Maciej Mokwiński

Every year, caravanning is becoming more and more popular, also in Poland. More and more people are buying branded tourist equipment for long vacation trips. Most of us choose travel destinations known for years in the west, and especially in the south of Europe. Many amateurs of caravanning have already got bored of enjoying the charms of the azure coast, Croatian pebble beaches and other attractions. Hungry for stronger impressions and new, unknown territories, they decide to visit Eastern Europe and the outskirts of Asia.

How to prepare a motorhome and yourself for a trip to secluded areas

Undoubtedly, one of the best ways to get acquainted with the current offer of caravanning equipment and camping manufacturers - in Poland and not only - are trade fairs. Every year, right after the world-famous motor show in Geneva, their Polish counterpart is held - the Motor Show in Poznań. The native event begins on April 9 with a press day, and on the following days, 10-12.04, the exhibition halls are made available to a wider audience. Among the hundreds of exhibitors, the part occupied by caravanning companies - including the Camprest.com stand - deserves special attention.

Poznań Motor Show 2015

A few months before the start of the season, many caravanning enthusiasts face a dilemma: buy a powerful motorhome like Knaus Sky and Plus (investing over 60-70 thousand euros), which will meet our requirements (more beds), or decide on a different solution. Every year, more and more people choose a smaller motorhome, which can easily pull a caravan or a tow truck with a small car. By choosing a small camper - Knaus Sky Wave - and a basic Knaus Sport caravan (as a set) we will save not only a large part of the budget. We will also gain much more usable space and a large number of possible configurations of our holiday "camp". The aforementioned size of the camper will easily cope with towing a trailer , as well as taking equipment and the entire crew on board. What's more - if we don't need more accommodation for the time being, we can successfully go on a trip with a camper alone .

How to deal with the camper + trailer set?

The fashion for mobile homes has been growing continuously for several decades both in Western Europe and in Poland. Caravanning enthusiasts have at their disposal a huge market offer that suits practically everyone. Many people reach for integrated or semi-integrated campers, providing more than enough space for four or six people. Nevertheless - during the vacation trip, we will successfully "fit" into a much smaller - more mobile - vehicle built on a small delivery vehicle. One of the most interesting products of modest size is the Westfalia Club Joker . The history of the model dates back to the 1970s , when the Volkswagen Transporter , adapted to small tourism, with just such a name, appeared. The current version is based on the latest incarnation of the popular Transporter.

Westfalia Club Joker - the heir to a legend

It has been known for a long time that the implementation of caravanning passion is also associated with other issues than charming trips around the country or Europe. Before we set out to achieve our goal, many decisions await us, which will have a significant impact on the entire life of the equipment. Regardless of whether we are going to buy a brand new motorhome or a second-hand motorhome, we must seriously consider at least one issue. Choosing a drive unit should be one of the most important things for us before making a purchase. An improperly selected engine can be a source of many unforeseen difficulties , discomfort, as well as unnecessary operating expenses . To avoid the aforementioned unpleasantness, we should be aware of our needs and expectations regarding new equipment. Our travel plans for the coming seasons are of great importance. When planning only trips to lowland regions with four or five people on board, we can successfully stop at the basic engine versions. 1.9-2.3 l diesel constructions generate about 120 KM , which turns out to be quite enough value for a small camper . Crossing the lowlands will not cause any problems. What's more - we will be able to enjoy the low consumption of diesel fuel .

What should you consider when choosing a motorhome drive unit?

The upcoming holidays, the holiday travel season, is a time that requires budget planning and vacation destinations. For caravanning enthusiasts, it is the cost criterion that usually turns out to be decisive, especially if we want to rent equipment. From the very beginning, you can see huge differences in the price of renting caravans and motorhomes , the applicable deposits . Nevertheless - in order to reliably assess the profitability of each option of organizing a vacation - let's make some assumptions. In the season, the price of renting a decent caravan is about PLN 150 per night (the deposit is 1000 PLN ), while the motorhome is 500 PLN - the deposit is 4000 PLN. Let's also assume that the rental time will be ten days and the total mileage will be 1500 km. A motorhome uses 10 liters of diesel fuel for each 100 km traveled, while the car with which we tow the trailer uses 11 liters.

