Campervan Regret

[BoomVan]

This is a confession.

DP and I bought a van last year which was meant to be a joint project to convert to a family camper. The reality was that DP converted it alone while I looked after DC as they would get in the way if we both worked on it, plus I'm much less experienced with any DIY.

Anyway DP has put a huge amount of effort, time and (our) money into the conversion and I fucking hate it.

The DC spend the whole break away arguing and we're going away in it all the time because that was the whole point of it. It's too cumbersome to drive to interesting remote places so sometimes we're on a site and just reading about roads to places and then ruling them out. It's costing a fortune as an extra vehicle to run and then these extra breaks away that I don't even find enjoyable. If we don't do them then the van is pointless but because we have the van we can't afford to go on any other type of holiday. Oh and the packing up beforehand - we've improved on this but it still feels like a fuckton of stuff needs to be done beforehand and put in a very exact place to fit it all in. And then afterwards, basically cleaning everything and loading it back up while kidding yourself it will make it easier when you pack up next time.

We have always been campers. One week a year in a tent is great! But not this.
'
So I'm confessing to you all as I absolutely cannot tell DP after all the work he did.

I could have written your post op.
we bought our van end of summer 2018. Had a few trips with the teens . They didn’t enjoy it half as much as tenting in their younger days .
2019 , Cornwall, absolutely hated driving it around the small lanes ( and I’m used to Cornish roads as I lived there for 13 years ).
2020 /2021 . When we finally could go out in it every campsite we tried was full before booking or heaving when we arrived. Hated it.
Now it’s 2022 and I’m 4 years older ( and fatter) and just cannot face the rave for what may amount to a few golden moments.
we both want to sell it but I think the both of us also want to keep it just to look cool. 😂

fit a tow bar and tow you car behind it
then you can visit places and use the van as a base camp

Use it daily.
Honestly. I upgraded my van to a high top, 6m long , self converted van. This is my only vehicle and needing to park it in small supermarket carparks, reverse down local winding lanes and negotiate tight spots has really boosted my confidence.
There's only me and two labradors, and It was very bum clenchy at first, but I'll have a go anywhere now, and love the whole experience.

If you really can't face it though, fair play.,just sell and choose something that YOU enjoy 😁

I just don’t get the ‘tow a small car behind you’ idea. You’d be as well with a caravan.

What age are your kids op? It sounds like they might still be young. We’ve been through everything but each choice was exactly right for the age our kids were. I hate camping, so much faff. Got an old caravan when kids were tiny. Perfect. Progressed to newer van which was never as fun or quirky as the old one but it was cosy. Exchanged for a Motorhome when kids were older and wished we’d done it years ago. Kids given a shopping bag and if it didn’t fit in it didn’t go. We’ve always taken bikes so getting around once parked somewhere was never an issue.
Now kids no longer come with us we have a long wheel base camper (not a diy one though). It’s fully equipped and winterised and we are away in it virtually every weekend. The more you drive it the more confidence you gain. Honestly I love it and could easily live in it full time.
But not with kids. I think converting one yourself that still doesn’t have a kitchen with kids sounds like a major hassle.
I would always advocate try before you buy. So many different layouts to suit different family dynamics. We always had bunk beds so kids had their own space and we could get them off to bed when they were younger.
Ive grown up with this sort of holiday (caravaned from birth) so am used to it. But so many folk have jumped on the wagon (quite literally) on a lifestyle sold to them. It’s not for everyone but I do think there will be a glut of vans for sale in the next couple of years when folk realise their van has been sat in drive hardly used. My pal got offered double what she paid for her rust bucket last year but already the tide is turning and so many are starting to appear on fb marketing.

We sold ours last week and dh and l both breathed a massive sigh of relief!!

Have you tried looking for camp place in towns? Cirencester has a campsite where you don’t need to use a motor all weekend, there is swimming, walking, shopping, and major roads to get there

ashbourne has a campsite just out of town and you can use the old railway to cycle or walk into the town

what do you clean afterwards? We jyst cleaned and packed before we left and then when we got home locked up. We left toilet bags in the van and bath robes stayed. Fridge was emptied admittedly and clothing taken in

everything else, crockery pans etc stayed put

How many kids and how old? We wouldn’t take our van away without bikes for getting about close to the site. When ds was wee we used a kids seat on one bike.
i sometimes get Ducato envy but I’m glad we went for a swb vivaro that fits a normal supermarket parking space.

and so many are starting to appear on fb marketing.

there are some bargains on fb marketplace, to be had right now if you want a campervan

I know this tread is two year old but I am in the same position at the op. I fecking hate the campervan, I love camping but he camper actually give me anxiety. Dp did the whole thing himself and loves it. I wish I could go back 😭

What's the thing about it that worries you?

Are you getting dumped with all the drudgery?

Sell next year then. It will sell for a good price. No shame in saying we tried something and decided it wasn't for us.
We've been Dorset caravan'ers for 20+ years, but during Covid lots of people bought. Some have since discovered it's not for them. That's fine.

We have a vw transporter and take it all over so I'm presuming you went straight for a crafter type size. We bought it as a conversion project and went to Spain in it but trying to go with kids is a whole different layer of hassle. Not everyone takes to it to be honest. Perhaps it may have been worth hiring one before you made the leap.

I totally get it OP, if it’s not for you, it’s not for you. DH & I bought a brand new motorhome a few years back, couldn’t wait to see the back of it, sold it very easily, didn’t lose much as they retain value. 😂 had to smile when you said you will broach it after a few drinks, exactly what I did.

This. In spades. Had a motorhome, all of the problems of parking, having to pack it up to go places FROM the campsite, relying on buses for access to do stuff. Now have a caravan. It's bliss. Bigger space and a car to go out in

I got the caravan and that turned into an entirely different nightmare (it leaked despite being new), which took ages to sort.

I have now had several campers and a caravan and a tent (x2) and still never really manage camping, which is a shame. I have issues with the organisation and it does seem to require a lot of thinking/doing. I will keep persevering...

But given you're happy in a tent, I would go back to that!

We use the camper as a daily drive, so it's not so much of an issue for us, the not camping.

We just have a tent pitched next to us and that holds all the crap so we don’t have to ‘pack up’ the van. It’s really easy.

We've got a little Romahome, not much bigger than a van, but it is just for the two of us. It is pre-packed with clothes, food, wine (obviously), and everything else we need for a few nights away. It has a clip on awning tent which stands alone, so we can drive away from the campsite and our space is reserved. I love it and we have visited some lovely places. It wouldn't be any good for a family but for an almost retired couple, it is fabulous!

@Macstuffin are you going to tell him?