Which caravan is best?

[Freeley]

Another alternative to consider, just hire a Caravan to tow as and when. Avoids the problems of storage, servicing and insurance etc, especially if the annual usage is going to be limited overall, ie: limited to 2 or 3 long holidays a year.

Yes that's worth considering I suppose, though I'm hoping we'll be giving it plenty of use unlike our poor old Cali up until now.
Service and MOT cost us £1000 a couple of weeks ago largely down to it not getting used enough.

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[motacyclist]

I've always fancied an Eriba, they're a bit like a gadget. (I'm a gadget man.)

I wonder if you would get charged extra for two units on site? We got charged double for putting a small tent up once.

On reflection, a Portaloo on a trailer would do us! Or just a bog on the tow bar like Clarkson had when he took that Hilux to the North Pole

 

[18hunts]

Never been double charged for turning up with the Cali towing a caravan.

 

[bigmac77]

Only one tourer worth buying and that is an Airstream.

 

[Freeley]

Only one tourer worth buying and that is an Airstream.

Lol I think that might be stretching it a bit cost wise, they're a fortune aren't they?

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[GrannyJen]

so, Dear Mr @Freeley

You posed the question

I thought about it,

I am off on wednesday to look at Eriba's, to be towed behind Albert. A bedroom for my Sister when we are travelling.

Thanks a bundle for putting the idea in her head Also looking at T@B

 

[Freeley]

so, Dear Mr @Freeley

You posed the question

I thought about it,

I am off on wednesday to look at Eriba's, to be towed behind Albert. A bedroom for my Sister when we are travelling.

Thanks a bundle for putting the idea in her head Also looking at T@B

Whoops sorry about that!
I've been looking at them tonight and they look pretty cool!
They'll be perfect for your sister / my mother in law, funny how these things can just happen out of the blue sometimes.

Don't worry another week then I'll be back at work and won't have time to think about this stuff.

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[GrannyJen]

Whoops sorry about that!
I've been looking at them tonight and they look pretty cool!
They'll be perfect for your sister / my mother in law, funny how these things can just happen out of the blue sometimes.

Don't worry another week then I'll be back at work and won't have time to think about this stuff.

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When you are back at work look at a T@B.

I will be looking at both next Wednesday.

 

[Victor]

+++1 for Eriba (any version tbh) amazing build quality, excellent residuals and most are the same height as the Cali so they look very cool towed behind a Cali.

If you buy a big white box you will look like a pikey!

 

[CannonDale]

+++1 for Eriba (any version tbh) amazing build quality, excellent residuals and most are the same height as the Cali so they look very cool towed behind a Cali.

If you buy a big white box you will look like a pikey!

I sold my Eriba 5 years go and got £1000 more than I paid for it, if I sold it today I would have made a profit of over £3000. Wish I had kept it.

 

[GrannyJen]

Jo, my Sister, has throat surgery in two weeks time and I am taking her away for a week to recuperate. We travel in Albert and as we both refuse to share living in such a small space I have to find B&B for her. Needless to say planning our itinerary has been a nightmare. Every Britstop where we want to go - pub only, no accommodation..... every camp site, miles from the nearest BnB. I did not want to be faffing around with awnings and besides it would be too cold for her and I'm not giving up my warm space inside the Cali.

This thread started me thinking and by the time I had made up my mind and put the idea to Jo it was "why on Earth did I not think of it before".

I am selling my Son's car now that he has gone back to the USA and the Eirba, including Drawbar, is just 1/2 a metre longer so would fit where his car sits now. The payload is enough that she can pack all her personal stuff in it freeing up room in the van for even more bottles of wine to take with us. I still have my camper when I want to pop off on my own but for those times we go together then her bedroom can be behind. If I get one before we travel to Norfolk then it will save me over £600 in hotel bills alone. When we toodle off to France for four weeks next year it will be a no-brainer and I have all that extra room to bring wine home in.

Just thought of another benefit: We often take our dogs with us when we travel together and this time if the dogs do decide to toddle off for a swim in a stinking canal they can sleep with her instead of me living with "Eau de Canal" whilst she has a restful night in her BnB bedroom

 

[calimera]

Sounds a great plan Jen .You see a lot of Eribas in France.

Friends have just sold their T25 & bought on older Eriba with a yellow canvas roof pop top. They like retro & love it. Still miss the T25 though.
The T@B look interesting,

 

[GrannyJen]

Sounds a great plan Jen .You see a lot of Eribas in France.

Friends have just sold their T25 & bought on older Eriba with a yellow canvas roof pop top. They like retro & love it. Still miss the T25 though.
The T@B look interesting,

I love the coloured pop top but I'm also in love with the bright orange of the T@B Mexico.

