Experiences of a Girl Caravanner!

[naughtyrabbit]

Hi! Just thought I would introduce myself.

On a whim last year (after a very windy, wet and miserable Easter bank holiday camping experience in a tent) I decided that I was never ever going to stop in a tent again! The look of horror on my boyfriend's face when I came home and announced that I had been to a caravan sales place and had found one I wanted to buy is indescribable!! You see, we're both in our 30's and considered hip and trendy and of course, caravanning is considered to be a more mature hobby. At first, the BF disowned me and told me he would have nothing to do with it - if I wanted it, I had to buy it, I had to tow it, I had to look after it and find out all the procedures. So I did!!! And slowly but surely he has since been converted.

Our experiences so far have been few - firstly, we went to a local campsite within 10 miles of where we live (just in case it was disastrous!). Then we did the Big Chill festival at Eastnor Castle (wow - how lovely to be clean each day and enjoy a good night's sleep at a festival!). Then we did a lovely weekend at a CC site in Shropshire. Finally, we went and stopped at a pub site in our friend's village because she did not have enough room to put us up.

Now me AND the BF can't wait to get started again this year - we've got a CL site booked for easter and am intending to go many many places this year, hopefully in preparation for a week in France towards the end of the year.

I am so glad I bought Claude (the caravan!!) and now all my friends have turned from taunting to envious!

 

[emmerson2]

Well done and welcome!! So glad you've enjoyed your first foray into this marvelous way of life, cos believe me, it just gets better.

 

[Chaps]

Welcome!

We too turned to caravanning after tent camping. Last year we went to Filey with lots of caravanning friends last May Day BH and the tent was VERY cold compared to the luxury of friends' caravans. Didn't take that much arm twisting to persuade hubby that we'd be a lot better with a caravan. He also said I'd got to do all the towing but he's relented on this one now and we take turns.

We've only been out once as we collected the caravan in October but we're off next week for Easter and have got about 5 more holidays planned already for this year.

Glad you've taken to the caravanning way of life so well - you sound like you'll get so much out of it.

 

[ingieschick]

Hi - fair play to you. We're also in our 30s (well I am but hubby is in his early 40s). I wouldn't worry too much about caravanning being uncool, infact I believe both caravanning and tenting has actually become quite trendy in recent years! And anyway think of all the holidays and breaks you'll have compared to your non-caravanning friends!

We started off with a 1991 ABI Award Transtar in the Autumn of 2005. I wasn't sure at first but we both love it although I have to confess that my hubby does the towing.

We have since upgraded to a Bailey Senator Vermont although I still have a soft spot for our very first "vannie".

I'm a firm believer in those that mock are secretly quite envious.

Enjoy.

 

[spj]

Hi all,

You don't have to be old to go away with a caravan, I am 36 and my other half is 29, this year is our 7th year in the C&CC.

A chap at my work is 4 months younger than me and is always ribbing me about the caravan and he tells me I should wear a flat cap, on a weekend he stays at home looking at his living room walls, we both work full time and get nearly 100 nights away per year, I cannot recall him having a holiday away in the 4 years we have worked together, so who is really the saddo?

If you enjoy caravanning then it does'nt matter what others think, let them sit at home and you enjoy yourselves!

spj.

 

[sarahmc]

hello and well done,

we did the same thing as you following a bad experience in a tent. we are also in our 30's and we love it too. like other vanner's we now love our comforts but like to do 'young' things too. we both drive and look after our van, we went on the caravan club course to make sure we could do it properly.

i'm not surprised your friends are envious, its a great life out and about.people shouldn't mock until they have tried it!

best wishes for many more happy vanning trips.

drive safe

sarah and ian

 

[mickk]

Hi Rabbit

Welcome to caravaning hope you enjoy it for many years,we started in 1973 towing with a Simca van & a Cheltenham caravan

van was under powered caravan was cold as it had no heating or hot water only from a kettle, but here we are in 2008 & still caraving its been good most times, some bad times, its nice to have heating & hot water now & a better towcar so we will keep on vanning so hope you do too.

all the best with your trips out this coming year.

Mick K.

 

[JTS]

Hi all.

Who gives a jot wether caravanning is trendy or not. We are out to enjoy ourselves and if people like that "Big Girls Blouse and his pet Small Person" from Top Gear laugh at us who cares. They are to arrogant to realise that they also are regarded as "ANORAKS" and are laughed at by many and what is more we do not drive along shouting WAHEEEEEEEEE! or YAHAAAAAAAAAA! and WOWEEEE. I can imagine them going to their beds at night and under the duvet going BRMMMMM BRMMMMM and BEEP BEEP.

I have had most of my caravanning years, bought my first van forty years ago this month, after being washed out my tent in ITALY. Keep it up and enjoy it, as said above, it does get better. Good Luck.JTS.

 

[naughtyrabbit]

Ah, how nice to receive such lovely messages of encouragement. You're all completely right though, it is us vannies who are having the best time and I'm glad the BF has finally realised that. I forgot to mention what my 'outfit' is - I've got 'Charlie', the Rav4 and 'Claude', a 1995 Elddis Broadway, who is in fantastic condition for his age, but looking a little dated. Have any of you done any renovating projects to your vans? I am thinking of updating him with some vinyl wallpaper and covering the soft furnishings. The carpet and curtains I can live with (they're an inoffensive green) but I wouldn't mind changing the blinds too. I wonder whether my decorative tastes would be offputting to others though when I come to trade him in...?

Can't stop dreaming about taking a year off work and travelling around Europe in him at the moment. I've just received my CC Europe handbook and it just seems like the possibilities are endless!

 

[Tram]

Quote:Can't stop dreaming about taking a year off work and travelling around Europe in him at the moment. I've just received my CC Europe handbook and it just seems like the possibilities are endless!

And that TR is the main reason most of us tend to be a little on the silver side. You can't get the best out of your 'van if you have to go to work all the time. We didn't buy our until i retired because we both worked and we would only have been able to use it 3 of 4 times a year.

 

[naughtyrabbit]

Quote:Can't stop dreaming about taking a year off work and travelling around Europe in him at the moment. I've just received my CC Europe handbook and it just seems like the possibilities are endless!

And that TR is the main reason most of us tend to be a little on the silver side. You can't get the best out of your 'van if you have to go to work all the time. We didn't buy our until i retired because we both worked and we would only have been able to use it 3 of 4 times a year.

That is true Tram, you get more use out of your van when retired I'm sure.... and believe me, I can't wait to retire!! But that's why I went for an older and cheaper van - I paid

 

[IanMc]

hello and well done,

we did the same thing as you following a bad experience in a tent. we are also in our 30's and we love it too. like other vanner's we now love our comforts but like to do 'young' things too. we both drive and look after our van, we went on the caravan club course to make sure we could do it properly.

i'm not surprised your friends are envious, its a great life out and about.people shouldn't mock until they have tried it!

best wishes for many more happy vanning trips.

drive safe

sarah and ian

Thanks for saying hubby is still in his 30's.

regards

Ian