Is End Of Caravans & Motorhomes Coming.

[@colinjones2505]

More people are hanging on to what they've got now I think...petrol and diesel, me included. No reason why they can't last decades if well maintained, especially the older cars with less crazy elctronic nonsense. Wouldn't touch an ev with a barge pole

[@vizmortlock]

But green obsessed gov will tax vehicles they don't like, out of existence

[@Grandpapiyorks]

Go out and treat yourself to a brand spanking all singing new diesel motor. They are absolute decades off trucks being electric v payload My gaffer is in the process of buying 20 new trucks at 140k each knowing full well, the boris soundbite was stop selling vehicles, not stop selling fuel. The Saudi royal family kill journalists for calling them names, imagine a country refusing to sell their fuel

[@Grandpapiyorks]

@@paulgee6150 and your choice is heavy tax or no caravan? And the point of this pr caravan sales video was?

[@barrystubbs983]

means nothing to governments , if they want to impose an immediate ban on anything , we the sheep will just cower down and comply as experience shows

[@bertiewooster3326]

@@paulgee6150 Well sell it then and enjoy the delights of your local park or garden or spend it spend spend so no DWP can take it off you as you decline which as you know is not far off Paul old chum!

[@alanbobbymcguire5099]

Modern day Deisels are the best they’ve ever been . Electric is not as clean as we’re told.

[@iancarrington1967]

A modern diesel produces about the same CO2 per mile as a battery car charged from a hydrocarbon powered grid . They produce much less CO2 than a battery car during its production. They have an indefinite service life unlike battery cars that decline with every charge cycle. I’m keeping my diesel, the clueless politicians can do one.

[@spiritualdeath101]

But if you do v.low miles - you may need to delete the dpf. I didn't want to do that so got rid of my much-loved diesel for a petrol. Sad but true.

[@redpillnibbler4423]

Diesel engines weren’t a problem to begin with,we’ve all been lied to.

[@regd.2263]

That's the answer everyone change to Deisels get rid of those Diesels you know it makes sense 😊

[@The_Irish_Volunteer]

The EV thing is not the future and its dangerous tech too.

[@henrytudor7058]

Van life became trendy and dealers took the piss on prices and its ended here.

[@Smith_Tech_70]

True. The price of a new caravan is now around £30k +. When I bought mine 6 years ago, it was £19k.

[@tjeffpowellful]

Electric car sales are dropping as people realise they are impractical, expensive and dangerous. People will hang on to their petrol & diesel cars or motorhomes until something better comes along. They won't be forced into something they don't want.

[@The-Salty-Bager]

All car sales are currently dropping, so are caravans and motorhomes too. The market has normalised since the silly post covid years and with interest rates as they are no one has any money

[@martinstevens4804]

Yes, very dangerous, basically a death trap on wheels.

[@redpillnibbler4423]

If you can charge at home and don’t do long journeys then an ev might be ideal. Yes they are more expensive but why do you think evs are dangerous?

[@tjeffpowellful]

@redpillnibbler4423 4 car transporter ship sunk after fires caused by electric vehicles, multi storey- car park destroyed by fires in electric vehicles, new Ford F150s catching fire in a compound, electric buses catching fire on the streets of London, I could go on. Just read the advice to recovery companies for dealing with electric cars damaged in crashes. Anyone who knows anything about lithium batteries treat them like bombs.

[@twasb2000]

@@martinstevens4804 Not at all true.

[@30bren]

In our 40's , own a 2012, sterling, and an 09 vw Passat,, massive blow up awning with annex for the kids . Love it ❤❤

[@Robin-qi6cg]

Retired in February 2022 and started researching pre Covid. Autotrail V line (6m) retailed at circa £50k. Covid hit and the price increased to circa £70k. There lies the problem.

[@colinmew7139]

Mark it does not matter what power supply we end up with the government will end up taxing it to the limit. Electric is not the answer I’ve always said Hydrogen maybe but they will sill tax you look at LPG cheap when it came out now £1+ a puff.

[@northernengland]

Exactly, all electric will be taxed, nothing is for free, nobody could have lots of money otherwise, and millions if cars aren't gonna be replaced by millions if electric, plus we already know you can't get more energy out of batteries OR fossil fuel.

[@ANYTHING-AND-EVERYTHING.]

Hydrogen is very energy intensive to produce, so also not as green as claimed...

[@garymellor7997]

It’s generational, particularly for caravans. By observation, almost all caravaners are 55 years plus. The heyday of caravans is over, costs too high for the van, prices too high for the pitch. Got to have an appropriate car, insurances, FAULTS and servicing etc.

[@Pheebs77]

My partner and I are under 50 and have a caravan and we see MANY young people with caravans and camper vans on our travels.

[@garymellor7997]

@@Pheebs77 Hi. We’ve just returned from Provence and whilst some people were younger, often in camper vans or tents, my observation was that 85% were retired. I have been caravanning since my mid 20’s and really love it. But it seems to me that it’s no longer an inexpensive way to holiday/weekend with the kids. I wonder how many members of the Caravan Club are under 55?

