As a family (wife, me, 2 kids age 10 &7), we for the most part use an older twin axle 19' Bailey caravan for our holidays that we're very happy with.
However, particularly at half terms, when I try and get leave but my wife's working (plus some weekends), the caravan is sometimes just too much of a hassle to just fetch, pack up and zip off somewhere with the kids'. I was looking to get a campervan as a second car but of course these are quite expensive. We have a tent but 'Dad's' back isn't quite what it was, particularly in autumn/winter time on the floor! A friend suggested I look at used/older trailer tents etc. It's something I hadn;t considered before and looking on the internet and brochures they look perfect i.e. small enough when packed away to keep at home plus a bit more comfort than a tent. I was only really interested in the smaller one's as we'd keep the caravan for longer holidays and saw advertised a 'Dandy Dart'. I just wondered roughly how easy these are to put up and roughly how long it takes etc. I'm obviously used to sorting the caravan out and arguing when errecting the awning with my wife! Are these much more problematic and more to the point, would it be an achievable prospect for just me and the kids or do they require two adults to put up. Thanks for any help or suggestions about models to look at.
Folding campers are easier than awnings! Beds are good and most have two doubles which means one for you and one for the lkids. On pennines the beds are left made up in transit which saves time especially compared to caravans where you have to make them every night. We went from caravan to folding camper and although its longer to set up and pack down we save time on going to storage, towing, and bed making so from getting in from work to first cup of tea is actually quicker. The pathfinder is half an hour inc water, elec exc awning. I guess it depends on how much help the kids are, ours were pretty good and would fetch the aquaroll and sort curtains etc.
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Well a Dandy (or other type of folding camper) doesn't have to have an awning up - you can just have the main body up. I have a Dandy 5 (bit bigger than the Dart I think) and I managed it on my own the first time. I did struggle as it was awkward doing it on my own (I'm a 5ft 5 slightly tubby unfit female). Its a lot easier with my 13 year old son helping me - we're managing to get it up in about 15 minutes now. I have however decided that for the sake of my 2 year old I need to put the awning up - never tried it so it will be interesting.
Thanks for your helpful replies, I'm very greatful. Would I be right in thinking folding campers are much easier than trailers tents or isn't there much in it. Another I've seen locally for sale for example is a Conway Classic Trio. Thanks.
I can't help but think that whether you're taking the van or a tt or a fc, the fetching, packing and hitching up time is going to be exactly the same? The crucial difference will be when you arrive, all you have to do is wind down the steadies of the van and you're set, rather than spend an hour or so erecting and setting up a tt or fc with awning.
A Conway Classic Trio would take two adults to erect it fully in that hour, btw. Solo you'd need longer and if the weather was poor forget doing it solo at all. These are big beasts, and I think you'd find than many owners of comparable sized TTs, myself included, keep them for longer holidays and use a smallish tent for weekends.
A CombiCamp now...that might be worth looking at. You can set up the main cabin of these in a couple of minutes. But frankly, if I'd spent several thousands of pounds on a caravan, I'd be using it as much as possible.
Not if the caravan is in storage Val and the folding camper on the drive.
I was rather working on the assumption that if you didn't have space to keep a caravan on the drice, you wouldn't be keeping much else either?
Which brings me to another point...drying a TT or FC out after getting home from a wet trip. (Unless you've got a Dandy of course.) That also takes time, effort and some availible space.
Thanks, I do take your point re the caravan. It's just that it's a large twin axle (albeit that its only parked about 3/4 miles away and on a caravan mover) whereas I've got room for something smaller on the rear driveway of the house out of sight. Also, hitched up to my Isuzu Trooper there's about 30+ foot in length which you can't turn round in a hurry once underway. This latter point isn't so bad with wifey on board as she can help navigate etc, but with just me and 2 kids, if I'm a little unsure/lost it's easier to just pull in a turn round with a smaller unit. Perhaps as you say, the Conway is a bit too big also and a campervan the answer after all. I'll have a look at the Combicamp you suggest. Thanks.
There's also the camplet, I go on my own with my kids girls 10 and 9 - as OH races on w/ends, so often we go ahead and set up (he on good thing there)!! he comes down on motorbike after all the work is done, I find it no problem, also had an old trigano which I put up with the eldest, was great but the awning did take time, the combi-camps look a good bet, and the Camplet is similar - check them all out, see which suits your needs best - bound to be pros n cons on all makes. Good luck..
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Topic: Dad & Kids Trailer Tent
