Come and talk to me about caravans...

[BessieBoots]

Sorry, I didn't know where to stick this.

Am thinking of buying a caravan and would like to hear of your experiences. Have enjoyed camping but I am phobic about thunderstorms and feel more protected in a caravan. Are they worth the money? What are the upkeep costs? Are they a hassle to tow?

Thanks.

I'll join you BessieBoots!

We;ve just bought a caravan and pick it up next week.

So too would like to hear 'all about it'

I'm sooooo excited - BUT I know there is alot of negativity towards us caravanners for some reason.

Love our caravan. Bought if off Ebay last September. 5 berth for me, dh and 2 dc. End bunk beds for the kids with sliding door to give them/us privacy. I wasn't sure about getting one, having got a tent a couple of years before and enjoyed a number of camping holidays. But the weather last summer being so crap persuaded me and it's lovely. Can be parked, set up and kettle on within 20 mins or so. Also found some lovely sites to stay at. Ours is 5 years old and in fab condition. You don't have to spent £££$$$$ to get something. I've not towed it myself buy DH says it's easy (he would tho' wouldn't he ).

What kind of caravan have you got then Furball? Ooooh, I don't know what to do- Just got a wad of wages and I don't know whether I want one just because I have the money iykwim.

We bought our caravan at the beginning of last year and had some lovely, lovely holidays away in it. We had tried camping but combination of my poorly back and liking a bit of comfort the caravan is just perfect. I did have some preconceived ideas beforehand but now complete convert.
It's fab!!

Its a Swift Challenger 520 - it's a 4 birth with an end bathroom.

Did I mention I was excited?

furball - reason is we all get stuck behind you for hours going really slowly along our roads. have you not noticed the long trail of cars behind you?

We've got a new Bailey GT60 Ranger 500/5 exactly like this one. About to go on our second trip of the year. Was so freezing last year in early May after 2 years of camping decided to go for it. I personally think that a 5 berth is one of the best layouts for 2 adults and 2 kids. Ours is lightweight so hasn't got a full shower, will use a site block instead. Will prob go away 5 times this year in it.

Insurance = £300 cause it's brand new and we haven't towed before.
Storage = £30 per month as we haven't got room to store it on our driveway, etc.

Bought a new car to tow it with too, so we're now skint, but set up for the next 10 yrs.

Just reread your op Bessie, upkeep costs... Not huge. We have just had ours serviced , £130 incl parts. Couple of hundred for insurance. Wondering what else i've forgotten!

Can't comment on towing, that's DHs department. He doesn't find it a prob but he did used to drive tanks! Ours has a motor mover on, which allows us to drive it into spaces, a bit like a remote control car and makes life so much easier!

dreamingofsun - I haven't even picked the thing up yet - so it aint me yet everyone is stuck behind!

We are considering a caravan (we are just so bored with the Caribbean ).There are three of us to consider but any caravan bigger than a 2 berth just won't fit onto our drive.I was wondering how realistic/ practical it would be to have an awning for 15 year old DS to sleep in or maybe a separate tent. Has anyone experience of doing this?

Scruffy that would be the perfect solution that many many caravanners use. Quite often teens and even younger don't want to all sleep together in a communal living space so to speak! Small caravan (2 berth) still has all you need for a holiday and you could either buy an awning which more than doubles the living space ( I have one with a sleeping annex attached to it) or use a pup tent either to chuck everything in or let the kids sleep in it. They will love having their own space (and so will you. Go for it, you won't look back!

I would go for an awning with an extension on it or a bedroom IN the awning (what we do) for you son - or you can't use caravan club sites - its NOT allowable to have tents - plus you have to pay for another pitch on other sites.
I love our caravan but we are about to sell it and upgrade wohoooooooooo
We are only 3, but I am very fat and hubby is tall and a bit fat so this time we want a 5berth - fixed end bed for me and dd and then the other double for dh plus a spare bed for sleepover guests!
We keep ours on our large drive so no real upkeep, as van is quite old insurance is £7 pm LOL

Ooooooooh my ears pricked up at "we are selling our old caravan" QOD...

Still trawling ebay, and will be getting a quote on how much it costs to put a towbar on the car today...

A quick brain dump of most stuff.... bit long but useful if you are starting out

Caravan price from minimal to £40k depending on your budget, taste etc - if you have the time, you can refurbish an older van and get a bargain, or if money no object, go visit a few dealers to see what you like.

