Motorhome or Caravan?? Which is better?

As some of you may know we sold our beloved RV "Rosy" a week ago and we are now figuring out what to do next.. do we buy a Caravan or Motorhome?
Ideally we need to buy something that is going to allow us to live on the road for long periods at a time and be comfortable for our growing family!
Would love to know your thoughts!
#RV #Caravan #TravelTrailer
Join us, a family of 5 as we travel around NZ in our Jayco Caravan named "Rosy".
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[@LittleCamperNZ]

We use both a camper and a caravan. The caravan is by far more user friendly for the very reason you mentioned in your video. As for towing; it becomes very easy the more you do it. Most people who don't like towing a caravan don't tow them. We love it because it gives us heaps more options.

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Haha that is a solid point! I've always been against towing but I have never tried it.. there was a time when I hated driving our 7m motorhome but got use to that quick!

[@carolmcewing-anderson8629]

You have thought it out well. All the best with the final decision and with the (soon to be) new arrivals. I look forward to your new series too.

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Thanks Carol! Cheers for stopping by and watching... Can't wait to meet these new little ones 😁

[@RandyAldred]

Great video, we went through this same discussion on which to buy ( obviously as we are retiring and not starting to expand the family had different pro's and cons). We have just sold our truck and 24' Jayco caravan and have purchased a motor home. It was a clear choice for you to go to a caravan using a tow vehicle. Especially dealing with car seats. Again, love your videos!!

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Cheers Randy! You are going to love that TrailLite you have ordered! They are beautiful 😍

[@CaravanVlogger]

I’ve done a similar vlog in the uk. Same sort of arguments here too. Thanks for sharing. Graham

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Nice! I'll check it out 😀👍

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

👍

[@matthewnoy3418]

Arrrr the age old question. As you say there is no perfect solution. We have a Bailey Rangefinder caravan which has the advantages of British vans with lots of windows but made in Australia on stronger chassis and Traillite in Auckland put bigger water tanks on them. Tow that with a Ford Ranger and you have a great combo. Yes it's long, heavy and driving takes serious concentration but we have done the entire South Island, over Arthur's pass, and other winding mountainous roads and no problem at all. Turned around on Cook Strait ferry no problem either. Massive fridge, washing machine, oven etc. they are a winner. Bunks are also brilliant for kids as you say. You won't get that in a motorhome. Go back to a motorhome later in life when the kids are grown up and you can't be bothered mucking around hitching and unhitching caravans! That's our plan anyway. Good luck guys with whatever you decide. Cheers. Matt Noy

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Thanks Matthew. The Baileys look beautiful! I love those big windows at the front. We are also looking at a Jayco as they have a nice looking bunk model. Good point on the water tanks.. those external tanks on wheels always put me off caravanning. How big are the bailey tanks? Our old motorhome had 80ltr and it did run out quick if when using the shower haha

[@grahamthompson6507]

My biggest concern is security can drive away at moments notice in motorhome ,not having to hitch up caravan,towing caravan isn't great weight balance in caravan personal preference

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Yeh that is one of the downsides of the caravan is not being able to leave somewhere quickly. We love it as we use it as a base and do day trips on the car, also with 3 children in car seats the car/caravan combo is pretty handy. Personal preference I guess 😊

[@RaduGiurgiu]

Hello! Couple of reasons of using the caravan is because of:: 1- if I choice to travel in a big city or something like, I have the option to split, for doing different thing or to get in places where with the big motorhome I can't go! 2- If I chose to let for a while in a place the caravan, I can do that, widhout letting the car also there 3- Possibility to change the car, while the caravan I still have it 4- I can use the car for my own, for months, widhout pulling (if necessary or not) 5- For a caravan, you can choose different space/volume, widhout affecting you for a big time... So YES, Caravan! Overall it has more freedom,by doing different thing, in family or friends! Have good roads everybody!! 🚙🛣️

