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Sell up or caravan alone?

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Hi Lynda,

I really like the sound of the Loner's group and would love more details. I think that kind of support would give me the confidence I am in need of at the moment. My home email is

All the comments on here have been so helpful, its really made me determined to keep on with caravanning. I thought I probably would deeply regret selling it, as have only had it for two years, as well as probably making a financial loss. And the fact that I had paid for the caravan and towcar outright out of some inheritance from my lovely mum, made the idea of giving it all up even worse. Ironically I got into caravanning as a way of travelling, and spending quality time with my husband after years of bringing up children.

If yours is 23 foot long and you manage, then mine is only another three feet longer, and lots of people have told me that twin axles are actually easier to tow as they are very stable, so once I am on a straight road should be OK! (Maybe I won't be booking trips to the Italian coast or Swiss alps for a while - have a fear of heights anyway, let alone hairpin bends and caravan!). When I book the towing course I can get to grips with the dreaded reversing, although having the motormover fitted should help me out a great deal.

I have even treated myself to booking a fully serviced pitch at Grafham water in July, for two weeks, so won't even have to fetch water and empty waste - luxury, and at a fantastic price, something like
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Hi Lois

I was in your situation many years ago and I made the mistake of selling the caravan complete with eqipment as at the time I felt I would never tow and use the caravan on my own. I missed the caravan so much that after 18 months I decided to buy another one and start again. I belong to a Group for people who caravan on their own due to divorce, bereavement etc.and we have about 350 members both male and female.

It is called The Loners' Group and if you or anyone else would like details, I would be happy to provide. I am sure you will be able to cope with setting up the van on Site, I just take my time and as other people have suggested, take a break and then get back to it. Towing on your own is very different to having someone sat by the side of you, bearing in mind that you have to navigate as well as watch traffic etc. but you will soon get used to it. My caravan is a 23ft.single axle with a fixed bed and I have a motor mover to cope with siting and storage. My first outing with the Group this year will be next month for a week in the Cotswolds. If you have any questions Lois, I will be only too pleased to answer them for you.
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Hi Lois

Glad to hear that you are feeling a lot more positive about keeping the caravan - I am sure you will not regret it. The New Member Secretary of The Loners' Group is Graham Nelson Tel.01772 493884. I would have sent you more details about the Group but unfortunately you omitted to add your email address to the post. My address is (edited by moderator) - if you would like a bit more info before contacting Graham let me know.

Kind regards - Linda.
 
I can only underline what others have said in reply to you....I'm sorry to hear about your life-change...not easy after all those years. Do not for one minute consider giving up with camping if it is something you enjoy, but please don't take out a twin-wheeler on your own. I'm a well-muscled fit guy who shifts upteen weights around at work, but no way would I want to maneoevre one of those around on my own. Sell it, -/exchange it for something smaller and lighter, keep the towcar you have which will in that case be more than adequate. A small two-berth with side washroom should be ample, and far less daunting to move around. Yes, you will be offered help sometimes on site, but there will always be one time when you are completely on your own, and that is the time you need to be able to move it solo.
 
I tow a large heavyish twin axle caravan. My husband has been away travelling for most of our married life.

I've caravanned with my daughter and son when they were children and many times alone in recent years.

I'm solo today as my husband had to fly back to the UK for a few days.

I've never had the muscle to man handle any caravan. I wouldn't swap to some dinky single axle for anybody. I don't even have a motor mover and have never found the need for one,but a mover would probably be essential for Lois.

My van affords me comfort solo and plenty of space to share it with my sister and nieces and my daughter and her boyfriend at times.

A course on caravan towing is the way to go Lois, if you love your present caravan look at how you can addapt it and use it before giving it up and regeretting it.

On Monday we had a tyre punctured on the autoroute, front nearside caravan tyre. Large rusty screw through the tread and out the side wall after leaving a srvice area. It was some time before we noticed it and we were able to leave the motorway and gt to a tyre depot as it was not wise to stop where wer were.

