Motorhome On The Broads

[Cal]

We hope to have our boat sold early next spring. We have decided to hold of putting her on brokerage just now as winter is arriving and wait until spring is in the air.

But anyway I diverge.

We hope that one of our first trips when we get our new motorhome next year will be a trip to Norfolk and Suffolk with a few days pottering around on the Broads.

Does anyone know of any good campsites or pubs (or similar) that allow motorhomes (small under 6m) to stay. We won't need full facilities every night as the van will be self sufficient. We will however need a site every few days to deal with emptying and refilling the relevant onboard tanks and ensuring that the batteries get a decent overnight charge.

We will probably call into Wells nest the Sea on the way down which will be a sited night or two and we will call into Southwold as well which will be a sited night or two so probably won't need facilities too quickly when we arrive at the Broads.

Any suggestions welcomed.

[Mouldy]

We’ve never owned a motor home or touring van for that matter, so my knowledge is limited, but there is a caravan site between Ludham Bridge and the Dog Inn.

[CambridgeCabby]

Ring Roy at the Maltsters Ranworth 

[Happy]

8 minutes ago, Cal said:

We hope to have our boat sold early next spring. We have decided to hold of putting her on brokerage just now as winter is arriving and wait until spring is in the air.

But anyway I diverge.

We hope that one of our first trips when we get our new motorhome next year will be a trip to Norfolk and Suffolk with a few days pottering around on the Broads.

Does anyone know of any good campsites or pubs (or similar) that allow motorhomes (small under 6m) to stay. We won't need full facilities every night as the van will be self sufficient. We will however need a site every few days to deal with emptying and refilling the relevant onboard tanks and ensuring that the batteries get a decent overnight charge.

We will probably call into Wells nest the Sea on the way down which will be a sited night or two and we will call into Southwold as well which will be a sited night or two so probably won't need facilities too quickly when we arrive at the Broads.

Any suggestions welcomed.

  When we sold our last boat that was based at Beccles we could not wait to get back to Norfolk when we replaced the boat with a motorhome.  First stop was the campsite in Potter Heigham and then a few days at the cl at Hippersons, Beccles.  Both sites very friendly and the ride up to Beccles on our electric bikes memorable!  

Whilst it was enjoyable it did not live up to the boat so we sold it soon after!

Have fun with yours.

Happy (aka Alan)

[jeffbroadslover]

There is a site overlooking the river at Wroxham.  Turn off at the zebra crossing outside NBD and follow the road until you see the bridge at the old Porter & Haylett yard. The site is next to the river before the bridge. I have no idea who controls the site but no doubt someone on here will be able to help with that.

Hope  this helps a bit

Jeff

[Poppy]

2 minutes ago, jeffbroadslover said:

There is a site overlooking the river at Wroxham.  Turn off at the zebra crossing outside NBD and follow the road until you see the bridge at the old Porter & Haylett yard. The site is next to the river before the bridge. I have no idea who controls the site but no doubt someone on here will be able to help with that.

Hope  this helps a bit

Jeff

Caravan and Camping Club - members only.

[Guest]

Walnut Farm, Waxham

Bureside Holiday Park, Boundary Farm, Oby

Reedham Ferry, Reedham

White House Campsite, Potter Heigham

Willowcroft Caravan Park, Potter Heigham 

The Dog Inn, Ludham Bridge

Two Jay's Farm, Horstead

Whitlingham Broad Campsite, Whitlingham

I'm not sure if Hickling Caravan Site take motorhomes too.

[Cal]

2 hours ago, Happy said:

  When we sold our last boat that was based at Beccles we could not wait to get back to Norfolk when we replaced the boat with a motorhome.  First stop was the campsite in Potter Heigham and then a few days at the cl at Hippersons, Beccles.  Both sites very friendly and the ride up to Beccles on our electric bikes memorable!  

Whilst it was enjoyable it did not live up to the boat so we sold it soon after!

Have fun with yours.

Happy (aka Alan)

We have done everything we wanted to do with the boat. Time to move on to a new adventure and explore new places as well as visiting places we know and love.

