After spending many years in a tent laughing at the people in their shiny white boxes watching TV on a summers evening, we have recently bought a Caravan. Obviously we're not going to watch tv in it in july though.However, its September and we're going away and it'll be cold tonight so we'll be in the caravan anyway and Dr Who starts Saturday and my daughter likes x factor. So any way just as an experiment, given we have a tv ariel in the caravan anyway, I plugged a telly it And tried to tune it in on the drive. We got lots of channels but they keep breaking up. I assume this is a poor signal. We're using a ufo thing on the roof as an ariel. Its on my drive and my house gets a good signal. So 2 fold question,1) How do I fix it or is it just ufo ariels are rubbish and I need to by some fancy put outside contraption(which I probably wont do). 2) The whole point for us in camping is to get away from it all, so do I even want a TV in the caravan(Its only because its cold and we would never go in a tent in September anyway that I'm even thinking of it) Is it too far down the rocky road of ... Comfort leads to complacency, complacency leads laziness, laziness leads to the dark side hmmm.
(No offense meant if you thinking watching a TV in the summer is fine, I used to laugh at you, but you probably used to laugh at me getting up in the cold morning to goto the loo)
My caravan TV won't tune in on the drive, as we are surrounded by houses - one reason that the house aerial is on the roof! You won't get a good signal on a house drive in most places... but if you're getting channels, then the aerial is ok, and you will probably get your tv channels on a campsite. I do in most places! :)
The other problem is that it also depends on where you're going. on some sites I have had crystal clear pictures with zero breakup, on other sites though your lucky to get radio.
To be safe I would suggest taking DVD's as well as just the TV, that way you are guaranteed to have something to keep you entertained.
I always used a laptop with a Freeview Dongle as it would be a Dvd player, music player and of course be used for its proper purpose, However I took the plunge last week and bought a TV for the simple reason that it had a USB connection to which I can insert my memory stick or a Hard Drive and play movies and view photos and I bought a padded case to put it into so it will now be going with us all the time. I also used to laugh at people watching their TV at night but alas have become one of them ( but not on Summer nights of course ) Oh my TV doesnt have a built in DVD player
yeah I was thinking Laptop and freeview tuner longer term. We have a 19" tv we use as a computer monitor so that would do this weekend. So is it inevitable, this slippy slope to becoming tv watching old people in a shiny white box, is it my destiny! (Sadly, I know the old bit is). Why did you switch to a TV instead of laptop ? I think if I can pack up and hide the tv I can at least pretend we're not watching it. It'll be netflix next, wonder if I can get chromecast to work from my phone ! No, I am your father, Join me and together we can rule the galaxy....
As a former tenter I really appreciate where you are coming from. We only take our TV when the nights are drawing in, as sitting outside in the cold (even in the awning), isn't enjoyable for us. So, for example, this October half term, the TV will be packed and used. Maybe Easter holidays too.
The rest of the year? It doesn't even go with us.
Extending the season with a tin tent is fantastic, but even before our evening meal it's cold and pitch black outside the van, and more often than not, somewhat damp. When we camped in a tent it was at least early evening, most of the time well past 8pm, before we hit that sort of environment, (as in dark).
PS I don't know if you're aware or not, but some sites (Caravan club for example) do supply a TV connection point on the EHU in areas where the signal is weak. This has a double bonus for those whose van ariels aren't great. You just need a 10/15m coax cable to connect to the post to the back of your TV or external TV point if you are lucky enough to have one, (we have a home made one in the battery box).
We have a Bluetooth radio in our tiny Caravan and that covers the music side as I can play music from the phone or iPad and instead of having to put the laptop in every time we go the TV stays in there and the other thing is not using the laptop on the internet the anti virus things keep popping up which is annoying and the new Samsung 18.5 TV that we bought is just the job for what we need . We record most of the programmes that we like on Sky at home so don't miss any while we are away so that if we feel the need we just play a movie file using the memory stick
We are new to caravans I could live without the TVs but couldn't live without my radio the oh is the oppersite, he couldn't live without the tv. Doesn't matter if it's cold or hot.
Mind you he says he'd give up the tv if I give up the wine and that's never going to happen
Quote: Originally posted by shaggy2000 on 18/9/2015
The other problem is that it also depends on where you're going. on some sites I have had crystal clear pictures with zero breakup, on other sites though your lucky to get radio.
To be safe I would suggest taking DVD's as well as just the TV, that way you are guaranteed to have something to keep you entertained.
We stayed on a site last week near Inverness and got a great signal .. poor guy only a few pitches away couldn't get a signal, so not only depends on the site, depends on the pitch also.
We don't have a TV in our camper. Manage to survive.
Never short of visual entertainment. Watching caravanners setting up/ taking down can provide hours of entertainment.
Yeah we were the same SmellySocks. Compromise was a laptop and DVD's. Only allowed on late evenings as we are snuggling down for the night. I think if you can keep it put away, rather than out all the time, you will be more likely to only use it sparodically, because it is a chore to get it out and use it. If it is on show all the time the temptation is to just turn it on because it's there. That's why the laptop works for us.
We have TV/DVD in the van but find that more than often we have friends in and spend the evening playing games ie doms, cards or some other board game. We have watched a few DVDs when the weather has been absolutely shocking Never had TV when we tented, never missed it. The idea is to get away and have a relax, for us anyway.
Re Johnnie Boy, was the camp site near Inverness by chance Bunchrew ? Great site good Tv reception but not if you are close to one of the trees.
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: poor tv signal - good or bad?
