Hello from the UK!

Maverick355 · 10-09-2012, 04:28 PM

Hi everyone,

I just joined today, made a post already elsewhere without realising I should drop by and say Hi here first (oops!)...

My wife and I just got our first 5th wheeler, we bought used but have been looking for a while to get a good example and we think we did. We have a 2007 Sabre 30RES and have a 2003 Silverado 2500HD to pull it with.

Were in the UK and although 5th wheels are getting more popular they are far far outnumbered by the regular European style caravans. We wanted lots of room inside, not to be cramped up in a 'train aisle' as my wife puts it, so we opted for the 5th wheel with a rear lounge and big slideout. I dont understand why more people dont take this option!

Weve just had our first weekend away in the trailer and loved every minute of it. Our son is almost 3 years old and he didnt want to come home.. Really we bought it for his benefit as we didnt want to be flying away for holidays and living in hotels / guest houses just isnt that relaxing. This seemed like the perfect solution and so far it is proving to be true!

Well, hope to talk with many of you in the future, and I hope at some point to be able to contribute some useful information too!

Take care,
Simon, Elaine & Alfie

okdrifter · 10-09-2012, 04:55 PM

B47 · 10-09-2012, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maverick355

Hi everyone,

I just joined today, made a post already elsewhere without realising I should drop by and say Hi here first (oops!)...

My wife and I just got our first 5th wheeler, we bought used but have been looking for a while to get a good example and we think we did. We have a 2007 Sabre 30RES and have a 2003 Silverado 2500HD to pull it with.

Were in the UK and although 5th wheels are getting more popular they are far far outnumbered by the regular European style caravans. We wanted lots of room inside, not to be cramped up in a 'train aisle' as my wife puts it, so we opted for the 5th wheel with a rear lounge and big slideout. I dont understand why more people dont take this option!

Weve just had our first weekend away in the trailer and loved every minute of it. Our son is almost 3 years old and he didnt want to come home.. Really we bought it for his benefit as we didnt want to be flying away for holidays and living in hotels / guest houses just isnt that relaxing. This seemed like the perfect solution and so far it is proving to be true!

Well, hope to talk with many of you in the future, and I hope at some point to be able to contribute some useful information too!

Take care,
Simon, Elaine & Alfie

I for one would love to see photos of RVing as it is done in the UK.

Welcome.

TURBS · 10-09-2012, 05:08 PM

I'm with b47 !

Fire Instructor · 10-09-2012, 06:01 PM

With European passenger vehicles so typically smaller than ours, what do you haul your 5'er with? My sister is married to a Dutch national, and lives there now. Her father-in-law sells "caravans". Most that I've seen are built small to be hauled by the typical European auto.

wfmdfm · 10-09-2012, 06:50 PM

I was wondering the same thing- What do you pull it with. Our times in Europe the cars and trucks seemed very small compared to the States. As we checked out the Caravan Parks all we would see were the smaller set ups. Pictures would be great.
Wally

Earth Station · 10-09-2012, 07:45 PM

I was in England to visit my daughter while she lived there and NEVER saw one FW. Oh my gosh....... can't imagine a 2500 hauling a FW on some of those roads. My daughters trailblazer seemed HUGE on the roads. We looked at the "caravans" there

The same but different ... all seemed small

wfmdfm · 10-09-2012, 08:12 PM

My poor rental car was all scratched up on the left side from me hitting the bushes and brush on those roads. I agree that I cant imagine our rig on any of those roads.

Maverick355 · 10-10-2012, 07:17 AM

Well, you will have to pick and choose your campsite thats for sure! Thats why a couple of people have produced a guide called the Big Pitch Guide (www.the-big-pitch-guide.com) which details all the campsites in the UK which can take 40' A class and 5th wheel campers. Also they have good details showing the entrance roads and what to look out for etc on the way in.

Some of the smaller roads will definately be out of bounds I think, like some of those winding narrow lanes in Cornwall or the Lake District. Especially with stone walls either side...). BUT, if a tanker truck can get down there to deliver supplies, fuel etc then I dont see why a 5th wheel couldnt do it. Will let you know when Ive tried it...

There is a company here manufacturing 5th wheel campers now, the Fifth Wheel Company. They make units specifically for the Japanese type of pickup (Nissan Navara, Toyota Hilux, etc) which are more popular here. They are a bit shorter (27' overall length) but are still quite heavy (7000 lbs dry weight). They look nice but were too expensive for us which is why we went the US route. Ive attached a picture of their Celtic Rambler unit.

I think we made the right choice, Ive always had US vehicles so driving the Silverado is no issue for me (we have a 2003 2500HD with the 6.0 gasoline engine and LPG conversion). Our plan is to do some UK only trips next year with a view to going into Europe the following years, maybe as far as Spain. Longer term I plan to follow the European Drag Racing Championship one year when my son is old enough to appreciate the road trip!

Ive attached a picture of my Sabre too, but Im sure you know what it looks like already..

Regards,
Simon

F and E Damp · 10-10-2012, 11:09 AM

Greetings from an ex-pat Lancastrian (originally from Leyland). We've been in the US (mainly in Washington State) since emigrating for me to work at Boeing in 1968. Now 14 years after taking early retirement, we're located in a small seaside town called Anacortes, fairly close (about 50 miles in a straight line) to the US/Canada border. We've lived here since November 1999.

