T6 and a Tiny Caravan...

[RetroRed5]

Evening all,

We are considering purchasing a caravan that will be pulled by our T6.

In terms of what we'd use it for (in order of importance)...

1. Having a toilet on board for those night time visits (I'm OK running across the grass at 3am to the nearest toilet block on-site but my Mrs is, shall we say, somewhat less keen on doing that).
2. Having the extra sleeping space in case one of our older sons decides to come along
3. Making use of the extra living space through the day (rather than using an awning)

We have an awning, portable loo and a little popup tent thingy to put it in and we'd use this for very short trips but we fancy the idea of a caravan for those longer trips.

In terms of some requirements for the caravan, there are only 3 really...

• It has to be tiny
• It has to have an onboard loo (a washroom with a loo is perfect)
• If possible, it has to look cool (to me)

I've shortlisted listed a few that both the Mrs and I like...

• ERIBA Troll 530 Rockabilly - Awesome looking (its colour scheme matches our white over red Cali); not exactly "tiny" but still quite small; expensive.
• Barefoot - Tiny, looks great but very expensive
• Freedom Jetstream Twin Sport - Tiny and modern but more like a mini version of a traditional-looking caravan; cheap when compared to the other two above.

So, my questions for you all are...

1. Has anyone got any experience with any of the caravans above? (I'm especially interested if anyone tows one of these with their California)
2. Has anyone got any more recommendations worth looking at that meet our requirements?

Also, I've been driving a very long time but I've never actually towed anything and as such, I'm perhaps a little anxious about towing a ton of steel and plastic around hanging off the back of my Cali; what advice might you give to a "towing newbie" and specifically as it relates to towing with a Cali, any particular "gotchas" I should know about?

Finally, as a towing vehicle, how well does the T6 do when towing a caravan?

Thanks,

Red.

 

[jts46]

Erica, eriba

 

[Jodalo]

Evening all,

We are considering purchasing a caravan that will be pulled by our T6.

In terms of what we'd use it for (in order of importance)...

1. Having a toilet on board for those night time visits (I'm OK running across the grass at 3am to the nearest toilet block on-site but my Mrs is, shall we say, somewhat less keen on doing that).
2. Having the extra sleeping space in case one of our older sons decides to come along
3. Making use of the extra living space through the day (rather than using an awning)

We have an awning, portable loo and a little popup tent thingy to put it in and we'd use this for very short trips but we fancy the idea of a caravan for those longer trips.

In terms of some requirements for the caravan, there are only 3 really...

• It has to be tiny
• It has to have an onboard loo (a washroom with a loo is perfect)
• If possible, it has to look cool (to me)

I've shortlisted listed a few that both the Mrs and I like...

• ERIBA Troll 530 Rockabilly - Awesome looking (its colour scheme matches our white over red Cali); not exactly "tiny" but still quite small; expensive.
• Barefoot - Tiny, looks great but very expensive
• Freedom Jetstream Twin Sport - Tiny and modern but more like a mini version of a traditional-looking caravan; cheap when compared to the other two above.

So, my questions for you all are...

1. Has anyone got any experience with any of the caravans above? (I'm especially interested if anyone tows one of these with their California)
2. Has anyone got any more recommendations worth looking at that meet our requirements?

Also, I've been driving a very long time but I've never actually towed anything and as such, I'm perhaps a little anxious about towing a ton of steel and plastic around hanging off the back of my Cali; what advice might you give to a "towing newbie" and specifically as it relates to towing with a Cali, any particular "gotchas" I should know about?

Finally, as a towing vehicle, how well does the T6 do when towing a caravan?

Thanks,

Red.

I think you might have to rethink the Eriba Troll, they are roughly 17 feet long by nearly 7 feet wide. Fantastic build quality and aerodynamics but combined train length would be massive with the Cali. We had an Eriba Puck years ago, that was tiny but great fun on the back of our estate car, and stored nicely in our garage.

 

[TripleBee]

 

[Cwcltd]

So interested in this thread.. actively looking for an Eriba too, and for the same broad reasons. My current preference (without actually being in one) is the Familia 320; slightly smaller than a Troll, but with beds laying the right way (for us) and a loo. Also a bit lighter I think, as my new Coast is the 150. I’m viewing dealer sites such as Automotive Leisure in Bournemouth.

 

[Legin]

If I was going to tow a caravan again it would be with a car and the cali would be gone. Makes no more sense than towing a car with a big white.

Anyway. To answer your question , the cali will not notice a small caravan. Towing isnt difficult but reversing is a challenge and being stuck with the waggons on the motorway is a pita. No third lane.

If you stick to the lower speed limits then your going to be fine in the UK. Caravans are most unstable when going downhill being overtaken by something moving lots of air like an MPV at high speed, more relevant in paces like France.