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Agree with your points 100%, we love being able to leave the caravan parked up and go and explore in the tow vehicle also the maintenance\servicing is a lot cheaper on the caravan which is a bonus 👍

[@UrbanKiwiana]

Hii Bronson/fam yikes both have really good pros and cons the caravan with the bunks sounds easier sleeping wise where as travel wise the Rv sounds easier.. left a like mate

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Thanks mate! Appreciate you stopping by :)

[@hywel3143]

Hi, just found you channel :-) We caravan in the UK with our son in preference to a camper van/motorhome. It's because of the way we holiday - going away for a week at a time and staying on the one site with multiple day trips in the car. So we use the caravan site as hub - try to find sites ear towns for shopping convenience but in great locations, primarily the Snowdonia National Park. Our son loves and ambience of the caravan site mixing with other kids more than being dragged around "cultural highlights" every day ;-) When our son grows up we may well try a motorhome, stay close to interesting spots in Europe and move on every three/four days or so - as you say, it's fitness for purpose, neither one is inherently better than the other, it all revolves around your style of holiday...

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Agreed! And welcome to the channel 😀 we actually landed on the same side of fence and brought a caravan which we have had about 6 months now. We do the same, use it as a base and day trip in the car... it’s proving to work better with the 3 children! Hope you are staying say with all that is going on 👍

[@hywel3143]

@@AdventuresWithRosy Thanks - and you, staying safe is the only game in town at present! We are still hoping to get away to Snowdonia for a couple of breaks in August, and the UK Caravan Club allows you to cancel at 72 hours notice without penalty so we are holding on to these bookings. In the meantime, lots of fussing around with the caravan on the drive and the occasional sit down in the dinette with a coffee and the laptop for escapism ;-)

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Hywel haha nice! We might have to do a bit of driveway camping too 🙏 hopefully your plans for Snowdonia work out!

[@kiwivanman9035]

I would go with a RV, custom it were you need to. Good luck guys,

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Yeh I wish I had your handyman skills! I would convert a bus 😁

[@matthewnoy3418]

One more thing, if you go down the caravan route, you need to research your weights, and gross combined mass is probably more important than gross vehicle mass. So if for example, your caravan was 2ton, does not mean a tow vehicle with 2.5 ton tow capacity is suitable as by the time you load the caravan and load the tow vehicle you could be well over your total combined max weight. Also you don't want to be too close to your max weight as towing a van can be brutal on the tow vehicle. Therefore unless you are looking at a super light caravan and don't take much stuff, you would be best looking at a commercial ute like Hilux or Ranger rather than a car like SUV, most of which are limited to 2.5 or even 2 ton. That might be a tad contraversial but you want to be able to handle the worst of NZ's hilly winding roads. Cheers

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Thanks Matthew! Yeh I agree.. I'll look into the weights. I also see that some caravans dont have much of a payload weight of what you can add! And you have to take your fresh water weight into account? Also I never knew a ball/tongue weights were a thing!!

[@matthewnoy3418]

Haha, yep I never knew about towball wights either! And yeah if you have 140 litres fresh water, that's 140kg off your payload which could be as low as 300kg, you really want at least 500kg plus, if possible. Also we have motor movers on our wheels so there's another 120 odd kg, which I figured out only after having them installed. We tend to drive with pretty much empty tanks and fill up as we get close to our camping spot. Good luck mate, looking and researching is half the fun!

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

@@matthewnoy3418 thanks! Appreicate you take your time to share some knowledge 😀

[@waynehobbs5175]

Personal opinion is that for 1 or 2 max 3 Motorhome adequate for most things. 3 or more caravan for sure. I know I put 3 in both lists but think that is the pivot point.

