Reminiscing

[DaveA1]

Just been going through a few of my outfit


................... VAN ........................................ TOWED

First, ?? ....................................,,,,,Triumph 2000 Est (or today sports tourer)

Second. Ace Ambassador...........................Vauxhall Cavalier 2.0


Third. Compass Vantage.........................Vauxhall Carlton


Forth, Swift Corniche ..............................Vauhahall Omega


Fifth Swift Challenger 442..................Vauxhall Insignia Elite Sport Tourer




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[otherclive]

Nice pictures and some good memories no doubt.

 

[DaveA1]

Nice pictures and some good memories no doubt.

If anyone can identify the first van. We had that outfit before we Married, that's 48 years ago it was old when we bought it.

 

[Raywood]

Must see if I can make up a file of our older caravans but very nice to see yours.
The picture of your first caravan is simply too small for identification.

 

[DaveA1]

Must see if I can make up a file of our older caravans but very nice to see yours.
The picture of your first caravan is simply too small for identification.

It was taken on half frame camera, I still have, so for each 35 mm slide I got two.

 

[waffler]

Lovely pictures and story. Mine was a Sprite 400 towed by a Fiat 850. Kept the 400 for 14 years had a 10 year gap and then Elddis 3?? with a vectra. (The elddis had a corner bathroom and kitchen just inside the door.) Couldn't believe how the caravans had changed in 10 years. Of course it wasn't really 10 years.

 

[00buzz]

a bit of a Vauxhall man then.....

 

[DaveA1]

a bit of a Vauxhall man then.....

You Noticed

 

[Robert_374373903]

First camping on river Lee Broxborne. Two broom sticks, "string" a sheet. small methylated burner, American dried egg, frying pan. Three of us were fishing but can remember a Lancaster bomber circling around over head .

 

[RayS]

Sorry no photos but summer 1967 saw purchase of Sprite Alpine from Spondon Caravans near Derby with Mk 1 Cortina GT as tow car. Not a particlarly good match particularly when towing back from Thurso against 40 mph SW wind.Then extreme overkill with Landrover 110 safari. Finally for that van a really good choice of Volvo 122, which survived to tow the next van Eccles Topaz 2 berth to which I fitted one of the first Carver balanced flue heaters.
Next van was Viking fibreline 12 ft, so much better made than the previous two and kept for years, Volvo 122 changed for 144 an even better tow car. Then company cars Cavalier Mk 1 and Carlton Mk 1.
Bit of a break until retirement, Then. Disco 200 tdi and Swift Corniche 15/2 with onboard water tank, never again. Disco replaced with Merc ML270
Swift with first of two Coachman Pastiche 540s, more later replaced with MB E220 SE, Pastiche replaced with Burstner and then with Elddis Avante 540?. At this stage had to give up driving due to eyeproblens, OH became driver and changed to current Freelander 2. Elddis written off ( and not missed) for current Coachman Vision 545, easily the best caravan I’ve owned.
So 53 years, 100plus Cc sites and CLs, 17 years of Spring in Spain and Autumn in France, excursions to Germany and Austria, marshalling on Cc/RAC road rallies, losts of good friends made, some no longer with us, many still in current email and visiting communication, a few bad experiences but many more good and hopefully more of the latter to come.
Hope this may encourage any relatively recent addicts to stick with it through the bad times.