You're a braver man than I, driving an RV package as big as that on the opposite side of the road. At least in a LHD rig, the driver is closest to the walls and hedges.

B47 · 10-10-2012, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maverick355

Well, you will have to pick and choose your campsite thats for sure! Thats why a couple of people have produced a guide called the Big Pitch Guide (www.the-big-pitch-guide.com) which details all the campsites in the UK which can take 40' A class and 5th wheel campers. Also they have good details showing the entrance roads and what to look out for etc on the way in.

Some of the smaller roads will definately be out of bounds I think, like some of those winding narrow lanes in Cornwall or the Lake District. Especially with stone walls either side...). BUT, if a tanker truck can get down there to deliver supplies, fuel etc then I dont see why a 5th wheel couldnt do it. Will let you know when Ive tried it...

There is a company here manufacturing 5th wheel campers now, the Fifth Wheel Company. They make units specifically for the Japanese type of pickup (Nissan Navara, Toyota Hilux, etc) which are more popular here. They are a bit shorter (27' overall length) but are still quite heavy (7000 lbs dry weight). They look nice but were too expensive for us which is why we went the US route. Ive attached a picture of their Celtic Rambler unit.

I think we made the right choice, Ive always had US vehicles so driving the Silverado is no issue for me (we have a 2003 2500HD with the 6.0 gasoline engine and LPG conversion). Our plan is to do some UK only trips next year with a view to going into Europe the following years, maybe as far as Spain. Longer term I plan to follow the European Drag Racing Championship one year when my son is old enough to appreciate the road trip!

Ive attached a picture of my Sabre too, but Im sure you know what it looks like already..

Regards,
Simon

That FW is much bigger than I imagined for being in the UK. I was there twice and always remember how small the cars were.

Got photos of the Tow Vehicles over there?

Glad you are on the forum.

J_KHawthorne · 10-10-2012, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B47

I for one would love to see photos of RVing as it is done in the UK.

Welcome.

Excellent idea! Welcome to the forums! Where in the UK is 'home-base'?

Maverick355 · 10-10-2012, 04:44 PM

'Home base' is in Preston, Lancashire. About 20 miles from Manchester, West side of England.

Ive attached a pic of my truck. Shes nothing special, but shes real clean and tidy. Not got any with it hooked up to the Sabre yet.

Simon

**Terier** · 10-10-2012, 09:54 PM

Welcome aboard! And ditto on the pictures suggestion.

timarti · 10-10-2012, 10:39 PM

And hello from one of the colonies, LOL!

F and E Damp · 10-11-2012, 10:46 AM

A near neighbor to our home town of Leyland (6 miles away), Simon. We're about 4500 miles west of there these days! Used to go through Preston 5 days a week, on my way to work at BAC-Warton (1958 - 1965). DW was a dental assistant in the Lancashire County Council's school dental program.

SaskCampers · 10-11-2012, 10:48 AM

Another welcome from Canada.. Enjoy the forum and happy trails.

Maverick355 · 10-11-2012, 01:46 PM

Thanks for all the welcome messages!

Frank - I live in Bamber Bridge which is even closer than 6 miles! In fact tomorrow Im going to CW Berrys in Leyland to get the truck weighed on their weighbridge (I want all details with me when travelling in case I get pulled over, which happens occaisionally with 5th wheelers). My wife used to work at BAE Warton until all the redundancies last year. She took voluntary and part of that has gone towards the camper set up we now have. Best move she ever made

Small World eh?!

Simon

B47 · 10-11-2012, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maverick355

Thanks for all the welcome messages!

Frank - I live in Bamber Bridge which is even closer than 6 miles! In fact tomorrow Im going to CW Berrys in Leyland to get the truck weighed on their weighbridge (I want all details with me when travelling in case I get pulled over, which happens occaisionally with 5th wheelers). My wife used to work at BAE Warton until all the redundancies last year. She took voluntary and part of that has gone towards the camper set up we now have. Best move she ever made

Small World eh?!

Simon

You say people pulling FW's are pulled over occaisionally - is this a common practice with police or is there a legimate reason for doing so?

Maverick355 · 10-11-2012, 02:24 PM

If you have acquired your drivers licence pre 1997 then you can tow a maximum GTW of 8.25 tons. However if its post 1997 you need to take an extra test to get this towing limit. Although Ive had my licence long enough to qualify for the 8.25 ton limit, the sight of the FW going down the road might 'look' like its over weight, especially as the camper is so much bigger than the truck. I think thats why people get pulled over (by the Police).

Im being cautious as I dont want to get taken to a government weighbridge which might be 50 miles from where I get stopped. So having all the weights done in advance 'might' help me in that situation. Ive also got the trailer law in the glovebox and all the evidence needed to comply there too (as much as I can find anyway). For instance youre not allowed electric brakes on a semi-trailer if the trailer axle load is more than 3500Kg. Also the trucks get 'de-rated' when theyre brought in the UK so they can be driven as personal vehciles (not commercial vehicles) so their GVW is limited to 3500Kg also (even though Chevy have it plated at 4173Kg.

So... I have make sure the front and rear axle weights of the truck are no more than 3500Kg and that the camper axle load is no more than 3500Kg too (for the electric brake limit). Gives me a total mass limit of 7 tons. Thats why I'll be towing with empty tanks and were using plastic plates and cups in the camper! Actually there should be about 500Kg of mass I can load into the camper from empty, which I hope is enough....! Soon adds up though I guess.

Simon

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