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Yup I agree! It’s funny to think we were so on the fence about a caravan and now I could not see us ever going back haha. I think maybe a motorhome later in life when the kids have left the nest 👍

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Well we are at a fork in the road, do we buy a Caravan or a Motorhome? We need to find something bigger to fit our growing family! I wish I had the skills to do a School Bus conversion! 🚐😂 Would love to know your thoughts below on the Caravan vs Motorhome debate 😁

[@aidanvanweert993]

I Have a 24ft caravan easy to tow with suv, has fixed bed ect also its great to have a seperate shower and toilet. Its great coz you can base yourself for a few days and the day trip like you said its great. Get a CARAVAN :) and ill see you out there

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

The separate shower is one of the reasons we looking at both.. that would he so nice! Do you find 24ft ok? I was wondering if we should look at 19-21ft'rs

[@aidanvanweert993]

@@AdventuresWithRosy Yeah 24ft is a great size for touring around. Im going to be living full time on the road in the next year or so and think its going to be perfect for full time also. Cant wait to see what you guys get make some videos of looking at them :)

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

@@aidanvanweert993 thanks Aidan! Yeh we have a couple to look at, one is 19ft and there is a a 22ft version of it that has an island bed. I love the idea of fixed beds!

[@aussiebuslifeadventures3305]

Hi guys☉🌴🚍🤗💕💖 Congrats on all.of.the.things 🤗💕 listening to your thought process and family needs I def think a caravan is far more practical for your young family, financially as you said registration and more bang for your buck, more room and definitely having the car to day trips , shopping runs is a winner, I think later down the track when babies grow into kids that can do longer walks and ride bikes that the motorhome maybe better...but for now a caravan is far more practical and comfortable for you all...and the tow car has more than one use! All that baby gear you would have to carry just to go exploring! I vote #caravan Happy safe travels what ever you decide xo

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

I think you are right, shopping trips and day trips are a breeze when you have the car there. One other thing I like is having beds made up all the time.. rather than doing it each night. Didnt think of all the baby gear haha good point! Thanks.

[@aussiebuslifeadventures3305]

Look forward to seeing your next adventure guys...you'll make the right decision based on your needs. How about hiring a caravan for a weekend to see how you feel . Also not sure the expense of a washing machine is worth it when most places have laundry rooms or laundromats...would be different if you were full timers. Will save on weight payload and extra room plus water. You can get tiny washing machines for baby clothes they're about $100.

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

@@aussiebuslifeadventures3305 yeh good point on the washing machine. It will probably use alot of water too so not ideal Haha. Might be good for emergencies but a laundromat is probably better cost wise. Good idea on hiring one!

[@RollingwithTheRobsons]

Interesting to watch this. We have three kids and we have a caravan. We have thought about moving to a motorhome one of our biggest blocks is in the UK needs to do an additional test called a C1. Ideally would have both but can't afford that at all. Would you ever think about going back to a motorhome at present? The limit in the UK is space to park a big 7.5m motorhome not sure how bad it is in NZ for seeing places. The other thing I think is when they are younger they can't walk as much so if you have a motorhome often have to do more walking.

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

I don’t think we would ever go back to a motorhome now 😊 or maybe once the kids have left home haha. We leave the caravan and do day trips etc, loads of the day trips we have done recently we wouldn’t be able to get to in a motorhome so the caravan is pretty ideal. You get a bit more space for the equivalent length too…

[@RollingwithTheRobsons]

@@AdventuresWithRosy A big thing in the UK that NZ has is that we don't get water tanks on caravans due to weight. So can't fill up the tanks and last a few days. How heavy can the Jayco be?

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Oh true I see! Yeh the Jayco’s here come with tanks fitted, we have 200ltr fresh and 90ltr grey. Our van has a payload of 475kg so we don’t travel with full water tanks normally

[@vdub8481]

Caravan is easy to park when you get used to it...all the depends on the tow vehicle...in mine I forget nearly sometimes it's on the back of the car...caravans have more bang for your buck..

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Agreed! We love our new caravan and probably would never got back to a motorhome 😊 having a vehicle is fantastic for day trips and exploring. Thanks for stopping by and watching 👍

[@holdencommodorehsv]

Caravans always look awkward to park to me in most free spots and usually have small water tanks these things both far out weight any positives for me, go for the bus.

