We are about to take ownership of our 2nd van. Our first was a 2005 Bailey Pageant Provence, bought new and well used, we saved hard and waited long for her, we're only changing as we need to not have to make up beds every night due to medical probs! Our new one will be a Bailey too - an Indiana....Can't wait
I have caravanned since I was 10 days old in July 1970!
With my parents I caravanned in:
2 Sprite 400's a 67 and a 70, a 70 Cavalier 1200T, a 78 Sprite Super Major, an 81 Sprite Super Alpine, an 89 Adria Forma 580 and a 90 Lunar Sunbeam ....
With my Mrs since we married in 94:
90 Sprite Musketeer S, a 95 Bailey Beachcomber 440/4 Club, a 2005 Abbey 418 GTS Vougue, a 2006 Swift Chalenger 470 and now a 2007 Abbey 416 GTS.
Hopefully have this one for a while.
------------- 2020 Volvo XC60 B5 R Design Geartronic / 2018 Swift Elegance 580
Bought a secondhand Thompson Glennevis 4/5 berth in 1979 sold it in 1984. Moved to Tintagel in 1986 owned a B & B retired and returned to caravanning in 2006 with a 1993 Abbey Piper 2 berth. A neat little van for the two of us.
------------- Don't know where I'm going but will be happy when I get there.
I was brought up in tents with the folks and we also had a caravan. Great days and that planted the seed with me.
We had a tent for starters then we moved up to a 1973 VW Camper in our mid twenties. Then as we got a little older we moved on to a 1992 Swift Corniche 15 2E which had been reelly well looked after and we loved it. We now have a 2004 Abbey Safari 525 which we love it has everything for me the wife and our labrador Paddy.
First trip of the year this coming weekend, cant wait!
Dave,She and Paddy
------------- Dave, She, Ellie May, Jessica and Paddy
We are just about to get our 1st caravan, a 1991 Bailey Pageant after 10 years of camping in tents. I'm hoping it's going to be as much fun as I imagine!
I caravanned in the early 80's with my parents in a Sprite Alpine, and have many many fond memories of that 'van.
Me & OH, two kids & baby started again in 2000 with a Conway Rio trailer tent, but during one particularly freezing wet weekend at Robin Hoods Bay decided we were getting a caravan. My parents happened to be getting another one so we fell lucky and bought their 1981 Compass Citizen for £50 which we loved. Then the year before last we had a yearning for more space and went and bought a 2002 Conway Vision, a great trailer tent, but during the first holiday in it i realised we'd made a mistake, then in the October at Mablethorpe we had awful gales which frightened the life out of me and we decided it was back to a caravan for us. We now have a 1985 Avondale Perle Argos, but the layout is not ideal, and now we take my Mum i'd like a proper bathroom, so we're on the lookout again!
Started camping when we lived in Germany, gave it up in 1981.
First van Monza 1200d gas lamps, single glazed, put in a fridge myself and fitted twin electrics, battery charger etc.Used an extension lead and fan heater when cold!
Then Adria 15' can't remember the model but had double glazing mains etc-luxury, sold for virtually what it cost!
Abbey Lancaster, then saw the GTS at Salop Caravans.
Abbey GTS 415, all mod cons ex demo, owned for 9 years lovely van.
Swift Classic Coronette 2 berth 15'
Bailey Pageant Champagne, owned 2 years, saw present van-fatal!
Bailey Pageant Vendee, as we loved the fixed bed. Owned 3 years now.
Next? Not sure- maybe a Senator or Swift but fixed bed 18'. No rush to sell yet!
------------- DS-There's more to life than football!!!
Our first van was a damp one, never found the makers name on it (probably too ashamed to put a name to it.)
We only used it twice, before it got vandalised. Have to admit, we were unlikely to use it again anyway as the last trip we had it was wetter inside than it was outside. It was that bad, we were tempted to abandon the van on the site and go home. It was only when I remembered it was a CC site and that they had my address I decidd to take the van home again. However, we only paid £50 and this was about 2001. I thought we had our moneys worth from it in so much as despite our wet trip, we enjoyed the few dry nights we had, but I really hated towing it. This was probably due to the fact my car was underpowered.
A few years and another child later we bought a second hand folding camper which got damaged on our first trip and never even made it to a site.
Any sensible person would have given up by now, but our eldest was so disappointed, I bought a used trailer tent the next day on my credit card. We used this for about two years before getting sick of watching the weather and packing up early because rain is forcast and we don't have room to dry it out and bought another caravan, an Avondale Perle Ulysses (1992).
After two years towing the trailer tent and having a bigger car, I felt a bit happier towing a caravan and now I have invested in an AlKo hitch actually enjoy towing.
I almost traded it in last year for the 6 berth Bailey Ranger, which we fell in love with, but on careful consideration, decided that by the time we had paid for it, the kids would be too big for the bunk beds.
I'm glad I decided against it as I now want one with an end bathroom, but I want to get another 3 years out of the one we have first as finances are none too bright at the moment, but if any one wants to send me a few thousand, it will be invested in a shiny Avondale Dart 545-4.
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 many caravans?