Going to be interesting next Wednesday. I have found a Britstop that does have accommodation, midway between two dealers, one an Eriba specialist and one a trailer tent specialist, and only 18 miles away is a T@B dealer. Wednesday daytime is look, evening is evaluate over a glass of wine, Thursday review and buy. No idea what we are going to come home with

 

[motacyclist]

We're not allowed to have any "house on wheels" parked outside (the Cali is acceptable). If we got a caravan it would have to go in the garage (the Cali would just about fit). According to the web site current Eribas are 2.25m high so they would be out.

However, some of the older ones seem to be lower, does anyone have details?

 

[Freeley]

I love the coloured pop top but I'm also in love with the bright orange of the T@B Mexico.

Going to be interesting next Wednesday. I have found a Britstop that does have accommodation, midway between two dealers, one an Eriba specialist and one a trailer tent specialist, and only 18 miles away is a T@B dealer. Wednesday daytime is look, evening is evaluate over a glass of wine, Thursday review and buy. No idea what we are going to come home with

I'd never seen or even heard of T@B before, they look very funky but think I'd want something a bit bigger.
Like you say though Jen it sounds like a bit of a no brainer for you. You don't hang about making your mind up either by the sounds of it!

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[calimera]

We're not allowed to have any "house on wheels" parked outside (the Cali is acceptable). If we got a caravan it would have to go in the garage (the Cali would just about fit). According to the web site current Eribas are 2.25m high so they would be out.

However, some of the older ones seem to be lower, does anyone have details?

Our friends Eriba Triton QB 1991
Height 219 cm width 200cm

 

[X4 VWC]

Sitting on wet campsites this summer, I've been tempted. I've thought about this a lot ... however, it seems like duplication of space and facilities that you already have, especially if you're not buying something sizeable. And the challenges that exist on the California on a wet weekend, might equally apply on board a caravan or motorhome. Either way, it might suck. But it's an interesting idea and visiting a show and sitting in different products will probably answer many of your questions.

I used to tow a large Hymer caravan with a T5 Caravelle. That was a great outfit and, in a way, I miss it because I have such happy memories of the stays in the caravan. But it was a huge pain getting the caravan in/out of storage, setting up and packing away on-site, and thinking carefully about routes. Every time I set off in the California I feel like I've forgotten something because it's so incredibly quick and easy! Back when I buying the caravan, I did the (very good) C&MC towing course, and then drove to Germany to buy/collect it! However, it was my first foray into camping/caravanning and I couldn't shake the feeling that I wanted to be more flexible and more mobile, so after a couple of years I sold it to buy a new James Cook (2nd gen.) motorhome (also imported from Germany). I dearly loved the James Cook, especially being able to stand up and work in the kitchen while the beds were occupied, having a toilet/shower on board, oh man, it is luxury compared to the California but that had some limitations: the heating was hopeless (unlike the California), it was 3.3m tall (I got murdered on a long night drive by the French tolls), it definitely wasn't a daily driver (the huge, huge advantage of the California) and it was >3,500kg (my wife doesn't have that on her license). If Westfalia create a third generation, which they are rumoured to do, I would be extremely tempted.

Both the earlier caravan and the motorhome highlight the advantages of the California. Since getting the van in November, we've spent 25 nights on it and it has taken us to some amazing places, and been an incredible vehicle in support of our hobbies, particularly watersports. We've broken up longer trips with self-catering accommodation, and it feels okay to do that because the California is a daily driver and I don't have to justify using it for overnight stays (with the motorhome, I felt we *had* to go away to justify it being on the driveway). So I absolutely love the flexibility of the California, and being able to configure it depending upon what we need from it. But in my darkest hours, at 2am, gale forces winds, and I need a pee, I can feel differently!

I will be eagerly watching the discussion of Eribas! Jen - good luck with your Eriba trolling and let us know how you get on. Though if I bought an Eriba, I would have to get it colour-coded to match the Cali!

 

[X4 VWC]

Life story or what ...

 

[GrannyJen]

I'd never seen or even heard of T@B before, they look very funky but think I'd want something a bit bigger.
Like you say though Jen it sounds like a bit of a no brainer for you. You don't hang about making your mind up either by the sounds of it!

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If it was me, only a caravan and not camper plus caravan, and sharing with another, neither T@B or Eriba would be big enough.

My best was my last,Lunar Lexon 640 EB, it had a fixed bed, towed like a dream behind my Range Rover, had loads of space and, rare for a British caravan, it never leaked!

I do make my mind up quickly, and may well come home with it next Thursday, but at present I have a slight complication in the fact that I am considering Edward, son of Albert, in which case it could well be next March for delivery.

 

[GrannyJen]

Sitting on wet campsites this summer, I've been tempted. I've thought about this a lot ... however, it seems like duplication of space and facilities that you already have, especially if you're not buying something sizeable. And the challenges that exist on the California on a wet weekend, might equally apply on board a caravan or motorhome. Either way, it might suck. But it's an interesting idea and visiting a show and sitting in different products will probably answer many of your questions.

