We have used a fiat Punto for nearly 3 years, we have put a towbar on and have a trailer that OH made deeper by adding sides and a top, get everything and more in now, but used to just have roofbox and normal trailer, just couldnt fit the sink!!
This is all part of the fun isnt it???
mine was not sorted, !!! but we had the help of a very nice friend who gave us their car, and we took our kids camping and had a fab easter 4 night camp with lovely weather
We have a Ford Fiesta (the new type)and a roof box.
We went away for the easter break in it,
We managed to squeeze in,
Two adults and three children (obviously not in the roof box, but was tempted to put children in there!)
A Gelert Alaska 8.
Four single sleeping bags and a double one(for me!)
Two double airbeds
A table and chair set
Two folding chairs for adults and three for children
A wind break
Pan set
Two single burner cookers and four gas cannisters
A box of food
A bag of tinned food
A huge cool bag full of food
Loads of clothes (this included, clothes for 5 people for three nights plus spares, each child having three fleeces with them!) I had packed them in a suit case and duffle bag but hubbie made me separate them in to carrier bags! 10 bags to be precise!!!
Trainers, flip flops and wellies (this is Brotain and we have to be prepared for every eventuality!)
Two new sets of crockery
Various toys and other activities
A double screen dvd player (attached to headrests!)
And varios other bits and pieces!
Thank god for the roof box though, it was a life saver.
I dropped the dog off at the kennels at 9am to return to the house as husband was one step away from a panic attack as not everything would fit in.
As we are off to France in summer what hope would we have of getting all that stuff in for two weeks when we couln't fit three nights worth in.
We figured though we won't be taking any food in summer, I have compromised and got a single sleeping bag, and we had taken four man bedroom for tent that we are not using.
Just as we have it all sussed, hubbies work have offered us the use of their Ford Focus Estate, free of charge and they are going to service it fully before we go.
Now all we need is a new set of roof bars to fit a Focus as ours are suitable for the Fiesta.
So after rambling on I guess I am saying, no matter what size the car is where there's a will theres a way, but a roof box always helps.
Good luck.
Lindsay x
Our 1st trip is just a few weeks away. We have a Shogun (boot like a cave). There are 5 of us - 2 adults, 16yr old, 11yr old & 2yr old.
I've spent so long worrying we won't fit everything in we've decided that as we're only going about 2.5 hours away we'll take my OHs car too (Peugeot 406)...
Whenever I've needed roof bars I've always nipped round to ikea. They used to have bars to fit loads of cars at around half the price of halfords. Don't know if they've still got them. I've sent a couple of mates there when they've needed bars last minute for carrying canoes and they've come to the rescue nicely.
We`ve only had one trip when the car wouldn`t cope, and that was when my ancient but still mighty Renault Savanna estate got sideswiped a few weeks before we were due to go to Wales. Nothing daunted, we swapped the roof bike racks onto my Hubbys Citreon Xantia estate, coupled up the TT on the day, loaded up and set off.
We got about four miles round the bypass when it became apparent that though the Xantia was younger and supposedly just as powerful as my old banger, it just wasn`t coping. We pulled off the slip and I spent ten minutes convincing Hubby it just wasn`t sensible to set out on a six hour drive with five red warning lights on the dash and a strange groaning noise from the rear suspension. We went home, I phoned around, we coupled the TT up to the faithful old Savanna, he took the kids and baggage and bikes on the other car and went to a campsite 30 minutes away in the Scottish Borders.
Where we had a really great holiday, one of our best. About half way through though I was reading the Citroen handbook (as one does when waiting for a chronically late person to appear and there`s no other reading material in the car) and discovered that in fact Hubby had done three of the four absolute no-nos to the fancy hydralic suspension of the Xantia whilst fully loaded. I reset it but didn`t tell Hubby. Why? I was having a great time and it was him that was most sad not to visit his pal in Wales. And it was brilliant only to have a 30 minute drive home, plus two estate cars and a TT to pack back into!
Started Camping last year with 2 Adults, 3 Kids and a Zafira. So should have been ok compared to the other experiences Ive read above. On our first break we brought a top box to get home (kids for some reason wanted leg space!) and still struggled to pack everything back in???
This year... using two cars.
Cant wait to start camping now the weather is dryer.
lol what is it about trying to get everything in on way home???
we come home with exactly same items we go with we dont buy big prezzies for family while away but always struggle to bet everything back in care and roof box on return
mind you thinking about it when we pack away everything is in reverse maybee we should just pile everything up then start to pack away instead of pack into car as we take camp down
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never argue with an idiot, they will bring you down to their level and beat you on experience
I guess it the speed of trying to get away for 10 am. We spend more time packing to go than to come back. I have read quite a few times on this site that experience counts. Its not worth getting stressed on a holiday so I try to just relax and laugh which is easier said than done at the time.
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: camping crisis