[@eatmycomments]

I’m just about still in my 30’s with a young family, and we do see a lot of other young families who have taken up caravanning, so I don’t think it’s dead in the water. I can see a lot of ‘van lifers’ opting for a caravan at some point too…

[@Thomas-g5t2k]

It’s had its day was good wile it lasted

[@ghound-md5ey]

​@@Pheebs77 Let's be honest, it's not a cheap way for a young family to holiday. It used to be when I caravanned with my parents in the 70s/80s, but we're almost retired and we can still only afford a micro caravan.

[@witton6475]

The peak in caravan and motorhome sales followed the Covid lockdowns and all the restrictions on overseas travel. Demand exceeded supply in new and used units. This pushed prices up, natural economics demand/supply. We’re now well past that peak and prices will have to fall to pull people back to the market. Bought our caravan in 2021 and recently looked at potentially replacing for 2025. Part-ex offer was nothing short of offensive tbh, while the price of a new comparable was/is 30% more than we paid 3 years ago. We’ll stick with our caravan for the next 2 - 3 years and see what happens to market. The weather over last 2 summers has been crap too. Great video again.

[@waltmcv]

we're in the same boat, dealers need to realise they can't have it both ways now with low part ex and top dollar pricing

[@damianleah6744]

You put it better than I ever could. 😂👍🏻

[@paulefc1971]

​@@waltmcvseems the same with cars as well, low part ex prices but high forecourt prices (as well as higher interest rates) it just doesn't make it worthwhile, I was looking at part exchange for car and caravan in 2025 but probably won't bother with either

[@waltmcv]

@@paulefc1971 very happy with the car we have,also the caravan, but would like to upgrade the caravan soon but will wait a year or so to see what happens.

[@grahamjohnson4702]

@@waltmcv Upgrade a caravan, why? haven't they reached a peak in design and efficiency that makes them less desirable now?

[@peskyparttimers8239]

Pay per mile and luxury vehicle tax etc will kill it before much longer. Councils are banning motorhomes from everywhere.

[@Smokeysbandit]

Very true my friend.

[@MarionGolbourn]

Go to France much nicer and always welcome.

[@rainersta7073]

Very nice first caravan shown with this open living space, separate eating place and practical bunk beds. Love the spacy feeling inside and warm wood atmosphere.

[@LandscapesDronescapes]

EV sales have peaked. There is a huge glut of second hand ones that are simply not selling and they depreciate like crazy as batteries have a finite life. They aren’t the future despite any pressure governments are placing are manufacturers to sell them. A huge shock is coming and it ain’t far away. Caravans will be around much longer than EV’s. Yes I am qualified to speak on this as someone who has experience of the trade. Do not be put off. The market will correct and it’ll be new tech in the long term and hybrids being a more sensible near term approach despite the current reluctance from governments.

[@rogerstarkey5390]

You're in (or were in) "the trade".... But it's *a different trade*

[@LandscapesDronescapes]

@@rogerstarkey5390 second hand ev’s are selling in such small numbers a big shock is coming. Keep watching.

[@kelvinlights1028]

An ICE has a finite life. EV batteries will last 200k plus with 85% charge still available. EVs are a problem for towing, but as a general vehicle they are excellent.

[@mellarner8253]

As Clarkson rightly said, EV’s are just basically disposable white goods

[@WoolyChewbakker]

​@@kelvinlights1028. Well said 😊

[@lynnebarkas6906]

Some years ago I visited a Tesla showroom, I hasten to add, out of curiosity. I asked which model was it possible to tow with. The salesman told me only one model was authorised for towing. The model X. The car in the showroom was priced in the £90k+ range. Then came the punch in the gut. I recommend the updated battery pack, now pushing the cost to £120k. Nice car but not for me.

[@darylhake3289]

Well in 5yrs time labour WONT GET BACK IN and the desion will be reversed back 👍💯 keep going great job 👍

[@alisonhall9385]

The Tories brought it in.....

[@darylhake3289]

@@alisonhall9385 yes until 2035 …labour have changed it to 2030 not possible to do 💯

[@davidpearson243]

I’ll be doing everything in my power to get Labour in again I hope I never see another Tory government I hate what they and their supporters have done to the country

[@darylhake3289]

@@davidpearson243 good luck with that one … they won’t … WATCH REFORM NOW 💯

[@MySkyranger]

@@davidpearson243 In 2029, or sooner, the Labour and Tory parties will be a footnote in the history books.

[@mallyd4521]

I watched a youtube video last year of a guy in the Hebride's who was moving back to England and driving his EV and towing. He carefully researched his charging point options and planned his route. It took him THREE DAYS to do the journey.

[@MDM1992]

Let's not forget, he probably paid 4 times for the electric chargers than he would've spent on petrol or diesel in even the most thirsty of engines, and either had too rough it in a cheap plastic interior with poorly thought out (if thought out at all) design, or pay a further arm and a leg for hotels rather than just get the journey done.. "EV'S ARE THE FUTURE!" 🙄

[@thebanditsix]

If pay per mile is introduced could kill off motoring holidays.

[@sandrapearson728]

We really hope that electric vehicles aren’t the only option for the future. Hydrogen sounds far more promising. It’s good news that manufacturers are looking at options. We’ll have our petrol and diesel vehicles for a while yet, they can’t scrap them all together.

