[Closed] Show us your tin tents

That's not a tin tent, it's a holiday cottage on wheels 🙂

I'm in the "that's ridiculous" camp, just book a B&B or hotel...

I'm with seosamh77. Monstrous.

Love me a caravan. Ours is a little more basic mind.
We've got a fixed bed and side bunks for the kids with a lounge. That was my aim. Never having to make the bed up again. None of my friends understand. One or two are living the "dublife" but for me that doesn't compare for comfort.

I hope it's the best weather we've ever had at ynot this year!!
Looks proper tho pal!

Complete with Lurcher!

Someone's nicked your car & drugged the dog.

Is disappointed. Thought it was another van thread. Let's make it one.

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Someone’s nicked your car & drugged the dog.

The dog always looks like that unless something is stupid enough to try and run away from it!!

AA - what's that wee thing?

Its called an Abi Adventurer I think. We kind of inherited off a friend who had kept it in dry storage for years. Sleeps 3. Has a fridge, 3 ring cooker and sleeps 3. Tap is bust and we ejected the chemical bog and use the space to keep the BBQ. Its very basic and rough round the edges but good fun. Would love an Eriba or a Tab but we dont use it enough to justify outlay.

Not sure there's anything humble about that lol! That combo will be worth more than my house!

But it does look very nice and colour coordinated.

"Humble brag "
don't you mean a large appologie to all those stuck in traffic behind me.

OP - I hope you have a vacuum cleaner, a satellite dish and a huge flat screen tv in that thing. When I visit fee paying campsites in our small(ish) van that seems to be the preferred evening activities of dwellers of these monsters whilst were out supping a beer (insert drink of choice) watching the sun set. Never understood why some people go to the trouble of dragging their life half way across the continent to rarely venture out and do all the stuff they could do at home.

Humble brag – here’s my new tailback weapon, 2016 Buccaneer Cruiser.

I don't have a caravan, but I love the way caravan brands have espoused the language of piracy, rebellion and sex-toys; Buccaneer, really? 'Tailback weapon', hmmmm...

My all-time favourite is the 'Marauder', which is a perfectly inoffensive, mid-sized caravan usually in an advanced state of decay - god only knows what they were thinking when they named that one.

I think the ultimate spot would be a Marauder being towed by a Barbarian or similar dodgy 4x4 pick-up monstrosity.

Edit: tbf, the OP's pic isn't that far off...

I think STW needs a refresher course on what “humblebrag” actually means; it’s become the new “man-flu” 😂

I’m in the “that’s ridiculous” camp, just book a B&B or hotel…

+1
That's nothing but a "Look at me" set up. The costs to the environment, and chaos on the roads, it causes are beyond ridiculous. For the money that is lying there, depreciating, you could have some proper accomodation.

Remember Clarkson's conker game? The best use yet for those things!

Along with horse boxes a pointless and inconsiderate use of the road network. Should pay considerable additional tax for hauling a shed around IMHO.

Love it. Pretty much the response I was expecting on here 😂. I'll address some of your 'issues' later

Should pay considerable additional tax for hauling a shed around IMHO.

And he is.

Do you know how much the VED is for a Discovery 4?

also, Nice outfit.

Actually I'm not perchy - it's a commercial 😂

But cheers

Nice outfit, bit bigger than I'd like even if I did have the money to afford it

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Just the two of us, and we are happy enough making up a bed so we're ok with a smaller van. Awning makes it easier for storing tandem / bikes and relaxing. Just had the most fantastic easter weekend at Town End Cottage CL

Christ those things are bigger than a Lamborghini 4x4.

Hope the caravan haters citing eco-concerns don't fly abroad for their holibobs?

My caravan is 38 feet x 12 feet.

Just sayin’😉

My caravan is 38 feet x 12 feet.

Just sayin’

That's bigger than a T5.

Smaller than an Airbus A380 though.

Genuine question- these cost around £24k, plus the appropriate car and associated costs. These are too big to do anything but book a pitch at a campsite/caravan park for £30-50/night. You also need a big house to store the thing, or pay for storage.

After all the above hastle, is it not cheaper and more conveniant to rent a tin tent, book an airbnb or other accomodation? Plus you'll get there faster, have more space on the drive and more money in the bank. It's a cool piece of kit, don't get me wrong. I'm just curious what the attraction of this is for you.

My all-time favourite is the ‘Marauder

I was playing the caravan game with my wife on a long drive once, well, i was s****ing every now and then and the wife was tutting and rolling her eyes.

I said to her that the highlight of the trip would be to see a Marauder. You'll never guess what happened next?

Yes, two of them!! I nearly wet my self with excitement.

My wife was so proud.

I know, cool stary bra. I 🤩

Smaller than an Airbus A380 though.

Are you counting A380's wing mirrors?

