To not want to buy a bloody caravan

Llamasally · 2021-11-02T18:29:46+00:00

DH is really keen. We have a young baby and toddler. Even a really nice one would be very cramped with travel cot & baby kit etc. DH is incredibly untidy. I’ll be doing all I do at home except falling over everything/children and getting stressed in the process. No one will get any sleep. I would much rather stay in luxury SC until at least they are both a bit more self sufficient - it’s a bloody lot of money for what would be logistically difficult holidays. I went on caravan holidays as a child and had so much fun, but think that started more like school age…

Original poster

Llamasally · 03/09/2024 19:45

@NatMoz we got rid of it, and good riddance 😂

OP posts:

NatMoz · 28/08/2024 14:30

Heya is there an update? Do you still have the caravan now? Is it better now they are 2 years older?

Sorry for digging up an old thread. I have a 2.5 year old myself and we're fine in a tent but want to see how things are on the other side!

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 05/03/2022 16:41

Why, thank you, WalkingOnTheCracks

CounsellorTroi · 05/03/2022 15:44

@AChocolateOrangeaday

I feel your pain OP.

DH is currently OBSESSED with buying a motorhome!

DS is 17 so much older than yours but would be coming with us on every trip.

My idea of hell tbh.

The issue with motorhomes seems is that they can be too big to explore really out of the way places and awkward to park at places you may want to eat out. You’d need to take an alternative form of transport like bikes or tow a small car!

Adarajames · 05/03/2022 15:42

We LOVE our campervan, but no kids, just dogs, and go away in it pretty much weekly, and up to a month or more at a time during festival season.

As kids we camped in a tent, only affordable holiday at the time; started going before we could even walk, think my brother was only a few months old first time he went away! We still go camping with family even though all now adults, 3 of us own Campervans / motorhomes, 1 of whom also has a large caravan, another has a caravan, only one doesn’t have either but does Glamping or borrows the caravan of other sister that has both.

I love the freedom, we park up in unofficial spots a lot and it’s been great with covid as I have own toilet and undesirable facilities available whenever we go out

WalkingOnTheCracks · 05/03/2022 15:33

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll

We love our caravan, but it's obviously not for everybody - so hiring first is a very good suggestion. We did that and loved it, hence buying our own (well-used) one.

Descriptions like 'plastic prison' are a bit silly imho - it's just a moveable dwelling, granted smaller than most fixed ones. Your house could be described as a 'brick prison' if you don't realise that it has a door enabling you to leave it often, or if you buy one located somewhere truly appalling.

Caravans aren't supposed to be an all-inclusive 24/7 entertainment centre - they're designed expecting that you'll sleep and eat some meals there but also travel/explore the outside and other places and amenities too. If you're looking for a replacement hotel, you're always going to be disappointed; if you consider it a much, much better, warmer, drier and more comfortable form of camping, that's a far more realistic way of looking at it, and is less likely to leave your (unrealistic) expectations unmet.

That said, I agree that they aren't especially compatible with the needs of very little kids and their parents. For us, the cost was crucial - and before our DS was of school age, we were able to afford (and find available) holiday cottages for much lower prices during term time, which were more suitable for a little one. Once he was at school, the balance tipped in terms of price/availability and him being age-appropriate for a caravan to work for us.

A caravan is my idea of hell, but I have to say, @Webuiltthisbuffetonsausageroll, that that's a very measured, balanced, articulate and fair-minded response.

Are you sure you're on the right website? I mean, I don't think you're going to survive here very long with that kind of attitude.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 05/03/2022 15:18

We love our caravan, but it's obviously not for everybody - so hiring first is a very good suggestion. We did that and loved it, hence buying our own (well-used) one.

Descriptions like 'plastic prison' are a bit silly imho - it's just a moveable dwelling, granted smaller than most fixed ones. Your house could be described as a 'brick prison' if you don't realise that it has a door enabling you to leave it often, or if you buy one located somewhere truly appalling.

Caravans aren't supposed to be an all-inclusive 24/7 entertainment centre - they're designed expecting that you'll sleep and eat some meals there but also travel/explore the outside and other places and amenities too. If you're looking for a replacement hotel, you're always going to be disappointed; if you consider it a much, much better, warmer, drier and more comfortable form of camping, that's a far more realistic way of looking at it, and is less likely to leave your (unrealistic) expectations unmet.

That said, I agree that they aren't especially compatible with the needs of very little kids and their parents. For us, the cost was crucial - and before our DS was of school age, we were able to afford (and find available) holiday cottages for much lower prices during term time, which were more suitable for a little one. Once he was at school, the balance tipped in terms of price/availability and him being age-appropriate for a caravan to work for us.

