Table of Contents
Kucavana, its name and its history
Traveling by motorhome is our passion and here is its history.
Kucavana is the name with which our children baptized our current motorhome the day it arrived home.
When Anna was two years old, she couldn't pronounce "motorhome" very well and would say something like "kucavana." By repeating it, she and her brother, who laughed at her, ended up getting her name. The truth is, our whole family loves this name!
Its story goes back to the day we decided to sell our old, historic 25-year-old Volkswagen California van, the Cali, a true hippie van that gave us so many great moments and stories. After spending three weeks in the Pyrenees during the summer of 2017 and enduring days of torrential rain with two small children, we realized it was too small for us and that we needed a change in our lives.
we sold, we tied the blanket to the head and we would buy a new motorhome. So it was, in a very short time we sold it and began to look at motorhomes. Without a doubt, traveling by motorhome would change our traveling life.
Choosing a Challenger 396
Our initial favorite was the Benimar Sport 323 coachbuilt motorhome with bunk beds, and we were quite convinced it was what we needed: bunk beds for the children and plenty of dining space where we would spend most of our time, with a double bed that didn't need to be made or unmade.
But one day, almost by chance, we passed by Cargol Caravanas in Parets del Vallès. We thought, let's see if they have any overcab motorhomes with bunk beds… And to our surprise, they didn't have any. Instead, they had just received a brand new 2018 model. A low-profile motorhome with a major innovation: fold-down bunk beds that simultaneously created a free space for the children or a second dining area. Best of all, it had a large garage. Exactly what we were missing from the Benimar! Plus, it had diesel heating, just like we wanted, and a gas refrigerator, and it was a Ford cab (I couldn't reach the pedals properly in the Fiat! Yes, I'm short, quite short, hehe).
The second we fell in love, it was our perfect motorhome, for our children, our dogs and for us. Perhaps Challenger's qualities were not the best, but neither were Benimar's, but distribution was a very important thing for us.
Choosing a motorhome is very personal, we believe that each family has their needs and that there is not a perfect motorhome for everyone, but rather that everyone finds their perfect AC.
So, we present to you our Kucavana! A Challenger 396, which we're very happy with, especially thanks to Montse, our saleswoman, a truly lovely person. Thank you for showing us what was going to be our Kucavana that day!
Video of our motorhome
And who do we travel on it?
Well, we are a family of a couple, Pilar and Jose, both 38 years old , who live in a small town in Barcelona , with two wonderful little children, Anna and Arnau, aged 6 and 9.
In addition, we have three adopted German Shepherd-type dogs, meaning they are large dogs, weighing around 40 kilos each. All three were adopted from the Vilanimal animal shelter, which we greatly admire and have collaborated with for many years, as we were among its founders and served as president for several years. We encourage you to adopt ! www.vilanimal.org
We can only take one or a maximum of two of the dogs on each trip, because the two males fight with us :(. Max, our youngest dog, is our inseparable companion on all our trips. The others stay at home with the grandparents who are delighted and from here we thank them from the bottom of our hearts for all the support they always give us!
THANK YOU KUCAVANERA FAMILY, WE LOVE YOU!!!
Jose
Engineer by profession, handyman by vocation and boy for everything, aka MacGuiver or Bricoman.
The one who is able to rescue the Kucavana from any situation with his wits. The one who with two stones lights a fire for you to make a barbecue in the middle of a refuge in a forest in Finland. The official driver of secondary roads. The passionate about skiing and the mountains of this family, who flees from hot places and coastal areas.
He started traveling in a camper van as a teenager with his parents and hasn't stopped since.
Pillar
Political scientist above all, although nobody knows what it means, with as many degrees. She is always thirsty for learning and always willing to teach what she knows. University professor by vocation, consultant, advisor to local governments and auditor. Multitasking like a good millennial, she can never be still. If she is on the couch "still" she crochets at the same time. The most dreamy and creative of this family.
She was born in a caravan as the daughter of carnies. Unlike many, she started as a nomad working as a baby and when she got older she decided that traveling should be something else. She now has a permanent home that she always waits for her and she works hard a few days to be able to travel more and better for many others.
We hope to see you soon in one of the thousands of corners that await us in this beautiful world, remember to say hello!
