Calling all caravanners! Circle your wagons over here....

[DistantShip]

First thread so be gentle please!

The tent-addicts and campervan people have their own quiches; so I thought we caravan types might like a place to hang out too.

So far, DH, DS and I have been away 4 times this year in our Adria - we are trying to use it at least one weekend a month, on a cheap m cheerful sote where possible, with 2 longer breaks over the summer.

Come tell tales of central heating, an almost-proper bed, and inside toilets ;)

well tow bar has been fitted and we are booked into the ranch campsite, maybole next week, wish me luck!!

Good luck hairyqueenofscots, sure you will have a fab time
That looks like a nice site, you must report back :)
Enjoy!!

Absolutley fab time, but broke down 40 miles from home! had green flag so they took us home, but a bit of a downer to the end of the holiday

Hi. Just marking place

Are you allowed to take a mark your own pitch! Distantship

We have an Elddis Avante 556 2007 6 berth and we love it!! DH and I with our children 8,5,5&3. We don't use it as much as we would like but did a week in the New Forest at Easter, have a weeks in Cornwall at Whitsun and in August.

We have been loaned at Static in Ayr in early August as dragging the caravan from Cornwall to Scotland it too far with the children.

It really is home from home

Shoshe we broke down on the way to Dumfries!! It wasn't much fun and thought that was the holiday finished before it began, luckily we too got recovered and DH got the car fixed. We arrived on site 3hrs later than planned but the site were great about it.

Anyone stayed in a nice site near Blackpool??

We are a member of the Caravan Club and did our first rally 3 weeks ago, we did another 1 last weekend, Well, we have a Dethleff caravan, myself, husband and two children 14 and 12. The kids thought that I was torturing them before we set off, it was one disaster after another. When we arrived it was in the grounds of a stately home. Absolutely stunning location. Within minutes the kids were playing a board game and then we ate out at Harvestor and then a walk on the beach.
They really enjoyed it and the no electric was not a problem. We did take the laptop to watch a movie at night. I really recomend rallying. Its an antitote to this fast past lifestyle ( she says whilst typing on her laptop).
And the good thing is One was £9 the other £14.

Hi can I join you all please?

We have a Bailey Senator Indiana, which we love love love. And a Fiamma caravanstore awning which I would totally recommend - it is permanently on the side of the caravan. When you get somewhere you just unroll it and pull the legs out of the side. Up in a minute. It has sides and a front - you can put them up if needed or just use it as a shelter if not.

Just had a baby so only managed 2 trip so far this year. The last few years we'd have been away half a dozen times by now.

We are in the North West and mainly caravan in Derbyshire, North Wales and the Lake District but are planning on a summer trip to Pembrokeshire - any site recommendations there would be very welcome.

Caravan club - Conniston site is lovely in the Lakes.

Oooh yes we love Park Coppice, one of our faves. In fact was thinking of going there this weekend as the weather is so nice and it is one of the only CC sites which actually has places available.

Someone was talking about an inverter earlier on in the thread, this is the one we have:

www.amazon.co.uk/Power-Inverter-Voltage-Converter-connection/dp/B003UP6ZAG/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1337715669&sr=8-7

SO we can charge laptop etc in the car if needed.

I am amazed thought it was £90 when Dh asked at local car shop. Dh is sitting here with me and says how does the invertor work. Is it a cigarette lighter, how long would it take to charge a laptop, I suddenly feel like we could have more weekends if the kids have their phones and laptops.

Um no idea sorry - we only use the laptop for watching films at night so the battery usually lasts. It is generally on the way home it has to be plugged in so the kids can watch a film in the car. Can charge everything using it though, really useful.

ah cheers busy. I will check that out. Enjoy Park Coppice if you go. You have got me thinking now could we go this weekend. We better leave it, we were at Bolton 'Abbey at the weekend and the Bank Hol one are at Wirral Country Park. This is a Caravan Club site, has anyone been ?

Purple = where was your rally in the grounds of the stately home? Sounds lovely.

We went to Wirral Country Park last year. It was nice, right on the beach, but the only site we have ever been to which had warning signs up saying don't leave anything in your awning as it might be pinched - talk about thieving scousers!!

There is a pub on the road nearby did pub meals - two for a tenner and kids eat free which was a bargain! We went crabbing and got bucket fulls, the kids loved it. There is a walk over the beach to an island which you can only reach at low tide.

Bolton Abbey is gorgeous isn't it? Lovely walks along the river.

Yes, I'd also be interested in any recommendations in or near Blackpool. We want to stop there on the way to Ayr. Was tempted to stay at the Haven one again although it was shite but the cost for two nights was more than the whole week at Craigie Gardens!

Ahhhh caravaners hellooooo!

We have a 4 birth Compass Corona, bought it last year and its our first caravan. Its for the 3 of us (me, DH & DS 8) Bought it after our tent started to leak!
Tis utter luxuroius lushness, we love it.

Been away a few times already this year, off to a music festival next month, Wales in July for a week and a weekend in Herreford. Will nip to the Lake district too for cheeky weekends away. ont have an awning because they look like an awful lot of faffing for short times that we have been away in ours.

So we are just finding our feet and would love top tips from all you seasoned caravan folk.

We have almost everything we need, we wanted to have the van so that we just have to chuck food and our clothes in and go.
Ive bought a load of towels for swimming & showers so that we are not worrying about drying them.
Put the duvet in a clean cover and we have vac packed everything...vac pack btw...best invention ever!

What else makes life easier for caravaners?

I love our awning it's this one:

Zip

Dead easy to put up and gives useful outdoor space to store wet stuff, outdoor toys, bikes etc

I don't think you need much once you have a caravan cos it's all there isn't it? We do tend to make a big chilli or something like that before we go so once we arrive we can just heat it up.

OMG dont fancy wirral now. It was recomended, gosh, I really dont fancy it if its not secure.

The grounds were Lytham Hall, a bit run down but the grounds were lovely.
First we could not get in to the caravan storage lock up, then we had to wait an hour with the kids whining in the back that I was torturing them, making them go on a caravan weekend. Then when we got in to the lock up, I forgot the caravan keys, we had to go 10 miles home. So the atmoshere in the car was a little tense. When we arrived in Lytham, the rally was in the grounds of Lytham Hall. Behind a gatted estate. My husband is a fisherman and it had ponds. It was lovely. We walkied into Lytham,, which was a lovely little town.

A site near Blackpool, I havent stayed but my parents have Eastham Hall. They said its really nice.

Wirral's OK to be honest. The wardens keep a close eye out. There are signs up at Lady Margaret's Park in Chirk as well but the worst I've been on for thefts was Clumber Park where bikes went every night and police patrolled the site regularly.

Chester Fairoaks gets reasonable reviews and it's handy for a cheeky bit of designer outlet shopping

Just been on 'cc website to change from Wirral to Park coppice at Conniston, oh no, they are fully booked.

I'm sure Wirral Park will be fine. We had a good weekend there, no problems and we did leave things in the awning as there was no way I was having bikes etc in the van overnight. All were still there in the morning.

I've just booked Park Coppice for this coming weekend, not been for a couple of years so this thread has reminded me how fab it is there.

I'm amazed they are fully booked as it is a massive site - keep checking as people may cancel nearer the time now they have new rules about pre-booking. The problem we have always found with the CC is because you don't have to pay a deposit people just block book all the nice sites just in case they fancy going there, then they cancel at the last minute without any penalty. So it's really hard to get into any of their sites unless you book way in advance. CCC takes a deposit which is forfeited if you cancel so you can generally get a place at their sites.

Will have a look at Eastham Hall, thanks.