Single axle, no way.

On our overnight stop another elderly british couple had a twin, wife can't help due to dissability and husband was not big enough or fit enough to push or wrestle any caravan. They seemed to have been coping well for years aided by extend jockey wheel levers, mover and battery steady winder. My best friend who is also my brother in-laws wife is often another solo lady twin axle tugger.

She's not in to shifting weights or muscling up either, we don't manouvre them on our own we use the car for that ;-)
 
ps. Lois we are well on our way to sixty, forty five is a long gone memory.

I can see the day coming when I neeed a motor mover and other aids. The aids will come way before any idea of down sizing.

I think I would give up caravanning rather than down size or give up 4 wheel caravanning.
 
Hi lois, I am 66 yrs male, travel in my 17ft caravan as a single person. Ask the site wardens who might be able to help or make contact with the other sight caravanners, they will help if asked. I have experienced the problem whereby when you arrive everyone has disappeared. Don't give up, perhaps a smaller van which is easier to handle might be an option. Because I am on my own in a 4 berth, I often do not bother with the awning (porch or full). Good Luck.
 
Dear all,

Your comments and kind suggestions have been brilliant. I have spent a few weekends looking at smaller caravans, but the exchange I would get from my (almost new) twin axle, would mean I would lose a lot of money. So I have decided to keep it for now, and have a very kind friend who is going to tow it for me and help set up, and then go home and leave me to it. I have booked two weeks at Easter, at Willingcot CC, Devon, and two weeks in July, at Grafham Water CC. I spoke to the wardens at both, and they were lovely and said they would offer me any help if I needed it.

I think i will have to consider exchaning for a smaller one, at some stage, as I can't expect other people to tow me everywhere, but perhaps in a year or so, when I have absorbed most of the hit of the depreciation.

I've had Truma motor mover fitted, and brought a second hand Isabella Magnum porch awning, which looks a lot easier to put up that the huge Isabella Opus 3.5 metre monster we brought from the NEC last year. I think I will have to sell that, its so heavy, and definitely needs two people to put up.

What has been so uplifting is the amount of encouragement I have had, and the lovely people who caravan are one of the main reasons I enjoy it so much. Nothing like hotel holidays, where no one speaks to you.

Also nice to hear of the people who met other partners after divorce (can't imagine that quite now, as its a horrible, drawn out process), but there's always hope for the future!

Many thanks,

Lois xxx
 
Hi Lois.

I'm glad your sticking with caravanning.

You've probably made the right choice to stick with your larger van, as I guess you'll have plenty of space and only need the porch awning as a shelter as such.

I know it sounds easy to say from here, but keep up the driving as much as you can. If you feel the need, there are some very good driving coarses run by the caravan clubs which should help you to gain the courage to be self suffuficiant.

Having a mover fitted does certainly help. You can use it to position the van on those more difficult sites.

I too suffer those dreadfull joint pains and have endured several operations, but I keep on going.

One toy I use to help with the awning as I can't reach up and twist my arms is, a long handled paint roller with the roller missing. The 18 inch handle and "L" shaped end is perfect for reaching the clamp screws on the roof poles. It saves me a lot of pain.

The other vital piece of equipment for me is a small folding sack truck (
 
Hi Lois

I tend to agree keep your van but dont bother with a porth at the moment see how you get on without as for the driving yes go on a course but in the mean time why not share the drive to devon it is confidence you need and you can do it if you want to and im sure you do

time too start a new chapter in life get out and enjoy you are still plenty young enough
 
I agree with what was said earlier about The Loners. I've been a member for 2 years now, and just starting the beginning of my third season this week with a week at the Caravan Club site in Moreton-in-Marsh.

The group are very friendly and easy to get along with. You can be as convivial as you want to be. Nobody forces you to take part in anything you don't want to do. But if you enjoy caravanning, you will be made most welcome.
 
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