Just thought id say hello, my names Paul and my partner is Christina - we are 35 and 30 years old and currently saving for an Eriba!

We have about 5k saved and want a fairly new van so have a long way to go! and we are looking to go full time! we would rather do this than pay of someone else's mortgage through rent. And it fits in with our work.

This will be a fairly long post but i think here is the best place. We decided we want to do this about a year ago..Our plan is to go site to site wherever the wind takes us - we don't have children and we work online so have the flexibility to do this so figure why not!

At first we were tempted by a motorhome, then we realised a caravan and car combo would be cheaper - and for the last year we have been weighing up the pros and cons to each option. But for us the single main issue is the demonization of diesel, We simply cannot take the risk of investing our entire life savings into a van that may well become worthless due to any new potential diesel laws that come in the future (I suspect they will just make Diesel very uneconomical to run rather than outright ban but you never know!)

So great we finally after a year have decided petrol car and caravan combo

We have looked round maybe 200 caravans, yep 200! dealers must be sick of the sight of us but thankfully none have ever accused us of wasting their time, baileys, swifts,coachman,,elddis,lunar, sprites, adrias, knaus, pretty much every brand you can think of!

At first we were wowed by how nice the interior is in many of the above caravans, they do look wonderful and the space is amazing for the weight (i am limited to 3500kg train weight). But the poor build quality became apparent fairly early on. But we still looked and studied them.

The main thing it came down to was "would this withstand daily use" and the simple answer is quite a resounding NO! apparently they are built to be used 3 or 4 weeks of the year and I can easily believe that! watching videos on youtube of the manufacture of coachbuilt caravans is also an eye opener.

We need something very very strong!

I have factored in £2500 depreciation of a caravan per year into my costs calculations. That is the figure that i get to that is viable for us. So what will stand up to it? well certainly not the coachbuilts with daily use.

We have looked at the T@b 400l, its a quirky little caravan that seems better built than many but again i don't think it will withstand 9 years of living in.

Step in Eriba!!

I had always dismissed the eriba due to the poptop roof, and for the most part of our search it has not been a consideration. However we decided we should check them out - and I like what I see. The build quality, the aluminium frame, the rigidity, and hopefully the lifespan!

If theres one caravan that will do what we need from it , then i think its the Eriba.

We popped into automotive leisure a week ago in Poole, and madly enough after all our searching I live 3 miles down the road from them! its almost like it was meant to be. We are saving for a 542.

It might take us a few years still - be we have come to a definite decision and its going to be Eriba for us.

In a way I am pleased we didnt have the money to buy at first, because there is no way we would buy an eriba - we would have been taken in buy a new swift or something and whilst they may be perfect for those who just want to use it a week in the summer for us it would have been a disaster.

And whislt the Eribas are small, and the pop top isnt to our taste fully right now, there is no other caravan that I would trust to do what we need to ask of it, heck it might even be to much for the eriba but we have yet to see a more solidly build caravan.

Sorry for the essay! and hello to all, i look forward to learning all I can here and one day joining you guys in ownership

Hello and Paul & Christina hope that all your wishes are fulfilled
Tom & Margaret

Welcome.

There's just one error of fact in your post but I'd hate you to make a decision based on a misunderstanding. The frame of an Eriba Touring is made of tubular steel, not aluminium. The outer body panels are aluminium. Most other caravans have no interior frame and their exterior panelling is either GRP or aluminium.

I'd be concerned about long term living in an Eriba Touring because even the largest is small, especially after a few months. You need to be very confident that you won't suffer from 'cabin fever' or similar.

Thank you for the reply's and welcome everyone:)

Ah yes my mistake Steamdrivenandy , steel frame - its so great to see this! and i believe the cabinets are bolted to it also? as for cabin fever we have thought about it but we are confident we will be fine as we are both self employed and spend all our time together anyway, we was looking at fiat ducato panle van conversions for a long time, the Eribas seem quite big in comparison:)

Hi Randa france - I actually would not be against a slightly older model, but a fixed bet is a must for us and so I think the options are limited, the Pontos 660GT looks like it would fit the bill perfectly but from what I gather they are hard to find. The main thing is we would like the bed to have a dedicated mattress as we feel it would probably be more comfortable for long term use. Buying a van a couple of years old so teething problems are sorted sounds like a great idea.

eribaMotters That is so tempting! I would just love to get started right now! but the main issue we have is storage, we have none so once we buy thats it we are on the road for good! as well as the caravan we want to get a whole years pitches booked up first, it sounds a bit regimented i know but this way we always know where we will be staying (including Christmas!) we travel the country for work anyway so can base it around events we visit. The £2500 depreciation is just a limit for us but it would be great for it to be lower! I just figured after 9 years constant use it would be on its last legs if not already long gone so trying to go on the side of caution with that one.

All these figures have gone together with camp site fees, gas ect and they compared to rent, council tax ect.

There is not much difference in the end result money wise but the lifestyle touring is SO much more appealing.

Hi Paul and Christina,
Interesting concept. Last year we stayed at a C+C site outside Cork: Blarney ( where you go to kiss the stone for the “ gift of the gab” ) . The owner of the Site was telling us about a young couple, like yourselves, from the UK, who had been with him all year. One was a Medic completing their training in the local Hospital and instead of lashing out on an expensive rental property they bought a Caravan, towed it over and were then within a handy commute to the Hospital. The other of the couple could work “ from home” on the Interweb’. So they had this really trendy “ Rocket” Caravan. The attached photo shows my better half, demonstrating to our offspring that there really does exist smaller caravans than an Eriba. In the backround you can see their lovely Rocket Caravan. It was very spacious. They had a lovely position on a really nice Site. To me, it would be a far more beautiful place to put your head down than say a high rise city centre apartment but each to their own. Plus, they got to keep the lovely Caravan.
One of my Sons friends has bought a rather nice barge on our local canal, again, due to property rental/purchase prices. He loves it.
The very best of luck .