[@rogerstarkey5390]

More research required

[@DunkRed5]

Good points raised. We’ve towed for 15 years and I think this will be the reason why we stop. We’ve got an eight foot wide caravan and tow with a three year old Rexton. Hopefully these will see us out.

[@bizarremagick]

Best tow car ever - Ssangyong Rexton

[@mellarner8253]

Same here, keeping our now 2 and a half year old van and diesel tug, will both see us out.

[@bizarremagick]

Same here, the Rexton (also purchased new years ago) and our TA caravan were both purchased with the plan for them to see us to the end of our caravanning years.

[@stevenwheat7557]

Was only talking about this subject this week the caravan market must be a huge revenue source for the government. Are they prepared to throw this away for net zero ? The answer is yes, they are totally blinkered to achieve net zero, and nothing like this has been thought through .

[@pammy5260]

They will always just increase how much they take from us

[@FighterPilot1945]

Very intetesting well presented video cheers 👍some lovely caravans,the interiors are luxurious!❤

[@thecaravanplace]

Glad you liked it 👍

[@nickwf70]

It's weight plus drag, reduction in range will be massive especially if heading into a strong wind.

[@rainersta7073]

It will reduce range by 50%. And very difficult to charge with caravan behind you. Very often you will be forced to disconnect car and caravsn. But where to go in holiday season with your caravan on the highway busy parking?

[@karloldham-fp6hq]

To be fair, the cost of caravans are too high and motor homes, well forget it. The days of cheap caravanning are over especially when sites are asking for £40 and £50 per night for an electric hook up and that price goes up in summer. £22000 for a caravan is 5 years good holiday abroad in the sun.

[@johnoleary169]

Hi Mark sat in my van listening to you when a smoke alarm chirped started to check the batteries eventually realised it was the alarm in the basecamp great blog as usual John

[@Dusty2feathers]

You keep mentioning hotels Mark but you don't have to buy the hotel to stay in one.

[@davidmilledge221]

The expensive prices for new caravans and the over inflated prices for caravan parks is going to slow things down for sure , buying a cheaper good second hand van or hanging onto ya old one is the go , then theres the EV thing thats not realy good towing a van and the hassles it courses is impractical and time wasting charging it , times are changing hang onto the old reliable stuff you have and be grateful 😊 hydrogen mite work in the UK but not in Australia , its diesel , petrol and LPG and we have alot of natural Gas but our government doesn't like it tho , time for a new government 😊diesel , LPG or petrol combinded with a hybrid system are the future , they can tax the older vehicles too the hilt but the older ones will keep the country running 😊

[@lynnebarkas6906]

Our Dutch friends store their caravan in the south of France. The storage facility deliver to the site, the site put it onto the pitch. Our friends then drive from Holland (NL) for their holidays. ITS AN OPTION.

[@steveblack728]

The main issue with Hydrogen is there are no filling stations and it’s VERY Expensive to transport as it needs refrigerated pressurised tankers 🔥

[@amazoniaamazonia7225]

It also takes a lot of electricity to produce.

[@mellarner8253]

Hydrogen is unlikely to be cost effective anytime soon, production and distribution is too problematic. Much the same for wind and solar and hugely unreliable.

[@mikenixon5430]

Tankers (and fuel tanks in the car) are pressurised but not refigerated.

[@littlepaulps]

Yamaha have built an outboard engine that runs on hydrogen, so things are already being built, easier to build a hydrogen fuel cell that can go in a car than materials for a electric car can be mined .....

[@sleepingsounds16]

I drive a ev and just got a bailey pegasus grande brindisi. I drive a ionic 5 4 wheel drive. It can tow 1600kg and was sceptical over the mileage loss when buying the caravan. My milage before towing is around 330. As soon as I plug in the caravan it knows and takes 100 miles straight off. Then as we are driving it takes another 30 miles to calibrate what it is towing. So 200 miles isn't that bad for what i need. Although i am going to cornwall next year from Yorkshire so definitely more planning needed to find the fast charges along the way.

[@darrenlemaire8750]

You should post a video of your trip next year. It will be very interesting to see what you make of it.

[@revivaleroshbz1651]

Pathetic bollocks

[@SunglassesRon-p2q]

Just don't put the A/C on 😬

[@sleepingsounds16]

@@SunglassesRon-p2q definitely not 😄

[@charlesbridgford254]

It seems to be about 2/3 range with a full size caravan doing a legal speed. Not as bad as you might imagine.

[@mikejacques]

My EV Ionic 5 only takes 40-30 mins to charge on the motorway, when did you last see a Hydrogen filling pump? Good luck with that!

[@Smith_Tech_70]

I pull my Elddis Avante 574 (1450kg) with a BMW i4. The i4 is rated to tow 1600kg, so there's wiggle room there. The max 300 mile range is reduced to around 100 when towing, but I don't let that stop me. Stoke to St Ives in Cornwall is around 312 miles, so I stop at Gloucester Services for 45 mins, then Cullompton for 45 Mins, then Penhale on the A30 for around 30 mins. We just treat it as part of the leisurely journey. To be honest, once we've grabbed food, drink and gone to the toilets, we're not waiting very long at all for it to charge back to 95% ish. So we'll be towing with an EV for years to come. Probably the most affordable EV to tow up to 1600kg at the moment is the Tesla Model Y at around £48k with a towbar. Polestar 2 is less, but limited to 1500kg.

