If you have a touring caravan - in here...

[MrsRobertPeterWilliams]

So. Currently away in our van. All wonderful.
Something, though, is bugging me and I wanted to ask:
If you have your own van and still use shower blocks/washing up areas-can I ask why?? Not being funny, just genuinely interested as to me it’s a bit strange-yet the amount of people this year I’ve seen doing it is huge. For me, part of the beauty of our van is our own toilet, shower etc and no sharing!!

Caravan toilet for wees only otherwise it gets toxic.

Can't wash your hair properly in a caravan shower.

They are my reasons

Perhaps it's because the caravan owner was used to tents & using site toilets and never really needed/wanted the toilet in the van anyway, but ended up with one because there are so few caravans on the market without toilets.

Emergency wees here too. The loo gets stinky if used too often. The shower in our van is pitiful and I'm not convinced completely watertight. We do most of our washing up in the van though!

You are limited to how much hot water you can use before the tank empties. (We have a Motorhome and the hot tank needs time between people showering, and we have a shower head with a button to limit water use)
Also, you have to refill water and empty waste, so some people limit this.
I look at site showers, if nice I use them as have paid, if on a festival field however I use my own!

We use our caravan shower and wash up in our sink. Loo for No 1's only.
Caravan has onboard cold water tank and very capable water heater. We 'van 12 months of the year so shivering to/from shower block is not for us!

Loo for wee only?
Nah. Solids here. All fine. I weirdly like emptying it....

Thanks.
Just interested.
I hate communal showers!

I only use caravan club club sites so the showers are spotless. The showers in the block are more powerful. I have to fill the water up less and empty the toilet cassette less.

I sometimes go to a no facility site and am happy to use my own facilities if I have to but given the choice will use a clean block.

One of us puts dcs down / stories while the other takes dishes over to dish sink to wash up etc thdnvwe sit out in the awning.
We don’t have an even half decent shower in our van.

Use camping and caravan club sites so clean showers with plenty of hot water. Caravan toilet used for nightime wees/desperate small children only. We have an absolutely tiny caravan though with a very small washroom/wet room. Showering in there wouldn't be anything like the comfortable experience of someone with a proper normal sized 5+ berth one. There's no separate cubicle or posh end wash room so the whole area would get soaked, also would mean yet another trek to fill up the water butt!

As others, it's easier than refilling the water!
When abroad particularly, we never have the heating or hot water on, so to wash up means switching it on to get hot water for washing dishes. Also the sinks are much bigger then in the caravan and we invariably have the cadac to wash as well.
We do use our shower and sink when it beats the onsite ones though!

Not all caravans have showers and loo is deffo for wee wee only

We have a micro caravan with no loo - I don't miss slopping out but the 2am loo trips can be annoying!

I've purposely just bought a small classic caravan with no loo or shower. I spend my day job emptying commodes, I don't want to spend my holiday emptying a toilet.
I'm also used to camping or sleeping in the awning of a family caravan so I've never really been used to using it, plus I just wear flip flops in the shower. Much better for me

We bought an older caravan and while the shower is usable it is far, far more useful as a big cupboard! We have only stayed on sites with great showers so far or on a festival site where everyone didn't bother so much for 3 days!

Wee only in Le Van. We don't intend on using the shower but if it was pouring with rain or really grotty then may do. I think to keep on filling the water would be more annoying than running to a shower block. If it were a site with own water point on the pitch, then may do.

I quite like communal washing up. It's great for gathering tips from other campers about where to go and local area. Also interesting watching others' washing up methods.

Wee only in the van too. Use the communal showers if they're clean and wash up in the caravan usually. Unless we've used loads of pots then we use the communal as the sinks are bigger.

Taking it away on Friday, hoping for some sun.

Same 'rules' here only wees or small person poos in van. I tend to wash up in the van but will use sinks on site if we've had BBQs on the cadac. I do tend to do more washing up at sinks abroad coz its warm and sociable.

Despite a brand new van this year and a decent size shower I've only had one in it as the shower block at one site wasn't suitable for washing and drying a faffing toddler. We mainly shower in washblocks as it saves heating the water and filling the waste. The one we're at the the moment is amazing, heated towel rail and bath mats to step out on to.

We used to caravan whrn I was a child. Dad converted the toilet/shower area into a cupboard and we always used the site toilets and showers. 4 people in a tiny caravan meant storage was more essential than a private toilet. We also used the site washing up facilities as the sink was so tiny!

We only use the facilities in the van - hate the thought of using the campsite shower blocks and toilets. We empty the toilet every two or three days, if you use the correct chemical toilet additive there is no reason for it to smell at all.
I love just climbing out of bed straight into my own shower without having to leave the van. Hopping around trying to get dressed in a campsite shower is not my idea of fun.
We have a onboard water tank so there is always lots of water.
All pot washing is done in the van too.