Manual for traveling in a motorhome
Hello family,
We are almost neighbors of the town 🙂 we live in Granollers, we also have a Challenger 387 and of course not from Cargol, we love your stories, and we even share a last name 🙂 one day we will meet on the road. Continue like this and resist that many with time are leaving it, a hug,
That's great, Jose Manuel! Thanks a million! And what a coincidence, besides being neighbors, maybe we're family! hehe. Hey, if you'd like, write to us at [email protected] and if you want, I can add you to a WhatsApp group for Cargol challengers with your phone number! There are a few of us already, and we really help each other out a bit. 🙂 Thanks again!
Hello, in the summer we will visit the sand dunes of the Slowinski National Park with our 7-year-old son and I would like to know how to plan the visit, we have to walk a lot… Thank you!
Hello !!!!, I have read your article and I really liked it. You are the first couple I know who has 396. I hope you are well. As it turns out that although we live in the south, we have a budget for a 396 in Cargol, hoping that this pandemic will allow us to move. I love that model and I was looking for someone who had it and gave me their opinion on its operation and handling. We also like the mounted on ford. We went from caravan to car and there are five of us. And so far we have also pulled the VW van with the caravan in tow. Well, I love the name of your car. I await a response, greetings and good health.
Hi Fran, you won't regret this purchase. It's definitely the best thing we've ever done. We tell ourselves that every day. If you'd like, we have a WhatsApp group for AC Challenger and another for 396 that we'd be happy to add you to. Send us an email to [email protected] Cheers!
The same thing has happened to me, FRAN, I would never have expected what has moved inside my bowels, and I am also going to tell you so that you can laugh a little at how clownish and that I live in my worlds.
TO THE MESS THAT I LOST. I get a depression after a covid and the symptoms persisted until the third month, and it generates the aforementioned and refers me to psychiatry, "No more and no less to treat my depression" and when he gave me the report he told me: "Jose how We are going to take a long time, I want you to dedicate it to the things that you like, that motivate you, that make you happy»
And then he lets me go, but without baselin, but what do you like? What do you like to do….? THERE WAS A SILENCE FROM THE DESERT BUSHES.
And the story applies to me. I have a bodequero dog that is the most canaya and that's it, and it's cool to go with him out there, I owe it to him, and not only that I have decided that when my sick leave runs out, I'm going to ask for the sick leave myself……. YES YES YES. and I earn a lot of money well positioned, BUT FUCK THE ASS… I have never written on social networks, I could say that it is the first time that I am communicating like this, I always renege, I am more of real, coffee, adventure…. and I have many of the latter, but I have no one to share it with. I WANT TO BE A CAMPER. I take a van, I condition it to run miles. But I'm a virgin in this, I don't even know where to move. I hope to have a partner and my dog, what camper do you recommend? It shouldn't be too cumbersome!!!!
Hello, I have a 396 challenger and I would like you to add me to some group of kids or challenger to share ideas and learn. I have not been able to contact you by email. Thank you for everything and congratulations
Hello Urtzi! That is done now I write to the email that you have left us and we add you! a hug and welcome to the Challengers 396 club! A hug!
they have entered us first in a room like in whatsapp
It is done to ensure the integrity of the group, there are always morons ajjjajjj
Thank you very much for the video!
My family and I started our vacation this Monday with a motorhome and we are on our nerves! with your manual you help us a lot.
Good morning Carolina,
A thousand thanks to you for your words, they are the right and necessary vitamins that we need to continue writing and helping more colleagues like you! Anything will be here to help you. That this super trip that you are going to start is great! It sure will be wonderful! A hug.
Good, you have fallen links on the trip to French Brittany. Thank you. Very interesting.
Good morning Esther, I think it's more that I haven't finished some posts, like the one about Broceliande, which I'm only half-writing, than that the links are broken. That's why it's not published yet. This trip was my last one, and I haven't been able to finish it yet 🙂 I promise to do it soon 🙂 If you have any questions, please write to us at [email protected] Hugs, everyone.
Good afternoon,
I suppose that at this point in the game you will be on some distant route or not... like snails.
I discovered you today and I really liked the way of explaining this world to you / us
I'm more of a camper but the truth is that I don't have either ☹. Right now I have a 4 × 4 and I'm thinking of doing something special with it… ..but the woman says no. Time to time….