AChocolateOrangeaday · 05/03/2022 15:02

I feel your pain OP.

DH is currently OBSESSED with buying a motorhome!

DS is 17 so much older than yours but would be coming with us on every trip.

My idea of hell tbh.

RumJerrySailorRum · 05/03/2022 14:57

I love our van, but it's just me, DH and the huge daft Labrador. (And we also have a much newer one now, with a fixed island bed and separate toilet and shower)

We have taken our nieces and nephews away in it tho, however they were older.

You either like it or you don't. You've tried it and you don't. But don't let it put you off trying again.

It does get easier the more you go. You get into a better routine, find what works best for you re cooking and cleaning etc. Yes, it still needs to be done but its not a constant drudge. For example, One of us takes the dog for a toilet walk whilst stuff needs doing in the van which makes doing it much easier.

An awning or porch really are a must though. Our boots/shoes, outdoor gear, recycling, beer, wine, camping chairs etc are all kept in ours.

Stuff is all kept in lidded boxes or baskets and it's all labelled. DH was a bit wtf at me but we both know exactly where something is and where it needs to go back to.

And I always come back refreshed, relaxed and looking forward to our next trip. Alcohol is drunk, fresh air is plentiful, and weight is usually lost too!!

EffOrfagain · 05/03/2022 14:28

We have one with a fixed bed, essential imo, but we are retired and I can't imagine going with DC, it would be very cramped, also they are quite a bit of work setting up and stuff like that. We have time for all this but if we had limited holidays it would be a bit of a pain, we enjoy it though as we can go for lots of weeks away at a cheap price

Hallowbat · 05/03/2022 14:26

Totally agree I hate staying in caravans & pick a cottage or apartment every time, my dc aren’t keen on caravans either

ThatsGoingToHurt · 05/03/2022 14:24

If he refuses to admit it’s crap he can take the kids away for the weekend including all the packing and cleaning beforehand! You can stay at home and have a decent nights sleep!

ThatsGoingToHurt · 05/03/2022 14:22

Sod the caravan and sod any self catering holidays as well! I’ve got a four year old and a four year old. I’ve booked to go to Butlins and I’ve insisted we get a dining plan. I’m not prepared to cook three meals a day plus washing up plus cleaning up all the stuff that falls in the floor!

Tumbleweed101 · 05/03/2022 14:22

@LoveFall

This was in Canada, but we had a string of caravans (trailers) when I was a child, and I remember those times with great fondness.

There were four of us kids. My sister and I slept in the back of our "station wagon" car when we were older, but I also remember bunks above my parent's bed and the kitchen table making into a bed.

We had so much fun as a family, singing around a camp fire, cooking outside, washing dishes even. Lots of toasted marshmallows.

I know it was planning and work for Mom, but she loved it too. My parents drove across Canada in a camper van when Dad retired. We also drove across the US from Vancouver to visit my Dad's ailing sister in Chicago

We do have lovely woodsy camp grounds in our provincial parks. I remember so clearly camping in an empty campground in the fall.

I think my siblings feel the same. We sang all the old campfire songs to my Dad when he was dying. He could only raise his eyebrows at that stage and the songs led to many eyebrow raises.

You could rent a caravan OP and see how it works for you.

Canada is beautiful and set up for camping due to there being so much wilderness. Camping sites in Britain are expensive and lovely locations tend to be busy at peak times.

That said, I'd be in the get a caravan group. Static caravans give a place for weekends away and later on school holiday breaks. Mobile caravans give a chance to explore more areas but you would need to be confident towing.

Lollypop701 · 05/03/2022 14:20

I love ours, started off with folding campers and now have tourer. But we generally only have breakfast/snacks … the main meal is out and we all chip in to keep it tidy. However we didn’t start until kids were school age… and you need an awning to sit in while kids are sleeping or no one gets any rest. We like hiking so effectively we wore them out during the day so they slept well- as did we. They are an investment and it’s not for everyone

iRun2eatCake · 05/03/2022 14:16

Did you actually purchase a caravan?

Horst · 05/03/2022 14:12

Did you not have an awning or anything? That can double your space. Doesn’t like a good site either if there was cars constantly and you couldn’t let the children do much of anything.

Walkingalot · 05/03/2022 14:10

I loved my caravan and so did my exDH eventually. He wasn't keen but I managed to convince him. We had a toddler at the time and he loved it too. We had many happy years, we even took pets with us. He got his first taste of independence at the caravan site. Lots of like minded people, everyone looking out for each other. Feeding and entertaining random kids but also it was reciprocated.
It's basically a mini home from home. It's an adventure.

