I agree with Basil Brush. In the winter we do usually do a B and B for a weekend but the last one we went to cost us £64 a night for two nights. Brekkie was lovely but we had to be up by a certain time. At the van if I want to sit in my jimmers til midday I can. If I want to eat bacon sarnies or cocoa pops lying in bed, I can. Ok so the trade off is that you have to go to the loos and showers rather than nipping into the shower easily in a B and B but give me the caravan or tent any day!
Oh and I do know that is a controversial comment about loos and showers but we have a small bathroom in ours and it is an old van so I don't use the shower, and the loo only at night or if there is a monsoon outside!
We decided to buy our second van because we had been invited on a package holiday that was going to cost £4000 for 2 weeks for 2 adults & 2 little ones. Plus probably £1500 spending money. All this to get shunted around like cattle, receive shoddy service and most importantly have to tell the kids not to do this, that or the other; stay out of sun, stay away from pool, get your sun screen on etc.......
In the end there was no contest so we spent 5 grand on a newer van and years of holidays and weekends away that the kids can actually enjoy without me bothering them.
The package holiday was 4 years ago and is now a dim & distant memory for those that went. And the money that was spent for a 2 week holiday is long gone.
Me & my family continue to enjoy our investment year in year out.
Our family holiday last year cost £2500 + spending money for 2 weeks in spain for 2 adults and 2 little ones.....hence we decided that once we got caravan and fitted it out it would cost roughly the same. So we bought 2nd hand van for £2000 and by time work done on van and accessories bought we were somewhere near the cost of a 2 weeks family holiday. Now ask kids what they prefer....2 weeks in spain or several breaks away in caravan.....uummm...tough one for the kids to answer...not!!!
Although this year has been expensive, we consider them as a one off cost and that next year it will cost a damm sight less than 2 weeks in spain, crammed onto planes like cattle and fighting for sun loungers round the pool!!!
I guess it can be a very expensive hobby. But i feel it's worth it because i can get away every other weekend if i want to. I also Rally with the CC so from £3.50 a night which isn't that expensive. Insurance and caravan storage is costly but at the end of the day, i know who's slept in my bed and i know that it's clean cos i cleaned it unlike some places we have stayed in i have had to clean before i went in. The other expense is that we always see something elae we need for the caravan but we love it and would rather spend our money on something we enjoy!
Well it looks like despite my concerns about the cost when I started this thread, I must have been persuaded somewhere along the line as we've today agreed to buy the caravan! And those costs I was so concerned about are still there, along with a few extra costs that we now want/need to get: wheel lock, EHU cable, towing mirrors, awning. So when my Mum asked me this morning if there was anything I'd like for my birthday, I'm thinking...towing mirrors, EHU cable................!
In our case it will be a whole lot more expensive because we never went abroad on package holidays, or weekends away in B&Bs, but we will now go away for weekends, and be able to go earlier/later in the season - things we never found easy with tenting.
But it will be great and our 5 year old will have so much fun.
Well done Jafa! I hope you really enjoy your 'van for many years to come.
We're on our third caravan in 3 years but that's because our first was a cheap, old one to see if we'd enjoy the upgrade from camping - d'uh, what's not to enjoy! Next upgrade brought a better layout and hot water and the latest one has a fixed bed and blown air heating so our season just got a whole lot longer!
Yes, it's been expensive getting to this stage and gathering all the bits and pieces but it's soooo worth it. Ours is on a seasonal pitch in Portpatrick (Dumfries & Galloway) and it's just perfect - very relaxing. Went to sleep last night watching the rain hitting the Heki roof light and hearing the drops hit the roof, then woke up this morning to the same thing but it didn't matter. We got up when we wanted to, walked the dogs in the rain, came back, turned up the heating and got everything dried, then had bacon rolls, sat back, watched a DVD and I nodded off again!
Yes, I'm sure I could do that at home without paying pitch fees, insurance, etc, but I can't look out at the sea and Ireland from home, I'm too close to work at home and I keep thinking there's always something I should be doing. Down at the caravan, nothing matters - there's just no pressure at all and I feel so much better for that. Yes, we probably could have achieved it for a bit less outlay, but we've no worries about damp (that both our previous 'vans had) and we'll not be worried about anything falling off as we tow!!
On balance, I think it's worth every penny and we make sure we get our money's worth - having been away every other weekend since March. What we pay in pitch fees for a full season is less than our friends pay to hire a cottage in the same area for 3 weeks in summer and they're not allowed to bring their dog - our two love caravanning.
Glad so many others are enjoying this "expensive" hobby, too!
------------- Best Wishes and Happy Travels,
Feecamp
As i stated earlier,we rally with the c&cc,my 3 kids aged 3,4 and 6 were absolutely gutted to be coming home yesterday after a week away,they were asking how many sleeps before we'll be away again.We've camped this week at fraisthorpe,about 30 yards from a safe sandy beach,no shops,no amusements,no roads to cross,no traffic at all other than other caravanners.There was an old ww2 look out bunker for them to climb on and they had the freedom of the field,they could not have been happier.That to me is priceless,especially in this day and age where you can't take your eyes of them and they're stopped from doing things we all enjoyed doing as kids,because it's either deemed dangerous or not politically correct.If we take them to a theme park they do nothing but moan,they would prefer an open field and a 60 year old lump of concrete known to them as the army tower.There was also kids of all ages playing on the "army tower" ranging from 3 years old to 14 years old,all nice kids playing together and helping eachother.
Yes, camping and caravanning is ideal for children, especially as we only have one child as it means he can go play with others and make new friends. It seems easier somehow when they're all just running around the field.
Yes caravaning is expensive to set up with, even if you go for a cheap van. Our first van (16 years ago) was little more than a baked bean can on wheels but I loved it.
We are lucky enough at this time to have the best of both worlds having a 5 star holiday abroad late September but some of the delays and problems over the years have made me wonder if it is worth it and how much more comfortable I would have been in my own van, even if traffic jams had meant a night in a layby. I have to admit, it something had to go, it would be the 2 weeks in wherever, not any of the weeks/weekends in my lovely van.
We have also kept thinking about whether the costs of it all were affordable; for us about £2000 a year to run and use the caravan, storage (on a base pitch this year but probably not next year) and cattery fees when we are away. But we console ourselves that the 'van and eqipment is all bought and paid for now and we'll not be needing anything else for a while. We used to budget £2000 pa for a big 2 week summer holiday, and whilst we enjoyed these, the memory soon faded. At least now we still have the 'van so we'll keep on going as we like the freedom and relaxation it gives us.
Its worth it just for knowing that when they have "what did you do at weekend " session at school our daughter always has something to tell and regales the class about our exploits at the weekend.
Quote: Originally posted by Big Brian 56 on 05/6/2007
Its worth it just for knowing that when they have "what did you do at weekend " session at school our daughter always has something to tell and regales the class about our exploits at the weekend.
As long as they don't do a "what did dad do after the bbq and several cans of lager at the weekend" session i'd fully agree,I actually asked my son what his mates had been upto over the holidays and he just said nought,they stayed at home.
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Costly caravanning
,I actually asked my son what his mates had been upto over the holidays and he just said nought,they stayed at home.