Chris

Thank you addisb! ah yes I have seen those little ones, Go-Pod i think, we like the monocoque design on them but for us there just that bit too small, its the same story with freedom caravans. The barefoot looks good but the layout is not to our taste.

I see caravan manufactures are trying to get new buyers in from the "young" crowd with models like the swift basecamp and the knaus sport and fun - But I think the main thing most young people will want if they are serious and buying new is a caravan that will last long term. A new caravan is a hefty deposit on a house and i suspect for many young buyers it would be one or the other..Our work does not allow us to get a mortgage and we want the peacefulness of a campsite so its a easy choice. That site looks nice and well kept!

Its good to know there is other people already doing what we plan to do:) the rental market in indeed far to expensive and for us we do not want to have regular inspections and the thought that we may have to move in short notice if the landlord decides to cash out of their investment.

Our Eriba might not be the traditional home for many but it will be ours at least - and whilst trying not to have rose tinted specs, and factoring in tough winter living, the lifestyle and peace and quiet will be bliss.

Where i currently live people are packed in like sardines and its a constant battle just to get a parking space close to home, I really wont miss that!

Hello both. I’m going to say this, but each to their own. We always wanted a fixed bed in our white wobbly box and eventually we got a model with a fixed bed. You know what? We would rather not have it. To us it’s just not necessary, and takes up too much room in a small space, having had one for the last 7 years. We are due to pick up our Eriba 530 (no fixed bed) very soon and are really excited. Just thought I’d throw a different opinion in the mix 😊. Good luck with your ambition, we are doing the same, full time touring, but we are a lot older in years compared to you both 😊 ! Well it’s never too late to start !

Thats a really good point and truth be told I think deep down I like the idea of the extra living space a non fixed model gives. But the thing is Christina has put her foot down on a fixed bed! where as I am less bothered. A fixed bed does give miles more storage, and since bedding does not have to be stowed away during they day even more so. I think an awning will give us the extra living space we will miss out on at least for the warmer months.

Happy travels with your new 530, i bet you cant wait!:) and never to late to start for sure! I wonder how many full timers have Eribas?

I know Christina insists on a fixed bed but;
In the winter when you probably will not have the added luxury of awning space to sprawl in an extra seating area comes into it's own. We have a double dinette Triton 418, in the summer when we usually splat outside or in the awning we leave the rear bed made up just like a fixed double however during our winter forays we use the single front made up as a bed and put the bedding on that complete with memory foam toppers- it's available for a snooze but more importantly we have a whole wide seat each so that we can both spread out and do whatever (computer for Phil, Sewing for me) think seriously about it. It's a big purchase and for long term living a small seating area will grate in the winter months (and this winter was a long one) . Eriba beds are a doddle to make up, no turning cushions this way and that, no knee rolls making ridges in the bed, they take about 30 seconds to convert. The front seating on the 542 looks tiny and that's all you will have- ever.
Given free choice now that there are only two of us using our Eriba we would probably go for a 530 as they look to have the best sleeping/seating options but we needed a four berth back in the day and the 418 was as much as we could afford. Go and sit in the front of a 542 for a couple of hours - make sure you can cope one side will feel very hemmed in. I'm not trying to convert you, if a 542 is what will suit you best go for it but don't part with your hard earned money until you have really examined other options. Find a dealer with various if not all suitable models and spend hours and hours sitting in them. You may find the fixed bed is not the overriding must have, what will you do if you meet people and want to have them over for a drink or two, or a meal ? You'll have nowhere to sit. Eriba people are drawn to one another like magnets I don't think in the eleven years we've had our van that there has been an occasion where we never entertained a new friend who either had an Eriba or just wanted to see what they were like. All the best with your plans and keep us posted.

Denise & Phil

Hi Denise and phil, thank you for that - that is certainly something to think about , we have plenty of time before we will be ready to buy so i think this will be our next long term point of debate :) The extra living space would indeed be very handy in the winter months, but Christina is quite happy sitting on the bed and does so currently at home, Another point to consider with the 542 for long term living is mattress replacement costs so i will find out about that before any purchase. Sitting in each van for a couple of hours is a great idea and when we have cash ready to buy we will certainly do that. Thanks for your thoughts on this.

Can you try one out?
We have a Triton. We make up the bed every day because we like having the larger table for dinner, watching a film......friends round to eat.....it is quick to make up. I also thing that you may go crazy if you have nowhere to spread out in the day. Cooking, eating, hobbies...all take space.

I would approach some of the smaller suppliers of Eriba's who buy their stock on the continent and through their connections can help you find exactly what you are looking for. Try Ikonickampers.co.uk I bought my Troll 530gt from them.Tell them what you are after and let them source you something.
Three other things I will add, 542's are not very thick on the ground, so you are going to have less choice.
In my opinion older vans especially Eriba's are probably more durable than the newer post circa 2010 ones.
The fixed bed in a 542 gives you less adaptablity than say a 530, which also has a bigger seating dinette area at the front.
Good luck with your venture and keep us posted.