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Had this bookmarked for a while
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Does the Bedford have the machine gun hatch for quick access to the bunk?
Anyone else considered going the other end, ie, buy a cheap scabby one, abuse it til it dies? Bangervanomics. I'd love that for race days, quick weekends away etc, if I just had somewhere to park it.
Yes, very much so. Mine cost £400 and has done a good few races and a couple of long weekends away without missing a beat. It is awesome. I don't give a crap about muddy bikers and dogs being in it, everything works and it doesn't leak. I can't believe I spunked so much money on diy van conversions... Embrace the uncoolness and drive like it's not there. It goes perfectly with my bangernomics A8.
Does the Bedford have the machine gun hatch for quick access to the bunk?
Spiral staircase. but you have to watch your head on the chandelier.
Anyone else considered going the other end, ie, buy a cheap scabby one,
First van was £1200, second and current was £1500. Had to fix damp myself in both of them, but otherwise everything in the second one is so far great. Hot water, shower, heater, fridge, the works. Needed a bit of casual tlc here and there too. Stuff like tap nozzles cracked, just replaces a couple of cupboards catches for a quid a time.
The original plan with the first van was for racing, after looking enviously into warm convivial caravans at cold wet 24hr races, but now with the kids we are planning on going to Sweden this summer 🙂
Older vans are much lighter than new ones, ours is 18or maybe 19 foot and only weighs 800kg empty, so easy to tow.
Lots of things to look out for in cheap old vans, but that's another post.
Looks diddy them inside it's massive.
It is diddy. The door at the side just goes into a walk in cupboard/home for porta bog. Main door is at the back. Has a fridge a hob and a sink plus beds for 3 though.
First caravan outing for us was a sleepless. Came in from a night lap, had a warm shower and slipped into crisp clean sheets for my 2 hours kip, it was magic 🙂
Thinking of getting another van - they are ace!
Got my eye on this one at the moment for under £10k
[img] http://i.autotrader.co.uk/merlin-image-server/view/57f9d43b-6873-4086-89a0-57e577e5033d/600 [/img]
[img] http://i.autotrader.co.uk/merlin-image-server/view/e2e46009-bb13-4dce-beea-3296e6cb5241/600 [/img]
[img] http://i.autotrader.co.uk/merlin-image-server/view/88aca499-9e78-44ee-bb33-db26d26b56cf/600 [/img]
This company seem to have slightly better interiors than the average caravan.
http://www.pinocaravans.co.uk/portfolio/bee/
That inshot stove would get old VERY fast.
And seriously? Those interiors look pretty dated if I'm honest.
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^Awesum for an overland trip to far away. Overkill for a week in Wales.
And seriously? Those interiors look pretty dated if I'm honest.
slightly better
I didn't say good.
You lot ever seen actual new caravans? They are less twee than they used to be. Although there are some howlers still, some companies seem to find it hard to let go of the florals.
Yes.
Even look at that nice expensive one TheArist...STR posted up. All nice and clean new van, all mod cons I bet but the interior is still not very nice.
Still better than the one you posted if I'm honest.
Although I would say that if you're using basic foil wrap it shouldn't be too difficult to get a more modern finish from the factory, Ikea manage quite fine. But then that's not the age group that buys a van new, that's what retirement lump sums are for...
That Landy with the poptop is still going to have about as much space in it as my fridge. Probably good for the job it's for, and probably coveted by lots of people who'll never do that job.
(also- bets money that all those cool boxes on the roof are empty)
Sean Conway's Landy is quite good in a simple 'dirtbag' way.
All nice and clean new van
That's not that new. Newer ones are classy.. Although tbh whilst it would look good as a hotel room I might not want it for my caravan. I like the decor of German vans but don't like their layouts
Went to RV World whilst on easter hols in Florida. Just to have a look around.
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Yours for £250k. About 7mpg.
Some lovely Airstreams too (about £40k)
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Say what you like about euro van interiors, but the Americans haven't updated the interior design since the 70's. Feel like I'd need a proper pen rash to fit in with the look.
We went to the biggest motorhome dealer I have ever seen in Germany. They had everything from small and compact to.. well.. some of them were articulated. HGV license required I think.
Say what you like about euro van interiors, but the Americans haven't updated the interior design since the 70's. Feel like I'd need a proper pen rash to fit in with the look.
To be honest outside a few urban center that is most of the US, they are very traditional in decor type ways, but in odd really obviously fake ways. You go into restaurants and its fake gas fires with concrete painted logs, fiberglass features. It is frequently brand new but very dated!
Ikea manage quite fine. But then that's not the age group that buys a van new, that's what retirement lump sums are for..
exactly.
Even look at that nice expensive one TheArist...STR posted up. All nice and clean new van, all mod cons I bet but the interior is still not very nice.
It's a 2008 model, but yes, the interior still isn't classy - about as good as you'll get at that age though. Van interiors started getting quite a bit better around 2011 IMO
So we don't want dark wood, wood or any twee but we like the idea of a little bit of comfort we can drag along?
