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Camping

Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

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Original poster

Is toddlers and campervans a good idea

19 replies

LucyMartin · 20/02/2011 21:47

My husband has suggested that we invest in a camperven as a way of having cheap holidays. However i have reservations about taking a 2-3yr old on holiday in a campervan, fearing that it might be more stressful than my husband imagines.

Has anyone had this experience?
Am I worring too much?

OP posts:

deste · 20/02/2011 21:49

I think you will need to very organised and take as little equipment as you need. Buy as big as you can afford.

tigana · 20/02/2011 21:49

Yey. Ds has been onhol in tents and campervans all his life. Is 5 now. Not stressful. Fun.
What in particular might be stressful about it? I can dispell specific fears...

DuplicitousBitch · 20/02/2011 21:50

excellent idea. but campervan does not particularly = cheapness. tents=cheapness

Original poster

LucyMartin · 20/02/2011 21:53

I worry about night time, my snoring husband keeping daughter awake. Lack of space, bad weather.

OP posts:

Fennel · 20/02/2011 21:53

Yes, one toddler in a campervan is lovely.
3 under 5s is hell. Like noisy bouncy sardines in a tin.

But with one, yes, great.

Our campervan wasn't exactly cheap though, to make it worth it financially you have to go away in it lots, ours was heavy in petrol and we used to blow up the engines going over mountain passes (I get a bit nostalgic for it now but it was quite an expensive hobby).

DuplicitousBitch · 20/02/2011 21:55

yes fennel we blew up over a mountain pass thsi summer, oh how we laughed

Fennel · 20/02/2011 22:00

You can see why those air-cooled engines didn't catch on can't you?

Kirkstone Pass is a beautiful place to wait for the rescue lorry.

tigana · 20/02/2011 22:21

If weather is bad and you are trapped inside it can be a bit stressy - but you can alsways go for a drive somewhere - just as you would if you were staying in a hotel/b&B.

Lack of space - can be a bugger - find a camper with lots of easy to access storage if at all possible. We have under seat/bed storage for the big bulky stuff that comes out once at the start and goes away athe end (dinghy/paella pan etc an dthen over seat cupboards that a jam with clothing.

snoring...um, well, I snore (dh sweetly says i sound like rhino ) and ds snores away right next to us.

Stase · 21/02/2011 20:48

We've had the camper longer than the kids, and they LOVE it! On a Friday when we pick them up from Nursery in the van to head south for the weekend with all our/their mates they get ridiculously high-pitched with excitement. One has a travel cot and the other has a sling/hammock over the cab. They're nearly 2 and nearly 5 and the big one is already asking when it will be Summer.
Costs a bloody fortune in repairs and diesel though, not a cheap option really.
Ah, roll on Summer...

Mollymax · 21/02/2011 20:54

We adore our van and so do the children. It is a real home from home, the dc sleep just as well in it as at home.
It is not a cheap holiday though, but cheaper than hiring cottages etc.
Ours is a 7 berth with 5 of us in it, so we all have plenty of room.

Stase · 21/02/2011 21:13

7 berth? Admit it Molly, that's a Motorhome, not a Campervan.

PaisleyLeaf · 21/02/2011 21:25

We had out van from before we had DD. (we haven't got it anymore) She loved it. It was my daily drive and perfect for just out and about with small DC.
Camping as a baby was easy and now that she's older is easy. As a toddler we encountered problems. There was a trip when she was about 18mths that was a nightmare: bad weather (having the awning made a real difference - it could've been loads worse). And the field we were in was rubbish - we were parked on a bit of a slope and the ground was lumpy - DD not been walking long kept falling over - being over tired didn't help and it ended up quite a grizzly time.
It's also that bit more difficult to toddler proof your camp than it is your home re making sure knives/matches/gas knobs/bottle of liquids etc are inaccessible.
Sounds bad, but you know I wouldn't want to talk you out of it. It's just stuff to bear in mind. They're not that age for long - and 3 is quite different from 18mths. It's an investment for family holidays for the future too.

fluffles · 21/02/2011 22:29

we are campers (NOT glampers) but with a baby we are also intending to buy a campervan, just for the warmth really and the instantaneous shelter and cooking facilities without pitching.

for us i think it will be luxury.. but we're used to a small two-man tent and singl-burner stove.

if you've no experience and liked your hotels pre-DC then it might be a bit of an adjustment. but i'd say go for it anyway

CrispyCakeHead · 21/02/2011 22:38

no experience, but a question I often ask myself.

there are companies that hire them out though; could you try before you buy and see how you like it?

I'd love one, but DH is dead set against it, not least for the inflexibility of them; having to take it all with you just for a daytrip. A caravan would be more practical, but they are reviled by motorists the world over!

I'd also agree, having looked into it, that it isn't really a cheap option; road tax, repairs, diesel, and site fees all add up...on top of what you actually pay for it in the first place.

Astrophe · 21/02/2011 22:44

we spent 4 months driving around Europe in a Mazda Bongo with our then 2 and 4 year olds.

It was only as stressful as holidays always are with small kids! We had our moments, but generally it was great.

We bought a big awning/tent that attached to the side, so we had some space in bad weather. The kids could also sit up in the 'roof' (the pop up top bit) and do drawing, or watch DVDs (we brought a lap top with us).

It was much cheaper than staying in hotels for 4 months, but I'm not sure it would nessesarily be cheaper if you only use it twice a year.

Stase · 21/02/2011 22:45

That's true about the day-trip inflexibility, Crispy. We have a Mercedes 608D, built in 1980 and quite long and high. Friends who have smaller VWs seem to have an easier time on the country lanes than we do.
A drive-away awning makes it easier to go out for the day leaving you pitch marked and most of the camping kit behind. I actually quite like the tinkle of tin cups as we go round corners, but securing everything can be a bit of a PITA. Something always gets missed!

DuplicitousBitch · 22/02/2011 09:53

i quite like doing day trips with teh camper. you can stop and have lunch when ever you want. emergency wee's and if you fancy an impromptu swim in a river you have towels etc.

Mollymax · 22/02/2011 17:00

Ok. Stase., it is a motorhome but we still love it.
It does make day trips more difficult, but not impossible. Just a bit more planning of the route before hand.
We were too daring in Devon last summer, and ended up heading down some very narrow country roads. My dh and I both had more gray hairs at the end of the journey. I think the dc learnt some new words too

deste · 23/02/2011 10:12

We were too daring in Devon last summer, and ended up heading down some very narrow country roads. My dh and I both had more grey hairs at the end of the journey.
I agree with that we went to Devon last year and ours is a motorhome. I dreaded to think what state the sides were in with all the branches scraping along the sides. To say it was stressfull was an understatement.

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