[@ozzcombe]

Not sure how this would work but our company who has one of the biggest fleet on the road are going away from electric and using bio diesel made from plants or recycled oil from restaurants. This needs no alterations to the engine some of our fleet are already using it and have a sticker on the doors

[@rikhughes3290]

Hi Mark. I commented last month on one of your excellent videos, that you really should be looking to diversify your business as the end is nigh. All governments be they labour or conservative will NEVER enact a law that is in the best interests of "WE the people". They could quite easily make travelling inexpensive but they will not for a variety of reasons. We can only drive what they tell us we can and they will then blame us for killing the planet and that because of our selfishness we will have to pay more tax..... and so it goes around. Just keep your head down and lube up, because you know they are going to shaft you.

[@Mtblado]

Hi, I just thought I’d share my experience of charging my Tesla to have a coffee and toilet break to charge it to around 85% + from around 10 - 15%, around 20mins. I traveled over 900 miles to the South of France without the caravan, I plan to experiment towing my Swift Challenger 580 next year.

[@gmatthews7632]

What’s the legal towing limit on a Tesla, I heard it was 750 kg

[@charlesbridgford254]

1600kg on a model Y.

[@James-jd6in]

The more you fast change your batteries, the quicker they degrade

[@charlesbridgford254]

@@James-jd6in The faster you drive an ICE car, the quicker it will wear out.

[@neilcurran385]

You need a positive answer I tow with a electric car that does tow exceptionally well the caravan is a light weight Base Camp 2 by Swift, personally would not go back to a ice car

[@thecaravanplace]

A fair few have said similar 👍

[@Ukmongoose3]

Have auxiliary batteries built into the caravan. (I’m not an electric advocate though!)

[@Marek-o3u]

Isn't there a weight limit of some sort though? Before you need additional license? I'm asking not telling....

[@lynnporter9440]

Electric vehicles are complete lunacy. I'd like to see everyone queueing for an electric charging point with no room for their caravan, which is the case. And then being stuck there waiting for them to charge. It would be the case of we're gonna need a bigger piece of land. Even without a caravan the situation is untenable.

[@pjay3028]

As far as I can see the Renault hydrogen van has a range of 400km not 400 miles. So that's only 250 miles. In addition the hydrogen fuel cell is a range extender not its sole energy store. Half (125 miles)of its total range is provided by a battery and half comes from the hydrogen. This means that when you run out of energy after 250 miles, the quick refill of hydrogen will only take you a further 125 miles. You would need to recharge the battery as well to get another full 250 miles. When towing that will mean your total initial range is more like 125 miles and your quick hydrogen refill will get you another 65 miles on top of that. So not an awful lot further than a full EV but with the added problems of the lack of availability of hydrogen refueling stations.

[@fly901]

an electric car with V2L function, a caravan with a 50 kW high-voltage battery, 3-4 kW solar panels and a 7 kW car charging station. Total - car, charging station, house, office....I arrived at the parking lot, worked on the car in uber, charged up, went to another place...

[@FredFox-m9v]

I tow my 7.5 metre caravan with my 5.4 metre 3.5 tonne limit camper van now. It is like chalk and cheese, from towing even with my large E Class Mercedes. No tail waggle, no passing vehicle suck, all up to the 60 mph speed limit, hassle free. Got all the facilities out and about as well, after we park the caravan.

[@richdt6312]

My Eriba is 650kg and tows with my EV no problems. I get 150-170 miles on full charge. Easy to park in a space nearby while fast charging (20 mins) and have snacks in caravan with legs down and hitch lock on.

[@ghound-md5ey]

I'm just wondering what would happen if everyone had an EV which needed charging on a journey. There are big enough queues at petrol stations now, eg. motorway services, where filling up only takes a couple of minutes.

[@IVAN-bs5bq]

Like cars , caravans have grown and grown , years ago you could quite easily tow your van with your Cortina .

[@derekkenneway1205]

I have a hybrid car, and to me, that's the answer to keep you towing a caravan

[@rich1ell]

IMO PHEV are the worst compromise. On paper my XC60 T8 sounds good. electric for short range and engine for towing however when holidaying I rarely use electric. I’m lugging the battery for no reason. It takes 3hrs to put 10kWH in, most public chargers are so expensive it cheaper to fill with petrol. CMHC want to charge £9 per day for charging on your pitch, it’s not economically viable on a PHEV. If I replace it it would be with a T5 without the hybrid.

