ok enough is enough !!

[sconny]

Hi as maily a reader and not much of a poster in the forums I have noticed a trend ( more by some than others )to give reasons to either give up caravanning or write it off as a dying trend!

People new to the forum/caravanning must be wondering what have they got into?

Well sod that i want to hear everyones reason for sticking with this great hobby,pastime,passion and lifestyle.

Heres mine: It's the only thing me and the wife do together ( no seriously )and enjoy !!!

I can hold a conversation with a fellow caravanner and use loads of techno terms and actually know what they mean.

It's a good honest way to spend your well earned time off with the family.

Regards

John

 

[colin(bridgend)]

John - my wife and I have been caravanning for 39 years and we are not going to give it up now. We have a new Bailey van which we intend to use until we get to an age when we can no longer carry on (NO comments from Lord B. or Plotter please LOL). We enjoy the relaxation of the holiday and the freedom of being able to do as we please. We holiday by ourselves or with the children/grandchildren and thoroughly enjoy it. Therefore you can consider us as a positive advert to the joys of caravan holidays. One other point my wife and I, now that we are both enjoying early retirement, do other things together hehehehe.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

As the only driver I will carry on until my health doesn't allow me or when Her Ladyship, who is in charge of the privy purse, says we can no longer afford to, either because of the cost of fuel or can no longer afford a towcar.

 

[ThePlotter]

Colin,'until you are too old to carry on' I thought you already were and Myrna says that you are always carrying on about something or other!

 

[colin(bridgend)]

From one old codger to another - How are the war wounds these days Plotter? Hope that everytning is going OK from now on in and you are definately now on the mend. Keep your chin up - see I can be civil to you so I expect the same in return LOL

 

[emmerson2]

Evening all, I'm back (again).Like Colin, we've been caravanning longer than we care to remember, and use our van at least one week every month. Both well into retirement, we have absolutely no intention of giving up, except if bad health makes it impossible to carry on. We've just got back from a Royale club rally, where all the ralliers were well over 60, and one, our President, still towing, has just had his 85th birthday.Give it up? not bl**dy likely!

 

[Gareth111278]

This is why i'll never give up, its just one moment i love most of caravanning life.

Its that warm evening when you sit out side in your chair with a cold beer and a good book until the light fails so you can't read any longer, it's chilly by now so you go in and pull on a warm fleace and go back out to just sit in the peace and enjoy the last moments of the day.

its not much , perhaps an hour , but its the most perfect time.

 

[sconny]

This is why i'll never give up, its just one moment i love most of caravanning life.

Its that warm evening when you sit out side in your chair with a cold beer and a good book until the light fails so you can't read any longer, it's chilly by now so you go in and pull on a warm fleace and go back out to just sit in the peace and enjoy the last moments of the day.

its not much , perhaps an hour , but its the most perfect time.

Gareth, I know exactly where you are comming from, sometimes it's the little things that make good memories.

John

 

[Parksy]

Hi John

We've been caravanning for eight years, but due to health problems we were based on a seasonal pitch and only actually toured anywhere three or four times a year.

My health has now improved somewhat so we've kicked the seasonal pitch into touch and plan to tour as often as we can, and if fuel becomes too expensive then we just won't go quite as far. There's no chance of us giving up and when you look in the new members section of this and other forums more and more young families are taking up caravanning because they're sick of being treated like cattle at airports.

 

[david_374333798]

why do i like caravaning.

go where you want.when you want.meet new people.see new places.not tied down if you dont like it move on.most caravaners are great people.

thats why i like caravaning.

 

[Del_374232870]

We like caravanning as it is our country cottage to take where we want. Unlike hotels we know what the accommodation . Doesnt bother me what the press think or say, personally i prefer to be different.

 

[colin(bridgend)]

Reading back on this topic and reference to the posting from Gareth. I also enjoy sitting outside of an evening with a good magazine/book but I must admit to having a home measure of a fine whisk(e)y. I am not a beer man but do enjoy the sweet taste/smell of a fine malt whisk(e)y. At this point I would be willing to call the king my uncle and let the problems of the world drift by. Pure unadulterated relaxation.

 

[Gareth111278]

Gareth, I know exactly where you are comming from, sometimes it's the little things that make good memories.