Nothing, just congratulate you and you already have one more follower.
Hugs
Hello Ramon! We love meeting you 🙂 I'm sure one day we'll see you with that camperized 4×4 on a cool overland trip 😛 That's our next dream too, to have a camperized 4×4. Because we treat the Kucavana like a 4×4 but the four are missing hehehehe And for your wife, don't worry that she will fall 😛 we always fall hehehehe and thank goodness! Hugs! Pillar
Hi! I really liked your website! I have found you because we are about to buy the 396! We loved the layout! Surely we will look at your page in the future because it is very good and you have a lot of information !! I would like to ask you some questions that I have: 1.- When the beds are up or when you sleep, do they move (move it is understood that if you move while sleeping they move) or are they fixed? 2.- We also want to go skiing and to the mountain in winter (do you have any winter pack in the kucavana? In addition to the advice you say?)
Thank you very much and congratulations on the website!
Good morning Arnau! I think we'll meet up on the slopes, right? It already snowed in Vallter2000 this weekend, hehe. Regarding the beds, don't worry, they don't move and they're actually quite comfortable. Even more so with a visco-latex topper for the larger one 😛 As for winter gear, we only brought the altitude kit for the heating, which you must install if it's an Eberpacher. Otherwise, you'll have problems above 1600m. The rest isn't necessary for our mountains; even in the Alps we've been to, we haven't found the need for anything extra so far. We have a WhatsApp group for Challenger and 396 if you want to email us and we'll stay in touch. We all help each other there and learn from each other 🙂 Our email: [email protected]
Thanks for the reply! If in the end we decide to buy 396, I'll let you know to include us in the group! I think it will drop soon but it is not 100% decided yet! Regards
Thanks for answering! Well now I send you an email so that you can include me in the whatsapp because we have already bought it! We will pick it up on Friday !!! We have launched into the world of the motorhome !! 🙂 I have seen the tutorial of the height kit, we will have to assemble it now that the cold is approaching. See you on the road!
We will answer you in a while 🙂
Hello family. We have followed your blog from Belgium because we are also preparing our journey with children for anar-hi this summer. We have seen that I have visited various places on probably not hi to enter the gos. On the deixeu?. Dins l'motorhome is not too hot?. Tenim previst anar-hi a l'agost. Moltes graces.
bones family,
To be able to leave the gos dins no hi has more trick than having a Viesa or a Neil in the motorhome, an investment of high cost but that for us and the us go is vital. Of faith it is so vital that the nostre go in the middle of August did not fly or get out of the motorhome hehehe nor did we get out either. We recommend the Viesa 100% amb o sen gos, the extra millor per nosaltres a l'autocaravana.
Another recommendation that we can serve is that we have a digital thermometer in the car that sets an alarm for when the motorhome passes 30 degrees and triggers an alarm on the mobile, so Marx is 100% calm and in Max it remains calm dins l'car i nosaltres also outside 🙂 A hug!
Hello kucavaneros family. A few days ago I bumped into you on the trip to Brittany. I started reading and watching your articles and videos and I fell in love with them. But when it touched my heart the most was your presentation. We have another point in common, which is not being motorhome owners and travelers, I am the daughter, great-niece and great-granddaughter of fairgrounds and you have reached me very deep. We don't have a Challenger, but we'll see you sometime on the road. Thanks for all your contributions. Happy route !!
Good Karwüay !!! Well to know if we have crossed paths at some point. You already know that the fairgrounds are like a big family 🙂 I think that's why I like this world of caravanning so much because it has that family point too 🙂 Surely one day we will cross paths, the world is very very small. A big hug and thank you for your motivating words 🙂 Hugs! Pillar
Thanks for answering! Well now I send you an email so that you can include me in the whatsapp because we have already bought it! We will pick it up on Friday !!! We have launched into the world of the motorhome !! 🙂 I have seen the tutorial of the height kit, we will have to assemble it now that the cold is approaching. See you on the road!
Wow how fast !!! that last! It took us 9 months, just like a delivery was hehehe Come see you by mail 🙂
Hello, I am José María from Valencia and I have had a Challenger 396 for 1 month, you could add me to the WhatsApp group.
And yes, José Maria, write us an email at [email protected] 🙂 Welcome to the 396 club!
