Hi
Can anyone give me any advise please!!!!! We have a tent at the moment we are thinking about a caravan again!!!! would any of you go back to a tent after using a caravan?? Also can anyone tell me where I can purchase a damp meter from? Are you better buying from a dealer or a private sale??? Any other advise would be very welcome!!
Personally i wouldn't go back to a tent. We loved our tent holidays but had too many wet soggy holidays. We love the 'luxury' of holidaying in a caravan and wouldn't go back although i still love to see what tents there are.out there!
As for where to buy, our only experrience was buying from a dealer and we were quite happy with our purchase - price and quality of caravan and service.
I believe you can buy a damp meter from DIY shops although i'm sure someone will advise if this is correct.
Hope this helps, its is our personal experience and everyone has different views of what is right.
Hi Debbi We have gone from tent to small caravan to trailor tent back to a larger caravan.I personaly would prefer to go back to a folding camper.I much prefer under canvas & a folding camper gives nearly all the comforts of a caravan without the costs that towing a caravan incurs. you can pick up a damp meter from most DIY stores or screwfix or from Ebay they range from £8 to up to £200.one about £28 should be do fine.Buying from a dealer gives you certain rights that you do not get from a private sale,but a private sale is usualy cheaper & you usually get many accessories as part of the sale.although you need to do very carefull research before buying.This may be of some help
We went from tent to caravan & wouldn't go back as a family although I've just bought DS (19) his 1st half decent tent (3 man Outdoor Revolution Starcamper) & I'm thinking I might have to take one of the dogs & test it out for a weekend for him once spring arrives
Our vans have come from dealers & if you haggle you can usually get some stuff thrown in plus a warranty. Private sales are generally cheaper/more accessories but I think you really need to know what you're looking for (personal opinion) & I'm not confident we're at that level yet.
Camping for years under canvas, frame tents etc then went trailer tent which was brilliant now got our first van. Bought from a dealer, 1991 model and because of no trade in got a lot knocked off the asking price plus a 1 year guarantee and a full service before he gives it to me. Have yet to go on holiday with it but just sitting inside it at the dealership it felt that bit more luxurious. Its' a small 2 berth but feels bigger than the TT. The wife liked the 4 burner hob, grill and oven. What caught my I was the drinks unit
If you look at it like a hobby, its 2 different ones, like playing rugby or playing cricket. Its whatever works best for you in terms of cost or whatever ambience you wish to create.
We started with a tent,but would have loved a caravan.The snag was that I was building the b****y things all day ,no way was I going to holiday in one. When I left the trade we bought a Pennine Fiesta,best of both worlds, but still got the tent.
------------- Corpogreen esq
dead horse
and
donkey buyer
2 years ago i would ahve said no wahy would i like a caravan but having to go caravan or give up camping we got a van last year and i love it. allways have our awaning up and the van door opne as our vans only 12ft and i like the space being used to a big 8 man frame tent butI dont think even if i could i would go back to a tent the vans my baby
------------- Dyslexic not stuped
It's nice to be important but its more important to be nice
Been there, tent, caravan, boat, tent and now 50 / 50 both tent and caravan. Yes they may both be called camping, but as different as chalk and cheese As you already know If it's got to be either / or, then a family meeting needs to be called. Look for a compromise tent summer, caravan winter. You could do it the other way but -10 degrees in the dark in a tent , is just as bad as 30+ degrees caravan
------------- Yesterday is already a dream and tomorrow is only a vision, but today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope.
I have three forms of camping - tent for one or two nights, very large mpv with awning for 3+ nights and caravan the same. Obviously the caravan is warmest/driest/most comfortable, but all three each have their different merits and I'm quite happy to use any of them.
------------- Tigermouse
I have a very temperamental personality - 50% temper and 50% mental
For us caravanning and tenting are not as different as chalk and cheese! We still 'go camping' but we have the luxury of having the caravan. We still cook outside,and spend as much time outside as possible. Even when loads of poeple ae sitting inside their caravans watching TV, we're outside!
Ive done canal boating, tenting and bought the caravan last year. I loved tenting but we did glamp it up and had every comfort available so we made it easy on ourselves. OH despised the packing up of the car, only to unload it all again to set it up a few hours later and because we comfort camped we had a LOT of gear.
What finished it for us was Cornwall last June, it was grim and grey and the rain just lashed down outside for days, I can still remember the darkness inside the tent in the middle of the day and the smell of damp canvas - it was the worst week we had ever experienced camping and as Cornwall is so geared up for outdoors we struggled to entertain the children. We left a day early and we started packing up at 10am but didn't finally leave the site until 4pm, arriving home at 11pm grumpy and shattered.
Within 6wks we had bought the caravan and have loved every minute of it, I do miss the tenting and have real fond memories of tent camping in the Vendee as the tent was perfect for the 30+degs weather we got, but I'd only swap now for that find of guarantee - however, OH wouldn't go back under any circumstance - of that Im certain!
If money was no object I'd definitely do a spot of boating again though!!
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: caravan or tent???
If it's got to be either / or, then a family meeting needs to be called. Look for a compromise tent summer, caravan winter. You could do it the other way but -10 degrees in the dark in a tent , is just as bad as 30+ degrees caravan 
