We've never been into any sort of camping lark, but both our kids have caravans (one is a tourer, the other permanently sited in the New Forest). Our preference - a nice hotel and s*d the costs! Even when we visit the New Forest we always opt for the hotel.
Our daughter's in-laws have a camper van and tow their tin-top for daily excursions to save having to pack everything away in the van each time. It's easier to park in towns too, so there's an option to tow the Mog (less hassle for motorway driving plus the availability of Mog for nice drives out - but then I don't worry about parking mine in towns).
If I had your dilemma I would opt for keeping the current stable and hiring a camper van whenever the need arises.