Jose Maria I'm going to ask you a question...
AT WHAT TIME DID YOU CHANGE YOUR CHIP, and you said I'll buy a caravan and hit the road?
because it happened to me a week ago and I'm
I don't hit the ground.
—— I ask for an opinion with all my ignorance——
I like this but do you have better options?????
Peugeot Rifter
If it is to be thrown without looking at the road.
Of course this is not less than 50.000 bucks.
Honey, I gave myself a caravan
How strong to look how I wrote caravan before. FLipa the smoke that I have
Hi! What made you decide for profiled instead of nasturtium? We are 2 adults, 3 children and a puppy and I have many doubts about which is the best.
Thank you
Well, honestly, for us the choice was not for profiled, nasturtium or integral. The distribution of our motorhome with floating bunk beds was not done in any other type of motorhome then, so we could not choose much. In our case, the interior distribution prevailed to give us more space to coexist with the double dining room. We always say that when you choose a motorhome, the first thing is to prioritize the needs you have. There are no perfect motorhomes, there is a motorhome for each family and for each moment of life according to your context 🙂 The outlined ones are lower, so in tunnels or 3-meter bridges they take, the nasturtiums do not. The profiled ones also have a small lower consumption, but the difference is small. On the contrary, the nasturtiums always give interior spaciousness and another good thing is that you always have a minimum bed made and that the living room does not cancel you 🙂 A hug, Vanesa and think that you will surely choose well, they all enjoy themselves very much! 🙂
Hello, thanks for this page, the truth is that your advice has been very helpful in our travels. We are also a family of 4. We travel in a caravan and this year we want to do the route through French Brittany and Normandy. It is a trip that we had to postpone due to the pandemic. We also have a Jack Russell dog for a year, and we have many doubts about whether to take her or leave her at home (of course in good hands). I don't know how dogs are in France in general, I'm worried that it will limit our access to many places. What do you advise us?
Thank you very much and greetings
Good morning Dani, first of all, thank you for your comment, which encourages us to continue writing and sharing with everyone. From what you tell me, I think you will not have many problems with your dog. France is paradise for dogs, in general they let you enter everywhere with them and there is always some side of the beach that they let go with them. We travel with a German shepherd, much bigger and practically do not limit anything 🙂
Hello, my parents just bought a 396 and surely one day they will leave it to us, there are 5 of us, could you add us to the WhatsApp group?
Thank you
Hello Maria Jesus, please contact us at [email protected] Thank you!
Hello Kucavanera Family!
I am very pleased with the recommendations that I was of the cure that we have to have both the non-camping in llocs that is not pot; with the non-massification of the parking spaces; in general around the environment.
Moltes gràcies !!! Sou a bon exemple!
Moltíssimes gràcies Carme, it is not possible for another way, if I will preserve our freedom of motorhome 🙂 A hugging family!
Good morning from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
We are thinking of taking advantage of our recent retirement with several motorhome tours of Europe.
They could give us a hand advising where to rent motorhomes economically and groups to interact before and during the trip.
Thank you very much in advance and our sincere congratulations.
Hi Miguel, feel free to email us at [email protected] with any questions you may have 🙂
Hello, congratulations on your motorhome, I have read your advice and seen the video of the car, which I liked very much. My wife and I have booked one like yours (online, we haven't seen it physically yet), and taking advantage of the fact that we are retiring we are going to start a new stage. I wanted to ask you some questions:
The Ford engine has been good for you, the one I have reserved is automatic transmission
The cooler to put it you have to cut the ceiling
The beds are stable, because going up and down makes me afraid of problems.
Well, I do not get more.
Thank you in advance, and keep it up, you help lay people like me a lot.
regards
Fernando
Good morning Fernando, thank you for your comment, which always encourages us to continue sharing with everyone. About your questions we try to answer you:
1 The Ford engine has not given us any problem, on the contrary, you should know that the Ford chassis holds up to 4250 kg, which is lower than that of the Fiat, it does not reach 4000 kg, a point very in favor knowing that reality makes us always exceed 3500 kg.
