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55 replies

MaryMotherOfCheeses · 02/08/2009 19:21

I think we may have to. For next year.

I love my weekends away but the weather is too unpredictable. We get too cold in the evenings and cooking outdoors in windy cold weather is not fun.

But I'm unsure about a caravan. I am prejudiced perhaps. Aren't they a bit, erm, well, erm..... common?

So, are they?

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pointydog · 02/08/2009 19:25

I don't think they're common.
I just think they are a very expensive big hassle.

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MaryMotherOfCheeses · 02/08/2009 19:29

And, are the carvan club sites better and quieter? Whats the deal with them?

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pointydog · 02/08/2009 19:41

Have you tried wigwamming?

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serinBrightside · 02/08/2009 19:43

COMMON.

How very dare you

We have tent and 'van, depending on the season. Caravan club sites are fine but can be as expensive as regular sites. We go to certificated locations a lot. They only accept 5 vans and are usually just a field and a tap so tend to attract serious walkers/quieter types.

CL's cost around £10 a night.

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RubberDuck · 02/08/2009 19:46

Not sure about Caravan Club sites, but we've found Camping and Caravanning Club sites to be some of the best out there in terms of quality of facilities, size of pitches and price. Certified Sites are supposed to be good too (much more basic - have around 5 units at a time instead of a large site) but we haven't tried them yet.

We're upgrading to a caravan at the end of this season too - I think it'll give us more flexibility and a longer season as a result. It is a high initial outlay though and we will need to get storage (initial research seems to suggest about £700pa at our local C&CC site, but we get 2 free camping nights a month in with that - which we will almost certainly end up using).

We'll probably get a 3-4 year old caravan which will be out of its biggest depreciation time and then sell on after 3-4 years/upgrade. We've done that with both our folding campers and really not lost much on depreciation the time we've had them - it's the initial investment that stings.

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Millimat · 02/08/2009 21:34

Def not common! We were like you a year ago and took the plunge to a caravan. DH took a lot of convincing as he hates 'caravanners' and can't bear to be stuck behing them on jounrenys. But the benefits now we have one outweigh the other stuff a lot.
Not cheap to buy especially in this climate as they are flying off the forecourts - so many people are buying caravans at the mo. Our 2 DC love it and at 5 and 2 it doesn't matter where we go - it could be round the corner as far as they are concerned - so we will get our moneys worth. We were quite embarrassed about telling our friends - thought it would make us extremely middle aged - but they are all jealous .
Get one - you will love it!

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MaryMotherOfCheeses · 02/08/2009 21:42

LOL at wigwamming. No I haven't. Can you tow them???

We've looked at some caravans on ebay and hope to spend just a couple of grand on the first one. They're all orange / brown inside though. It's most concerning.

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pointydog · 02/08/2009 21:53

I'm going wigwamming. They are fixed little huts on campsites. You rent them. More comfortable than a tent.

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mablemurple · 02/08/2009 21:56

We upgraded from camping three years ago - my sister gave us her 25 year old caravan for nothing. It had a fridge, cold running water only that you had to pump out using your foot and a Porta Potti toilet (non flushing), but it was fantastic. It was much more comfortable and warm at nights, we had an awning as well so all wet stuff could dry off in there. It was very orange & brown, though, and we were always the oldest and naffest caravan on any site .
We gave it away last year and bought a twelve year old caravan for £3000 from eBay. This one has got an oven, a proper flushing toilet, a shower, and hot and cold running water. The decor is not the most stylish, but it doesn't really matter.

RubberDuck - £700 for storage is outrageous! Have you tried any local farmers (useless advice if you are in the middle of London, of course). We pay £200pa for storage on a farm about 20 mins drive away.

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gigglewitch · 02/08/2009 22:01

mmoc - wash your mouth out common indeed

we do caravans as a family (I was born and bred in the things, and I'm ded posh, me ) and I camp with my boys. Weather a pita for camping,but at least in a caravan (IMHO some sort of awning necessary, btw) you can stay dry at night and spend the rest of the time pretty much in the same way as you would with a tent, if you so wish.

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RubberDuck · 02/08/2009 22:16

mablemurple: good tip, thanks. We're a bit wary of too small a company due to security/insurance issues, but will check them out.

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mablemurple · 02/08/2009 22:26

Your insurance should cover you as long as you have an appropriate tow hitch lock fitted when in storage. Re security, it depends on the location of the farm, I suppose. The storage area of the farm we use is not visible from the (very quiet) road, so only the other caravanners and the farm hands know about it.

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PortBlacksandResident · 02/08/2009 22:40

I bloody love my caravan - yes she's 20 years old and a fetching brown and green but it means we can camp all year round (early Feb being our most rebellious so far).

We love to visit ancient sites and such all over the country and buying her (for a fab £1300) was the best thing we ever did.

The smell and sound of a tent in the rain and the sound of the zip is cool, i grant you and we still do this in the summer months.

But being able to put all your clothes straight into the 'van and keep your tonic (to go with your gin) cool all holiday mustn't be underestimated .

BTW - we personally avoid any 'club' type places or get togethers - too many flags and boring fuckers. We also tend to go to out of the way places.

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pointydog · 03/08/2009 10:12

lol @ port's flags and boring fuckers.

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Slubberdegullion · 03/08/2009 10:34

The dds befriended a couple of girls on holiday who were camping on the darkside (mit caravan).

They came back all wide eyed and quietly awed
"mummy there was a TAP and a LOO inside and there was big tenty thing stuck onto the side too. It was MUCH better than our tent.

grr

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pointydog · 03/08/2009 10:35

You mean they didn't tell you about soft seats and tv, slubs?

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pointydog · 03/08/2009 10:35

The dds are at their granny's caravan right now

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Slubberdegullion · 03/08/2009 10:40

I don't think this family (who seemed to be very sensible and grounded and normal...apart form the caravan ) had a tv, thank the Lord.

It was the loo that won them over, and quite frankly after all the 5 min loo trips in the pissy rain with water dripping off your cagoule into your pants whilst on the bog, I'm not suprised they thought it was the height of luxury and awesomeness.

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Slubberdegullion · 03/08/2009 10:41

Did you see my feedback report from the Anglesey thread btw?

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pointydog · 03/08/2009 10:42

no I didn't! Where is it for I should not be here?

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Slubberdegullion · 03/08/2009 10:44

From our own correspondent

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pointydog · 03/08/2009 10:46

just found it. Oh I'm sorry henblas seems to have gone down the pan. No shearing? No rounding up of runner ducks over an assault course?

Not even a caravna for comfort

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MaryMotherOfCheeses · 03/08/2009 19:22

I am slowly becoming convinced.

Rofl at flags and boring fuckers. the rallies worry me. We have friends with a caravan. They were really very dull whilst it was their prime obsession, which lasted a couple of years. And they did rallies. Which I think is where I got the "common" vibe from. TBH. I think there were cans of Stella being drunk in the afternoon.

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pointydog · 03/08/2009 19:27

you only need worry if it's cans of export or special

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MaryMotherOfCheeses · 03/08/2009 19:32

Oh well that's ok then

Is it de rigeur to have it in storage? Though I guess we could fit it on the drive. We have a 1930s semi so it kind of comes with the territory (I'm embracing the suburbs). We'll have to get part of the wall knocked down though, which is extra cost, but will need to be done.

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