I would buy a caravan with a fixed roof and hot water , heating otherwise whats the point. One piece plastic vans are tougher than alloy or multi panel vans due to water ingress at joints. I would buy the freedom for your purpose.

Width tends to be more of a challenge than length within reason.

 

[ChocolateEclair]

Have you looked at the Swift Basecamp?

We thought about this option, but couldn’t help but think that it would be better to just buy a decent caravan and sell the Cali. £20k just for a small bathroom and occasional extra bed didn’t feel sensible unless you really need the extra space.

 

[B J G]

A problem can arise on some sites where it is not possible to have both a caravan and a campervan/motorhome on the same pitch if using both for accommodation.

I wouldn't class an Eriba 530 as Tiny. 3xx range as small. Compared to most of todays huge caravans I understand your logic.

 

[GrannyJen]

I tow an Eriba Triton when I travel with my Sister and dogs. It is her bedroom and our dining room. Beautiful little van. Like the Cali, initial cash outlay high, but ownership cost relatively low as they hold their prices very well. We are on our third: when we used to travel away together Jo would be in an hotel and me parked up somewhere with the dogs. The money we have saved on hotel costs alone have more than paid for the costs of ownership.

Tows beautifully, can forget it's there on motorways and at just a couple of inches wider than theCali you know that where the Cali can go through then so can the caravan.

Both main camping clubs have no problems with sharing a pitch providing one is not used for cooking in ( The cali in our case) and only one hook-up used. I've had no problems either on other sites.

 

[5i1ver8ack]

If I was going to tow a caravan again it would be with a car and the cali would be gone. Makes no more sense than towing a car with a big white.

Which is a perfectly valid view based on your particular circumstances. But for others, there are circumstances where it can make perfect sense to have both.

We have an Eriba Familia 320. It’s for use by our disabled daughter (26) who often needs to be left alone in bed and to have an accessible space of her own with a toilet and shower. So the rest of us use the campervan and she uses the caravan. We can leave her undisturbed in her own familiar safe space. Sometimes she can go for days without moving. Other days, she’s well enough to get out and about. It was the smallest Eriba with toilet facilities we could get. It's small enough to live on the driveway when not in use.

We use the campervan when we visit our other children, who don’t have enough extra space to put us all up. So we use the campervan for that. It’s more comfortable than sleeping on the floor!

I use the campervan for work stopovers rather than using hotels.

We use the campervan for short breaks when my daughter stays home. We would have been touring Devon and Cornwall last week had it been possible. We have used it to travel Europe without our daughter. We have trips planned for the UK, Germany, Poland, Italy, Romania, and Norway without her. We have trips planned for the UK, Switzerland, France, and Italy with her. What we use and how we use it will be determined by the circumstances.

And we use the campervan for day trips. After a trip to e.g. a National Trust house, we can then set the bed up and our daughter can have a lie down while we continue with more of the visit. She has access to a fridge, kettle and heating in the winter. If you see a silver Ocean parked with a pink wheelchair left outside, it's probably us.

So we use both.

I realise our particular circumstances are perhaps unusual.

But there are occasions when it makes perfect sense to have both.

 

[GrannyJen]

So interested in this thread.. actively looking for an Eriba too, and for the same broad reasons. My current preference (without actually being in one) is the Familia 320; slightly smaller than a Troll, but with beds laying the right way (for us) and a loo. Also a bit lighter I think, as my new Coast is the 150. I’m viewing dealer sites such as Automotive Leisure in Bournemouth.

I have bought my last three Eriba's from AL. Excellent to deal with and a great selection. Pass on my regards to Cameron when you are there

 

[GrannyJen]

If I was going to tow a caravan again it would be with a car and the cali would be gone. Makes no more sense than towing a car with a big white.

Anyway. To answer your question , the cali will not notice a small caravan. Towing isnt difficult but reversing is a challenge and being stuck with the waggons on the motorway is a pita. No third lane.

If you stick to the lower speed limits then your going to be fine in the UK. Caravans are most unstable when going downhill being overtaken by something moving lots of air like an MPV at high speed, more relevant in paces like France.

I would buy a caravan with a fixed roof and hot water , heating otherwise whats the point. One piece plastic vans are tougher than alloy or multi panel vans due to water ingress at joints. I would buy the freedom for your purpose.

Width tends to be more of a challenge than length within reason.

It actually makes a lot of sense if you are travelling with someone that you love dearly but cannot both sleep in the same small space.

One third to one half of my trips I am on my own so just the Cali, the other half with my Sister so have the caravan.

 

[Cwcltd]

I have bought my last three Eriba's from AL. Excellent to deal with and a great selection. Pass on my regards to Cameron when you are there

Thank you; in response to your earlier comment about sites insisting/preferring that you only cook in one vehicle, what’s the reasoning behind that (if I’ve understood you correctly)? I get the bit about only using one hook up.

