Caravan holiday with three young children - am I crazy?

[3littleowls]

Hello! New to Mumsnet although a longtime lurker. Hoping some experienced caravan owners can help me out with making a decision on whether to buy a caravan for family holidays. I have three young children (5, 3 and almost 1). We have always loved the idea of owning a caravan and family holidays but is it realistic with this range of ages? Would a 5 berth be best or could we get away with a 4 berth for three years while the youngest is in a cot? We were thinking the youngest could go in a travel cot between our beds but don’t know if this would work. Any advice and has anyone made it work? What have been the biggest challenges for you with young children and caravans and how have you overcome them? Appreciate all experience and pros and cons!

Touring or static?

Hey!
We have a caravan and two kids, 4 and 1! The kids absolutely love it so it's definitely worthwhile! I would recommend thinking carefully about the layout which would work for you, ours has bunk beds at the back leaving us with the living area and kitchen when the kids go to bed. A fixed double bed wouldn't work for us!
An awning is great for the extra space for wet coats and boots on rainy days but ideally you will need one which can be put up by one parent while the other one watches the kids 🤣
I'm not sure how easily a travel cot would fit in our 4 berth but again it depends on your layout!

@fivemoreminutes1 sorry I should have been clearer - we’re thinking touring

Thank you v much @thegoldgrind! Really interested to hear you’ve made it work with those ages. That’s a great idea to have the sleeping area for the children at the back so that you can still use the rest of the caravan after they’re in bed. An awning is also a great idea. Can I ask how you manage the storage of things in the caravan like clothes and toys or games? Is there much storage space? Also, do you use the shower ever? I was told they can make the caravan damp if used but not sure if that’s a bit irrelevant for more modern caravans. Thanks again!

Hi.

Showers. We, we didn't use ours but then since covid had to and it is brilliant. As long as you air it properly there shouldn't be a problem. We find that husband has a shower and then we wait for water to heat up and I can get shower and hair done fairly swiftly before it runs out. Campsite showers are generally brill, though.

Sleeping. I think you'd have to have a bed that you make up from the front seating (really comfy) and then you can get a van with a bed you make up from two seats and table near the kitchen and then there are two bunks at the back. While very small person is very small they might have to sleep with you. Once older kid is old enough you can get an awning extension and put them in that. Get an air awning. Bloody heVy but no poles and divorce.

We started out with a folding camper, which was a good intro to camping life, easier to tow and rather fun. Now have a van but our kids were older when we had the camper. They will love it.

Storage - loads of cupboard space and depending on the size of the awning you can put cupboards in there. Recommend getting a cadac so you don't cook as much inside. If you buy second hand then you must damp check - you can get a meter. Also, get a motor mover - again anti divorce device.

You need to find out how heavy your car can pull as that is a limiting factor on choosing a caravan (and budget). There are websites to find this out.

I spent waaaay to much time on this website - you could look at all the different possible layouts, what works best for you and then see what caravans were for sale.

www.caravanfinder.co.uk/caravan_layouts.html?berth=6

We ended up with a 6 berth caravan. Which has bunk beds across the back, lounge/king size at the front and a table & chair come single/bunk beds at the side - which we only use as a single for the large dog! Like the attached layout.

It works well for us as we keep our bedding on the bunk beds during the day.

An awning is a must. Our caravan came with an awning that is the same size as the caravan so gives you so much space. But get an air awning is you possibly can- we are experienced campers and caravans and rarely argue except when putting up / taking down the bloody awning!

We don't caravan light. We keep a tv with dvd player, coffee machine and loads of games in the caravan to keep us all happy. But we do go away over winter so you need something to do once it gets dark.

Yes definitely an air awning, ours is pretty big and DH can put it up with minimal input from me now!
There's plenty of room for toy storage I've found as well as a telly, DVD player etc
DS4 has a shower in the caravan while DD1 has a 'bath' by putting a small paddling pool in the bottom of the shower 👍🏻 DH and I usually use the site showers unless it's lashing down outside tbh!

Brilliant advice, thanks so much @LostArcher, @Nowthereistwo and @Thegoldgrind. Sounds like an awning is a must and an air one at that - like the anti-divorce protection that offers . Good to know there’s reasonable enough storage (my two eldest do love bringing a bag full of toys everywhere). Also relieved to hear that it’s possible to use the shower on the van if needed. We’ve used tents for camping (pre-kids) and don’t mind using the showers in the block, but as you say @Thegoldgrind, if it’s lashing it down, nicer to stay inside.

Lots to think about. DH is wondering what the downsides/challenges are as it all sounds pretty positive so far. Is there anything that’s annoying or a lot of faff we should be prepared for? I’m guessing emptying the thingame for the toilet on the caravan isn’t so nice. Anything else?