[Jbx5]

We were going to do the same thing last year so decided to hire a motor home first to see if we liked it. We used Capricorn campers in Norfolk and toured the Dorset area for a week. Although we the van was brand new and couldn’t fault the company we found it was just too cramped and every time you wanted to go anywhere everything had to be put away also with driving a lot with work it wasn’t much of a relaxing holiday really.

I’m sure they suit a lot of people though as they are getting very popular.

John

[grendel]

we had a converted transit parcel van and did a lot of touring with that, though one year we were on the isle of wight and had to hit the brakes, this was followed by a tidal wave to the front of the van as one of the water containers had leaked the contents into the back, cue a day of everything out of the van to dry at the campsite. as you say if camping when you want a trip out you need to pack everything up, - or carry a couple of bycycles on a carrier on the back. one work colleague used to tow a small car behind his to use for getting around when he had parked up for the week.

[Bluebell]

2 hours ago, jeffbroadslover said:

There is a site overlooking the river at Wroxham.  Turn off at the zebra crossing outside NBD and follow the road until you see the bridge at the old Porter & Haylett yard. The site is next to the river before the bridge. I have no idea who controls the site but no doubt someone on here will be able to help with that.

Hope  this helps a bit

Jeff

I think that Cheryl on 07803 619015 manages the site on behalf of whoever owns it now.

[Paul]

Get yourself a coffee, this could get a bit long. We have a caravan so normally look for somewhere we can pitch for several days, but there have been occasions we look for somewhere more off grid for a couple of nights, then move on to somewhere that we can empty that which must be emptied and recharge that which must be recharged. Elaine and I have a strange way of ranking sites, "goodness" and "niceness". Good is based on what facilities there are and if they are clean etc. Nice is more of a personal opinion based on location, are the people friendly, do we feel comfortable there etc. A site can score low on goodness and still be nice and we'll visit time and time again, but even if it's the best site in the world if we don't find it nice then we would not go back.

Starting with the more informal sites,

i) Keeler's Meadow - Sutton. Operated by the garden center this is our favorite site. Techincally a C&CC CS but we have never been asked for membership (which we don't have!). A typical CS with five pitches, mixed between grass and gravel, with drinking water, waste disposal, chemical disposal point (CDP), electric hook ups and a little wooden shed hosing a toilet, book exchange and information board. They also have a rally field attached which is all grass with one additional pitch with hookup and loads of grass pitches. Rarely busy but pre book to be sure. No drive over disposal point as far as I'm aware.

ii) Dog Inn, Ludham Bridge. Geoff runs a camping field alongside the pub which serves good food and real ales. Only facility is a water tap though Geoff will usually leave the toilet door open if there are campers in the field. Pitches are all grass and usually quite firm even in wet weather. If necessary I'm sure he'd find you a hard stand to over night on. 

iii) Landamores - Wroxham. As Poppy says this is also a C&CC CS, nice location plus all the facilities of the boatyard / marina but beware! The site is right next to the bridge over the marina entrance which clangs like the bells of hades every time a vehicle goes over, which they do with alarming regularity. It gets on your **** after a while. 

iv) Beeches Farm - adjacent to Womack Staithe. This is a C&MC CL so five pitches with good facilities but adults only, hence we have not visitied. My sister has with their motor home and enjoyed the site. Strictly Caravan & Motorhome Club members only. 

v) Gale Cruisers, Loddon. Lovely site with decent facilties. Another C&MC CL and strictly members only, they will check. They have an excellent online availability chart which lets you select your specific pitch, as some are riverside and some a few yards away. has water / showers / toilets hook ups etc, not sure of drive over disposal. Very popular so book early. Never feels busy though, even if all five pitches are occupied. 

vi) Hipperson's - Beccles. Much like Gale, another C&MC CL. Toilets, water, hook ups. Also very popular.

Of the more formal sites we have tried a few, but in truth prefer the smaller sites above, the exception being Reedham Ferry which has a lovely site next to the pub. 

There is also Waveney River Centre with excellent facilities on the river side at Burgh St Peter though last time we looked at it it was very expensive, but if you want the facilities it's worth a look. 

Bureside Holiday park at Oby is also worth a look. We stayed here a number of times when it was called Boundary Farm, but when the name changed the prices went up sharply. Like WRC it has a swimming pool so if that's important to you then worth considering. 

