MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
There's a few of us on here with vans, and prompted by the travels of campervan man on BBC2, not to mention my upcoming 9 month tour of Europe, why don't we share some top tips on how to make the most of life in a tin tent?
Practical, offbeat, obvious or not, whaddya got.
I'll start:
1) use the engine battery for starting the engine and nothing else. Run everything else from the leisure battery, including the stereo, so you never run the risk of running the main battery flat.
2) Always have mugs, tea and biscuits in the van. Always.
If you are dutch and own a red type 4 with a high roof conversion and the registration number 53-LGD-3 park it ouside my house for so long that the council turn up and put a 'move it or we'll tow it away' sticker on it. You selfish little git who clearly lives in a restricted parking zone but sees my road as fair game to abandon your camper for half the winter without a second thought. It's not like there isn't unrestricted parking 200yds away that's outside no-onnes house but no, you thought it woudl be safer in a residential street and f*ck the residents and any need they might have to be able to park outside their own houses even once in awhile just to remind themsleves what it's like not to have to put a coat on to get the shopping from the car into the house. And it's not even a particularly attractive camper, just some rust red bodged conversion - maybe youy're just too embarassed for your nwighbours to know it's yours.
*and breathe*
[Edit] sorry for the hijack.
Don't park in frikin passing places! (not really important as you are not going to the North of Scotland)
Van dunny in emergency only.
Duckman - I will be (hopefully)
wwaswas - excellent tip, thanks 🙂
Remember to drain all water before temperatures reach -18deg!
Start and run your van regularly throughout the winter.
oh.... and don't leave it outside someone elses house - even if the parking is free 😉
Sell lucky heather and tarmac driveways to fund your travels
Wanna buy a dag?
Sell lucky heather
I think it's the hint that I might somehow be "unlucky" if I don't buy it that annoys me
Oh, ive got loads of these 🙂
[list]Get a folding basin to carry crockery to the wash-block/bring hot water to the van.
Keep a travel plug with the folding basin to use in the washblock
Keep emergency rations in the van at all times, rice/pasta ready meal etc, incl a bottle of water and a bottle of wine
Drain your water tank in winter to prevent it freezing when you're van is unused in cold weather
Get some suckers with rings on to carabiner things to the window like a carrier bag to use as a bin
Make your own window thermal barriers from some eBay suckers and two sheets of foil bubble insulation stuck together.
Keep change and Flot Bleue tokens to hand in the ashtray up front for autoroute tolls etc
Many meals can be cooked with a deepsided non-stick pan and it can be cleaned with a wipe with a kitchen towel
Save a small bottle with a good screw cap to decant some oil into for cooking.
Some small airtight bottles are useful for storing dried herbs/salt/pepper in the van so that they dont go off or get damp
A large paint brush is useful for "sweeping" the camper van but takes up less space than a dustpan brush (lies flat)
A "magic door mat" helps keep the floor clean
Use a large/long motorbike cable lock to lock your bikes to the tow loop overnight/when you're out
Dont forget pillows
Dont leave the fridge door closed when it's not on. use the door lock to lock it open a notch to keep air moving around it.
Run the fridge only when driving or hooked up as much as possible as it will drain the leisure battery very quickly.
Carabiners/bungees on the passenger headrest shafts are useful for clipping day bags/shopping bags stuff to for quick access from the side door.[/list]
if I remember anymore I'll be back 🙂
Mend the leak on the window which you didnt fit properly ?
More seriously,
Fit a safe / secret compartment for real valuables. Keep a bit a of cash / old credit cards in a more obvious place in case you get broken into.
if you're going to spend much time in Germany,buy a German reg. for the gas bottle.Oh,and a german gas bottle................
keith - can you not get camping gas cyclinders in DE? never knew that. Good tip.
Don't forget to lock that fridge full of beer before setting off.