 

[GrannyJen]

Thank you; in response to your earlier comment about sites insisting/preferring that you only cook in one vehicle, what’s the reasoning behind that (if I’ve understood you correctly)? I get the bit about only using one hook up.

Fire separation.

A unit parked to the peg or in the centre of a pitch on, for example, a CC site, will be six metres away from it's neighbour. Interpose another habitation unit between the two and you compromise the required social distancing between units.

 

[Cwcltd]

Fire separation.

A unit parked to the peg or in the centre of a pitch on, for example, a CC site, will be six metres away from it's neighbour. Interpose another habitation unit between the two and you compromise the required social distancing between units.

Ah yes! Thank you.

 

[5i1ver8ack]

I have bought my last three Eriba's from AL. Excellent to deal with and a great selection. Pass on my regards to Cameron when you are there

Yes, we also got ours from AL. They tend to have a good slelection of new and used vans of all sizes.

 

[Calimili]

If I had to tow one, I'd tow this one.
Twin axle is the most stable solution, you see these speeding (illegally) at 80mph, with the twin axle it is like on rails. It can carry a lot, it can have a shower, lots of space.
Food for thoughts.
https://www.knaus.com/en-uk/caravans/deseo/interior/

 

[GrannyJen]

Ah yes! Thank you.

Those are the rules. However you will find most wardens / owners / managers fairly relaxed provided you do not take the proverbial. We cook in the caravan, suits us as that is where we eat and it's also a bit more roomy in the kitchen area, not much ... but It works.

We have also met quite a flexible attitude with the hook-up. No objections between swapping from caravan to Cali for a couple of hours to top batteries up and on two occasions winter camping been actually told we could use an extra lead for a day if we were staying in.

 

[RetroRed5]

View attachment 59822

Yeah!! That looks great

Although the overall length of both looks very long; so the Eriba might not quite fit the "tiny" requirement.

 

[RetroRed5]

I think you might have to rethink the Eriba Troll, they are roughly 17 feet long by nearly 7 feet wide. Fantastic build quality and aerodynamics but combined train length would be massive with the Cali. We had an Eriba Puck years ago, that was tiny but great fun on the back of our estate car, and stored nicely in our garage.

Yes, I think you might be right, the Eriba Troll might be a little too big for what I'm after - thanks.

 

[5i1ver8ack]

Yeah!! That looks great

Although the overall length of both looks very long; so the Eriba might not quite fit the "tiny" requirement.

That's a bigger Eriba. Ours is much shorter.

 

[RetroRed5]

So interested in this thread.. actively looking for an Eriba too, and for the same broad reasons. My current preference (without actually being in one) is the Familia 320; slightly smaller than a Troll, but with beds laying the right way (for us) and a loo. Also a bit lighter I think, as my new Coast is the 150. I’m viewing dealer sites such as Automotive Leisure in Bournemouth.

I'll check out the Familia 320, thanks

 

[RetroRed5]

If I was going to tow a caravan again it would be with a car and the cali would be gone. Makes no more sense than towing a car with a big white.

Anyway. To answer your question , the cali will not notice a small caravan. Towing isnt difficult but reversing is a challenge and being stuck with the waggons on the motorway is a pita. No third lane.

If you stick to the lower speed limits then your going to be fine in the UK. Caravans are most unstable when going downhill being overtaken by something moving lots of air like an MPV at high speed, more relevant in paces like France.

I would buy a caravan with a fixed roof and hot water , heating otherwise whats the point. One piece plastic vans are tougher than alloy or multi panel vans due to water ingress at joints. I would buy the freedom for your purpose.

Width tends to be more of a challenge than length within reason.

Yes, I sort of agree, if we are going to get a caravan, you've got to ask, what's the point of the Cali; but for me at least, the idea of a caravan is really just to make the idea of tripping off in the Cali for more than 1 or 2 nights more appealing to the Mrs; she hates the idea of having to run around a campsite in the dark looking for the ladies room. Plus, when on shorter trips (1 or 2 nights) or day trips, the Cali it perfect on its own. To be honest, if there was such a thing as a caravan that only had a washroom/loo, that would do nicely

Width is a big factor for me, the narrower the better; the reason is that we live down a narrow private road and access is pretty tight, I wouldn't fancy trying to tow a big wide caravan down it; it would fit I'm sure but not before picking up half of the foliage from the bushes that line it.

Thanks for the advice

 

[RetroRed5]

Have you looked at the Swift Basecamp?

We thought about this option, but couldn’t help but think that it would be better to just buy a decent caravan and sell the Cali. £20k just for a small bathroom and occasional extra bed didn’t feel sensible unless you really need the extra space.

I'll go check out the Basecamp - thanks

 

[Keith Smith]

What about getting a box trailer and converting it back not a bathroom?