You can get some sites where you can have a permanent pitch and keep an awning up (space for kids to play). So, you just turn up and everything is set to go.

Beautiful3 · 05/03/2022 13:54

Thanks for your update. We were seriously considering a caravan. I'm on the fence about it all, I'm so glad I've read your update!

greenteafiend · 05/03/2022 13:51

My sister and her DH had a caravan for years. They did have some nice trips, but my sister had to spend a whole day packing and preparing for each trip, and a whole day unpacking and deep cleaning everything afterwards, including the toilet thing. She ended up doing loads of domestic work during the trips too.

I don't think self catering holidays are a good idea in households where one partner does a lot more of the domestic work in the household on a day to day basis.

I do more domestic work than my husband because he earns more than me, and we're happy with that. But I don't want to be doing the lion's share of domestic work on holiday, and yet the reality is that if we self catered, that would probably end up happening out of sheer habit; people get used to certain lifestyle patterns and guys get used to just "assuming" that the woman's going to take care of things. I also don't want to spend my holiday trying to force a 50-50 share by asking and reminding again and again and again. It's supposed to be a holiday, not a war over housework.

1hamwich4 · 05/03/2022 13:39

If he wears you down to try again I would seriously suggest looking into trailer tents.

All of the good bits of camping/caravanning:

Freedom to move around easily without packing faff

Seriously easy and quick to pitch/strike.

Easier to prep for trips quickly- you get to the point of just having a couple of crates of pots/pans and a bag of bedding/clothes and you’re good to go

Enough space to swing a cat ‘indoors’ if it rains

Decent beds so you’re not cold and/or uncomfortable

Decent cooking facilities so it’s not a tedious chore

Nice ‘tent feeling’ if you like that sort of thing

Flexibility to pitch up, set up, then go out for day trips

None of the bad bits- more space, little cleaning, decent sleep, easy to tow, easier to store, less stealable than ‘vans, don’t rot like ‘vans, don’t need all the servicing of ‘vans….

We got ours when I realised I couldn’t safely take our kids camping because I couldn’t pitch or strike the tent and look after them at the same time, and I wanted to be able to do it on my own (I get a LOT more holiday than DH). Since then we’ve done some epic European tours which have genuinely been fun and relaxing breaks. I do have a DH and kids who pull their weight when it comes to sharing out the camping jobs though. And lovely though camping can be, it is a degree of work which everyone has to be prepared to share. I am quite picky about the sites I choose as well. I can’t bear skanky washing facilities and try to get dog-free sites.

BUT you have to actually enjoy being outside. Kids love it but if you don’t, it’s miserable.

user1492809438 · 05/03/2022 13:36

Don't do it. It will be home from home in every sense...cooking, cleaning, washing etc so unless your DH takes over everything, there will be no holiday for you, with the probable addition of sand everywhere!

BionicEar · 05/03/2022 13:30

Llamasally not sure if you are in any caravan clubs but noticed you said were struggling to let kids play out.

We joined The Caravan and Motorhome Club and tend to stay at their Certified Location sites which are smaller, only allows 5 caravans. Most sites are basic but you can find good ones which are more secured so your kids can play out.

You would probably recoil with horror as would a number of others on here if you saw our vintage caravan as it’s as basic as you can get. However we’ve had many fantastic holidays in it.

You just need to figure out what you need without taking along the entire content of your house. You may need to lower your standards in terms of cleaning. No one going to expect it to be ultra tidy.

Yes it is harder camping with babies/toddlers but it improves as they get older.

Do things that make life easier when camping, such as have a box of toys/books/games that stay in caravan all the time. Take a slow cooker to have meals ready for evening after a day out. Plan ahead what you can do in the local area before you go.

Take wine/drink of choice and snacks. Sit outside in the evenings and engage with fellow campers. We’ve made some fantastic friendships over the years as a result.

However if at end of day you are both really unhappy then the best thing would be to admit defeat and sell the caravan on. The whole point of a holiday is for you all to relax and enjoy them.

Hankunamatata · 05/03/2022 13:20

I agree definitely more suited to at least nursery age kids, who are toilet trained and sleep in normal bed

TheLovleyChebbyMcGee · 05/03/2022 13:18

I'm sorry you caved OP, we've now got 10 week old and 3.5 year old and I'd still not entertain it until the kids were at least primary age, but its still a huge investment and limits you to holidays that you can drive to. I'd maybe think about hiring a static for a holiday.