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Yeh you are right on the parking. There are lots of free spots for parking in New Zealand that would not suit caravans at all!

[@jdb9388]

Caravan dude, can have a gaming room to play COD and watch the All blacks

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Haha we have 3 young kids, wish I still had time for COD! I was a big CS:GO fan but my gaming PC is just collecting dust 😔

[@Pete_R63]

Tough choice. Weighing out the pros and cons can be so difficult.

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Yeh especially when there is no clear answer haha

[@Inthemixmedia]

Really helpful comment

[@rebpalma]

A caravan sounds better for your new situation. When the kids get older you can re-evaluate. Looking forward to new episodes! All the best!

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Yeh that's a good point we can always re-evaluate in the future 😀

[@brekerr]

Why not campervan and small caravan?

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

That’s a great idea! Put the children in the caravan and we can stay in the campervan 😊

[@brekerr]

@@AdventuresWithRosy I was thinking the other way round, if you can make it comfortable for all of them. That way you can carry on using the kitchen and table etc once they are asleep. Only issue have then is the toilet for them in the night. Perhaps your way is simpler.

[@studyboynz]

Yup caravan will be better for you guyd

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Yeh I'm thinking that might be the case too! Just nervous about towing something that big haha

[@corbie8]

Am I too late to vote?

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

corbie8 nah mate get your vote in!

[@troywalton3630]

Motorhome just try to find a double cab motorhome they are the best

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Oh yeh I have seen a couple of them in the past! Will look into them 👌👍

[@rjr-yp9uj]

Let the kids stay up until 11 PM...........LOL

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Haha hmm I would rather go to bed when they do and not stay up 😂🤣

[@rjr-yp9uj]

I'm sure. I couldn't let that one pass.....had to say it. :)

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

@@rjr-yp9uj haha 😁

[@classicscustomsandhotrodso600]

Should have bought the Cleverley bus

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Yeh totally! We actually talked about it at the time but thought it might be too big haha... I was wrong. That was a lovely bus!

[@classicscustomsandhotrodso600]

Adventures With Rosy Yes. Seperate dunny and shower too. Personally I would be going a motorhome. Those caravans move around like crazy on windy days. You feel it in a van but those caravans are so light. Parking is easier. I am just one and I am setting up a Toyota Commuter before buying a pantech truck and decking it out. I want to be stealthy in the city.

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

@@classicscustomsandhotrodso600 nice! I like the idea of being stealthy. Separate dunny and shower will be key with all these children haha 😁

[@classicscustomsandhotrodso600]

Adventures With Rosy The problem with the wet combo is that if you want to sit down, you can’t just drop your dacks if the floor is wet. I recently had a look at some Toyota and Nissan buses. Some had showers and some didn’t. One had a shower the old guy built for his asian wife. Unfortunately not a good selling point unless you are selling to dwarfs. I would prefer stealth. I can freely use Telstra wifi near a phone box while parked up and nobody would bother me.

[@jbrislen1]

Caravan!

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Haha it was for us!!

[@peterselling7879]

Caravans are a great option as long as you are happy with the towing. It’s not for everyone, but with modern utes and SUV’s it’s not hard. Often as people great older they move into camper vans as often have trouble backing a caravan.

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Yeh true the backing can be a pain!

[@jimdavis8804]

Class A would be more roomy.

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Yeh good point! We dont really get Class A's in New Zealand (or I am just confused about the classes haha) seems like we should really go to America and buy one! Way more affordable there!

[@johnkirkup6936]

0

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

John Kirkup ? 😊

[@ironman3023]

So if ya want to have a RV/caravan lifestyle….don’t have kids 😂

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Haha you got it! Or maybe just the one 😂

[@joshjbradburn]

Ewww kids. Just stay at a hotel

[@AdventuresWithRosy]

Haha can't put the kids back where thue came unfortunately 😂🤣