Just discovered this site and am finding it riveting reading with heaps of brill tips. We currently have a Pennine Fiesta and are considering upgrading to a Pullman/ Pathfinder as we often can't get away until very late on a Friday and putting the awning up for one night is a bit of a hassle, whilst making do without is a bit cramped with two growing kids. Would be grateful for any views on merits/disadvantages of Pullman/Pathfinder. Also on the question of towing - we have a Mondeo 1.8 petrol and wonder if this would cope with the extra weight.
Mondeo should cope ok - we tow a Pullman with 4 bikes on the car roof and canoe grear and inflatable caoes in the boot in a 2 litre Subaru no problem
As to which is better Pullman or Pathfinder - ??? Pathfinder is bigger and has a toilet compartment but costs more!! Why not also look out for a Conway Cruiser and Dandy Destiny - both about the same size
Pathfinder has to be the choice! We tow with a C5 estate.
The toilet is takes all the agro out of heading across cold and dark sites both early and late in the year also when a few too many, seriously destroys your sense of direction!
Pullman or Pathfinder the choice is yours, is the toilet compartment and oven worth the extra money. Although the Pathfinder is bigger than the Pullman there is less cupboard storage space due to the toilet and oven. We are more than pleased with our Pullman , we have had 4 adults and a 16 month old in ours without putting the awning up . Just for one night though, bit cramped. As for towing when we got the Pullman I used to tow it with a Peugeot 306 1.4 , we even went to Devon and North Wales from Yorkshire towing with the 306 . Now we have a Landrover Freelander 1.8 and that tows the Pullman with ease.
We had the choice of Pullman and Pathfinder. The male ego was all for the bigger Pathfinder, but the female brain wanted the extra storage and no toilet. The reason for no toilet was that we have 4 boys, and my wife thinks that men just cannot hit the pan.
I have a Pullman and a Mondeo 1.8 and towing is fine. Pathfinder is quite a bit longer so you also need to think about storage.
We didn't go for the Pathfinder for the extra expense, loss of cupboard space (and do we really need an oven after camping for 20 years without one). As to toilet - I have a portable porta potty that we use for late evening and middle of the night usage that is stored outside in the skirt for the rest of the day.
We have a pullman and often camp for the weekend without the awning which is why we decided to buy it due to hubby moaning about pegging out when we had a trailer tent. We both love it and he says it is so easy to tow we have a Kia Karen 2 litre diesel, it fits in the garage a treat. We use a toilet tent both when camping for weekends or longer periods, longer periods when using the awning we put the toilet tent in the awning. There is only the two of us and the dog but we never feel too cramped and I love all the storage room.