Bring a mop.
don't blow the budget on the base vehicle so now your 'camper' is a panel van, 2 storage boxes and some bungees! 😆
Stoner,I was there for a few weeks in '05 ran out of gas (both bottles) had to fork out £70 for a reg and bottle,with the deposit.problem was we forgot we were on German gas,went to Holland and then ran out of gas,no one would take the German cylinder!
Had it in the shed for a year when we got back,let it go with my old bus.
Got another bus now tho !
we did 4 weeks,11 countries with a 5 year old,and an 8 year old,near 5000 miles all in a 1.6 dt vw t25.
Happy days !
When you park in a field, make sure you are either pointing downhill or have those plastic field gripper things under your drive wheels so when it rains over night you can at least get moving.
know how to fix it yourself and google common parts so you know manufacturers and part numbers. Some garages don't know how to do this and tell you things like "no one makes wheel bearings for vehicles over 20 years".
Every time it breaks down, watch the AA man carefully, learn what they do and try that next time it breaks down!
If its air-cooled, change your oil often, don't just top it up!
carry "bits" that zip ties, some wire, duct tape, fuses, bolts, bulbs, a generic switch (on off), some screws etc.
Leave a plate of salt in the van when you are not in the van. It keeps it dry!
DON'T USE YOUR HOB AS A HEATER!!!
nice. we've done 5 weeks with a 1yr old, but only spent a week or so in Germany (mainly france) so never needed to change bottle - and we always carry two anyway. Mrs wants to spend more time in germany and spain (she speaks german, I dont 🙁 )
Some forum members offer free parking for van outside their houses - jolly decent of them. i have wwasas' details and will post them when i get back from Amsterdam
Stoner - MemberUse a large/long motorbike cable lock to lock your bikes to the tow loop overnight/when you're out
Just to say, cable locks are without exception totally rubbish, they'll stop a random passerby wandering off with your bike but they won't stop any sort of halfway skilled thief. Same for lightweight chain. Large chain is obviously bulkier and heavier but will stop most thieves
[i]Mend the leak on the window which you didnt fit properly ?[/i]
I've fixed the window now. And the chap at the glass place fixed the other one 🙂
All good stuff, keep 'em coming.
One from me: when grabbing a cloth from under the kitchen sink to use to wipe the inside of the windscreen, check what it was used for before. Otherwise you might just smear beeswax all over the inside of the windscreen, creating a lovely kaleidoscope effect from oncoming headlights when driving at night 😕
Leave a plate of salt in the van when you are not in the van. It keeps it dry!
...or a pillow case or plastic-box-with-air-holes-in of cat litter; does the same trick but is less likely to end up all over the place. Put it in the airing cupboard (or outside if the weather is okay) every so often to dry it out again.
NW - completely agree, but the idea is to stop the casual passerby swiping the bikes on the campsite. Hopefully someone going equipped will get noticed pretty quickly.
phiiiiiiiil - long time no hear.
How's cannock?
Love the idea about the cat litter...
Aim to be in Slovenia between 03/07/2011 and 09/07/2011 so you can go riding with your mate.
Buy a Remoska for when you have electric hook up. the best cooking instrument ever
Campervan essentials:
Teapot and cosy, to maintain a degree of civility
Caffetierre (sp?)
Tablecloth
Solar shower
RAC membership.....
1. If there's only 2 of you, get a Jetboil - they are ideal for a quick cuppa.
2. Engel fridges - excellent, and can also be used as a freezer in the middle of a desert.
3. Get a 20-30 litre watertight container and put your dirty washing in it with some detergent before you drive somewhere and strap it to the roof, when you get to your destination the clothes will already be washed and after a quick rinse they can be hung out to dry.
3. Get a 20-30 litre watertight container and put your dirty washing in it with some detergent before you drive somewhere and strap it to the roof, when you get to your destination the clothes will already be washed and after a quick rinse they can be hung out to dry.
hahaahahh!
*Mrs Stoner clinging to the door pillar*
"Why are you taking all the corners so bloody fast you maniac!?!??!"
