Autosleeper advice please

Trik · #1 (**permalink**) 17-12-2010, 05:04 PM

Not sure this comes under "General Equipment", but we are thinking of buying a 2-berth autosleeper next year and would like to hear of the pros and cons of different types/makes.

We would be using it for probably only 2/3 nights in a row, and just want somewhere to sleep, perhaps make a cup of tea and eat a takeaway. Some form of heating without running the engine would be nice, as would cupboard space. We would park up on a camping site, so don`t need a built-in loo, nor do we mind not washing or changing our clothes for a couple of days.

We had in mind something about the size of a small van (neither of us take up a lot of room!), with a diesel engine if possible.

I`ve tried searching on-line, but most of the sites I`ve visited feature large 4/6 berth "luxury" motorhomes, so some help would be appreciated, please.

Thanks
Trik

nightshade · #2 (**permalink**) 17-12-2010, 06:45 PM

The downside of that type of vehicle is that it is your home and transport
why not look at some of the small lightweight modern 2 berth caravans around
like the Freedom, Tab or Eriba. My mate picked up an older Lunar two berth for under £1000, shower, loo, awning the lot

Jim Ford · #3 (**permalink**) 17-12-2010, 06:51 PM

I've seen small vans converted to 'sleepers'. The last one I saw (Citroen IIRC ) looked as if it had been professionally converted and was very neat.

We bought a 'Dandy' folding camper trailer a couple of years ago and have been very pleased with it. It tows easily and has a heater, cooker, sink, double bed and settee. It's mainly constructed of double walled insulated PVC.

Jim

ChrisJB · #4 (**permalink**) 17-12-2010, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Ford

We bought a 'Dandy' folding camper trailer a couple of years ago and have been very pleased with it. It tows easily and has a heater, cooker, sink, double bed and settee. It's mainly constructed of double walled insulated PVC.

Jim

We've gone down the folding camper route too. And it is fantastic. I'm a big cowardy custard and even I find towing this a doddle (wish I could say the same about reversing it

).

Chris

Jim Ford · #5 (**permalink**) 17-12-2010, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisJB

I'm a big cowardy custard and even I find towing this a doddle (wish I could say the same about reversing it

).

Yeah - reversing's a real nightmare! I keep saying that I'll go to a supermarket car park late at night to have a practice, but have never got around to it.

Jim

Trik · #6 (**permalink**) 17-12-2010, 11:09 PM

Thanks for the replies. We decided on an autosleeper rather than a caravan as I don`t think I would be comfortable towing one, especially a lightweight which, I suspect, might be more prone to tipping/blowing over unless driven with great care - with a long queue of irate drivers behind!

We never considered a camper trailer, but it sounds worth looking into. However, as well as the difficulty reversing*, another possible drawback I have thought of is having to re-erect it back home to dry out if it is packed wet, as our side access is probably too narrow (less than 1 metre) to drag it into the back garden. Do they remain hitched to the towbar when erected?

Trik

*As the towing vehicle and trailer are articulated, I am guessing that the manoevres are counter-intuitive?

PMG · #7 (**permalink**) 18-12-2010, 07:31 AM

Have a trawl on the web - I went looking last night and was surprised and pleased to find that Leisuredrive had moved to Bolton from Manchester - we have a 1990 VW T4 conversion of theirs and its been the best vehicle ever. I read thier history and realise that ours is one of the first they did in this way. Its been very well used by us and catches on cuboards have broken so when the snow goes I shall be having a ride to Bolton to see if they can be replaced!

The Caravan Club Mag can be worth looking thro too - they have a second hand sales section covering all the country ........

If you get the model you want I hope you enjoy it as much as we;ve enjoyed ours over the last 12 or 13 years ........ my dad bought ours for us about a month after we got married ....... bless him .........

Pauline

Romahome do small to larger conversions too - the smaller ones have an amazing amount of space and cuboards for a vehicle which is basically a bed on wheels!!! For me it would always be the VW van conversion tho cos of the big slidding side door - even if I had the money for a larger 'posher' vehicle I would not want the motorhome type with back doors and not enough windows and too much upholstery and stuff - when I'm out and away I want to be able to sit about with side door open and be able to see and hear the natural world outside! The longest unbroken time we have been away in ours is 27 days in the Wester Isles - we were on a site with electric hook up and had use of showers and washing machine so it wasn't a problem - we were clean and our clothes were clean - it was a grand break .......

PPS Ours has a porta potti under the seat - so its just park up, pull it out and relief - and again not a problem to empty regularly when already booked on a site ..... believe me once you have a campervan you will wonder why you didn't get one sooner!!!! And btw re-reading your OP we have cooked full meals in ours - there is no oven only the hob and grill - tho I see newer ones now have an oven too - but we've eaten sumptuously over the years mainly cos we don;t mind making our own but also there isn;t much to take away in our favourite destination - The Western Isles - the the chippie is good but a long way off if you're at the other end of the island chain!!!!

Paul mabbott · #8 (**permalink**) 18-12-2010, 09:40 AM

If you haven't got the information here, I can recommend the fora at UKCampsite.co.uk Camping Forums, Motorhome Forums, and Caravanning Forums - lots of experience and some ads ....

Jim Ford · #9 (**permalink**) 18-12-2010, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trik

another possible drawback I have thought of is having to re-erect it back home to dry out if it is packed wet

You won't need to with a 'Dandy'. The're made of insulated double skinned PVC and can be packed away wet, because the PVC doesn't hold water and won't rot. Because of this they last - there are still some of the first ones made in the 60s around. I don't think you'll find many canvas folding campers of that age, they'll all have rotted away decades ago!

They don't remain hitched to the towbar in use.

Here's what a Dandy looks like:

http://www.dandyforum.co.uk/site/

Jim

ChrisJB · #10 (**permalink**) 18-12-2010, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Ford

Yeah - reversing's a real nightmare! I keep saying that I'll go to a supermarket car park late at night to have a practice, but have never got around to it.

Jim

Ha ha! I did that and it didn't make the slightest bit of difference! I'm still hopeless. However, once on site they are so manoeuverable that when unhitched (providing it is reasonably flat), moving it by hand is quite easy and you can push and pull it just where you want it.
Our's is a Conway and packing it away wet is a bit of a bind, but it doesn't take long to erect back home and it dries really fast. We love ours and with the awning is a really comfortable living space. Our little girl (aged two) loves going on holiday in it as well. For years I'd always wanted a caravan but was too scared to tow one, but I've found the folding camper a simpler (less scary) and comfy alternative.

Chris