Why isn't caravaning cool?

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Nov 4, 2015
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I don't think it's a financial thing.

My youngest son is 21 and he is welcome to borrow our caravan but wouldn't be seen dead in one, let alone towing it along the road. But when we wanted a motorhome he was quite keen to borrow that.

He would also happily go away in a tent.
 
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Jan 20, 2023
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I don't think it's a financial thing.

My youngest son is 21 and he is welcome to borrow our caravan but wouldn't be seen dead in one, let alone towing it along the road. But when we wanted a motorhome he was quite keen to borrow that.

He would also happily go away in a tent.
However you look at it, caravans really have a "sad and desperate" image. You only have to watch a few episodes of "The Inbetweeners" to see the ridicule Jay gets as his parents have a caravan (and the extremely negative light they shine on the Caravan Club!!!!). The younger generation will happily camp in a tent or a VW camper, but a box being dragged behind a car just conjures up an image of lonely desperation to them.
 
Nov 6, 2005
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I don't think it's a financial thing.

My youngest son is 21 and he is welcome to borrow our caravan but wouldn't be seen dead in one, let alone towing it along the road. But when we wanted a motorhome he was quite keen to borrow that.

He would also happily go away in a tent.
Our lad's 45 and has much the same outlook as your son - we caravanned all through his childhood but is vehemently against it -he's happy to go tent camping in UK and France as well as taking expensive holidays further afield but even rejected my offers to tow our caravan to a site of his choice!
 
Nov 16, 2015
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However you look at it, caravans really have a "sad and desperate" image. You only have to watch a few episodes of "The Inbetweeners" to see the ridicule Jay gets as his parents have a caravan (and the extremely negative light they shine on the Caravan Club!!!!). The younger generation will happily camp in a tent or a VW camper, but a box being dragged behind a car just conjures up an image of lonely desperation to them.
My son's are quite happy to camping, eldest one at Festivals, etc, the younger one , 40 , likes going to the south wild camping, he hired a larger camper van for two weeks, then realised that it was big for Cornish side roads, then had to empty the toilet, get more water, so had to pay to do all the essentials.
That put him off building his own, camper van. So it is back to the drawing board.
Luckily he has now in a position to have a Jag Land rover, company PCp thing for extremely low price. So maybe a Defender with roof tent will suite him now.
He always said he would never have one. BUT.
 
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Nov 4, 2015
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However you look at it, caravans really have a "sad and desperate" image. You only have to watch a few episodes of "The Inbetweeners" to see the ridicule Jay gets as his parents have a caravan (and the extremely negative light they shine on the Caravan Club!!!!).
Especially if towed with a Volvo;)
 
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Jun 26, 2022
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In a quiet corner of a field hooked up, awning up, tea on and feet up. Some of our best holidays are spent walking or lazing around on a beach. I can't imagine why anyone would want it to be popular. If everyone were doing it I wouldn't want to be there. Started aged 27 with small children and a desire to get away from it all on the cheap. Now aged 69 still doing it when I can get away. Never been cool and never will be. My kids still love caravanning and still do it. By definition surely by the time you reach 35 you're already uncool? Not that I would know...
 
Nov 16, 2015
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I love a quiet FSP, site where I can sit in a chair outside my caravan, flying an aerobatic kite, or a drone, for the dog to chase, then taking a stroll down to the pub. How I love these Adult only pitches.
 
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Jun 26, 2022
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Im n
I love a quiet FSP, site where I can sit in a chair outside my caravan, flying an aerobatic kite, or a drone, for the dog to chase, then taking a stroll down to the pub. How I love these Adult only pitches.
I'm not allowed to meddle with the kids drone but I might buy my own just to be sociable
 
Nov 16, 2015
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Im n

I'm not allowed to meddle with the kids drone but I might buy my own just to be sociable
Lidl do great ones , under the weight limits for a licence, with cameras, and protection around the blades, if  when you hit the van.
 
Jul 18, 2017
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I love a quiet FSP, site where I can sit in a chair outside my caravan, flying an aerobatic kite, or a drone, for the dog to chase, then taking a stroll down to the pub. How I love these Adult only pitches.
I love watching people flying kites especially the acrobatic ones as quite skillful. Last time I flew a kite was as a kid and we made up our own kites with bamboo and brown paper normally used to cover books. The tail was made from whatever you could get your hands on to rip up. LOL!
 
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Jul 18, 2017
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I think it’s now up to 55 and 70 for senior officers. It’s been progressively raised since the invasion started.
Okay understand as when we were in involved in the bush war all active men up to age 40 year were called up to fight terrorism. The older males mainly did paper work, guard duty or convoy duties to free up the younger ones. The country had a young population. This is not a reference to SA.
 
Jul 15, 2008
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Drones on campsites can be a source of conflict.
I was on a campsite last year where a family was asked to leave for flying a drone. The wardens had no choice but to act when a substantial number of other campers became furious at overhead flying.
 
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Feb 23, 2024
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It's funny how a thread can end up talking about drones and conscription lol. Personally having read through the comments we are the last of a small group of people who the majority hate for making the motorway go slow.

The lemmings have already run off to the top of the hill in my opinion and will soon fall off the cliff - I for one will continue to swim against the tide of the majority.

My question was in so many ways how can the caravaning lifestyle be kept alive and appreciated by more people. Personally, I feel we caravanners have a lot to teach all manner of age groups who live life in a vacuum of social media, greed and poor mental health to boot.

It's such a shame that many feel that if more people were caravanning that would spoil it for the rest of - surely there's a middle way?

Maybe I'm just a dreamer and the world is as they say going to hell in a handcart
 
Nov 11, 2009
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Perhaps years ago caravans could be accused of making the motorway go slow, but. its a very rare occurence these days. Power to weight ratios are good, 60mph is achievable by most outfits. If they want to go a bit slower then they sit with the HGVs. What does screw up the motorways are HGVs that sit in lanes 1 and 2 for far too long trying to overtake.
 

JTQ

May 7, 2005
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Tin hat, generalisation time, and on more minor roads the young lasses driving horse boxes.

Creep along the bendy bits, gun it on the straights where if aware, or is that considerate to what's in tow, they could afford overtaking opportunities.
 

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