"Spin cycle darlin'!"
some ideas from our van:
easily accessible small fire extinguisher and a fire blanket, and a smoke alarm too - luckily we've not had to use ours but you never know...
split relay for your coolbox/fridge so it powered off the engine when its running and off the leisure battery when stopped. biggest beer coolbox you can fit in there 😉
we've got a small torch with a bulldog style clip - great for reading at night/general van use as you can clip it on curtains/trim wherever you are in the van
roof light/vent
wheel chocks for levelling out when parked up on inclines
240AC convertor for charging phones/DAB radios/laptops etc
as many windows as you can fit/get - just bought an old caravelle door for our T25 as it was pretty dark in the back with just one side window
Haynes manual, specific coolant/oil/filters/plugs/commonly broke parts if you have an older vehicle, small box of carefully selected tools spanners/sockets/drivers/hex's etc plus a tube of silicone sealant
It's still not moved. My faith in the power of the green 'move it or else' sticker is waning.
wwaswas - Member
It's still not moved...
Ring the scrappy. Tell him you've lost the docs, but the council wants it moved so you have to get rid of it.
So it's ok to talk about campervanning, but caravaning will get you flamed - despite the fact that in essence they are the exact same activity. If people only complained about slow caravans on roads that'd be more understandable but caravanners get ridiculed on all levels. And campervanners apparently not.
It's a mad mad world.
Train her indoors to empty the $hitter tank. They effin stink <stick fingers down throat smilie> 😀
- despite the fact that in essence they are the exact same activity
There are caravans
there are mobile homes
and...
there are campervans
Only one of the above are kewell; guess which one 8)
...and the other two are slow and get stuck in french villages streets 😉
Only one of those three are ludicrously expensive 🙂
I think caravans are like recumbent cycles - you either 'get' them or you don't, and they'll never be 'cool'.
(I speak as a reluctantly 'ex' caravan owner, here)
Shame though because they are a lot more practical than motorhomes I reckon.
Don't forget the sticker...
'Don't Laugh...it might be your daughter inside'
We have just finished a 8.5 month tour of Europe in our Camper with the wife and two small kids- got down to Sidi Ifni in Morocco and Syrian border of Turkry and everywhere in between.
Top tips
Take gaffer tape - lots
Take tons if fuses - all types including the big 300amp one to main battery
Big batteries 2X110Amp ones + solar panel if your wild camping for any time
Take a gas alarm - we were gassed and robbed in our sleep - don't mind the laptop and camera going but you cant replace the kids, luckily the kids were still there.
Avoid Italy as its thats where the above happened.
Defo get to Morocco and Turkey, other highlights were Slovenia, Bulgaria and Greece...
You do not need half the stuff you pack - sending massive packages home of too much stuff is cheaper in Croatia than Slovenia- so it pays to shop around - so to speak.
PM me if you want to see our blog from the trip.
we were gassed and robbed in our sleep
holy crapola.
more details? where? what happened? any ill effects?
sounds terrifying, esp w kids.
Here's a few tips from experience
Find out what adapters you need to hook up in all areas you visit. Just because the Lonely Planet guide says Western European adapters, it doesn't necessarily mean it is always so everywhere!
Carry blue ice blocks to help fridge.
A small cool box filled for the day means you don't have to open the fridge in the full heat of the day.
Get bug nets to cover the doors so you can be in the van with the doors open and not feed the local wildlife (midges etc).
Get a monoxide alarm...not so much for the gassers, more for dodgy gas heaters/hobs etc.
Decent wheel ramps...you can't level a camper like you can a caravan. We have some huge Milenco things.
Triple check everything is secure before driving off...coming home from our last holiday through some twisty welsh roads, a box went flying and we managed to break a couple of melamine plates.
Hang a thick curtain behind the cab seats, adds to the insulation from the silver screens over the windows at night, and gives the dash vents a chance of keeping the cab warm when driving as they are not up to heating the whole van.
Finally, learn to read the date codes on the tyres. Campers cover such low miles its common to find old unsafe tyres, as far as I know they should exceed five or six years old.