 

There are plenty more. UKCampsite.co.uk is an excellent source for finding sites, plus there is a book published which lists pubs that allow motor homes to over night, sometimes FOC if using the pub. I'm not sure of the exact name but I'm sure you'll find it with a quick google.

 

 

[JennyMorgan]

Reedham Ferry and Waveney River Centre at Burgh St Peter, booking probably essential. 

[Cal]

4 hours ago, Jbx5 said:

We were going to do the same thing last year so decided to hire a motor home first to see if we liked it. We used Capricorn campers in Norfolk and toured the Dorset area for a week. Although we the van was brand new and couldn’t fault the company we found it was just too cramped and every time you wanted to go anywhere everything had to be put away also with driving a lot with work it wasn’t much of a relaxing holiday really.

I’m sure they suit a lot of people though as they are getting very popular.

John

The van we want (Benimar Mileo 202) has more living space than our boat so I dont think lack of space will be an issue!

It has a clever electric drop down bed with the saloon below so you get seating for 6 comfortably 8 at a push plus a fixed bed in a van that is a shade under 6m. It also has a big shower room with separate shower stall and a decent galley with full cooker and a large fridge freezer. Facilities we could only dream of on a little boat like ours.

It wont feel like camping!

We dont plan to stay in one place for more than a couple of nights, we rarely did with the boat. We enjoy exploring and finding new places. So having to up sticks and decamp wont be an issue as  we wont have much to decamp. 

[Jbx5]

Oh yes the clever electric drop down bunk bed with an aluminium ladder such fun in the middle of the night with bear  feet I remember it well😂

John

[ChrisB]

Judith and I did a lot of touring throughout the UK and Continent when our two sons were young. We hired both a motorhome and a caravan first and for our needs the touring caravan won hands down. The caravan with it's fixed awning  provided a more permanent camp at our destination leaving the car free to use. Another benefit was the ease of " leveling up" the caravan on it's jacks, as many sites in the Alps and Pyrenees are far from flat, in those days the RVs used ramps which I did not fancy to achieve a level plain, I have even seen an Italian family use a short axle stand! I suppose motorhomes today have air suspension to get a flat nights sleep.

Having bought a touring van we used both it and the boat for our summer holidays. For years our boat was at Ridge Wharf Nr Wareham. We would tow the caravan to Lookout Caravan Park at Stoborough and day sail the boat to Studland or having the occasional night aboard there or in Poole Harbour. The caravan was invaluable though as it let the boys have a good run around, when they were little, away from the river and marina.

Enjoy your wandering adventures.

[JennyMorgan]

I have attended a number of Drascomb Rallies and have rather envied those with their boats in tow behind a motor-home. Owning a caravan is fine, but I'd rather have the extra facility of a boat on a trailer.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

14 hours ago, Paul said:

 v) Gale Cruisers, Loddon. Lovely site with decent facilties. Another C&MC CL and strictly members only, they will check. They have an excellent online availability chart which lets you select your specific pitch, as some are riverside and some a few yards away. has water / showers / toilets hook ups etc, not sure of drive over disposal. Very popular so book early. Never feels busy though, even if all five pitches are occupied. 

Gale Riverside is owned and run by John and Lynda Cressy, they who also own Maffett Cruisers next door. John is a real character and full of stories to tell. Karen and i often used to take one of their boats back the day before leaving for home, and sitting up til very late chatting with them.  Something i miss a great deal. 

The site is really quiet and peaceful, and a 5 minute walk into Loddon with all facilities, "Rosie Lee`s Tea Room" being my recommendation.

 

[VetChugger]

I too have had the pleasure of long natter with John on more than one occasion but a good while ago. If I were to say Langford continually interrupted would that give a clue as to when?

 

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

6 hours ago, VetChugger said:

I too have had the pleasure of long natter with John on more than one occasion but a good while ago. If I were to say Langford continually interrupted would that give a clue as to when?

 

Were you apprentices together then?.

