thinking of buying a campervan - advise please

[vivie]

Hiya
We're thinking of buying a campervan. There's me, dh and ds1 (6) and ds2 (4). What do we absolutely need in the van (loo, sink, cooker etc?) and what's a waste of time / money? Any other pitfalls to avoid? Thank!

I would recommend a loo - esp with small kids. Shower not a big deal as most places have adequate showers. Cooker and sink def. One with an overhead bunk would be good but maybe your DC's might be a bit young as they are quite high up a ladder - depending on the van.
When we got ours we were a bit naive and bought a second hand one without much checking. Luckily it was great all the time we had it but when we came to sell it we found out it had loads of damp ! This is a serious and expensive problem with older vans so make sure whatever you buy have been checked with a damp meter - or buy from a reputable dealer. Ideally you need to have them serviced each year and the service check for damp.
We changed our campervan for a caravan when our DS came along as it suits us much better now. Have you thought about a caravan instead ? they tend to be much cheaper and you don't have the same costs with tax, insurance, servicing, MOTs etc

Another advantage with a caravan is that you can set them up at the campsite and leave them - with a campervan you have to unhook all the stuff and take it with you....

....Although i do realise that campervans are "cooler".

I wouldn't bother with a shower, uses too much water and creates too much condensation and possible damp problems. Loo is enough.

Think about how you will use it on site, if you have an awning you can set hings up in there and not have to secure it if driving off. Everything in the van will have to be secured before moving. Also beds have to be made and unmade to use seats and seatbelts, but you may have to do that anyway to use dining area.

If you are likely to just park up and stay put for the duration then not as much hassle, or useing bikes to get out and about.

You will have double, tax, insurance MOT etc,

If you already runa biggish car then it could tow a caravan.

I have a small camping van and hope to get a small car again. decided against buying a big car for towing and a caravan.

Love my camping van. No not a campervan. It has a removable cooker that can be set up in the awning along with table and all that and a small portapotti, no toilet compartment in van. My awning is big enough to stand up in (unlike the van) and is a driveaway (stands up on its own. Beds doesn't have to be totally derigged to get to the 4th seat. 3 seats in front so if just me and DP or me and 2 kids bed can stay put.

My DD sleeps with me and DS on a big cushion across front seats. If away with DP they will sleep in the bedroom compartment in the awning (hopefully) or we will and they will have the van .

thanks for your help.

skramble - why camping van not campervan??

Our car isn't big enough to tow a caravan, so that's why a van seemed a better idea. How vital is it to have a loo fitted into the van rather than having some sort of portapotty? Are they a nightmare to clean out?

v xx

We went traveling for 9 months in a Campervan - it was fab.

We got a 6 berth one with a garage so we could leave the beds made and things like the wine collection and the bikes were secure oernight. The kids had the over cab one and we used the ladder as a fence to stop them falling out. To start we just posted them up. After 2 weeks they climbed up using the back of the diner seat.

All campers have a damp problem. The only way we found to avoid it was to pull all the soft furnishings out and let them air every couple of weeks. Damp is more of a problem in the winter. We also put old towels under the mattress so the damp formed on them and they could be washed every week.

If you have an indoor loo then I would recommend a no poo policy..... it does get stinky. The shower was a godsend at some camp sites / festivals / Bike races.

Don't bother with the oven unless it is really new - as it is quicker to sit it in the sun on a winters day. Ours just had a hob and grill.

An awning is great except when windy.... just because it gives you space to sit out even if it is raining.

The TV & DVD player was fab - we velcroed a small flat screen in (check it does 12 volts) for rainy days.

When buying a second hand one there is a MOT for the cab that you can get.... checks all the gas, electrics and pumps so you will know it is safe. Most big dealers will do them for £150

I highly recommend one...... and can i borrow it sometime

We have a small tent that we put up alongside the van and have a camping toilet in there, but we only really use it in the middle of the night if we have to.

We have a solar heated shower with full air conditioning too . But we only use that for rinsing off the sand at the beach.

We have a 2 ring burner and sink with an electric tap. We have a small beer fridge that fits a pack of butter, ham and a pint of milk, and a 2 slot toaster. There are double facing bench seats and an insertable island table. The bench seats convert to a double bed (v comfy - memory foam mattress!). Dd goes on a board that is put over the driver/front seats and dsd goes on a board in the bootspace.

We prefer not to have an awning as we like to open the side door and look at the view in the mornings, while we sit in bed and have breakfast.

I haven't found it hassle having to unhook stuff and go. It's really only the hook up cable in ours. I like being able to take the van to the beach, having it to change in, make a cuppa at the beach or find a fantastic view and heat up some curry ..... can't wait for our next trip.

Its a camping van as it is not a fully kitted out camper van. You say camper van and people think white box on wheels with everything that opens and shut or a lovely cute VW. Mine is neither.

It has a unit with a two ring gas cooker that can be sat out in the awning, no sink as it took up too much room so folding table and basin suffice. Has porta potti but no seperate compartment.

Can be set up to eat in or sleep in. I suppose it could be called a day van.

As Surfer mum says great for days out, somewhere to change, pee and boil a kettle .

Dh builds them. We should make that our advertising slogan! "Somewhere to change, pee and boil a kettle" ..... or maybe not .

LOL great slogan

I'm thinking of buying too but have a very smsll budget of under 4k (well big for us), Can you get much second hand for this or are we better to wait until we have more money? Am thinking of a Renault camper or are they too small for 2 adults 2 little kids? Hubby is used to driving big vehicle but I'm not.

Something the size of a small transit is easy enough to drive, transit vans and possibly other makes have great turning circles. My LDV doesn't its a bit like driving a hover craft.

If it is for the summer a smaller van and a decent awning will be fine. Kids get put in awning you get bed in van. If it is a high top or pop up top with beds up top then you can all sleep in van and set up a dining area in the awning, if cold in evenings all get into Pj's and get cuddled up in bed.

My van cost less than 1500 but then it is a camping van not a proper camper van and doesn't have all teh luxuries, getting it ready for camping involved a fair bit of DIY.