Not feeling the love is it time to sell?

To avoid highjacking woodys T4 thread anymore i thought i'd start this.

Here's the thing, I've always camped out, be it in a tent as a kid or in a caravan before the bay, however over the past few trips out it's been more of a struggle, i'm 6ft 4 and my knees are knackered, mrs roo suffers with arthritis in many areas but really struggles in the feet/legs, those that know us and have camped with us know (without doubt) we take far too much stuff as well as 2 pooches and it's getting to a point now where i have stopped enjoying the struggle part as much when it was played off against the enjoyment part of owning the bay. So - take less stuff i hear you say, it's not a motorhome, it's a "metal tent" why over complicate matters? well it's true i guess we don't need three tables and a microwave, a toaster plus a telly and all the other stuff we take but the fact it there are two types of campers, those who enjoy the minimal setup and those who in effect like to be away from home but still have home comforts......we fall into the 2nd category as a couple although on the times i've camped alone i'm quite happy with just a book and pot noodle!. So, here's my dilemma... and i must admit it's been fueled by the fact that now the bay is paid for in full (i had a loan) i feel like i could get rid.
I don't want another caravan - this would involve getting a newer and bigger car and although if i sold the bay i could get a good set up it would only go down in value whereas the bay is not going to lose any value.
I don't want a T4 or another "van shaped" camper, from what i see the space issue would not change, it would just go quicker and look less cool, the plus point of this though is i could sell my car and just have the van.
I guess this just leaves the "coachbuilt option" but the downside of those is i couldn't use it as a daily and it wouldn't fit in my garage and therefore have to be stored outside which kind of wastes the nice big garage i have that the bay fits in.....
I was thinking of solutions to my quandry and to do that i had to think what the main "problem" is with the bay, you'd think it might be reliability? no, i'm quite pleased there, how about mpg? well, yes it's true an auto isn't the best but i'm getting low 20's which isn't far off what a 4x4 and caravan would do (and if i did go back to a caravan there would be a landy at the sharp end)....
It's not even taking the stuff we take, we are highly organised and everything fits well and we set up quite quickly considering.
No, the biggest problem we have is the sleeping arangements and internal space, sliding into a bed from the bottom and being cramped up all night is losing it's appeal, trying to get out of bed quickly/without struggle and the fart about of not being able to do anything until both of us want to get up or tip-toeing around and trying not to open the door noisily to go out for a wazz in the night etc etc is the problem, while this could be semi-solved by sleeping in the awning i see that as a backward step, why would i want to drive somewhere at 60mph/22mpg with no comforts to then sleep in a tent?, i might as well get a tent and do 80mph/50mpg in my Golf....
So there's my problem i need a bay with a better bed and more room - but i don't think they exist.

Therefore i'm at a crossroads, i'm not really sure where to go - the only option i see for now is to carry on as is until we get fed up totally or can't do it anymore.

Does anyone else have a brutally honest view on this subject and maybe a solution they have found that helps the internal struggle of a bay?

 

tis a young man's game...

The bay got to small for just me ,the smiles per mile wore off after 10 years...

 

full width bed, no furniture and cook in the awning or outside works for me

 

i did think about gutting the interior as we don't use the sink or stove but it doesn't solve the sliding in the bed option from the bottom or banging my head on the roof....

 

It might be worth removing the head banger locker above the bed to see if something as simple as that helps.

Or, more expensive, completely redesign the interior to give you a full width bed and see if that makes it more bedtime friendly for you both.

I've been looking at all the big motorhomes on the other thread and the main problem if you go BIG is that you can't take it into many car parks which makes shopping on holiday a bit of a task, and definately no good as a daily.

It really does sound like a nice caravan and your Landy might be the logical solution. You've got a daily drive, your bed can stay made up and you can nip to the shops while you're camping without a problem.

While one of you is in bed the other one can sit in the living area and watch telly, read etc.

 

I used to feel claustrophobic with the locker been so near ,so slept the other way round and my pillows alwaysed ended up on the deck ..

 

reuters are on this already prices set to crash . you could have left it too late .

 

Stop whining, sell it and buy a proper motorhome lol
Seriously you need to be feeling the love to put up with all the agg.....soon as the love fades itll just become a joy suckin vampire that drains your cash until the point where you loath the sight of it

 

there's no doubt with a car and van it's better, you go out more because there's less faff undoing the awning etc but i've been there and done that, i don't really want a caravan again. i could easily remove the overhead "headbanger" and the wardrobe to make it full width and taller in the back but i'd still have to slide into bed from the bottom, also i tend to bang my head on the door or the strengthening bar in the roof - neither of which i can remove....

 

Just go and reverse into a caravan. It worked for me

 

we used to sleep feet to tailgate and swapped round due to that very same reason, i used to feel real bad with the locker above me but it's not bad now.

 

What about one of those Eriba pucks? More space to cook, sleep etc etc.

 

How about flogging the lot and staying in hotels?

 

yes this is a thought but wouldn't fit in the garage - what is the bed set up like in one of the jeurgens?

 

would probably be cheaper but the dogs wouldn't be allowed and the enjoyment of hols with pooches is a nice thing as i'm sure you'd agree.

 

You love the idea of being able to travel and camp, so obviously a motorhome fits the bill....but you don't fancy a full-on coachbuilt on the grounds of impracticality (ferry charges, height barriers, garage parking etc.)...you've been there and done that with a caravan.....you need a daily, but this doesn't have to be a camping vehicle all year round....a demountable sounds like the obvious choice, but they're dead space in a garage/driveway and ugly as sin IMO....

So, I'm going to suggest a really nice folding camper like the Pennine type....easy to put up/down, easy access for anyone with mobility prolems, and easy to store when not in use

A mate of mine had a bay for years and did a lot of camping, including trips abroad....he was constantly modifying it to fit his changing needs....he flogged it a bought a folding camper and never regretted it....much more space, cheaper to own/service took less space up at home....

 

again,why tow something with the thing you're meant to sleep in? might as well just get a caravan.

 

Rear lounge goes flat into a big fat Double. One can stay in bed whilst the Mrs makes the morning tea. Though in reality I make the tea and the dogs jump in the bed

 

folding camper? expalin more?

 

so it's kind of like an old 2 berth caravan set up i'd imagine? what's over the cab? just storage?