So I'm in a dilemma - with all this camping gear how the heck do I get to where I'm going without paying for a delivery company to drop all my gear before I get there ! Lol my tent alone takes up most of my boot - how many of you guys use a trailer and do the sites make you pay extra for parking one ?
When we first bought tent and only a little bit of stuff, we had to go more or less straight away to get a roofbox. Was still struggling to fit everything in and this was only for 2/3 nights away which resulted in us having to then buy an Erde 122 trailer with hardtop. This, plus the roofbox and car boot, and we're still like sardines in the car! One problem with getting a trailer is you find more stuff to buy that you 'need', whereas with squeezing it all in the space you already have, you don't have that option. We have never been charged extra for the trailer on the pitch.
I have a Brenderup 1150s with extension sides and ABS lid, and has all my camping gear in it.
Provisions, bedding, personal belongings, plus the dog's away kit, brew kit, cool box and folding bike go into the car.
Had a roof box before, however, I outgrew it with my current tent which has a bigger packed volume than my previous tent.
I only have a MINI Cooper and its boot space is not huge. Hence the need for a trailer.
The buying will stop eventually, honest, and I hardly bought anything this year except for replacement purposes.
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
I forgot to mention some sites charge extra for a trailer.
My favourite site does, however, it was waived for 2 years running, probably to keep me sweet because I raised my concerns about issues/niggles every time I stayed there!
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
We've already decided that as we've got so much stuff to take (even before we've done our first trip!) that the boot isn't anywhere big enough, a roof box isn't any good as we'll have 4 bikes up there & don't want to mess around with them on the back of the car, so hubby will be fitting a tow bar to the car this weekend & we're using a trailer can see this is going to be a slippery slope towards a bigger trailer, with roof box attached to it if we really get into camping
Yeah we started with a small tent and full car, bought a big tent and roof box, closely followed by a trailer Nd another tent for weekends.
------------- 2013
Easter - Thorpe park tin tent
May bank - Saxdale
Whitsun - Nantcol
June - Studfold
July - Priests house, Barden's back garden ;-)
July- 4 vents Paris for euro Disney
Aug - Saxdale
Aug- high straggleton farm
Aug BH - Studfold
Sept - Stratford
Oct - Masons
NYE -saxdale (eeeek)
We (three) use a roofbag (handiholdall) on ford fiesta for big trips which takes all soft stuff like sleepbags, clothes, mats, tents etc. Easier to store than a roofbox but can be time-consuming packing and securing.
Bikes go on a towball rack.
Also have a second-hand erde trailer but only ever use when off canoe-camping since no space for roofbox due to boats up there.
I find pulling a trailer way more hassle than sticking something on the roof - for not much space gain.
we started out six years ago with Gelert 100L kit bags from Go Outdoors, caught the train and got a taxi to meet us at the other end
Then we got a car and the trouble really started... every week another glamping item was purchased until we had so much stuff and the set up was taking so long we were put off going
so we turned to caravaning, permanently pitched and only have to take clothes and food
still miss camping though (off to Shell Island in 2 weeks)
I've got a vauxhall vivaro van and you think cool loads of room but I can tell you it gets very full with all our camping gear,mind you still got a roof rack to fill yet!
When we first started it was just the car.. packed to bursting with daughter squished up in back lol. We eventually got a trailer (maypole 712) but due to our slight downsizing of car and ever expanding collection of gear we are now considering the high side kit which would double our capacity.
Most campsites don't charge for parking them. I just chain mine to a fence with a heavy duty chain and padlock
We have a Ford Mondeo estate car. No roof box, no trailer. We'll take our trailer tent if we're going to be camping for a week or more but for shorter trips if it doesn't fit in the car, it doesn't go.
We have an eight man tent btw (Vango Oregon 800) plus side canopy and there are four of us so I've had to get very good at paring down the kit while still keeping us warm and comfortable. It's amazing how many of the "essential" extras are not essential at all and just take up boot space. We still don't rough it though, we've still got things like table and chairs and coolbox and a camp kitchen and spare socks. But I keep the glamping stuff for the trailer tent trips.
Daughter has a Ka, we packed the boot, not going above the parcel shelf, the back seat, and the passenger foot well for me, the dog had the most room in the back seat.
I guess we did without the luxuries, make do and mend
------------- 47 and only just learned how to work a sleeping bag
I have just managed to get a really good quality roof box off Ebay - only paid £40, the guy I bought it off showed me the receipt for £199.99 he paid only 2 years ago. Its immaculate and a full 370 litre one. We will get loads of our stuff in that. It did take me around 4 weeks to get one for the price I wanted, but just kept at it...
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: How do you get there !
can see this is going to be a slippery slope towards a bigger trailer, with roof box attached to it if we really get into camping 