[Paul]

On 16/11/2019 at 05:27, ChrisB said:

Judith and I did a lot of touring throughout the UK and Continent when our two sons were young. We hired both a motorhome and a caravan first and for our needs the touring caravan won hands down. The caravan with it's fixed awning  provided a more permanent camp at our destination leaving the car free to use. Another benefit was the ease of " leveling up" the caravan on it's jacks, as many sites in the Alps and Pyrenees are far from flat, in those days the RVs used ramps which I did not fancy to achieve a level plain, I have even seen an Italian family use a short axle stand! I suppose motorhomes today have air suspension to get a flat nights sleep.

Having bought a touring van we used both it and the boat for our summer holidays. For years our boat was at Ridge Wharf Nr Wareham. We would tow the caravan to Lookout Caravan Park at Stoborough and day sail the boat to Studland or having the occasional night aboard there or in Poole Harbour. The caravan was invaluable though as it let the boys have a good run around, when they were little, away from the river and marina.

Enjoy your wandering adventures.

The debate between Caravan and Motorhome has raged just about as long as we've had motor vehicles and cultivates disputes more heated than anything that this forum has seen in defence or attack of the blessed authority. You pay your money and take your choice.

We're committed caravanners, my sister and brother in law equally committed to their motor home. 

The only thing I cannot, for the life of me understand is those who have a motor home and then tow a small car behind it. 

[vanessan]

2 hours ago, Paul said:

The only thing I cannot, for the life of me understand is those who have a motor home and then tow a small car behind it. 

Presumably so they can park their motor home on a nice camp site or whatever and use the small car for zipping off down country lanes the motor home is too big for. It’s always seemed a rather good idea to me. 

[Paul]

So I buy a motor home, it costs me 50k, 60k, 80k, possibly even more. I have to tax it, insure it, MOT it, once it's three years old, service it every year, and once I get home it stands in the driveway or storage compound slowly depreciating. I spend more money on a micro car, small Citroens and Peugeots seem to be the most fashionable. Another vehicle to tax, insure, mot, service every year. When it gets home it might get used, more likely it won't, it too sits on the driveway slowly, or rather rapidly depreciating. I've spent more money having a tow bar and electrics fitted to my motorhome plus modifications to the car to allow me to plug in the lights, override the steering lock etc. When I go away I'm towing so I'm now subject to the same restricted speed limits as someone towing a caravan. When I arrive on site I have to unhook the car etc. Then when I've done all that and put the kettle on and sit back to enjoy my cuppa I have less room on board than I would have in a caravan. Then when I want to go out for the day I crush myself into a roller skate with a lawn mower engine and hope that I don't come across too many 1 in 5s. 

Alternatively I could spend 25k on a top of the range caravan, the same again on a nice car to pull it, I only have one set of tax and mot to pay, the car is used at home so not just a holiday expense, I have more space in my caravan than a motor home (unless I've spent serious money on a coach built), and when I want to go out for the day I have a comfortable vehicle to do it in. 

I understand the benefits of a motor home to those people who want to tour, spending one or two nights before moving on, such as Cal, but spending twice the money of a caravan on a motorhome, then using it like a caravan makes just as much sense as those who spend twice the price of a PC on a Mac and use it in windows mode.

[VetChugger]

14 hours ago, SPEEDTRIPLE said:

Were you apprentices together then?.

Nay, nothing so clever. We were just very regular hirers at Alpha whilst John was there. We always went off season such as January and March. As such we were more often than not the only boat going out. We would all gather for a long natter and catch up both on setting off and returning. We especially found Mrs Jillings very friendly and pleasant. Young Langford was a "bump" back then.

[Victoryv]

We took delivery of our new camper last Sunday, something we always intended to buy , but not for a couple of years, but life has a strange way of upsetting your plans, so we bought forward the plan, the intention is we have a change of scene every couple of weeks, as due to my health we are stuck with the same four walls for much of the time and we don't need to travel far to change that.

I think we have created the right balance of van, big enough to sleep 4 , but more than comfortable for 2, we haven't skimped on anything we think will make life easier, in the back is a garage, big enough for two motorbikes and my electric bike, my illness affects my walking so I need transport, on good days I can manage a proper bike on the bad ones its electric.

For us its the chance of freedom from lifes downturn.