[@tomfreeman650]

I think the boom in MH during and after Covid has helped to push up prices not just the vehicles, you try and book a site within walking distance to villages, centre of towns etc if you do get a pitch the site will be full of Motor homes ,park owners see this and i include both clubs in this ,so can hike the prices up without really improving anything

[@thecaravanplace]

Thanks 👍

[@neilwrench6980]

I feel that self charging hybrids are the way forward.The new Kuga will tow 2 ton

[@derekness7900]

Some EV bays are large enough for a car and trailer to pull into (buckfast) also a full charge (20-90%) takes 40 mins in my car on a decent chargers

[@robfee2065]

Your right in some ways wrong in others, we tow with an EV6 probably about 150miles when towing but we have never put that to the test we stop after approx 2 hrs because we need a comfort break (probable an age thing) not a charge. Some services have long bays now so charging is easier but not all and that means unhitching and its a bit of a pain. but when we stop we have always put the legs on the van down, walked the dog and had our coffee etc in the van so its not that different for us. Charging is your biggest misunderstanding, we can fast charge at most stops now quicker than we can get and enjoy our coffee so charging time challenges have gone away and we don't have to stop at dirty fuel stations the charging is usually near the food. So +'s and -'s , we would not go back to ICE but we will keep enjoying the caravan.

[@andreaprophet1101]

@@robfee2065 But, if the governments targets that they have set for E.vs are met, how on earth would you manage to find an unoccupied charging point at any service station! There is not , and won’t be for a very long time anywhere near enough charging points for a good many years to come, by which time either Hydrogen or another fuel type will have overtaken e.vs. There are still masses of transport vehicles that provide the majority of our food and goods distribution that would not be able to economically deliver the goods whilst refactoring in shorter journeys and that would cause hikes in food and goods prices even more.

[@BusyElf]

You do realise that once you put a leg down on MSA ( Motorway Service Area) it is classed as 'camping', something which is forbidden on the areas. Parking it without legs down is freely permitted (for the two hours at most), attatched or un-attached.

[@cameronstevenson7138]

Met somebody on a site last week was towing van with a tesla battery drops 2% with every mile so doesnt last long had to cut a hole in the bumper to fit towbar

[@briangilbert6241]

I have a Landcruiser 3.0 diesel towing a twin axle caravan. I would never go electric. I love my Toyota and would not get rid of it. Question what would tow a twin axle weighing almost 2 tons.

[@brianridley1102]

Totally wrong on the time to charge one, when travelling do it to 80% and it takes about 18m on my electric car.

[@johnnewbold3225]

Caravanning used to be a cheap holiday and they were light enough to tow with a medium car. Now they are too heavy, too expensive, too big, full of home comforts. Sites now cost at least £25 to 35 a night. It's just too much and the cost of a pitch is related to the infrastructure to connect all the home comforts. As for charging a caravan can reduce your electric range by over 50 percent.

[@PaulLancaster-hj3kx]

The solution is simple VOTE REFORM.

[@alisonhall9385]

Watch Andrew Ditton's videos, he tows with an EV. It isn't an issue.

[@bonglandgreg]

I was bought up on motorhome s and camping. Next year i am going to invest into again. But I'm not getting either a caravan or motorhome. Instead I'm going for a glamper. I've already got a vehicle in mind and a company down in the south for the electrical installation as well. If it turns out the way i want it to, i might sell it on and do another one. The only drawback is the use of a porta potty and not a cassette installation.

[@mazdaram226]

Hydrogen takes 8 times more electricity to produce at the moment than just using EVs , then storage costs are ridiculous.., so that’s decades away … we were going to invest into it to replace natural gas but that’s been shelved ..

[@renrutdrahcir]

I'm a newbie to caravaning, and have a 2014 Swift, I would never tow it or look to own a car to tow it. We enjoy our caravan on a seasonal pitch but like the idea of being able to switch sites in the local area.

[@IanPettifer]

Part of the advantage of the smaller caravans is that they can be towed by electric cars. We don’t need to just hope for the hydrogen cars which are a decade away. So our Bailey Discovery D4-2 is future proof with an MTPLM under a tonne. Ok, so we have to do day/night mode but that takes two minutes and we get a super king size bed and comfortable seating for six when the (grown up) kids pop over to our unit. Bigger bed. Bigger seating! So easy to tow. Your (seriously cool) Knaus Sport & Fun weighs a bit more but it’s a full family van for six and just perfect for the continental sites and a lot of touring. Just the ideal van for younger families. Not sure how well these sorts of vans sell in today’s market, but glad you’re dipping a toe into some smaller vans and hope this gets to be a bigger market for you.

[@Pheebs77]

Caravanning will never go extinct what a ridiculous thought.

[@janrogers9926]

Agree, we have noticed this year more young families in tourers, we will all be living in them soon with the way thing are going.

[@dav01kar]

​@@janrogers9926 people already are I'm one of them

[@devonsteve2347]

You’re not reading the room, but, maybe not in our lifetime, the time of being allowed to roam is coming to an end. The Globalists want us in 15minutes cities, no access to private vehicles, EVERYTHING, from your clothing to every product in your ‘home’ will be rented. ‘You will own nothing & be happy’ please do some research, this is the best is going to be under the UNIPARTY, wake up to the WEF/WHO/UN agenda. It’s an exclusive club, & we’re just not part of it. OH!, if the State hasnt got a problem putting Prime Agricultural Land under SOLAR, which then poisons that land with heavy metals & such, so crops will never be grown there ever again, Do you think that they will think twice about putting Sites under Solar??