Won't be a problem. We took ds2 as a newborn! We've still got a caravan (been upgraded a few times) 12 years later.

Caravanning is brilliant and perfect with kids!

Fully agree with air awning!

Emptying the toilet is fine, well it’s not the nicest but less offensive than a nappy or vomit in my opinion. The chemicals sort out the smell and you don’t see anything particularly.

You need to check your driving license though and see what you can tow!

We need to store our caravan at a local secure farm - so you would work out where to store it (spaces can be hard to come by). We have to pay £550 per year but that's with 24/7 access.

The most annoying thing is having to leave caravan pitches by 12. We have found some local sites that let you stay later as long as no one else is booked on - that is a game changer when going away for a weekend. We enjoy going local as you don't waste your time travelling.

It's a good idea to get spare bedding to stay in the caravan so your not lugging stuff back & forth. Also we store all our dry food there so we just need to buy fresh.

We also have an air awning, a large porch awning so it is 3.25m wide, which is a good extra space. Really easy to put up.

Look at the layouts as suggested and look at photos, what is it that you think you really want? We wanted a separate shower cubical (so not a wet room where you shower almost over the loo), Not so fussed about the kitchen. You may feel very differently! our looks like the ones in this layout. www.caravanfinder.co.uk/caravan-layouts-6berth-bunkbed-endwashroom-17.html

With young children, I'd think fixed beds for them would be a really good idea. They can flop into bed without waiting for the bed to be made. You can sit at the other end and have a drink without disturbing them

Definitely check your driving licence- if you passed you test after 1997, there are restrictions and you may need to take another test. Also take into account that a 5 berth could be quite heavy, and I would suggest that you make sure you have got more room than you think you'll need. if it rains, you'll be glad of the space.

Challenges? Towing and parking takes a bit of getting used to. Make your first trip about 10 miles from home- its a learning curve. Finding storage, some places have covenants which stop you parking a van out on the drive (I can't do it so I pay for storage- £420 a year).

Layout is a funny thing. I've never seen the same layout in any of my friends caravans. No one wants or needs the same things!

We have a hobby, which is German, after having swift's previously. It has a big fixed bed one end, 2 bunk beds the other end and a seating area in the middle, with the cooker fridge and sink opposite. My main drive for this was that I didn't want to be converting seating into beds/ making beds every night. I make them at the start and then it's done. Revolutionary!

Only once you've been camping for a while and decide to upgrade, can you then realise what works for your family alone.

Can you rent first to try out layouts , size etc ? So many compromises and as others have said, different people like such different vans

they won't be in the caravan they will be running around outside all day hopefully making friends with other kids.

I'm going against the grain here, but I am someone who was dragged on holiday with my younger brother and sister for my whole childhood and I hated every second of it. We had a large caravan but it was still cramped, and had to share a bed with my sister every night with my brother on the top bunk. Travelling was hell, setting up the caravan when we got on site was hell, building the awning when everyone was knackered was hell...honestly it sucked so much. And it was even worse when it rained. Most places we stayed had toilet blocks and shower blocks but the cleanliness was debatable sometimes. I was bored out of my brain the entire time, we fought as a family all the time because we were living in each others pockets... I won't ever take my family on a caravan holiday, I just couldn't face it.

So, to answer your question...yes I think you're crazy.

The downsides are:
You have to find a decent caravan - if you’ve got a good budget this will be easier!
Storage fees if you can’t put it on the drive - we pay about £400 a year. It’s also inconvenient to have to collect it from storage on holiday.
You need to get a towbar - about £500
You may need to change car for a tow vehicle - and check the weight ratio
If you have a recent driving license and want to tow a bigger caravan then you need to do B&E license to tow if the combine weight of car/van/contents is more that 3.5 tonne.
Towing is initially anxiety inducing.
Caravan will benefit from regular servicing £250 a year and like a car you need to maintain tyres etc
There are little extras like toilet chemicals you have to pay for.

The downsides are really initial costs but after that it’s fab and such good value with kids. Costs are comparable to a tent pitch but not having to trek across a field for a wee in the night is great!

Think a week away in summer hols for £150. A self catering cottage would be way more than that!

Cheap. The cost. £25 per night. Plus £12 for siting the caravan. £230 for a week. For a family of 4. Where can you get anything else that cheap?

Thank you so much everyone - blown away by the time and replies you’ve given to my question. Mumsnet is fantastic for this kind of thing. Really helpful advice for a beginner like me.