Re the gassing - we did a big jump from Croatia over to France for the Mega Avalanche - drove for 12 hours and decided to take a quick overnight just outside Venice. We found a motor-way service station with loads of trucks stopped up. It was very busy as it was a saturday night. Did full security, perimeter check - deadlocks on all doors, alarm on etc...
Woke up and found the drivers door open a bit - feeling very groggy put it down to long drive - why are the passports stacked up on the drivers seat - why is the memory card out of the camera - wheres the camera - wheres the lap top..... They even took the euros out of our wallet and left Kuna and Swiss Francs behind.
Went to the service station to say we had been robbed - they said "oh no your the first this year"! at this point I went ape as they get 4 or 5 of these a year, why the **CK did you not put up a warning sign!!!
The police said they cloned our keys whilst driving, and were able to pop the locks from that - the gas was some form of anesthetic. They think they left the passports because they saw we had kids.
Long term van/travel insurance only covered about £400 and we had the proper cover whilst we lost over £3000 in kit.
Didn't stop us though - we regrouped and did another 5 months after that.
Sorry for the hi-jack. The gassing, know it's quite common, they drill a hole in the van and pump it in. I was going to get one of the gas detectors but what happens if somebody does it to your van, the alarm goes off, what then? The gas is in your van and surely you'll start to become drowsy and not be much good at putting up a fight, is there anything (other than a gas mask!) you can keep next to the bed to counter or stop the effects of the gas?
Blimey cookies - that sounds really scary. I can't find a link to PM you for details of the blog - can you either post it here or email me (address in profile)
cheers
I was going to get one of the gas detectors but what happens if somebody does it to your van, the alarm goes off, what then?
A detector would go off long before the concentration was high enough to make you drowsy - well, ideally it would 🙂 CO detectors will, but this is not CO by the sound of it.
Thanks. It's a difficult one, stay in van and get gassed or get out and possibly get your head kicked in! Must be a scary thing to have gone through made even worse when you've got children.
Service stations in the uk aren't any better. I wouldn't have thought twice about sleeping overnight in one but my dad was a lorry driver for a bit and worked away in the uk/abroad, service stations aren't nice places at night.
Spent 5 months in a van in oz, can't think of anything thats not been mentioned apart from a spare set of leads, haynes manual or similar, spare petrol, water, decent toolkit, bulbs, 240v converter, polarized sunnies, lots of music. Maps and camp spot guides, Washing line, hmmmm.... makes me want to do it again!
cookie - that sounds mad.
Glad to hear you're all still well.
We have done 5-6 weeks in our van, I'd love to do longer...one day.
BTW, how does:
The police said they cloned our keys whilst driving,
work?
Acording to the police, your key is active when in the ignition. They drive beside you or wait to you pull up and capture it. Then they play it back and there in.
Lots of cars being burgled when they pull up to service stations - when the owners come back all the kit is gone.
Other stuff I've remebered.
LPG gas tank under the van stops the need for mutiple bottles/pig tails if you do lots of countries.
Choose a route that keeps you away from insane tempretures - its so uncomfortable in a van when its scorching at night.
Take two duvets - thick and thin - then wrap the one your not using round the matress for a comfy night.
Weigh your van and have it rerated if your over - or take crap out.
Ausrtia requires a go box for motorways if your over 3.5T - we decided to not get one and went on back roads. It would have been a couple of hundred €'s if we had.
Get seat covers for all seats - Mrs Cookies covered ours in fleece material - now in bin. They just wrecked over time.
Lorax - done sent you the linky - profile updated too with email
Cookies - YGM
[i]Weigh your van and have it re-rated if your over[/i]
Some vans just need paperwork to uprate, others need suspension/wheel modifications, others (like my Iveco Daily 35s12) cannot be increased above the standard 3.5t, even though seemingly identical vans in the range go up to 6.5t. Different chassis. So I had to keep a check on the weight when I converted it.
Learn dogging etiquette - sorry forgot you already do 😉