If you’re looking at purchasing your first folding camper, you probably wonder whether they are any good. Of course, every folding camper owner will subjectively say that folding campers are brilliant, but that’s not very helpful.
Only you can determine whether a folding camper is any good for you based on the facts that are available. Here I’ll explain why folding campers are good, but also why a folding camper isn’t the best choice for some people. Hopefully this blog post will help you to determine whether folding campers are any good for you.
Why Are Folding Campers Good?
As you’ll know if you are a regular reader of this blog, I own a Pennine Pathfinder folding camper. Thanks to my experiences, I’ve seen what makes folding campers good:
- Everything you need in one compact unit
- Easy to store
- Lightweight
- Easy to tow
Let’s take a look at some of these points in more detail.
Everything You Need In One Unit
In my opinion, one of the biggest downsides to go camping is all the extra equipment you need to take to make the most of your trip. For example, you’ll need to take cooking equipment and heaters, and you won’t have your own toilet unless you take a portable one with you. With the vast majority of folding campers, you don’t have to deal with the majority of these issues because a folding camper will have everything that you need.
Here’s what you’ll find in most folding campers:
- A kitchen with a sink, a grill and a hob with one or more burners
- Oven (newer models)
- Three way fridge
- Toilet compartment
- Cabin heating
- Electric water-heater
- External shower point
- Mains electric system
- Gas system
If you were going camping, you wouldn’t have the vast majority of these features available to you. So if you enjoy camping but want the luxuries of a caravan, the folding camper is definitely an ideal unit for you.
The vast majority of folding campers have most of the features listed above. The Pennine Pathfinder in particular has all of the features listed.
Easy To Store
Before getting into folding campers, I really wanted a caravan. The only thing that put me off was how difficult they are to store. A caravan the size I needed wouldn’t fit on my drive, never mind in my garage. That’s when I started looking at folding campers, which are typically much easier to store.
To demonstrate my point here, let’s take a look at one of the smallest 2 berth caravans, the HYMER Nova GL 470. Here are the Nova GL 470’s dimensions:
- Length: 688 centimeters
- Width: 230 centimeters
- Height: 270 centimeters
Next, let’s take a look at one of the largest folding campers available, the Pennine Pathfinder:
- Length: 488 centimeters
- Width: 212 centimeters
- Height: 139 centimeters (towing/storage height)
So even the largest folding camper is much smaller than the average small caravan. The HYMER Nova GL 470 is one of the smallest 2 berth caravans available, so it’s easy to see why a folding camper is so much easier to store.
If you want to store your unit at home with you, a folding camper is a much better option when compared with a caravan. Folding campers are so much easier to store because of their size. Remember that the caravan mentioned above is actually one of the smallest available. If you need something larger, such as a 4 berth or a 6 berth, it will be significantly larger than the Nova GL 470.
Lightweight
Something to consider when choosing between luxury camping units is how heavy they are. Depending on where and when you gained your driving license, you may be unable to tow heavy trailers without taking an additional test. For example, according to Gov.UK, drivers who passed their test in the UK after 1 January 1997 can only:
- Drive a car or van up to 3,500kg maximum authorised mass (MAM) towing a trailer of up to 750kg MAM
- Tow a trailer over 750kg MAM as long as the combined MAM of the trailer and towing vehicle is no more than 3,500kg
Fortunately, most folding campers are relatively light. Here are the weights of popular folding campers available from Pennine and Conway:
As you can see in the images above, even the heaviest folding campers weigh a maximum of 1050kg when fully laden. This is excellent for numerous reasons. First and foremost, it means that you can probably tow one on your license even if you passed since 1 January 1997. Secondly, it means that some folding campers can be towed with the smallest of cars. For example, a Pennine Apollo can be towed comfortably by most vehicles with a 1.1 litre engine.
Easy To Tow
Before purchasing a folding camper, I didn’t have a great deal of experience towing trailers. It’s fair to say that I was somewhat nervous about towing my folding camper for the first time, but fortunately it wasn’t too much bother. Folding campers are actually really easy to tow, which can likely be attributed to the fact that they are rather light and relatively streamlined.
While towing my folding camper, I’ve never had any trouble with stability. And manoeuvres such as reversing were nowhere near as bad as I expected! My point here is that towing a folding camper isn’t too tough, even if you don’t have a lot of experience.
Towing a folding camper is certainly going to be easier than attempting to tow something such as a caravan if you don’t have a great deal of experience.
Reasons A Folding Camper Might Not Be For You
Folding campers aren’t for everyone, no matter what a folding camper owner will try and tell you. They have their drawbacks like any luxury camping unit.
Here are some of the reasons that a folding camper might not be for you:
- Limited space without the awning attached
- Expensive when compared with tents and trailer tents
- Can be difficult to erect without any asssistance
Limited Space Without The Awning Attached
Virtually every folding camper suffers from a problem where space is very limited if the awning isn’t attached. Although the awning is described as an optional accessory, it’s probably something you’ll really want to use to maximise the space that you have.
In most cases, a 6-berth folding camper is only comfortable for 4 people without the awning. There just isn’t enough seating room built into folding campers for 6 people to sit comfortably. That’s why using the awning really is necessary.
Image: Pennine Outdoor Leisure
As you can see on the floor plan above, there isn’t a lot of space in a folding camper for 6 people. That’s why using the awning together with the main unit is necessary.
Expensive When Compared To Tents And Trailer Tents
Folding campers can be rather costly when compared with tents and trailer tents. Folding campers range from around £12,000 – £25,000 brand new depending on the model that you choose and any extras you pick. Tents and trailer tents start much cheaper, with most trailer tents available within the £5,000 – £10,000 range brand new.
Unless you really must have the latest folding camper, you are better off purchasing a second-hand unit. I previously wrote an article on the depreciation of folding campers that revealed brand new folding campers lose a big chunk of their value within the first 12 months. After that point, they tend to hold their value pretty well. With that in mind, purchasing a second-hand unit tends to be prudent.
Also keep in mind that older folding campers often have the same features that you’ll find in newer versions of the same model. For example, there’s no difference between a 2015 Pennine Pathfinder and the latest model. Other than different colour schemes, the features are exactly the same. Basically, you won’t be missing out on anything by going for a slightly older folding camper.
Can Be Difficult To Erect Without Assistance
It can be difficult to erect a folding camper without assistance in the same way it would be difficult to put up a tent without any help.
Putting up the main unit is actually relatively easy and one adult can usually do it without any help. It’s the putting up the awning that takes time and can cause great trouble. Putting up a folding camper awning is enough to have you filing for divorce after it’s all done and dusted!
If you intend to travel alone or you’ll be putting up your folding camper without assistance, perhaps while the family watches on from the safety of the car, you may struggle. It’s just worth noting as this obviously isn’t an issue you would have with a standard caravan.