I used to tow a large Hymer caravan with a T5 Caravelle. That was a great outfit and, in a way, I miss it because I have such happy memories of the stays in the caravan. But it was a huge pain getting the caravan in/out of storage, setting up and packing away on-site, and thinking carefully about routes. Every time I set off in the California I feel like I've forgotten something because it's so incredibly quick and easy! Back when I buying the caravan, I did the (very good) C&MC towing course, and then drove to Germany to buy/collect it! However, it was my first foray into camping/caravanning and I couldn't shake the feeling that I wanted to be more flexible and more mobile, so after a couple of years I sold it to buy a new James Cook (2nd gen.) motorhome (also imported from Germany). I dearly loved the James Cook, especially being able to stand up and work in the kitchen while the beds were occupied, having a toilet/shower on board, oh man, it is luxury compared to the California but that had some limitations: the heating was hopeless (unlike the California), it was 3.3m tall (I got murdered on a long night drive by the French tolls), it definitely wasn't a daily driver (the huge, huge advantage of the California) and it was >3,500kg (my wife doesn't have that on her license). If Westfalia create a third generation, which they are rumoured to do, I would be extremely tempted.

Both the earlier caravan and the motorhome highlight the advantages of the California. Since getting the van in November, we've spent 25 nights on it and it has taken us to some amazing places, and been an incredible vehicle in support of our hobbies, particularly watersports. We've broken up longer trips with self-catering accommodation, and it feels okay to do that because the California is a daily driver and I don't have to justify using it for overnight stays (with the motorhome, I felt we *had* to go away to justify it being on the driveway). So I absolutely love the flexibility of the California, and being able to configure it depending upon what we need from it. But in my darkest hours, at 2am, gale forces winds, and I need a pee, I can feel differently!

I will be eagerly watching the discussion of Eribas! Jen - good luck with your Eriba trolling and let us know how you get on. Though if I bought an Eriba, I would have to get it colour-coded to match the Cali!

I happily swapped caravan for California but in the beginning it was only me. Most of the time it still will be only me. I am looking to be towing maximum six times a year and I am away in Albert most months, around 70 - 80 days a year. Like you I adore the freedom of movement the Cali gives me and the fact that the kettle has boiled practically by the time I have raised the roof!

The Eriba / T@B size suits. It will only be home for one and perhaps a dog. It will sit in a corner of our drive. I will not be looking forward to towing again, but unlike my lifestyle with the Cali, which is to move on almost daily, it will be a few days in situ.

The alternative to do as we do now, which is one in the Cali and the other in the B&B, actually restricts movement to those few places where we can be close together, such as a britstop or CL with B&B accommodation.

 

[X4 VWC]

Sounds like it could work for you ... good luck with your search!

 

[Freeley]

Unlike Jen, for us it would need to be a bigger caravan to avoid the duplication as described in X4 VWC's post.
As I'll be retired by then I'm not worried about the time needed to get it ready for departure as I'll have plenty of it.
In our case it needs to be bigger (and posher!) to differentiate it from the Cali, so it gives us the flexibility of whether to go for the all out caravan tour or the quick and easy Cali jaunt (which could also end up being a tour but you know what I mean).

In any case I'm going to need the 4 years or when ever it is when I retire, for us to explore all the options and decide which route we want to take - we certainly won't be making our minds up like Jen can!

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[2into1]

I looked at small caravans whilst trying to solve my '2into1' dilemma. I was drawn to the Eribas but didn't find the layout comfortable for my large frame.
Was did impress me was this

The one at the show didn't have the dining table in place and was so spacious, complete with fixed bed.
It doesn't have the coolness of Cali's and Eribas, and probably won't have the same depreciation curve, but for me was a much more useful / comfortable layout inside.

 

[Seaview]

Eriba's are very easy to tow, so easy you can forget it's there.

 

[B J G]

I happily swapped caravan for California but in the beginning it was only me. Most of the time it still will be only me. I am looking to be towing maximum six times a year and I am away in Albert most months, around 70 - 80 days a year. Like you I adore the freedom of movement the Cali gives me and the fact that the kettle has boiled practically by the time I have raised the roof!

The Eriba / T@B size suits. It will only be home for one and perhaps a dog. It will sit in a corner of our drive. I will not be looking forward to towing again, but unlike my lifestyle with the Cali, which is to move on almost daily, it will be a few days in situ.

The alternative to do as we do now, which is one in the Cali and the other in the B&B, actually restricts movement to those few places where we can be close together, such as a britstop or CL with B&B accommodation.

Just to muddy the thought process.

There is the Gobur range which is even easier to tow and store. Open up and close down is fairly rapid plus maximises interior space due to box shape.
Duplicate as a portaloo-changing room-refreshment bar during your many escapades.