Phillip wrote: " Why do the magazines hardly ever feature them. Are they funded by British manufacturers"
Well, yes - indirectly, by advertisements, of course they are.
You'll never change some people's 'Little England' mindset, it's just a waste of time.
Let them have their flimsy, leaky, shoddily built British vans - it's a free country (well, relatively free, at the moment) and if they want to keep fattening up their local caravan dealer by constantly trading in their three year old sponge (in the vain hope that the new one will be better) then let 'em do it.
Next spring, the pantomime will begin again -
Scene One: Mr & Mrs Trusting go to their British van that's been stored over the winter. Mrs Trusting (who has a keen nose for bad odours) notices an all too familiar musty smell. She alerts Mr Trusting - who duly finds damp in the corners of the van (he's done this before on other British vans, so he's got a fairly good idea of what to look for by now)
Mr Trusting: By 'eck, our Ethel, t' van's got damp in it!"
Mrs Trusting: "Eee! - Ah'm reet vexed! - 'appen as 'ow it's just out o't' warranty"
Mr Trusting: "Don't fret, old love, we'll pop down and see that nice young man as sold us van in first place"
Scene Two: The Trustings are in their local caravan dealership (they've been going there for years - and they feel that the staff treat them just like one of the family..)
Mr Trusting (to the sharp faced youth with beer belly, who is the owner's son and heir, and also the dealership's sales manager) "Now, young Wayne, just you 'ave a look in 'ere - see 'ow spongy them walls 'as gone? - it's a bloomin' disgrace and we've only 'ad van these three year since!
Wayne (looking suitably troubled) Yes, I can see the problem - that's happened since we last tested it for damp.. Damp's like that - comes on in a matter of weeks"
Mr Trusting: "That's what you said last time, my lad - and t' time 'afore that, and...."
Wayne (hastily interrupting) Never mind, we're going to look after you (licks his lips involuntarily) Just come in the office and we'll work out our best price to change it for one of this year's models"
Mr Trusting: But won't it be made exactly the same as this one is, Wayne?, and won't the new one leak same as all our other new ones 'as done?"
Wayne (breezily) "Oh no - there have been some problems in the past - but that's all sorted now. The 2008's use a new kind of mastic on the seals"
Mrs Trusting; "Aye, an' you've said that 'afore, an all!
Mr Trusting: (interjecting) "Come on old love - don't take it out on young Wayne - 'appen as 'ow we've just been unlucky, an' see 'ow they's trying to 'elp us - 'ave you got t' cheque book?!
(Wayne sets of purposefully toward the sales office - reminding the more uncharitably minded observer of a cruising shark on the lookout for a good meal, closely followed by Mr & Mrs Trusting, who like most owners of British vans, are the very embodiment of Hope over Experience
British caravans, children? - remember, just say 'no'!.....
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