To not want to buy a bloody caravan

Caravans cost time and money.

Probably cheaper and easier to stay in a hotel or BnB.

I have a friend who's DH loved caravanning. He bought one, she sent him off with their 2 young children in said caravan and to be fair to the bloke, it was fine apparently. She, meanwhile, had a lovely quiet time at home on her own. Win:win in my book! Personally, I'd rather gouge my eyes out with a spoon than holiday in one, especially with younger DC.

If rather cut my own foot off than buy a caravan!

I say that as a caravan Veteran. We took all our family holidays till the age of about 14 away in a touring caravan, and while I have many good memories, I have no desire to repeat that as an adult.

So much work packing the van, cleaning it, making the beds every night and every morning. The snoring, the lack of privacy, putting up the awning,setting up the water......

I'd not buy one...could think of nothing worse..a tin box with your stuff in and two little ones in tow...

YADNU! Awful idea, annnoy everyone on country lanes and only be allowed into larger and more "lively" caravan sites, no, no, no!

Tell him you want to try out all staying in a caravan a few times before you commit to buying one. Then go once a year for the next few years and by the time you've been a few times the kids will be older and you'll be keener (or you'll both agree it's a nightmare).

I'll echo that if you like camping then it's a step up...we camped when the kids were young. Could only afford a 'van once they were older..DD came with us but although she enjoyed the holiday she didn't enjoy listening to her father snoring..roll on 15 years we caravan because we can take the dog..we go out of season ..only thing I don't enjoy is towing.

We have a 1 year old and a 4 year old, and I agree caravan would be a nightmare. We do, however, have a folding camper (bit like a trailer tent but living area area in the trailer) and its been fantastic for holidays this year. We sleep on proper mattresses off the ground, and have a lot of space in the awning. Our girls love it. You have to be into camping though.

My oldest is 12 youngest 5 and we have camp camped tent camping for a few years now and tbh it’s not that much more effort than renting a static if you have the right equipment.

Caravans are for the retired or child-free who are very enthusiastic about getting out and about all the time.

Otherwise I cannot see the point of them.

YANBU. It’s a purchase costing many thousands of pounds, plus ongoing costs, eg storing it when not in use. And high ‘time costs’ if you want to get value for the money. Not something to buy on a whim.

My family caravanned a lot when I was primary school age. DC enjoyed, my mum really didn’t due to the work involved.

I wouldn't have a caravan as a gift, but if your husband is keen tell him to take the children on holiday in one for the weekend at least twice and then say you'll consider it. I promise you he'll hate it. Problem solved.

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.

Buy mine, barely used... 😁

We just bought one this year, I mean I do miss going to a 5 star hotel and having some sunshine but we've had 2 full weeks away and 2 weekends and loved it!

Kids are 4 and 6 though. Maybe wait a bit? Or see how you get in a static or hire one to try it out?

DP and me had an amazing motorcaravan holiday and loved it (hired). But personally I wouldn't with DC, too much like hard work and personally I wouldn't like the lack of space if there were more than 2 of us.

We did go out for a picnic lunch the other day (well grabbed some things from a deli on the way) I did remark that the woman in the caravan next to us spent the whole time making food/clearing up/doing drinks etc. Didn't seem like much of a holiday...

Can't think of anything worse with very young kids. Don't do it.

I would wait a few years.

Personally caravans don't work for us - my two children have quite different body clocks, one likes to go to bed early and wake up early, the other is a night owl, they are terrible at sharing a bedroom nobody gets any sleep and we all end up tired and irritable.

They can be great or they can be horrible.

If your not a camper and your mind is always on it being horrible don’t buy one.

Don’t take advice from non campers though as you’ll get a million who have never owned or used one piping up about how horrible they are when they have no real idea.