Are you counting A380’s wing mirrors?

They don’t have mirrors on the wings, silly.

It’s cameras these days innit.

They don’t have mirrors on the wings, silly.

It’s cameras these days innit.

I'm so behind the times.

I’m so behind the times.

Yep.

The mirrors are all inside so you can admire your shoes.

How's about chemi-khazi pilot

[strong]cokie[/strong] wrote:

Genuine question- these cost around £24k, plus the appropriate car and associated costs. These are too big to do anything but book a pitch at a campsite/caravan park for £30-50/night. You also need a big house to store the thing, or pay for storage.
After all the above hastle, is it not cheaper and more conveniant to rent a tin tent, book an airbnb or other accomodation? Plus you’ll get there faster, have more space on the drive and more money in the bank. It’s a cool piece of kit, don’t get me wrong. I’m just curious what the attraction of this is for you.

it's a fair point. The outfit in the OP is certainly around that mark, but our was a damn sight cheaper then 24k including both the car and the tandem (we're talkijg maybe half that in total, and we've had the car for years). The CL I linked to above is £13 a night. Renting a cottage for the dates we wanted (Wed-sun over easter weekend) would be difficult, as most place will want a ful weeks rental, which is going to be on the order of mabe £600 for a week I'd guess? Even a hotel would be maybe £80 per night, so that would be upwards of £300. Plus in a hotel we would struggle to store the tandem, and we wouldn't have cooking facilities so we'd be eating out every night (admittedly we did have a couple of nights out even in the van).

Having the van means we c an find a nice site in the area we want and have a cheap(ish) trip, for an initial outlay. Pros and cons to both approaches

Hope the caravan haters citing eco-concerns don’t fly abroad for their holibobs

I thought they'd be too busy un-glueing their tits from some road in central London to be posting on here to be honest, so fair play

I'd have one if my situation could justify it and the one in OP looks rather smart. However funds and lifestyle don't suit. Bugger.

D’ya like dags?

How is that pimp’s palace a commercial?

Pimpin’ be a commercial enterprise innit.

We are on our way to Scotland in ours for the weekend. Best impulse buy we ever did.

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No campervans I do like and that is awesome.

^^that last photo is great 😀

I don’t understand caravans if I’m being honest. Camper van or tent just seem more practical and easier to just pitch up in on a whim. Caravans just seem a bit 1970’s pensioner to me. Each to their own though Grandad 😉

The outfit in the OP is certainly around that mark, but our was a damn sight cheaper then 24k

£34k new, plus £3k of extras, but this isn't new, it's a 2016, cost me £22.5k but it's being used for work, put through the business and being offset by not paying hotel costs, which will address some of the points made elsewhere. Why anyone would buy a brand new one is beyond me. They depreciate like cars

Ours is self propelled.

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I don’t understand caravans if I’m being honest. Camper van or tent just seem more practical and easier to just pitch up in on a whim.

Lots easier to setup a caravan than pitch a tent. Much more comfortable, weatherproof and secure when you’re not there.

Campervans are great until you need to go somewhere other than where you’re camping. Having to pack the whole shebang to go to the supermarket  or for a day out would be a pain

Swings and roundabouts innit

indeed, perchy. we've had that debate. if we had a camper we'd do a lot more weekends away, but I'm not sure how practical it would be for longer stays

I said to her that the highlight of the trip would be to see a Marauder. You’ll never guess what happened next?

Yes, two of them!! I nearly wet my self with excitement.

Wow! Proper jealous. I've never seen more than one in a single day tbh.

Question for caravan folk: do you wave and nod at each other on the road, or are you too cool for that sort of thing? I like to think that when I buy a Marauder of my own, I'll also become part of a sort of informal Marauder family of the roads. But maybe I'm being a little starry eyed about it all.

zilog6128

I think STW needs a refresher course on what “humblebrag” actually means; it’s become the new “man-flu”

That's about all I get from this thread.
Then wwaswas's mobile turned up. Jealous of that. I'd live in one if I didn't have 16 bikes and a million records 😆
(hope you mananged to put the kitchen fire out wwaswas)

We have a posh Campervan or basic motorhome depending on your view. I can see the attraction of a caravan in that when you (finally) get to your destination you unhook it and then you can use your car to get out and about. A large campervan is limited in where it can go - we found this out in the Brecon Beacons last year.
Having to tidy the van and put stuff in cupboards before driving off for the day is a pain. We like to find a site with good public transport links (much easier on the continent) but in the UK that's rarely possible in the areas we visit

Everything is a compromise.

We have a static van in a place we love an hours drive away but it means sacrificing the variety of different experiences for the convenience of being able to go away for the weekend on a whim with no more preparation than lifting a set of keys.

Question for caravan folk: do you wave and nod at each other on the road, or are you too cool for that sort of thing?

