Hi, we’ve booked a weekend in a VW T5 campervan for a weekend/3 nights during the May half-term, it’ll be wife and I, 7 year old son, 4 year old daughter and the dog. We’re planning on heading down to Devon, but having never done it before we’re looking for any tips that’ll make it a little easier/more fun? Thanks

Take less clothes than you think you’ll need and more drink thank you think you’ll need….. I think I gained that tip from this forum.

Take wellington boots and eternal optimism.

Take less clothes than you think you’ll need and more drink thank you think you’ll need…

Fewer clothes, but yeah, this. Of the clothes you take, make sure you have something that’s right warm, cos sitting outside the van drinking said drink of an evening is chillier than you might expect.

Uno is a great way to spend time if it’s raining and you’re sheltering in the van.

All of you, including the dog, need to live, sleep and cook in the living room for a week, just to start to get an understanding of it

Take wellington boots and eternal optimism.

I think this is applicable to most of lifes questions!

All of you, including the dog, need to live, sleep and cook in the living room for a week, just to start to get an understanding of it

Not a week, just 3 nights, but yes, this is why I think we need the awning too!

You will need an awning just to put bags/shoes/cooking gear/coats etc in.
VWs are small for two people, for four plus dog itll be a real squeeze. Once the bed is out you will have aprox 2sq ft of floor space.

take a tent for you and the boy. My wife and two girls sleep in the T5 I’m outside, much better sleep for all concerned.

Take a target spirit level so you van get the van as level as possible when you park up. Sleeping at an angle is horrible.

Take a target spirit level so you van get the van as level as possible

Just use a glass of red….

VW transporters and the like are too small.

I’m fed up with the squeeze in my lwb T5,and there is only the two of us with all rear seats removed and a pop top.

I struggle to see how families go away for weeks in such a small motor.

VW transporters and the like are too small.

That’s why we’re hiring as a trial to see if it’s livable for very short trips!

Good luck with that. Thats a lot of folk is a small van.

It’s interesting reading some of the comments here about the size of T5s. MrsIHN and I are happy in our non-pop-top SWB, with a (small) dog, and I know of a fellow STWr who’s had many happy trips with his Mrs in his pop-top LWB, with his two children and their (big, but now deceased) dog.

Why are they taking a dead dog on holiday?

That’s why we’re hiring as a trial to see if it’s livable for very short trips!

Hire something bigger.

T5s and the like are fine for doing both a long weekend and a trip to the shops. But any longer in one is just a pain.

I spent two months bumming around Italy in mine which was OK. It was OK, but then it was just me.

GF and I spent six weeks travelling through France. It’s doable, but with lots of compromises.

Bikes go on the rack as no real space inside. The amount of water you can carry is limited by the space available. Storage for clothes (both clean and worn) and food is limited. Having to move/close one thing to get to another gets boring.

Ducato /Relay ftw.

Bring some pre-made meals, bolognese, stew and the like.

Skimps on the clothes.

Have fun.

We’ve borrowed the in-laws Bongo which is even smaller with two kids/dog. It’s a giggle.

We now hire a coach built van, tis the amazeballs.

Why are they taking a dead dog on holiday?

To be fair, when they were taking it on holiday it was alive. Just.

T5s and the like are fine for doing both a long weekend and a trip to the shops. But any longer in one is just a pain.
I spent two months bumming around Italy in mine which was OK. It was OK, but then it was just me.
GF and I spent six weeks travelling through France. It’s doable, but with lots of compromises.
Bikes go on the rack as no real space inside. The amount of water you can carry is limited by the space available. Storage for clothes (both clean and worn) and food is limited. Having to move/close one thing to get to another gets boring.

In standard STW contrariness, me and MrsIHN did six months around Europe in ours. Guess it depends on the layout, ours has an internal boot that will fit two road bikes, deckchairs, etc, space for 12l of water, fridge and cupboard will hold a week’s worth of food, tonnes of storage space under the two bench seats, etc etc

Don’t plan your weekend with too much driving. Lots of moving around can spoil the weekend. Go somewhere nice, pitch up and enjoy!!

Bring some pre-made meals, bolognese, stew and the like.

This is a great tip, especially for the first day/evening.

dont go too far away for a test run – especially if the forecast is shit. If its miserable take the tactical retreat approach. especially with small kids.

Buy a small pop up tent for bags / car seats / toys etc.

take less clothes.

take waterproofs

TIDY UP! you need to be tidy in a small van (not easy with kids i admit!)

We have a LWB vivaro with a pop top and we can cope with no awning for a weekend or overnighting. (we do need the extra popup tent for storage of stuff if its a weekend)

FEWER CLOTHES! Grrr.