Good thought @Nowthereistwo on bedding and dry food. Also thank you for giving me an idea of costs for storage and other expenses - also @QueenofLouisiana, @TolkiensFallow and @Oblomov21 for pointing those out. I will check my license (it is after 1997). Sounds like there’s extra costs to consider but as you say @oblomov21 where else can you get self catering for that kind of budget? That’s one of the things that appeals as I’m sometimes a bit disappointed by the holiday cottages we’ve booked when we get there, and at least with our own caravan we know what we’re getting, can keep it clean, and it won’t break the bank.

Thank you also for your thoughts against the grain @Misaki - it’s good to hear a flip side and weigh that up too. When I think of the five of us in a small space on a rainy day, I feel nervous for sure. Will need to get my head around things like the awning and games and DVDs to help perhaps. My parents would agree with you, which I think is why we didn’t try caravan holidays out in my childhood.

Overall I’m still tempted and I’m enjoying the caravan finder website as an escape from pandemic homeschooling whenever I get 5mins!

Depends how you look at it. I don't feel like misaku. Put up awning, make beds. My 2 ds's go off riding bikes, off playing with friends, barely see them unless they come back for dinner, then bed. Dh and I sit in the sun and do very little. I read books. Make tea. Then turn to wine.

Go for walks. Weymouth for fish and chips. Sandbanks one day for the beach.

I'm a glamper. I don't do painful. I'm a fair weather camper. We go for may bank holidays and summer. It's always so boiling we have to get a fan. I don't do rain. If it is at all not funny, / on rare occasion rain - We sit in and play ludo and chess, or take them to Poole to the water park with slides. Once in 15 years the weather was rubbish, so we came home 2 days early. What's the problem?

Depends on your attitude.

Many years ago we bought a tatty old caravan for £100, had some great holidays and upgraded.
You can also look at seasonal pitches, this is a pitch for a tourer but you leave it on site all year, tourers loose less money than statics
Make sure you car can tow it and your licence allows towing.
The kids will love it a 4 birth will be fine 5 berths can be a bit harder to find.
We have stayed on some fantastic sites, some with loads on them some just a field the kids just love being on holiday
Look at storage too.
No matter what the cost is you cant beat the memories of a holiday, plan it well prepare for bad weather, wellys, water proofs and indoor activities.
Awnings are good but a bit of a fan just for a weekend.
We never used the shower just stayed on sites with good facilities, the caravan showers are not that good, we used the toilet for nocturnal emergencies.

I love (tent) camping as an adult but as a child and teen we had caravan holidays. My Mum was like a coiled spring and often cried in the toilet, thinking we didn't hear her. On discussion, years later, she admitted that she'd found the first couple of outings fun but after that it was just the same grind of trying to keep the family clean and fed and entertained but in a 16 foot box instead of a house to do it in. She came to hate it but we all seemed to love it so just kept going.

Which is a long winded way of saying change your expectations so you don't get bogged down in housework in a tiny area or you'll come to hate it!

We bought one when our kids were 10 and 7. The plan was to use it for mainly half terms and a bit in summer holidays but still fly form2 weeks summer breaks.

The kids absolutely loved it so much the first year we just went for it and had 3 weeks in southern France. We whether was delightful and the outdoor life fantastic. We also found that we loved using it at home in the U.K. and took bikes with us so did lots of riding in the forests etc.

My regret was we didn't do it sooner. We have gone away with friends who had younger and it works brilliantly for them.

We only go on fully equipped sites and if possible fully serviced pitches (as lazy)! We are also lucky we could afford new so bought one with all the fancy stuff.

The best for your kids ages are bunks but don't get the 3 bunk arrangement as you will run out of space. If you can get a 6 berth with two bunks well spaced and a side dinette that you make up each night. The only problem is they are in huge demand.

We have replaced our bunk bed one now for a fixed bed and full shower en-suite!

Tips...

Check what you can tow...in reality if you took your licence post 1997 you will need to do the test to upgrade it as otherwise you will be too limited in what you can tow...and def not a 6 birth

Yes air awning definitely. Our new one has a main area and huge porch/bedroom area which can be opened up. Bought an outdoor kitchen from Aldi which is brilliant and we have a Cadac BBQ that plugs into the caravan gas point. We can cook so much outside as it has a wok attachment as well

Downside...don't expect it to be cheap, buying or going away as the camp site fees are high in school holidays. You will need a heavy car to tow and carry all the stuff like awnings as caravans are very limited as to what weight they can carry

Expect to pay out £800 - £1000 PA in insurance, servicing and storage.

We use the Caravan and Motorhome Club a lot and can book 12 months ahead for free so can cancel up to 72 hours before without cost. However a lot of private sites are better especially for main summer breaks...swimming pools and private beaches!

Ups...we have had such amazing holidays in Outdoor life is just great.

Just go for it....your kids will have amazing memories including going away for half terms etc when they would have been sat at home