Absolutely. There is also an unwritten code that if someone looks as though they need a bit of help on a campsite then you’re allowed to spectate for entertainment purposes for a bit before offering assistance. You must always offer help though. 😉

After all the above hastle, is it not cheaper and more conveniant to rent a tin tent, book an airbnb or other accomodation?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. But for me, a caravan is preferable to a B&B or even a hotel, because:

1) The caravan is full of your own stuff, it's your own space. You bring books, games, toys, whatever; you put your feet on the upholstery, you bring your own duvet and pillows etc. And to be honest, the seating in them is pretty comfy and far better than what you get in B&Bs. Lounging around in caravans is great.

2) You can come and go as you please and during the day you can chill out and do your own stuff. Hanging around a hotel room is dull as hell during the day and you usually only have a bed or a shit chair (done this a lot). When you are camping or carvanning you can sit outside, if it's a nice site you'll have woods, a stream, a beach, large open spaces, good views, your kids can play football, frisbee, archery, fly kites, all sorts. This is vastly better than sitting in a hotel room watching freeview. Of course, you can stay out all day, but that's either expensive or sometimes hard work or both. The chilling is far better camping/caravanning.

3) There are more better locations, in my experience when camping or caravanning.

4) You can buy and cook your own food, the way you want it. You can have your own snacks, you can barbecue, whatever, and it's far cheaper than eating out. Sometimes you don't want a dining experience you just want a few barbecued sausages, some crisps and a beer, don't you?

5) You're more involved with the outdoors generally. Even in a caravan in the rain, you are looking out of at least three windows at the scenery and views and green countryside; if it's nice you fling them all open and you're basically ouside with good seating. Or you can simply be outside anyway chilling on your camping chairs.

Caravanning is really just camping but with better sleeping and cooking. It's the same type of holiday, for us at least.

Anyway - here's our van. A 2000 Bailey Pageant Auvergne. Bought for £2,300, and it's in great nick. It's got electric and gas blown air heating, an oven, mixer taps, double dinette layout, Heki roof light, blinds all round, all 2000-era mod cons, and I've just put vinyl flooring down instead of the crappy carpet. Also fitted Alko shock absorbers and a spare wheel. It came with an inflatable awning, a Vax cordless vacuum cleaner and even a TV (which is now in the kids room). Having bought turkeys with the last two vans, I'm chuffed to bits with this!

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The caravan is full of your own stuff, it’s your own space. You bring books, games, toys, whatever; you put your feet on the upholstery, you bring your own duvet and pillows etc. And to be honest, the seating in them is pretty comfy and far better than what you get in B&Bs. Lounging around in caravans is great.

I sort of get this, but it also sometimes seems weird that people choose to travel to foreign countries in particular, then recreate their domestic environment in a mobile home or caravan and sit around watching TV and eating bacon butties.

I sort of get this, but it also sometimes seems weird that people choose to travel to foreign countries in particular, then recreate their domestic environment

It's not re-creating your domestic environment. Well, it is if you watch TV, but we don't do that. We have our own caravan-specific stuff.. not the same stuff from home. But yes - there are many people who just sit around doing nothing staring at screens in their caravans or campervans - this is crap IMO but each to their own. And when I say lounging around in a caravan is great, I mean AFTER you've done your bike ride, been surfing, climbed your mountain or whatever. Not all day 🙂

Most people seem to get camping, and look up to big motorhomes as luxury goods. Caravanning is just camping but with much better sleeping and cooking arrangements, and vastly cheaper than a big motorhome. And with more space, tbh.

We did a hire caravan holiday once (yep, once) and it was a good base to go for bike rides and explores an that. Kid was only little then. And bacon butties is the best thing about a caravan holiday.
Worst thing was the "friendly" folk on the caravan site, coming over and being all "friendly", like cos we were in a caravan we had something in common?! yeuch, who needs that shit?

Worst thing was the “friendly” folk on the caravan site, coming over and being all “friendly”, like cos we were in a caravan we had something in common?!

If it’s any consolation, they had already spent half an hour criticising you and laughing behind your back at your ineptitude first before they offered assistance.

The bastards.

But yes – there are many people who just sit around doing nothing staring at screens in their caravans or campervans

Playing boardgames and sitting inside with the windows open?

Playing boardgames and sitting inside with the windows open?

Playing board games isn't doing nothing, is it?

And being inside with the windows open in rain is preferable (to me) to sitting inside with the windows closed, or sitting outside in rain. Not sure your point, or are you just needling cos that's what you do?

Here's my litte tin tent for the odd weekend reconnecting with nature...

if it’s nice you fling them all open and you’re basically ouside with good seating

Not sure your point, or are you just needling cos that’s what you do?

Just some people like to chill watching TV and others playing Kerplunk. Even while it's nice as it's like outside.

