So what do you all drive? Or do you have a trailer?

[roisin]

We thought our new tent was quite big, but it was tiny compared to most of the ones on the campsite.

I certainly wouldn't want to be stuck in it if it was very wet, and it would feel quite small for a whole week; but we really only envisage 2-3 days breaks atm.

I felt we had 'minimum' clobber with us, and our car (Vectra) was still pretty much jam-packed.

So if you have a big tent, and loads of gear, how do you get it all there?

I always think this roisin! It's like these average family cars from which spout mansion-size tents, family-sized bbqs, kids' bikes, airbeds, white picket fences, chaise longues, blow up mammoths... etc etc. Whereas we no longer need pushchairs or travel cots and yet out ancient jeep is groaning at the seams. Note to self: must look at roof-boxes next...

Dh seems allergic to roofracks/boxes for some reason.

In some ways I think it's a good discipline, as I would happily accumulate loads of extra gear that's not really essential for short breaks, but I can't as we haven't the space.

We have an old citroen which has a huge boot -by todays standards that is. I've noticed many newer cars have minimum boot size.

Our car also has lots of 'leg room' but that's probably because the children are still small.

A tiny little polo. Sometimes think we are going to have to leave the kids behind. And we take quilts

Well when we had our oooold people-carrier, 4 kids and 6-berth frame tent, even with an extremely large luggage area we still needed a roofbox. (Also had 3 bikes on a rack on the back once. I'm surprised the car didn't roll over and die )

Roofboxes are great to give you some breathing space in the car, roisin - if you put all the lighter stuff in one (sleeping bags, clothes etc)it leaves a lot more space to fit things in the boot and means you have a bit more room for legs (which will be more important as your boys get bigger) - start working on DH now!

Mind you we once went to Eurocamp in a Sierra Sapphire (had boot, not hatchback) with roofrack and stuff wrapped in a tarp, with 3 kids and an umbrella-fold buggy, and stuff was still falling out of the windows - another family near us also had 3 kids and a big heavy pushchair and they had a v neatly packed Escort.

Some people are just better at travelling light and fitting it all in...

JanH, you just reminded me of the first time we went on a self-catering holiday with dd aged 4 months! The car was stuffed to bursting point, we could hardly see out of the windows

I remember being a bit panicky because there was no room for the baby bath . dh's cousin kindly pointed out that the washing up bowl would suffice. Oh dear!

Janh I think legroom will be one of the top features we're looking for when we change the car

If we were planning longer breaks, or camping in the wet, we'd need more gear. But for what we're interested in (fair-weather camping) it's not really essential. I'm quite pleased to be travelling fairly light - makes things much quicker which is important for short breaks.

Setting up at camp (start to finish incl. tent) c.60 mins
Packing up at camp c.40 mins
Unpacking/putting everything away when we got home c.20 mins.

A proton Persona, no way big enpugh for it all but we manage. Will upgrade when I go back to work, but until then only can replace if disaster becomes it and it fails MOT or something, in which case would be tatty estate. Assuming passes next MOT will get roof box next year (liv3 in ancient terrace so can't get a trailer into the back garden or park outside, one of those white cottages that fronts right on the road).

Dh wants Isuzu Trooper or similar eventually, as my parents don;'t drive and we would like to take them away with us.

we have a tiny hyundai accent.... 3dr at that! Dad has taken it upon himself to hire me a roofbox for my first trip in July - and with 2 forward facing car seats - there isnt a lot of room in the back, but we can put at least the travel cot and umbrella fold buggy in there - Jess will have to learn to walk a lot!!! (she will be 2yrs and 1 day!)

Ummm .... for the second year we ended up taking 2 cars for Whitsun camping! But in our defence we took 2 tents, our lovely new one and the old one as a mess tent. We went with 4 other families, and the mess tent was used for cooking and sitting in when it got cold. It meant that people could sneak off to their own tents to sleep when they wanted to.

When we go in the summer we fill a BMW, roofbox and trailer! Dsd normally has to sit on blankets with her feet in a bucket or something and heaven knows what we'll do when dd grows and we can no longer use the space below her feet. Although thinking about it, we won't need the travel cot and buggy this year, so it'll be a breeze!

We have a mondeo with a roof box, believe me , with three kids (one who's over 5 foot and only 11) we need the tardis like capabilities of the roofbox!

Ha! LOL @ surfermum.

I will definitely have to work on dh for a roofbox, and a bigger car before long too
DS1 is only 8 and is not far off 5'! According to the growth charts they will both be taller than me (5'3") before they leave primary school.

PMSL at this thread. brings back great memories of when I was little. trailer tent which only closed when all of us and mum were sitting on it and 6 kids jammed in the back of the car sitting on mountains of blankets with all kinds by our feet.

Last year we had a peugeot 205 with a roofbox. We only took the minimum of stuff but we still had trouble packing it all in, mainly because we had to take ds's sn buggy which took up loads of space. I was the only one who could move my legs and that was because I was driving!

Yesterday HURRAH! We got a rover. It's got a proper boot so packing should be a breeze this year.

Btw, another reason roofboxes are great is because you can lash your windbreaks on to the bars either side. Very useful!

Henni- we have three kids too, VERY jealous of all your space!

Apapently my Uncle might be lending us a second car next year. Because there will be xseven of us (five of us plus my parents) we will need something.