[@62Womble]

Mark, we tow with an EV, we can tow up to 1600kg. We had a Bailey Orion 400 2, and now have a Bailey Phoenix 440. We actually get more range on the heavier van, probably aerodynamics play a bigger part than weight. EVs tow really well, huge torque. We get just over 110 miles and it takes 20 minutes to charge. We have never had a problem charging, even with the van on, sometimes it's a bit of a phaff at some motorway services, but most of the time it's not a problem. By the time you have stopped, unhitched, put the car on charge, go for a waz, come back check the van, your ready to hook up and go. There are a few chargers now that you can charge with the van still on. Trust me 2 hours with a waggle box on and it's nice to have a break, charge and continue. As for the prices, it works out around the same as using a petrol, while towing. Then again the fact we get just over 200 miles for £4 normally offsets the charging while towing. So just like when you buy a car to tow a caravan, you don't by a Corsa to tow a 1500 kg van, it's the same with an EV you buy one that can tow a van. 👍

[@sfm5086]

Buy good condition second hand caravan where all the worst depreciation has already happened & tow with a good sturdy 2nd hand diesel car. Maintain them well & theyll last YEARS!

[@philipk9783]

Toyota dropped the hydrogen dream. Like it or not electric will be the future for the foreseeable future.

[@mjd03085354]

That’s why we have bought a PHEV Hybrid Mercedes 250e, we run it in BL, which forces the petrol engine to tow with, but it uses the Battery at low speed, although it only runs in Battery for 39 miles, it works for us at the moment, I still think Petrol will still be around for a good while yet, and we never hardly use the car locally in petrol, just in electric.

[@hairywol]

EVs aren't practical for me atm due to range, cost and charging issues. But 10 years ago EVs had ranges of 100 miles and in 10 years hence they'll probably have leapt forward in tech and ability. But while it costs far more to charge unless one has a home charger, and given the price of EVs, customers will continue to vote with their feet.

[@MetalManTT]

Evs are simply a trick to take us all off the roads by 2030 FACT.

[@mellarner8253]

The self same issues are still unsolved from over a hundred years ago when EV’s failed then, ( in favour of ICE), range, battery weight and a small fraction of the energy density of petrol/diesel and poor and expensive charging, where available, on travels, just makes for too much inconvenience for long distances, especially into rural areas. Battery tech still has a huge way to go, at least a twenty fold better performance is needed.

[@guppy022]

Nah, I only just got into this. We purchased a BC2, which I know is popular with EV owners. A lot of manufacturers are turning backs on EV I certainly think there is a future for hydrogen and if car manufacturer and governments get on board that would make a difference. For now I'll stick with a diesel for towing for as long as possible.

[@RichardWadeUK]

It's far from the end... Even with the potential impact of electric vehicles, petrol and diesel vehicles will be around for many decades to come. In that time, electric cars and vans will become more powerful and able to pull heavy loads. There will also likely be some kind of retro-fit gadget (and eventually built-in), like a motor-mover, that can help move the caravan whilst in transit, rather than just positioning on site. Either way, the manufacturers won't want the industry to die and will innovate around it.

[@time4change878]

There are decent camp sites around at decent prices. Just shop around and check reviews

[@chazboyle9456]

hydrogen is the way forward , can fill up as quick as petrol or diesel

[@karlcammish9663]

Caravan and motor home club tow car awards 2025, again are nearly all EVs. The reporters who test these vehicles on the test track, they have no idea. Factor in the cost of an EV and the overpriced vans before you even consider park charges nowadays. Imagine in a few years time the if this green revolution continues, chaos on the M5 service stations. The huge numbers who head SW in summer, with caravans parked up, with drivers struggling to get a charging bay for the car, repeating this every 60 - 80 miles. Comments from the caravan industry and government are deafening. The motorhome and caravan trade is worth a fortune to UK GDP. Silence is all we get. People again in charge have no idea about the chaos they are inflicting on the public of this nation.

[@BusyElf]

At present time Caravans can't even find a space at most popular Motorway Services as they are full of Vans, (yes even AA vans whos should know better), cars with trailers and even Commercial Box vans. Some also are taken up by HGV's who can't read the signs for 'Caravans ONLY'. It's chaos already on the rest areas. and no one is policing it. As for a Charging point for EVs with a caravan in tow, Don't even ask!

[@karlcammish9663]

More Chaos I suspect. I do not understand why the caravan and motor home industry are so quiet and complicit. Why don’t they lobby the government. Surly they could offer clothes or football tickets to make them listen!

[@bertiewooster3326]

This is not the end...its not even the beginning of the end..... but is the end of the beginning.....

[@kennethhawley1063]

It is not even the beginning of the beginning.

[@derektaylor6713]

Our Elddis 155 has a huge range of over 600 miles with it's big 90 litre diesel tank. Change this heavy weight to electric and you'd be looking for a local site 20 miles from home. And then, would you be able to charge on that site? - I doubt it.