How is that pimp’s palace a commercial?

Because it looks like this in the back

OP someone on here was looking for someone to tarmac their drive recently.

. The costs to the environment, and chaos on the roads, it causes are beyond ridiculous.

The op's set up shouldn't cause chaos or at least no more than any other vehicle towing a trailer, certainly less than a lower powered car towing a smaller caravan.
Regarding it's environmental impact, less than a family jetting of somewhere for a holiday ??
I'm guessing the fact that it's an expensive bit of kit is raising a few jealous hackles 😁
Regarding what people do on holiday, it's s a totally personal thing. No one thing has anymore merit than another.

Just some people like to chill watching TV and others playing Kerplunk. Even while it’s nice as it’s like outside.

Of course. I'm aiming mostly at the people who sit inside and watch TV all day. Why not stay home?

But like I say, each to his own. Do what you have to do. But at least make an effort sometimes.

Caravans don't really cause chaos on roads. I mean, sure, they are limited to 50mph instead of 60mph, but that's not so great a hardship is it? If it's not busy then just overtake and be away. If it is busy, then there's no point overtaking because you'll end up behind an HGV or pensioner or other caravan or whatever, so just chill out.

I try to avoid single carriageway roads as much as possible with the caravan, and when I do I pull over regularly. If I find myself on a windy one I invariably end up behind a 40mph pensioner anyway. Caravans aren't the issue, impatience is.

Regarding it’s environmental impact, less than a family jetting of somewhere for a holiday

https://calculator.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx?tab=3

"Total Flights Footprint = 0.28 metric tons of CO2" x 4 for a family = 1 ton, say. - this for Gatwick to Malaga

https://calculator.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx?tab=4

"Total Car Footprint = 0.16 metric tons of CO2e" - this was for 400 miles in the OP's car maybe add a bit for the weight of the 'van.

I don’t understand caravans if I’m being honest. Camper van or tent just seem more practical and easier to just pitch up in on a whim.

We just went tent camping, due to car issues which I may well start another thread on (yes, that car).

It was a ballache to pack everything, although pitching wasn't a big deal due to having a tiny tent. The biggest issue was weather though. It was warm all weekend, but it was quite windy, and we felt windswept. And it was cold in the evenings. Ideally we'd have had a big Coleman type shelter, but we didn't. The caravan would have been lovely and cosy in the windy evenings.

Setting up a caravan can be easy if you get it sorted. Pull in, unhitch, level the thing with wedges if required, put the legs down then one of you goes to get water and fill the toilet whilst the other gets a brew on or starts dinner. Takes less time than pitching a tent and can be done easily in rain, wind or darkness if required.

Re carbon, our car gets somewhere around 32mpg with the caravan on with or without bikes on the roof, as opposed to about 60mpg solo without bikes on and about 48mpg with bikes on. Assuming the worst case scenario we do about double the CO2 as we do solo, which would be approx 300g/km.

This holiday we drove 1100 miles so about half a tonne of CO2 or 0.4 tonne according to that calculator up there. We'd have done about double that flying direct to Edinburgh from Cardiff, and then there'd have been a three hour drive on top of that.

@wwaswas
So 5 times more co2 to fly of on holiday 😯😯

taxi25 yes, although we've not included the CO2 from the manufacturer of the caravan (or the hotel or the car or the airport transfers etc but that's possibly more complex than we can easily get?)

It's not weight nits wind resistance.

I’m guessing the fact that it’s an expensive bit of kit is raising a few jealous hackles

To be fair the op has started a few threads like this doing "humble brag" over the years.

I'll be picking one of these up in a few weeks. Cant wait.

Oh my that's nice.

I wouldn't have a camper van like that, but they're ok for those that want them - except for the cost! I can't see how they can get £15k's worth of van chassis and put £20k's worth of caravan on the back and make it add up to £60k.

For balance our diddy caravan cost £500

I don’t understand caravans if I’m being honest. Camper van or tent just seem more practical and easier to just pitch up in on a whim.

Tents take fricken hours to put up and take down, pack all the shit in the car etc. Our van has everything we need in it ready to go, just add food to the fridge and its done. Plus if it rains you you have a comfy chair and table and the kid can watch a dvd or something.
As for campervans I've seen people use them. Its like a 30min game of tetris to go to bed or nip down the road to buy some beers and even our tiny van has more space than a T5.

I can’t see how they can get £15k’s worth of van chassis and put £20k’s worth of caravan on the back and make it add up to £60k.

And this!!!

Biggest problem we had with a large family tent was putting it away wet because you have to be off a pitch by a certain time so either the dew hasn't all evaporated or it's raining and then trying to dry it when we got home.

It's the sheer cost of a camper that puts me off a bit. How much do folk tend to recoup in sale value when they shift them on a few years later?