On owning a Caravan, CC'ers experience?

[Gert Lush]

Can you lie lengthway on the sofas?

Ummm. Not really, I tend to sleep diagonally on the bed when it's made up.

 

[Hill Wimp]

and of course then there are the cats to consider

 

[Dirk]

Can you lie lengthway on the sofas?

I can on the seats in the Bailey 380/2 and I'm a gnats under six foot.
When the bed is made up as a double it is huge and very comfy.
We use a mattress protector and a duvet. We tried sleeping bags, but found them not as conducive to a good night's sleep.

 

[Oldfentiger]

After spending a couple of chilly September nights under canvas on a cycling break (we'd been tenters for some years), the missus and I decided to invest in a caravan.
We found it suited our lifestyle perfectly.
We both use hotels as a necessity in our working life, so always try to avoid them during our leisure time.
We use caravan club certificated sites. As pointed out before they are 5 van maximum. They are much quieter and we're less likely to have to tolerate other people's little darlings. Added bonus is the site fees of typically £12 to £18/night.
Using the caravan we've cycled all over the country. We're currently picked up just outside York.
Next month we'll be doing Eroic Britannia, and in June we'll be cycling the length of the Great Glen.
As for towing; I actually find it quite relaxing, but getting the car/caravan combination right is really helpful.

 

[Dirk]

Cycling and caravanning do seem to dovetail quite well.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

and of course then there are the cats to consider

We take the dog but not the cat, although she does use the guilty eyes when we're packing, we have considered taking her, but worried she may disappear.

 

[Dirk]

Our JR loves chilling out in the van.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

For a nice, simple, demonstration of correct weight distribution, have a look at this clip from the big American rental firm U-Haul

The Aussies have some very tough 'vans
I always fancied one of these, when I had the Land Rovers
Similar track to tow vehicle, so as to follow wheel runs caused by vehicle (not cause extra drag on fresh ground), & ideally, the same size tyre/wheel (& PCD) as tow vehicle

Our previous 'vans (last was sold in mid 2006, & replaced with a 'posh porta-cabin')
Safari, given to us, by friends, who were offered (basically) nothing as a trade-in)
The 90, was a genuine factory built V8 County!


Swift Challenger 520/5TA


Elddis Crusader Storm 2000, with my last Landie
big end bathroom, with circular shower, air-con, & rather unusually an external shower!! (which was on the near-side, so inside the awning!??!)





There's always this one, for anyone who's never seen it, with an over-dubbed laughter-track

 

[Deleted member 26715]

For a nice, simple, demonstration of correct weight distribution, have a look at this clip from the big American rental firm U-Haul

That is brilliant, would have been nice to see a longer version

There's always this one, for anyone who's never seen it, with an over-dubbed laughter-track

Clearly fake

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

That is brilliant, would have been nice to see a longer version

As in trailer, or film clip?


Land Rover, in one of their excellent books, before they went all 'SUV', laid down the guidelines

Clearly fake

Not seen that level of stupidity, but definitely a few mis-matches over the years

 

[Crackle]

hey are much quieter and we're less likely to have to tolerate other people's little darlings.

Only caravanners talk like this: I've been asked to move pitches, had someone else move pitches, had my children told off by a stranger, all because I had the temerity to have young children. This is why I think all caravans should be burnt. my approach on arriving at a site was to get the footy out and start booting it around. It instantly enabled me to see which vans I should tell the kids to avoid. Some caravanners are OK but most need to be tried for being grumpy farks and their caravan burnt in front of them. /rant: not particularly aimed at you fentiger but it is the reason I avoid caravan club and CC&C sites.

 

[oldwheels]

I mostly use CC and C & CC sites. On one site I heard grandparents telling their grandchildren not to kick a football near them. " Go and play over beside that van over there ". Just happened to be my van.
Not read the whole of the posts but one comment is that awnings are a great source of amusement to all who do not have them. Putting them up seems to take hours of sometimes acrimonious debate and getting up at 0200 hrs to dowse them in a gale must be good fun.

 

[Panter]

It's great!
Hard work when you first start out, but once you're in a routine it gets a lot easier.
The camping & caravan club offer cheap district association meets, you'll get no facilities but we prefer being "off grid" anyway.
I can highly recommend the kampa air awning, it's just so quick and easy to erect and, more importantly, take down which is important if you're usually doing short weekend breaks which is what we do.
Or, even better, make do with out then you really can be set up with a cuppa within 10 minutes of arriving.
The biggest faff with an awning is getting the thing dry. Even in summer they can be covered in dew until late morning which is why we prefer not to bother unless we really want the extra space or are away for longer.

Obviously you have the disadvantages of towing/storage etc but if they're not a big problem, go for it!

This is our "new" 'van, a 2007 model.

 

[Drago]

Is Pagan T the model or the manufacturer?

 

[Arjimlad]

I enjoyed many happy caravan holidays in the New Forest, Dorset & Devon with my grandparents as a child. Very happy memories which matey here will not sully by his close pass. I nearly got in & put a brew on.