Rent a motorhome or a caravan of similar size?

Just a few years ago, almost all drivers going on vacation with a dog or cat had virtually no accessories to choose from. In the Polish reality, there was absolutely no topic of safe and responsible transport of a pet in a car, let alone in a motorhome. Nobody paid any attention to the conditions in which domestic animals travel, except of course drivers who care about the cleanliness of the interior of their vehicle - they were satisfied with used blankets and similar "protective" materials. Before going on a holiday trip, we should learn the rules governing the transport of these dogs and cats, otherwise we will face a costly meeting with the local police - remember that the amount of fines depends to a large extent on the uniformed, and what is worse - we have to pay them abroad for place.

How to transport a dog or cat in the car? - useful accessories

In the case of caravans, most buyers follow some of the same rules as when choosing a car. When deciding on a brand new product, we can be sure of the clean history of the equipment as well as a guarantee. Unfortunately - not all of us can afford an expense exceeding even PLN 100,000 . The aftermarket comes to the rescue, offering trailers for practically every budget. By using second-hand offers, we can not only save a significant amount, but - against our will - find an extremely worn-out copy with numerous defects typical for caravans.

Typical faults of caravans - check before you buy

It has been known for a long time that the preferences and needs of customers are radically different on each side of the Atlantic. No wonder then that the wishes of demanding customers are followed by producers who try to adapt their offer to the requirements of potential buyers. Motorhomes built on the basis of popular vans like Fiat Ducato are very popular on the European market. Larger structures - apart from their price - do not exist in our road conditions for a simple reason - they are built on the basis of buses. What's different from overseas.

Volkner Mobil - holiday glamor

Active spending of free time away from hotels, guesthouses and travel agencies is associated with many dilemmas. Avid amateurs of caravanning in the first years of their adventure consider renting or buying their own motorhome or caravan. In the following years, when the passion develops and the budget enables the purchase of new equipment, new dilemmas emerge: a luxurious caravan or a campervan?. The answer to this question is at least as many as caravanners. Each of us has different preferences, requirements and disposition . The qualifications you have - driving license categories are also very important. Undoubtedly, both a motorhome and caravan have a huge number of advantages and disadvantages that are typical of them.

A luxurious caravan or a motorhome?

Contrary to appearances - the operation of the caravan does not boil down only to using the charms and comforts provided by its residential part. Spacious interior made of high-quality materials - durable floor coverings, solid furniture and rich furnishings. But that's not all. Issues related to the safety of its use, especially towing it to a place of vacation, are not much less important. Driving with a caravan requires a lot more concentration, anticipation and fluency of movements from the driver than driving the car alone. The driver must take into account many factors that determine the safety of himself and other road users. The curb weight has a huge impact on the behavior of the towed trailer . The heavier our trailer is, the more we load the engine and the entire power transmission unit of the car. During deceleration, the braking system works with double force. Fortunately, only very light constructions are devoid of their own braking system - the other (heavier) trailers are equipped with an overrun brake .

How does an overrun brake work?

The number of active leisure time enthusiasts is constantly growing, also on the Vistula River. New rentals and distributors of camping equipment appear on the dynamically developing Polish caravanning market each year. Most amateurs of camping relaxation are still in favor of buying their own caravan or motorhome. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford to buy an old caravan of German or Italian production, despite the passage of time, presenting a decent technical condition. An interesting alternative to the aforementioned products and expensive rental is the second-hand Niewiadów N126n trailer. The Polish construction , produced for several decades, was the most popular, of course, in the times of the People's Republic of Poland, enabling thousands of families to go on vacation to Bulgaria or Greece.