Tow car - needs to be heavy enough to tow safely - ideally van should be no more than 85% of kerbweight of the car and legally no more than 100%.... if you are buying a big heavy van, you will need a big heavy car, especially if going out in the winter season, or going rallying

Tow bar - on new cars can be upto £600, but a towbar fitter will be cheaper than a main dealer usually

insurance - varies but around £350 for new for old policy, can get discounts depending on storage, alarms, locks

Storage if you need it ranging from virtually nothing to around £400 for gold storage site (see CASSOA web site for more info)

Servicing around £100 - £150 per year

Leisure Battery (if buying new van or one without battery) between £70 and £120 for 110 amp battery if you shop around

Gas - you will need either Butane (summer season only) or propane - after about September, overnight temp can be too low to use butane. You could theoretically survive on just hook up, but it can be really unpleasant if it fails... and if you're on a site without, or rallying, its essential. Calor available most places, but local suppliers are cheaper, though you can't swap cylinders outside their area

where you will stay - Caravan club sites range from £7 per night for v basic pitch to around £30 per night for family of 4 on a super service pitch in peak season, some sites are members only - membership is around £35 for joint members - Camping club is very similar

For budget weekends and holidays, look at rallying with one of the clubs - can be as little as £10 per weekend but own sanitation needed and usually no electric hookup

breakdown/recovery - clubs both offer their own cover that is for your car and van and offers added benefit of dual recovery - if you break down on the way to your holiday, they will get you there and back so you dont miss it....

This year we will have around 5 weeks of holidays plus numerous weekends away in both Britain and France, all for less than the cost of a reasonable 2 week package holiday.....

now if only work didn't get in the way....

Another caravanner here!

We've got a Bailey Pageant Provence (5-berth) and love it. We do all sorts of stuff - from small 5-van CL sites to the bigger holiday park-type sites with swimming pool, entertainment etc.

Our DC love it, and being able to get away cheaply means we see more of the country than we would if we didn't have the van.

£5-a-night CLs are our favourites!

We bought one in Jan and used in twice over Easter holidays and we all loved it!

We got a Bailey Ranger 4 berth but now wish we'd got a slightly bigger one with end bunks like DrZeus.

The awnings are fantastic, especially when weather's not so great.

Towing is easy, dh has mostly towed our's but I've towed it to the garage and back when it went for a service and had no problems.

Get one - you'll love it!

Wow....thanks everyone....lots of great advice....think I will get an awning rather than a separate tent.

Whoopie! Are you all still there?! Trailed through pages of camping only threads in a forlorn manner.... (caravan a bit of a guilty secret?) Have just picked up our first caravan yesterday and am marvelling at the huge white box on the drive and the amount of clobber now lying round my house (bought second hand awning off e-bay). Can't wait to get started just as soon as we have worked out how to work it all and what we need. Flumexed that dealers don't provide a battery. Can you imagine being told by a car dealer that the battery as an 'extra'!

Ex caravanner here now a motorhomer . We caravanned until 2 years ago when we moved onto a motorhome, but absolutely loved caravanning & likewise motorhoming.
Have had various ones over the years (about 20 years) with most of them being various different models from Elddis. We belong to both the Caravan Club & the Camping & Varavan Club & usually use just their sites, but have toured in Europe with a van as well. We started caravanning after I persuaded dh to do a camping holiday one year, & although he liked the freedom he didn't like being cold at night so we decided to buy a small 2 berth 2nd hand van (this was pre dc's) & haven't looked back since. I have always towed as well as dh & find it very self satisfying when you see the look on some driver's faces when they realise it's a lady driving & towing , the same happens now when I drive the large motorhome we have, just done that this am as have taken it to the garage for a service.

Badgerhead do you find driving the motorhome difficult, ie stressful or is it like driving your car. We bought one last month (21') and although I have driven it for about 1 mile I am a bit wary of driving any distance. I would love to take off with my friends when my DH is golfing but am a bit scared. I have no fear driving my car.

badgerhead what sort is your motorhome - we have a very old autotrail and it has three doubles and is old but comfy, we even have ensuit and with a dongle can use laptop when away to check weather and mn..

we love all camping, caravaning and motorhome, belong to caravan club and get good discount on eurotrain.

which sites do people use in the caravan club?

we are at cirencester and love this one

Hello (insert wave)

May I join you? We have just "upgraded" from tent to caravan (well sort of - still in tent at present!) - we have "invested" in a vintage Cheltenham Oribi circa 1973 which my DH is in process of completely stripping down and renovating. It is currently in 2 parts on the drive and was supposed to be finished for last weekend - currently about 8 weeks behind schedule due to change in finances, discovering I was pg and new suspension taking 4 weeks to make!!
If anyone would like a look tyr the Carry on Camping website under the hobbies forum - Project Rosey (named by DD).
Couldn't really afford new and wanted something a little different - saw one of these restored and fell in love! going to add a few modern touches - hot water, new fridge, electric lights and new wiring for electrics but other than that it will look original! Very excited and can't wait for it to be finished. Making all upholstery and curtains etc myself. Managed to pick up "original" cooker and bunk bed for £50 this weekend - cooker is spotless and bunk bed just needs cover replacing. Hopefully will cost us about £2.5k in total to do it all.
Mrs S

You have got a large project on your hands but well done. Your DH certainly has patience. Will you manage to get your summer holiday this year?

Have bought a second hand 2 berth caravan with an awning since my last post and have been away on 2 weekends so far. I love it and we are planning to go away more or less every other weekend in the summer, if we can manage it. Total convert already