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Camping

Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

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Original poster

who would like to come and share their campervan expertise, please?

40 replies

ReligiousBiscuit · 11/05/2009 10:32

finally persuaded dh that we should go for it! hurrah. we want something medium sized. i love the vw's but realise we have to be more prosaic and would get more for our money on other types.

we wil have to pay for storage as we don't have a drive.

help! where do we start?

OP posts:

runningmonkey · 12/05/2009 14:10

thanks folks DH will be chuffed you like it

surfergirl - that's exactly why we love ours too it's great to leave home fri evening and be sipping a cuppa outdoors an hour or so later at some lovely campsite. It's made even better when we go with friends and see them struggling with their giant tent (altho we do usually help them to put it up in the end!)

Surfermum · 12/05/2009 14:46

I like the memory foam mattress and being able to reach up and switch the reading light off.
And that I can't hear anything even on the windiest and rainiest of nights.

Do you ever go to the VW festivals?

runningmonkey · 12/05/2009 15:01

Oh but ours is a tintop and sooooo noisy in the rain but hearing it and not worrying about leaks makes me happy!

We went to a few when we first got ours (he's called the captain) but actually just mainly like camping in it. We went on our honeymoon in it for three weeks last summer - everyone thought we were mad but it was fab and we didn't want to come home am on phone at mo but will see if I can upload some pics of him onto my profile later

Iggi999 · 12/05/2009 17:06

Late replying to question about maintenance costs: I'd say I pay about £200 a year to get through MOT and then pay for one other service. It hasn't cost me much more than the 10 year old Astra I used to have, but gives much more back! As I'm not paying car loans any more it's "free" apart from the maintenance. Don't want to lead you astray, it depends so much on what you buy. BUT with a caravan, you have to have storage at your house (or pay somewhere) and you have to think very seriously about the car you use to tow - has to be certain weight etc. Both are great for family holidays, I just wanted a van for so long I had to have one. Plus I drive mine to work every day, it's my car too.

Iggi999 · 13/05/2009 12:43

Surfermum could you tell me more about your memory foam mattresse? Could use a change from the old one! Does it split in two?

runningmonkey · 13/05/2009 12:54

Oh yeah, iggi you reminded me. If you are not going to use a camper as a daily driver you can get special limited mileage insurance cover which is cheaper AND if you are only planning to use it for the summer you can tax it for 6 months of the year as we do and declare it off road for the rest (called a SORN). But to do this you have to have somewhere off road to store it during the winter.

Am uploading a pic of ours to profile now if anyone is interested.

Iggi999 · 13/05/2009 16:12

She's a beauty runningmonkey. dvw.

Surfermum · 14/05/2009 19:04

Nice van runningmonkey!

The mattress is made up of 4 sections. In the day they form the two bench seats that face each other. So the cushion and the back. We make up the double bed like one of those caravan beds with two boards between, then the mattresses flat. It is really comfortable.

Iggi999 · 14/05/2009 21:02

Thanks Surfermum. Does sound comfy. Different arrangement to my van though. We have a rock n' roll bed which I don't often sleep on, and have a thin foam mattress "upstairs" that's split in two sections. Quite fancy replacing it with something that isn't over 20 years old!

SheherazadetheGoat · 28/05/2009 13:41

hello tis I religious biscuit!

we are picking up our camper tonight! thanks for all advice and wisdom

runningmonkey · 28/05/2009 13:56

ooh exciting, what did you get in the end?

SheherazadetheGoat · 28/05/2009 14:03

autosleeper harmony!

runningmonkey · 28/05/2009 14:05

fab! hope you have a lovely summer of camping ahead of you

SheherazadetheGoat · 28/05/2009 14:13

thanks and same to you!

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 30/05/2009 23:31

Can anyone tell me roughly what mpg I could expect from a VW Campervan? I'm seriously thinking of getting one as the older I get the less attractive camping is. I still love camping, just not the tent pitching hassle!

Only problem is, that I think I would have to get rid of my Yaris and this would have to be my main car. For work, school run, etc. So the fuel costs will add up. But I don't think I can afford to run 2 vehicals, 2 lots of tax, service, MOT....... Not sure what to do at all. I'm guessing that a diesel engine will make a big difference over a petrol engine?

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