[@cycobikes]

I really think you should educate yourself a little more on the subject of EV's towing caravans. Charging an EV does not take '2 hours' it takes about 20 mins now. 300 mile range is pretty common now in the EV's can have to towing capacity to a van. Many owners are reporting between 30 - 40 loss of range when towing a van, so pretty much in line with an ICE car. Hydrogen will never take off for cars. too costly to product, transport and store and takes more electricity to produce than simply using a battery in a car.

[@charlesbridgford254]

2/3 range with EVs is a fair rule of thumb. Hydrogen is the last gasp of the fossil industry, because it uses some of the same infrastructure. I work in the electricity industry. Even we think Hydrogen is daft, even if it is generated from renewable sources.

[@hughmarcus1]

Agree entirely. What all this whining about EVs tends to forget is that ICE vehicles haven’t great range when towing. I had my van out at the weekend & did about 250 miles. It took a full tank of diesel in my Discovery Sport.

[@iancharlton678]

But…….. perhaps BUT. When you go into charge your towcar, where do you put your caravan ? I whizz into a services with my Hobby 540 on my XC90, stop at any pump with diesel…….. splash and dash. Or, first I park in the Caravan/Coach/HGV or any place it fits, go and eat. Leaving the van locked to the car, alarm set, car alarm set etc etc Not a charge point in sight and certainly not where you could stop with a car and caravan. Battery EV, apart from town and city use, is an evolutionary dead end.

[@charlesbridgford254]

@@iancharlton678 An evolutionary dead end for caravanning perhaps, because the symbiote has not adapted to its host. I.e. the caravan is not adapting to it's towing vehicle.

[@ghound-md5ey]

How many chargers and space to park while charging will be required to accommodate the large numbers eg at motorway services, which currently take a couple of minutes to refuel ?

[@Luke-J]

I've been towing with an EV for a year and been driving one for a lot longer. They were expensive to buy but not so much any more, the price differential to new ICE cars is minimal and EV's cost peanuts to run if you can charge at home. There are loads of models on the market that can tow at least 1600kg and have ranges of 140-150 miles with a standard caravan on the back at full motorway speeds (length/weight doesn't make any difference). Most of these vehicles will also re-charge in 20-30 minutes, call it 250 miles with a 35 min stop if you need to unhitch, its not completely unreasonable. The infrastructure is pretty good if you just have a car, there are plenty of chargers up and down all the main trunk roads in 2024. It could be better for those that are towing, you generally have to unhitch but a little thinking outside the box can mean you don't have to. I've done long trips needing multiple stops and I didn't find the the EV being a limiting factor. You can also charge the car off a 3 pin plugged into the caravan when on site (for a small fee usually). I've also met a few caravanners with EV's on my travels. Would I tow with one to the south of France? No but I probably wouldn't drive there either. At the end of the day, if you don't want an EV, you don't have to buy one. ICE cars will still be on sale to 2030, hybrids 2035 (which are just ICE cars) and they have useful life of 15 years+. 10 years ago the most common EV had a range of 100 miles, now its 300 miles, in 25 years its going to be a lot more. As for electric motorhomes, I can't wait. You'd have an onboard battery run your appliances (many cars have onboard 3.6kw inverters already). A motorhome with a 100kwh battery would effectively have a full electric hook built in which would last days, perhaps even a week and you could recharge it in 40 mins (bigger battery than a car). I'm not anti-anything, right tool for the right job and all that but hydrogen cars have just never made sense from an economic perspective. The fuel costs more than petrol/diesel and that's before you apply any tax to it and it is already mas produced so isn't going to get any cheaper. The UK used to have a national network of hydrogen filling stations, most of them have gone already.

[@johnmore4155]

What a great way of advertising your caravans 😂

[@keepitreal1547]

Exactly, that's the real & only reason they're doing it...yet trying to disguise it. Dealers are all the same, it's all about their profits & greed.

[@sallycraske7234]

Im hanging onto my petrol car and towing as long as possible. 😊

[@ashneedham]

It will be the end for people that like to buy a new car / caravan every 2-3 years. I've seen plenty of people towing with 15+ yr old cars though, so based on that we've got potentially until 2045 before old petrol / diesels are off the road (maybe longer). Theres plenty of time before that date to improve EV technology. For EV's one big advantage (for a lot of people not everyone) is that you can use solar at home to charge which means you're not tied to crazy market prices for fuel. Ranges on EV vehicles will improve with time and development, you've got to think we werent getting 50+ MPG out of most cars 30 years ago. Regardless of what we move to for powering cars, its inevitable that we will have to move away from fossil fuels as it's finite.

[@M..R....]

Hydrogen sounds great from what you've said but where do you refill and if the refill places are limited (non near me) how long do you queue and how practical is it getting to them with a 2 tonne van on the back of a essentially 5m tow car?

[@juliehilton1701]

I’m gutted about the prospect of not being to tow a caravan in the future, I do think the government will tax it out of existence. I do have a social conscience regarding climate change, things do have to change I currently do not have a towing vehicle and am looking at getting one of the incredibly light two berths in a year or so. I feel sorry for families that may not be able to afford the fabulous caravanning holidays that we had with our kids because of the proposed tax on mileage.

