Caravan tips

[LexieH]

Would love to here from people with children about your caravanning experiences please... tell me a story....

Also, any tips or things we may not have thought about in terms of owning and travelling with one?

Some questions to start the ball rolling

• What is the longest you’ve travelled around in a caravan for?
• How long does it take you (personally) to set once you’ve arrived at your site?
• If you have no “wet room” where do you store wet kit?
• Are awnings a must ?
• Will I miss cooking outdoors? ie should I take my 2 ring gas burner?
• Have you made any modifications to make your beds more comfortable?

Thanks so much in advance!

We have a Motorhome and DH insists on cooking outdoors wherever possible, even in January in the frost! We take a cadac with us now so have the option, but can cook indoors if really bad weather.
Awnings are great for extending your living space, but take time to put up and down, and space to store, so if you take one you need to put it up. We only use one if staying somewhere quite a few days.
We have friends who spend the entire summer in France in their caravan with the children (both teachers). 16 days is our max due to work commitments.
Our current bed is great, on previous vans we have used a cheap memory foam topper from Dunelm Mill which helped a lot. Other people love duvalys.
Can’t comment on set up time as we just park and occasionally use levelling ramps, plug in EHU and we are done.

Hi
We have caravanned for years.
The longest we have spent in our van was one year.
Once we arrive in site it takes about 15/20 minutes to set up. That includes collecting water, plugging in electrics, connecting waste containers. If we put the awning up it takes another 30/40 minutes.
If we have we jackets we store them in the shower compartment.
Awnings provide a barrier between inside and outside. They are great for storing stuff. I hate sitting in an awning, prefer to be outside or comfy inside. For that reason we have a mid size blow up awning.
I cook everything indoors. I use all the facilities in the caravan, hob, oven, shower , toilet - what's the point in dragging it behind you if you are not going to use it.
To make the bed comfortable I have a mattress topper. We have a fixed double and the mattress is very comfortable anyway, but the topper helps. Pillows and duvet, all 100% cotton, it is a home from home.

We had a caravan for 5 years, and honestly they are the best for young kids. Far better than a poky hotel room.
It took about 40 mins to put up the awning and we'd stay for about 10 days max. We stayed off peak, so nice and peaceful.
A fab place in Scotland had a play room for toddlers which we appreciated!
We had 2 awnings, small for weekend breaks, large for longer breaks. We loved the ability to take buggy, high chair etc on the van when travelling. Use the lorry parking at the service stations. They do smell a bit pissy though!
Get a permanent flow water hose so you have constant water supply....get the sensor ballcock thing in the water carrier though so your van doesn't flood!
We used a plug in heater for the awning to dry our wet stuff. But the van heater was fab. I was warmer in there than our real house!
We sold ours when i returned to work (we wanted hot weather abroad) but i reckon we'll get another when DD is grown up.

Oh yes, most sites have low voltage hook ups. So don't try using your kettle, heater and steriliser at once...you'll trip your electric along with all others on your row...☺
Take a stove just in case the hob packs up.
We got a board to put under the mattress (we had the van with sofas converting into double bed).
We made an enclosure for the single so our baby/toddler didn't fall out of bed!
It involved a pole with heavy fabric wrapped under the mattress and slid onto the pole. Pole bolted to wall either end. So DD could stand up but not climb out or fall out.

You must have at least 1 carbon monoxide alarm.

I store wet stuff either in the awning in the summer or in the shower in winter. Shower has like a wardrobe rail at the top and I got industrial strength suction hooks from Ikea.

I don't miss cooking outside at all.

Memory foam toppers for the bed are useful.

Wet use our cadac most of the time so cook outdoors a lot. Like others we have a porch awning which is up in minutes. Our other awning is not a heavy canvas one either so only a15 minute job.
I love the freedom of a campsite but the comforts of a caravan.

Have you bought one op?

Love this thread! We've just bought our first ever caravan! Not used it yet, I'm going on a driving course next month and then we'll have our first trip over Easter as I have some time off. Won't go too far from home!

Both scared and excited in equal measure!

@HollyBollyBooBoo hope you don't mind me asking but what made you take the plunge? We've debated for a few years and might be about to go for it! Looking at a used one during the week 😬

A couple of things:

1. Getting older (both DD and I!) there will come a point where it will not be cool to go on a caravanning holiday with your Mum so it was now or never.

1. My DM helped us financially so it was possible to buy without getting into debt.

Joined the caravan and Motorhome club yesterday and booked our first trip to Derbyshire!

Depending on ages if you have children, I would thoroughly recommend. We've had amazing holidays. Just sold ours because DD is 16, wants her privacy and both children have too many weekend commitments.

Our DD is approaching 4. We'd like another one soon, too. We love going away in statics but the expense is ridiculous. I'm sure we'd get lots of use out of it but it's just being brave enough to go for it!

We're being pragmatic - if we hate it after a season we'll sell it. We've not gone crazy and bought either too much stuff nor brand new, hopefully all the essentials and enough to make it comfortable.

We bought one when we were booked to camp somewhere for a week and the week before was torrential rain. I've never been in the tent since! It's just so warm, comfortable and easy! We've had two relatively old caravans and they've been great.

We don't use the awning as a room either - we either sit outside or inside where it's warm. We have a medium size awning and we use it for drying coats and the dog coats plus store the dog's beds there during the day. We find things dry really well if we open doors at both ends and let the wind blow through, even if it's raining. We tend to use our caravan at big outdoor sport events, where were outside all day, so sometimes soaked!

It doesn't take us long to set up, but my husband is a mechanic and v practical. You do see some right rows between couples struggling to set up!

I'm nervous of the towing and set up but am watching You Tube videos for inspiration! I realise I am going to be a rookie for quite some time!