan or motorhome, and there's place you can take a campervan that you can't a motorhome, so depends what you want out of it.

[@JaseWolf]

Or do a custom conversion that fits for you, that caravan luxury could easily be replicated in a van with a fully customised conversion making full use of the space fir for what you need it for. No need to use proper camp grounds and stuff either. Park up somewhere safe, as long as there's no overnight parking restrictions.. you can't really do that with a monster of a caravan, especially with the types of roads you likely will go down to find these places.

[@BuzzaB77]

why don't just upload full episodes, it's not like the youtube audience have tvs, that's why we're on youtube! you think we're gonna go out and buy a tv???

[@originalpadoru]

BuzzaB77 TV Rights I think and don’t complain

[@jtr990]

I wonder what happens if Jason and Jonny take a hand on frying up chips in those two campers...

[@johnrooke5885]

If you motorhome had been of the same size motor would of won hands down

[@joshuaparr3279]

Personally think the camper is a better option albeit not one that's £65k 😅

[@panz3r696]

Just buy a motorhome instead of either 🤪

[@stevegee6529]

Should of compared the caravan to a motorhome

[@rogersimmons2596]

To be grammatically correct, this should read 'Should have...'

[@jasonjuggler3457]

@@rogersimmons2596 please explain

[@stevegee6529]

@@rogersimmons2596 you're not wrong. My mistake

[@jockd7]

Surely breaking the law talking to each other on the 'phones'....

[@OutboundSolutions]

What about motor homes

[@JorgeGarcia-xe4mx]

the most disturbing thing is those gray scrambled eggs form Jonny and the overcooked fried egg from Jason. You should've brought Ramsay along

[@FrankCastle-he8fl]

Get a Mercedes camper van with shower/toilet

[@thelegendofdf287]

They chose a shit van , there's plenty out there miles better at that price bracket

[@bilal00276]

I don't get staycations at all. Especially when you can go somewhere like Dubai for a week in a 5 star hotel for like 1200 quid.

[@brainwells6634]

In the United States you must tow your camper with a SUV or a Pick up Truck and our campers are huge

[@jerryocrow1]

BIASED: The producer picked a van w/o shower, toilet, etc, and promoted a trailer. WHY?

[@gepwxaqdfsidsesg1548]

The disadvantages of a caravan are that you need somewhere to keep it, and that it is pricey to take across the channel. A camper can be parked in the street.

[@scotiajinker8392]

gEpWxAqd FsiDseSG I pay £350 per year to store my Caravan & it costs me an extra £200 to take it to France and back.

[@NaenaeGaming]

What about camper van+caravan!

[@rogersimmons2596]

The problem with a caravan or motorhome is you are pretty much duty bound and restricted to staying on a camp site.

[@jasonjuggler3457]

really?

[@scotiajinker8392]

Roger Simmons why are you restricted to the campsite with a caravan?

[@michelegirgenti9470]

I work all around the country in my 6 metre long motorhome so I don't get what ya mean. I wild camp everywhere and anywhere.

[@earthstick]

The craziest thing I ever saw on the road was instead of a car towing a caravan along the motorway, there was an RV towing a smart car.

[@Jungleland33]

I've seen that a few times too. Although the best I ever saw was a picture of an American rv towing a small helicopter. Beat that! 😆

[@Andythenurse]

I'd have compared a motorhome with a caravan. A campervan compares more to camping with a tent than a caravan.

[@Chevytravelleruk]

Useful consumer advice for people with more money than sense

[@guusbouwmans5667]

Looks like the in charge of making thumbnail forgot to pay his monthly subscription to Photoshop CC and resorted to using paint instead.

[@Daz555Daz]

Campervans are superb day-trippers as well as being handy for camping. Caravans are not, so you only get to day trip in your car. A day at the beach surfing with a car or a campervan? No contest.

[@lukejones1244]

Hello, is it ok to travel to Europe using a caravan as a trailer, full of personal belongings?

[@darrenelbrow5144]

They should’ve taken the towing mirrors off before going to the shops

[@banpowel9784]

If you live in a city, no driveway and no garage, then it's the motorhome hands down, also if you are on the move a lot, motorhome. You can buy a motorhome with a wc and shower

[@stuartcampbell4414]

£66,000.....really

[@presstodelete1165]

Add a tent to the campervan and you have a better match.

[@James-oo1yq]

£66,000! Wowsers

[@evilmario6061]

You'll never recoup the cost with either option, just rent a villa with some mates or extended family and get a pool

[@miketipping1583]

Why do motoring shows use hand-held walkie talkies all the time. Surely using one whilst driving is a bad ides, if not illegal.

[@eliotmansfield]

buy neither - shitting in a bucket? - no thanks.

[@royblauwhoff6420]

Just get a full size campervan

[@screaminglc9833]

Is this top gear or what?

[@69bock69]

best of the lot have a normal holiday or book your self in to a hotel and drive there in a car.

[@frazerguest2864]

5th Gear was so much better than Top Gear.

[@SpikeMoby]

One is a motoring show the other was a show with idiots larking about in motors. Kinda apples and oranges comparison.

[@danburyvan5845]

Should have compared it to a long wheelbase campervan you can stand up in them you have a shower and toilet and it would’ve smashed the caravan out the park

[@lorcro2000]

The best choice is a camper van / but a larger one than the Marco Polo. Something built on a full-size high top van that has an actual bathroom and most of the amenities in the caravan.

[@scotiajinker8392]

Croft no camper/motorhome or caravan has a bathroom.

