who starting off with having a tent before getting a caravan.
we started camping last year and loved it. but their were times when we would of liked to camp all year round just the weather so for the convience of having a caravan we have a longer season. also you dont have to worry about pitching the tent in the dark nights, also the convience keeping everything you need in the caravan.
what do you love about having a caravan?
collecting our caravan on the 8th april cant wait!
------------- 08/4/11 - 10.04.11 grantham
11/4/11 - 15/04/11 bala
28/4/11 - 02/05/11 kingsbury water park
We started off in a tent but like you wanted to extend our season and reduce set up time so changed to a caravan late last year - it's brilliant! All the conveniences of home but with different scenery each time
We went away in January and are headed off in a couple of weeks time - makes such a change and really feels like a break even if we're just away for the weekend. I remember last year waiting until April before we camped and it seemed to take ages to come round.
I camped with my parents many years ago up until my early twenties then after getting married my wife and I had a Lichfield trailer tent then a Combi-Camp then returned to camping again as we had no space for the trailer tent after moving house. We camped up until 1994 then gave it up completely for 11 years then we purchased a small caravan back in 2005. We had to have a caravan really as my wife has Emphysema so the damp mornings would have a detrimental effect on her health and well being. We joined the Coachman Owners Club the same year and made some good friends which enables us to have occassional meetings together having a welcome chat over a glass or two. We enjoyed it that much we decided to participate and run rallies for the club each year now which is a major contribution to the club to say the least. We recently changed our caravan for another Coachman with an end washroom layout as it would better suit our needs but we not only enjoy the outdoor leisure but the relaxation of the social community which provides us with the love of caravanning and always something to look forward to which I think everybody needs. Good luck with your new venture anyway and I'm sure you will get the bug and enjoy the leisure time as much as we do.
we started off in a tent but when dh started working away we decided that to save time a caravan was needed I love my van but I do still drool over tents
would I back to a tent ?? only if i had to much much prefer the van
We started off tent camping about 5 years ago and I still do but I also have a little caravan too which is lovely.
I enjoying using both units equally - nice being cosy in the van when it's early or late in the season and I love being in the tent on a balmy summers evening (not that we get many of those!)
Hoping to be away for 47 nights this year, split between the tents and caravan.
We started tent camping 3 years ago, having said its not for us for years - first trip we were hooked and knew this was the type of holiday which suited us. I loved my tents and the fact that I could get everything I needed for my holiday out from the garage and into the back of the car. However, that was exactly the bit OH hated, all the packing up, then setting up and the end of each holiday was spoiled for him because he'd start dreading the packing up. The final straw was last June in Cornwall, it rained hard all week, the tent felt dark inside and at the end of the hol we started packing up at 10am and finally left site at 4.30pm - we were soo downhearted!
He took me to the NEC and we spent the day in and out of caravans and I was gobsmacked by how well equipped and lovely they were. Planned to buy brand new this year but our nearly new Lunar which we had spotted and loved at the NEC came up on Ebay nearby (fate) and the rest is history. I just love it, a mobile holiday home, go where we like when we like with minimum fuss - its on our drive so I pack it up inside through the week and then its pretty much ready by the weekend to just hitch up and go.
I could definitely tent again, but could I be bothered to pack it all up when our caravan is stood on the drive winking at us - probably not!
For many(but not all)the cost factor will be the main thing. If all you want is holiday accomodation(as opposed to the close to nature/elements/birds singin' sleepin' under the stars stuff)caravan always beats tent if you can afford it.
In the real world our house is five minutes from miles of golden beaches......Sanderlings, Oyster Catchers, Turnstones, Puffins, Godwits, Sandpipers etc
In our other world our house is in a Wood or at the start of a footpath, or foot of a hill/fell......Woodpeckers, Buzzards, Peregrins, Kites.............
Spent too many years whilst working having little time to fully explore certain parts of the Country, so planned on an early retirement to tackle my list of walks, Fells, areas of outstanding natural beauty without the concerns and time demands of work.
I even enjoy those morning jobs trundling the toilet cassette across the park! Well a frosty morning at Sandringham in February with a Red Kite circling overhead and a squirrel skipping over the ground, how couldn't you?
Sipping red whilst the sun settles down for the night and Orion comes visiting............
Phil
------------- If you're not on a fell your wasting your feet and for 2014 it's.......Feb Castleton Mar North Yors Moors; Apr Sutton on Sea; May Thirsk; Jun Clapham/Riverside (Lakes); July Wharfedale; August Crakehall; Sept Knaresborough; Oct Wirral Park/Clitheroe
We started with a trailer tent - after going out with the idea of spending a couple of hundred quid on the essentials to see if we'd like to whole camping thing - we spend 2K on the whole kit and caboodle!
Used it 3 times and gave up! Bought our fisrt caravan (after much convincing of OH who thought it was just a bunch of old anoraks clogging up the roads) and LOVE LOVE LOVE it!
Would actually love to camp if weather was garunteed to be good, but theres something lovely about listening to the rain on the old tin tent!
I have tented,caravaned,trailer tented,2 Berth c/van.to 23ft 4 berth caravan & I would love to go back to a folding camper.Why?cost of fuel towing,caravan insurance,& maintenance & the constant worry of DAMP repairs every year another outbreak of damp in my 2005 van. I would happily get read of it if I could sell it for a reasonable price & go back to a folder
We did with a Conway trailer tent, we used it for 12 years and decided to retire it when it was 22yrs old. We decided we'd like a bit more comfort and fancied going away in the winter so we bought our van 2 1/2 years ago. I love having running water, an oven, a small bathroom and storage cupboards instead having to fumble about under the tent beds to get at your clothes...the times I banged my head!
I loved camping in the tent but woundn't go back to it now, it's nice to get the kettle on within 10-15 mins of arriving.
We bought our caravan last year after camping for a while, I had an accident last year which made camping impossible and the caravn has made life so much easier for me. i wish you well on your new purchase.
------------- Elaine
Clumber feb 1/2 term
clumber april 2011
May Clumber
May Scarborough
August Corfe Castle and any other weekend i can manage!
We've gone from a tent, to a trailer tent (which we just love) to a caravan. The good thing about the van is that we can use it earlier and later in the season in the UK.
But guess which we will be taking to the South of France for 3 weeks.
caravaned for 12 years,then tent one year, trailer tent for 3 years and now oh joy back to a cvan, no more trips up the field to the loo at night, a microwave in my van to cook proper size fridge to use i am now able to chill a full size bottle of white wine brilliant
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: just wondering