Braindump

Have yougot ramps

Crocs and non see through ponchos/similar or a bucket with a lid. (You’ll thank me if it’s raining early am)

Check out all the folding stuff – kettles, bowls, etc etc etc

The pasta shell packs with tomatoe/etc, with a can of tuna and boiling water make a quick one bowl meal, did I say plan some one pan meals, did I say plan some 1 pan meals,

Cadac safari chef or similar outdoor gas bbq/cooker will let you cook outside (when it’s not raining)

If you pick a site near a pub, bus stop, railway station, facilities, takeaway delivery it gives non driving options (and non cooking options)

Check out the micro towels (useless but dryable and small) and we use techie sports wear a lot ( dries quicker and easier and less creases)

Wet wipes in a resealable packet – like a shower – honest

Make sure all mattresses tested – we Add a topper

Kennel – small van, wet dog,, likely to catch on in the candle scents market

Have fun

Why are they taking a dead dog on holiday?

Proper lol’d.

That’s a lot of meat in a T5. Hope the weather is good for you!

My tip is to get some packing cubes for your (fewer) clothes that you can transfer straight into the (solitary?) cupboard in the van- if you try and take a hold-all each you’ll be tripping over it/them all week.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/AmazonBasics-Packing-Cubes-Medium-4-Piece/dp/B014VBI5MS

(You can put your lesser clothes in a smaller version of the same thing.)

If the weather is good our T5 is fine for the four of us and 2 dogs. Not so ideal when it’s 3 days of solid rain in FOD. Organisation is key. Couple of drybags each, ideally different colours! helps keep things organised. Microfibre towels save space and a bungee clothes line will dry them out if the weather is dry. I assume the van you’re hiring has an awning? It’s pretty essential.

that sounds like a great way to put everyone involved off campervanning.

So much negativity today! It’s 3 nights away – even if it’s really rubbish it’s short enough to be an ‘adventure’! Please can we move on from all the it’s too small and you’ll die of claustrophobia comments and give some useful tips to make it more fun for (the kids won’t care about the size and will have fun anyway)?

As above, it will be a squeeze, but for you it might be ok.

Number one rule. Pick a nice site. One that is not crowded in, is less groomed, and allows fires. This will probably be one that does not allow caravans and does not have marked pitches and lots of tarmac. For a weekend stick to 1 site. Don’t bother with wild camping it’s crap. Cool camping is a good resource.

If you are planning on hookup then check the site does not squeeze all the hookups into tiny pitches in the corner next to the toilets. A lot of sites in the UK do this but its getting better. Don’t plan on the battery lasting more than 3 days if you are off hookup. I’d prefer to go without battery than be rammed into transporter corner 2 feet from your neighbour.

I’m guessing it comes with all the camping stuff you need, but check you have: enough outside seats; some sort of shelter (most have a wind out awning); a small BBQ; a folding travel crate and a long tether for the dog (all sites want dogs on leads); stuff for the kids to do outside and inside.

(edit) another tip: get a big plastic crate with a locking lid that you can stick all your random crap in such as toys, dog stuff, bbq stuff. Then you can leave it outside at night to clear some space.

So much negativity today! It’s 3 nights away – even if it’s really rubbish it’s short enough to be an ‘adventure’! Please can we move on from all the it’s too small and you’ll die of claustrophobia comments and give some useful tips to make it more fun for (the kids won’t care about the size and will have fun anyway)?

Egg-funking-zactly

A mini barbecue and food you can eat in a bread bun is your lack-of-washing-up friend. We’ve got one of these:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Yellowstone-Outdoor-Pac-Flat-available-Multi/dp/B00AOLGPEU/ref=sr_1_31?crid=28A4X2KONTDZ2&dchild=1&keywords=folding+barbeque&qid=1581687520&sprefix=folding+barb%2Caps%2C159&sr=8-31

Leave the boot closed on the first latch, so not quite shut. It’ll lock that way but let some air through.

A ‘no shoes in the van’ rule is worth having (we take slippers, cos we’re rock and roll).

Pitching/parking next to a suitable hedge is useful for night-time wee trips 🙂

So much negativity today! It’s 3 nights away – even if it’s really rubbish it’s short enough to be an ‘adventure’! Please can we move on from all the it’s too small and you’ll die of claustrophobia comments and give some useful tips to make it more fun for (the kids won’t care about the size and will have fun anyway)

but that is THE tip. You wont have any space. So get an awning, small tent anything you can to store stuff outside the van. If each person takes one holdall sized bag, you have four of them inside the van and nowhere to put them. When the bed is out you have no space anywhere and the bags/clothes and extra will be pilled up on the front seats.

Cheeky question, but what is the ballpark cost of the rental?

If each person takes one holdall sized bag

…then you’ve taken too many clothes for a three day trip. If we do a weekend trip, I can pretty much guarantee that the only thing I’m changing are my undies and socks (and even then probably only once 🙂 )

Nah, for a weekend you’ll probably be fine assuming you get along alright in normal life.

pretty much guarantee that the only thing I’m changing are my undies and socks

lol For the 2 of us on a sunny weekend we normally take 1 blue ikea bag full of clothes including coats. I know this because it takes 1 trip from house to van to pack. For longer trips we take 2 ikea bags full. All packed away in drawers and cupboards.