[@lorcro2000]

@@scotiajinker8392 Huh? I can point out multiple that do. Or are you going on some technicality "there is no bathtub so it's not a bathroom" silliness?

[@scotiajinker8392]

Croft like the way you edited your original post , what’s silly about calling a room by its proper name? It’s a toilet or a shower room. You don’t climb in a window and call it a door do you?

[@lorcro2000]

@@scotiajinker8392 Yeah I have a bad habit of forgetting to write all that I meant to write so I have to go back and edit. I need to work on that. Also, literally everybody calls a bathroom with a shower a bathroom. You can call it whatever you want of course.

[@markheywood8236]

'Why are they using a small van?' Cos in the UK the larger campervans/motorhomes cost £75k min, high end finish its nearer £95-120k. My car - AWD wagon with 190bhp and near 300Nm and loads of toys £32k. Medium sized medium spec caravan £23k. So for £55k you get an excellent car - a true everyday multipurpose vehicle - AND a camping home. No brainer. Campervans are for posers who'd rather be uncomfortable than sensible. Big motorhomes are for millionaires.

[@richardgreenwood3355]

I've owned both and I always say that the advantage of a motorcaravan is that you have everything with you all the time. The disadvantage of a motorcaravan is that you have everything with you .... ALL the time! You pays your money, you takes your choice. For me the touring caravan won the battle; after all, what would I prefer to be driving on a sunny day when I'm away on holiday - a van or my convertible?!

[@JayMaverick]

Or just rent an airbnb and a fiesta.

[@c11yan]

Producers obviously know nothing about motor homing or camping at that budget look at Itineo A Class or entry level A Class Motorhomes - far better than caravan or mini vans.

[@TheAshlovesu]

Bald Jonny

[@benpassman5630]

We have a 2013 BMW X5 and a 8.99m long twin axle caravan which is akot harder then a single axle one however carvans are a lot better than camper and

[@You_are_not_normal]

Ben Passman Cars nobody cares

[@benpassman5630]

red rum good for you 👍

[@stug45]

You wouldn't get the same decision on top gear. Bravo :-)

[@redline589]

Id rather have a sportscar and stay in a hotel.

[@paolopadilla4418]

There is a hotel called marco polo in the Philippines

[@yvs6663]

I will have u know i am extremely cheap and will simply buy a Twingo, fold the rear seat and the front passenger seat, inflate a mattress and sleep on it.

[@northdevonwildlifewithandy788]

£60,000! Ffs not camping is it.

[@isfire8141]

Id rather have a sports car and stay in nice hotels.

[@jasonjuggler3457]

same here

[@blazbohinc4964]

cars are for driving, not for camping.

[@scotiajinker8392]

I’ve been caravaning for 20yrs, I don’t get motorhomes. For the area/space in my £24k caravan you would have to spent about £75k on a motorhome. I keep my van for 8yrs and get a 1/3 of my money back in trade in. As you found out after one night , if you want to go out for-the day you have to pack everything up in a motorhome, to combat that I’ve seen motorhomes towing a small car. What’s the point of that ? Restricted to towing regulations without the room of a caravan.

[@michelegirgenti9470]

If your staying on a site for a week or 2 I'd agree but I work 5 days a week from my motorhome and now I'm on my 4th one, tried a caravan but was no way near as comfy and was a pain in the arse to tow and get about. Where as I just stick the keys in and drive. I wild camp 90% of the time and it doesn't cost me a carrot another thing you can't do in a caravan. Them VW camper vans are awful no space, extremely pokey and you can't shower or use the toilet. Motorhome all day long, well 5 days a week anyhow

[@scotiajinker8392]

Michele Girgenti seriously how many people work from a motorhome or caravan? Don’t say 100p’s because that’s not true unless you’re a gypo. So you have a big long seat that you can sprol out on and watch a biggish tv? Wild camp ? I think the 2 presenters are talking about normal people who go to Campsite’s. So you don’t bother packing everything away before you move off , just let roll about the floor? Sure you do. No hassle in towing , I have 7m van not including the hitch and I’ve been all over the uk and Europe no problem.

[@michelegirgenti9470]

I've been around Europe many times in my motorhome, the same one I work from and it beats a Scruffy tin pot caravan, pikeys don't drive motorhomes they tow caravans. Takes about 30 seconds maybe less to get ready to drive I should know I do it nearly everyday. Can't beat wild camping shame you can't try it. You ever pissed in the fast lane?? Thought not 🤣🤣

[@michelegirgenti9470]

I have a bigger TV than you and have 6 beds probably more than your caravan.

[@scotiajinker8392]

Michele Girgenti scruffy tin pot caravan? My van is brand new, with 4 beds. 30secs to put stuff away ? Obviously you don’t put stuff out then. A big tv ? You’re either lying about wild camping or the tv. You can’t get bigger than a 21” tv that runs off 12v. You’re right I don’t wild camp as I don’t want to sleep in a lay by which is illegal in Scotland anyway.

[@lukalukic1]

jut look at that sexy Volvo

[@cappuccinokid6772]

With respect……..the caravan isn’t one of the best. More comfortable than a camper though and with somewhere to have a s#^t, shower and shave 👍

[@louisgreenleaf235]

Go abroad

[@notsamsamsucks3586]

Just get a bigger van or even a lorry

[@jasonmorris4eva]

A motel room is way much cheaper...just saying 🤨

[@santclause1]

Fiat ducato based campervan would have been better plato ya plonker.