2 Yes, you have to cut the roof or sacrifice a skylight. In our case we prefer to cut the ceiling.
3 The beds at first had a factory defect, but they changed the supports and they have been 3 years without any problem.
I hope I've helped you. We have a Challenger and 396 WhatsApp group; if you'd like, send us a private message at [email protected] and we'll add you. I'm sure we can all help you more. 🙂
Thanks for your answers, another question has arisen from what I am reading, have you put air suspension on it or in this model it is not necessary.
regards
Good Fernando, we have put air suspension yes, in all motorhomes it is good, it is an important safety element, it is not that it is only because of the 396 🙂 The truth is that driving with pneumatic is very noticeable, especially when it is windy key in safety.
Hello!!!! I'm also thinking of buying a 396 ……. People tell me that the Ford engine gives problems…. Others that the problems were given by the ancients until 2016 and they mess me up a bit ... I would like to know first hand your experience or that of close people who have Challenger 396 ... thankssss
After 4 years with this motorhome we can say that the engine has given us absolutely no problems and we have traveled many kilometers with it 🙂
Hello family:
Like many others, the interest that the Challenger 396 has aroused in us has led us to your fantastic blog. Congratulations for all the contents and the affection with which you prepare them, it is a pleasure to drop by here and open articles and videos.
And, yes, after many months thinking about it, we have decided and we have already reserved our 396, which we hope to release in a few weeks, so we will continue to visit you frequently. We will write you an email so that, if possible, you can include us in the WhatsApp group, to expand our knowledge of the vehicle and learn from the experiences of all the participants 🙂
Greetings from Castellón and see you soon.
Hello Antonio, a pleasure to have new colleagues here. The mail has already been answered and we will see you soon on the WhatsApp groups of 396 and challenger 🙂
Hello, I am in Miquel, I am about to have a motorhome, it is the meu somni des de mol petit, I have arrived several times and I will like it.
The one that worries me is to on puc anar Mallorca? It seems that it is very complicated.
Gràcies
There are no areas or campsites on the island, but don't worry, Miquel, in the low season you can surely swim at full speed, without camping above all, remember. I pel que fa als serveis els podràs fer al punt net de Palma from 8 a.m. to 20 p.m. Congratulations on the purchase and welcome to this world 🙂
Hello. We would like to participate in the WhatsApp group.
We have an integral Challenger.
Thank you
Hi, can I try to contact you? it's per theme kucavanafest
For 16 years I traveled with a motorhome, the first with an Elnagh and now with a Challenger Mageo 260. But I have traveled with a cot and a caravan with two children throughout Europe.
Fa any i mig vaig perdre la meva dona, els meus fills em go aconselar que no em vengués el auto i utilitzen sporàdicamente amb els nets. Viatjo sol, but through some parking lanes they will exchange addresses with the Grup AC Challeger molt actiu. See that there are other groups from Kucavana: retirees, alone and alone, Aragon-Catalunya, .. you would be part of these groups and share sorts and travel accounts.
l my blog: «El meu iot amb rodes».
Hello, you have a great blog! We are a family of 4 thinking about buying the challenger 396 and what gives us the most doubts is the closet, since it is very large but seems difficult to organize and access if the bunk beds are lowered. How do you see it? Is the storage space enough? And confortable? Thank you!
Hello family and welcome to the 396 club 🙂 The closet is wonderful, we have it organized with little boxes for each one and it is wonderful, you will see 🙂
Hello family, we are a couple with a big girl and our dream has always been a motorhome, we will have it, we will deliver it on 3/7/2024, it is a 550 m Knaus Vanstation 6 mf, I have discovered your blog and I have congratulated you for the great restaurant and for the passion that I have had, both of your councils, I hope to be able to travel several kilometers around La Vanti (it is today).
Many thanks for the feta tasca, fins aviat.
Jaume and Judith
Good morning, Jaume, Judit. It's a pleasure to greet you here. Thank you for such beautiful paraules and many benvinguts to these meravellós món dels travels sobre rodes. A fort embraced from Sant Pere de Vilamajor.
Pilar and Jose
Hello family!
We are a family of 4, with three of you, and we also live in Barcelona! 😉 We are organizing the holidays for the current summer in the Stats Units and we have very pleased with your publication from the West Coast. Ens ha sigut molt useful! Many thanks for sharing all these experiences, which will help us organize our trip. I've started following you on Instagram, so I'll keep in touch 😀
See you soon!
Raul and Lorena
Many thanks! If you need any thing you already know