[@WanderingWilkos]

Watch the HGV market, if they go to EV everything else will follow. If they don’t ( they aren’t in any great numbers yet) then diesel will be safe for a while longer. Personally if we had to move to EV and have a sited caravan I would sell up as I like to wonder far and wide ! Last year 8 countries - which wouldn’t happen in an EV for sure

[@63mckenzie]

My family had a static caravan on the Solway Firth in the 70s. Cheap foreign holidays killed caravanning in the UK. I think it's more of a niche thing now. Possibly not big enough to sustain the market.

[@paulbird3235]

They will need to come up with something pronto, there are millions of vans carrying large payloads and need a range of 400+ miles per day. What good is battery power to them!.

[@ttxela]

Motorcycle and a tent 👍

[@kenniththomas2167]

Pay per mile will put a lot of people off towing a caravan, and using a motorhome..

[@whitleyhead]

Come near 2030 I will invest in a new hybrid/diesel car and that will probably be the last car I’ll buy, it will mostly be used to tow our 2 tonne laser excel but I’m lucky to be in that position but, I refuse to be told what to drive or pull. Time will tell I guess

[@markfindlay1344]

We have two electric cars, cheap as chips to run, home charging on Octopus costs £3 per charge. Our electric bill increased by £35 - £40 p/m, but we now don't put >£250 in fuel in every month. On long journeys, you need a 20/30 min charge stop after a couple hundred miles, or 3 hours - so you'd be stopping anyway for coffee. I suspect caravans will get lighter, and batteries better, and in 20 years there will have been a lot of fuss over nothing. :)

[@mikeandcheryl]

The biggest problem is that the UK is very unfriendly towards motorhomes and caravans. Instead of adding park ups like in Europe councils add "no overnight parking" signs and there are less and less places to stay. Campsites are also hugely expensive compared to Europe.

[@PatrickLight-i8f]

Very interesting. I think the best thing to do is bugger off abroad where they welcome motorhomes/caravans that bring revenue into their villages. UK as a whole do not want, to a different word "Travellers"

[@les4048]

That is why we bought a plug in hybrid

[@thecaravanplace]

Seems more manufacturers are doing better with these 👍

[@lesbrewster2375]

The two main caravan clubs are edging their bets by having more pods etc on sites gor those converting to EV. Around us on the east coast many touring sites are becoming static only.

[@thatpodcastchap]

Conceived in a Sprite Ace, toured as a kid all over Europe in a Musketeer. Bought my first Elddis 4 berth 1998. 15 vans on I'm done. The cost of insurance storage servicing and the stupid high costs of pitches which is getting mad plus cost of owning and running a 4x4 with high tax. And I also had a MG5 EV (not for towing) and handed the EV back after 2 years and went back to day to day ICE. Anyone towing with an EV is an absolute idiot. It's not doable with public charging having to unhitch to pay 33p a mile at 3.3miles per kwh unhitched. THIS VIDEO IS U HELPFUL as anyone watching who has real world experience knows drag and weather meaning you might get 1.4 miles per KwH towing if you had the weight to do so. Now public charging at 88p per Kwh unit would mean it's 74.13p a mile for a long trip. EV towing is not going to work you just can't do it financially.

[@regd.2263]

The problem is as always the public just roll over and don't stand up to what's thrown at them.

[@susanashurst7206]

I think that as electric cars can't tow much, maybe trailer tents will be the way forward for electric cars, but I think hydrogen is the way forward to take the diesel crown in the towing market for caravans.

[@nigelhallmark4158]

Bring back "MOTOR RAIL" with covered carriages like the channel tunnel. just using your electric car to tow your caravan and load them onto the train . Then when you have arrive just maybe 20 or 30 miles to your campsite??? .Which could be France or Spain???? 1000 MILES Nigel??????????????????

[@richardteale3217]

Site prices have become unaffordable for many,me included.

[@colinhutchinson5282]

As you know it, hopefully. VASTLY reduce prices and might still have custom

[@cliveevans6352]

This seems to be something that is being ignored. I have always been a Hyundai Santa Fe fanatic. Just Noticed that the new model will only tow 1100KG the previous model will tow over 2000kg

[@fylbike]

Many people have a £30k+ van towed by a £45k car on PCP or a loan, serviceable until mortgage rates increased. That's the short term problem, the long term problem with electric vehicles will, I believe, be solved by increased range (the ranges of the cars have already increased). Also, how about placing transmission batteries in the caravan?

[@serendipity1046]

EVs not the future.. who would have guessed it 🤔

[@MrAvant123]

Motorhomes make no sense to me. Its a big vehicle that needs constant maintenance TAX MOT etc. Like all vehicles they deteriorate if not driven regularly. I dont love caravans but they make more sense as they dont need much maint and dont need to be taxed insured and MOT'd. And yes EV's and towing dont mix ....

[@ccuuuuu669]

I'll buy a diesel right at the cut off date. Hopefully I'll get 20yrs out of it.

[@kevgall12]

It’s the parts you’ll struggle to get after a few years

[@lynnebarkas6906]

Look after your diesel car. Keep it for towing.

[@ANYTHING-AND-EVERYTHING.]

Another issue is people have less disposable income for things like caravans...