John

You've got it in one there, john :-]

 

[Gareth111278]

Reading back on this topic and reference to the posting from Gareth. I also enjoy sitting outside of an evening with a good magazine/book but I must admit to having a home measure of a fine whisk(e)y. I am not a beer man but do enjoy the sweet taste/smell of a fine malt whisk(e)y. At this point I would be willing to call the king my uncle and let the problems of the world drift by. Pure unadulterated relaxation.

Hi Colin,

Now we're talking , single malt on holiday , now thats living! I never really take any with us, must get a bottle in the caravan for this year!

Gareth

 

[MartinJ]

We too thoroughly enjoy our caravanning and have absolutely no intention of giving up.

The thoughts of going on a package holiday make me cringe, as does the idea of paying the best part of

 

[Tapestry]

We love the freedom. No timetables to keep to etc. We do what we want, when we want. We know the quality of our accomodation unlike hotels. One of our children is autistic so sleeping in familiar surroundings is important. All our kids love caravan holidays, the chance to visit different places and make friends. We love to escape from computers and e mail, to escape the rat race.

We've done flying off to holidays on planes pre kids. The idea of flight delays in airports with kids, no thanks.

Annette

 

[NickS]

As a newbie to the forum who is about to join the rank and file of slow moving traffic ;-)

I listen with glee to the doom merchants - and look forward to buying a decent pre loved outfit from someone who is getting out because of the cost!

It's all relative, somebody, on another thread,mentioned not going away for a weekend because it would now cost

 

[Richard_374343961]

'Hi as maily a reader and not much of a poster in the forums I have noticed a trend ( more by some than others )to give reasons to either give up caravanning or write it off as a dying trend!

People new to the forum/caravanning must be wondering what have they got into?'

----

Too right - I'm committed to buying a new caravan in the next week or 2 and the more I read on the forums the more I think I could be throwing away a substantial amount of money.

 

[Gareth111278]

Another point on costs,

I'm amazed that people will pay

 

[Touring1]

We've just returned to caravanning after a 5 year break when the kids went through the 'more important things to do at weekend' phase. We'd done this as a family for 18 years up to 2003, since before we had kids.

Guess what - they now want to come with us again in their 20's.

So we've got a smaller caravan LOL!!

Sure they'll come but they will be in the awning this time.

Why go back to caravanning now? Because it is the most wonderful way to spend time with your partner/family, see some lovely places, meet some great people, and we've missed it greatly.

Some great traditional values exist in caravanners, and it more often than not shows as you get into it. People have time for each other more so than in any other family recreational activity I know. And in modern life, what a blessing this is to all concerned.

 

[mick3]

Caravanning just bliss and no we dont hold up traffic. We tow at the legal limit,60 mph, the same as h.g.v.s. On country roads ,ok, we go slower but not as slow as a forty foot lorry.Or a farm tractor. If I am holding traffic up I pull in and let them go. I have no probs with being a caravanner its the best. Even now its cheap we only use CL sites because we like the peace and quiet.

Never give up the good life you will live longer.

Cheers all and have a good vanning year.

 

[Richard_374343961]

Some more encouragging posts on this thread!! Makes me feel better about splashing the cash on a new van

I really hope it does bond the family even more. It's all about spending quality time together away from the hub-bub of the 'real world' I feel.

 

[graham_5040474]

I agree with everything in this topic! We've caravanned since 1983, first with children, then by ourselves. We've towed about 45,000 miles in that time, in the UK, France, Germany, Italy,Belgium, Holland, and the Republic of Ireland. I've got Non-Hodgkins'Lymphoma, heart problems, and type II diabetes. And we'll still keep on!

Graham

 

[Surfer]

with the price of petrol and increasing almost daily and road tax going up annually, I think more and more peopole are going to start looking at seasonal sites. This is going to create problem for some manufacturers like Dometic whose products are designed for part time recreational use.

In other words they state that if you leave the fridge running 24/7 for weeks at a time, the fridge will pack up as it was never designed to run continously. I know many people on seasonal sites who leave their friges running as they still have food left over from the stay, i.e. frozen stuff etc.

hopefully caravan manufacturers are not as short sighted and develop products that can be used for weeks at a time.

 

[Thorpedo]

Loads or life style reasons above not to give up caravaning. How about a few financial reasons to keep the caravan.

1/

Have you seen the cost of booking a main season Static caravan. I've just check the Large commercial site 100 yards from my house.

Peak season in Big static caravan