Does anyone ever feel they have been judged as a person because of your van? Although I myself am not new to caravanning, as when I was a child our family went a lot, now I have my own family we decided to get our own caravan. We started off with a little 80's two berth that looked old but was in good condition. I loved the van but being a family of four it became unsuitable! We now have a 70's 6 berth van as a go between so that we can still go away whilst we save for a newer van. By newer I mean no more than say £2000 worth of caravan. Now on every site we visit we get stares. The van is clearly old, has a few dints and scratches here and there, which aren't down to us. Most people are very friendly and don't seem to mind, however many also do! I have witnessed people laughing at us because of the van. Purposly looking us up and down before turning away without a word. Ignoring us when we say hello as they walk pass. One has even, very loudly, announced to their child that they should not play with children like ours!! Shame on you lady! We dress no different to anyone else. Our children are polite, well dressed and clean (well as clean as kids can be). What is their problem?? If we were in a newer van they wouldn't say or do these things. I suppose it doesn't help that we are a youngish couple either. Please people, don't judge the person by their caravan!
I have just posted a similar sort of tale in the thread about storage of old vans and the attitude of a well known club regasrding rallys. There is a real snobbery about some aspects of caravanning that really pees me off. You're right it's about people not their vans.
I am without a van at the moment, and am trying to convince my new partner of the merits of 'vanning. We are skint. Broke. I am trying to run a business and employ staff, and am off ill with a damaged knee so cannot pay myself. I cannot afford a £6K 'van. I am considering an older slightly marked Adria - not what I really want, but I can't afford much more at the moment. Does that make me a bad person? Does that make me a lesser person than someone in a new van. NO! nor does it you!
Ive had the £50k salary, company car, pension and house worth £400k! but I dont now. So what, I'm happy, not in real debt, not been to prison and like to think I'm a nice person. It's THEM hat has the prolem, not the average Joe like you and me who refuses to splash out money they cannot afford to keep up with the Joneses. I've tried that as well - it doesn't work and I'm testament to it. It cost me my marriage, house and job. Forget it, Be happy and enjoy your van. Sorry rant over.
yup its a sad fact that snobbery is rife, even with a Van of 1994 vintage I still get those with the great big luxury vans looking down their pious noses at me . Its double worse as the cars same age
Still I get great satisfaction knowing that both the car and the van are all bought and paid for, and I am not up to my neck in debt trying to keep up with the latest style.
It seems to be the newer ones to Caravanning though
I told a story on UKCS a while ago, about a friends 'father-in-law' who used to enjoy spending the occasional weekend camping. He had a tiny old ridge tent and used to spend the weekend walking or just sitting outside his tent in vest and khaki shorts reading... He got some weird looks, as though he was some sort of vagrant. He was in fact a Professor of Surgery at a London teaching hospital. Can you imagine the looks (from behind the twitching curtains), when his wife picked him up in a big shiny Bentley!...
Are the couple in the huge twin wheeled caravan, with the big brash 4x4 really wealthy, or is it "all fur coat and no knickers" and a huge overdraught... I wonder!...
Don't worry about what others think, we're all equal on a campsite regardless of what tent/caravan we have...
I dont care if people do judge us by our van, ours isnt 'that' old its a 1992 model but its in good condition and although yes I read the caravan magazines and lust after a lovely new one with shiny new surfaces and the latest this or that it doesnt mean I dont love our van!
It used to belong to my parents and we found a dummy the other day, under the fridge, clearly shoved in there approx 7-`9 years ago by one or other of your youngest kids... fond memories of visiting my olds and borrowing the van when it was pretty shiny and new to them too!
As for the snobs, sod em... remember were all the same underneath...
Well, I guess I'm well out of the running. 1988ish caravan and a 1995 tow car. We only do 3 or 4 weekends a year with the caravan at truck shows or steam fairs. I can't justify having £1000s in a caravan for such infrequent use. As for the tow car: I.ve had my fingers burnt with the depreciation debacle. Just over 2 years ago I paid a 'fair' price at the time of £8500 for a X reg Ford Explorer. It's up for sale now at just over 3 grand and there's absolutely no interest. SEE HERE £5500 depreciation in 2 years is a bit bad to say the least. The current tow car is a 1995 Frontera Sport 2.8TDI. It cost £730 off Ebay. At least it ain't gonna depreciate more than 5 grand. Ever.
Simon H
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we have just got a brand new van in March and wish i had kept my old 1992 van we have had nothing but problems from our new van wish i could turn back the clock and get my old van back.
We spent last weekend on a nice site we hadn't visited before and thought we'd like to go back this weekend (which we did). Instead of dragging the shed home and then back to the site again we booked the whole week. I explained we'd go home and come back this weekend.
On Thursday evening I got a phone call from the wardens to check we were going back and when! I think they didn't connect me with the old wobbly sided with patches of grey van when I extended our booking and were worried we'd abandoned it
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Topic: Are you judged by your caravan? (
Topic Closed)