That's all we wanted 🙂
I only want to stay in Certified Locations which are fields in the middle of nowhere type places, but the irony is you have to join the Caravan Club in order to use them. The club membership seems to consist of people exactly like the stereotype.. The letters page in the magazine is hilarious at times. Bitter long running argument about if you should park your van parallel or perpendicular to the road in club sites...
Places which are pretty nightmarish.. Tarmac pitches and people crammed in, and they cost £35 a night...
Thats the kinda place we stay at as well, theres a good place outside Benderloch just off the beach that is as you describe. Just down the road from the static park hell hole. Not CC either so not stupid money.
I've got a large stash of carbon fibre fabric and nomex honeycomb I have been keeping hoping I will get time to kit out a camper of some sort with light weight interior. Preferably a transforming one that expands when you park up but it compact when driving.
Caravan club CLs are about a tenner a night, sometimes a bit more, sometimes less.
Squirrelking, interested in similar site recommendations and details if you have them 🙂
It was this one: http://www.benderloch.com/stay_benderloch/seaview_pages/seaview_ad.html
My folks have been up to Dunnet Bay a few times (long way to go but worth it apparantly), it's CC but a cheap one. Probably because of Dounreay 😛
Got any tips around York/Leeds?
On the other hand, I like Caravan Club sites. We've stayed at a few non-club sites and frankly the facilities on club sites are far and away better, and I'm prepared to pay extra for that. I even notice the difference when staying on an affiliated site rather than a full club site. The bathroom in our van is OK, we have done a week on a site with no toilet/showers and survived, but I'd rather stay on a site with facilities
Good to hear Dunnet Bay is nice, we're passing to go up there later in the year, probably via Culloden Moor (Inverness). Morvich (Kyle of Lochalsh) was nice.
In terms of CLs, two have stood out: Brawby Grange near Pickering and Carr's Hill near Denny
How about this?
[url= http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=151655867214 ]http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=151655867214[/url]
I don't mind CC sites per se, I just don't see where the extra money goes for us personally. Shower block is nice but not a must.
Plenty of wee sites up the Road to the Isles around Morar, bit windy but stunning beaches.
How about this?http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=151655867214
**** that I'm more interested in this from the "people also viewed link"
This has to be one of the best sites in the UK
[url= https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7685/17254831446_e5b69de852_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7685/17254831446_e5b69de852_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/shKweU ]imag0230a[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people/85252658@N05/ ]davetheblade[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8771/17073366087_9148f0ee32_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8771/17073366087_9148f0ee32_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/s1HsUP ]imag0225v[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people/85252658@N05/ ]davetheblade[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7660/16660571043_6f47ce7e63_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7660/16660571043_6f47ce7e63_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/roeMjT ]imag0182b[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people/85252658@N05/ ]davetheblade[/url], on Flickr
Where is that? Wales?
I've been on a cracking site on the gower camping that took caravans, (Eastern slade farm) although the access is a bit tight alright with a small caravan but I think you would struggle to turn in the gate with 18'+ caravan.
That's Three Cliffs Bay, and I have to say my experience of it is not like that. Every time I've been there it's been rammed solid.. also it's quite a big site.
Does anyone use a caravan for accommodation while working away? This is the only reason I'm currently toying with the idea of a caravan. Seems nicer than hotel and cheaper if you can find somewhere that does not mind someone staying for a few months.
A lot of normal sites don't want you staying there for months - they have loads of 'site rules' that are basically anti-traveller, and that seems to be one of them.
I think TAFKASTR did it for a while but he parked up on his building site.
Not been to Three Cliffs for a couple of years, but we must have always been lucky - fantastic weather and not busy.
Yes, I did use mine for working away - didn't actually park on (construction) site though molgrips. I always looked for a nice caravan site - spent a few months at a pleasant site in London, whilst on the Olympics, a couple of months in Bedfordshire and 6 months next to a lovely canal in Gloucestershire. The latter included a full winter and it was fine.
I loved it, having my own space, being able to cook and getting to know the locals in whichever pub you inevitably end up staying near
Always managed to get round the long term issue, usually by finding sites that didn't mind - even the CC site I stayed on in London, just let me shift the van off the plot and stick it in a corner for the weekend when my allotted time was up
Hmm could probably alternate between 2 0r three though. 3 week blocks.
ok^ that is encouraging.
Interesting TAFKASTR, I'd heard it was difficult but glad you had success with it. Not that I need to do it any more - I'm on expenses nowadays 🙂
Many sites will do a seasonal let, but not all. Definitely worth looking into. Sometimes the problem is that there are limited seasonal pitches and the site has a waiting list.
Regarding the antiquated decor in most old caravans, it's easy to get rid. I went to an old mill and bought up some cheap linen curtain fabric. They didn't take long to make new curtains (used the old ones as templates). lined them and it's made the caravan look fresh and clean again.
Now knitting some squares to make a cover to hide the hideous peach, floral, buttoned covered seating.
One thing that is quite noticeable is that in Canada, and I guess US as well it is a lot more common for young families or couples to have caravans. Its seen less as a older person thing. I'm not on about massive expensive 5th wheelers either, but tow hitch 2nd hand e.t.c My cousin in CA have one and it seems to be not uncommon amongst their friends.