I want a Caravan that's not a Caravan!

Tell me I’m not alone.

Family Holiday to South of France this year, the tent was too hot, took too long to put up and you can’t have a quick kip in it on the long drive down.

Thing is, a Caravan would be ideal, but the stigma oh the stigma, I’m too young….

surely there must be others out there that would buy a cooler caravan, not Beige but set up for Active families?

Place for the bike, kayaks etc.

Doesn’t seem to exist though… 😥

http://ncm.newcitymovement.com/home/2007/07/airstream-basec

http://www.dub-box.com

Also available in not beige… I guess you’d need to buy the camper to go with it though. There was something else too… erm…

Cool caravans are big bucks!

Why not hire a static?

http://teardroptrailers.co.uk/models.html

Hmmm…

What about a folding camper/caravan

Not too expensive and not too uncool

Why not hire a static?

We love the freedom of the tent, we don’t book, stay longer if we fancy or move on if it’s not right.

We also tend to try different places all the time.

Hiring a Static is a great idea and we thought about it but the booking etc make it a bit ‘not us’

What you want sir is a camper.

Family of 4 = Motorhome, I’ve looked at campers and I know they are the MTB / Surfer rage but for a family they are just too small. They toilets in those VW campers is a total compromise.

A motorhome would be ace! but soo much £££££

I WANT one of these

Nobody seems to import them to the UK though!

I want a trailer for carrying bikes with bunks in it, or a poptop. A bit like that dub box but without the twee.

I want a trailer for carrying bikes with bunks in it, or a poptop. A bit like that dub box but without the twee

This is it, couple of bunks, space for bikes, make and extra bed up to sleep 4 if needed. Room with a small loo.

No twee needed

I might just get a box trailer and convert it.

Found this though 8)

Converting a box trailer is a great idea. Or an old horse box. This one already has the de rigueur colour scheme.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Twin-Horse-Box-Trailer-Painted-In-Land-Rover-Blue-And-Cream-/181513695569?pt=UK_Sporting_Horseboxes_RL&hash=item2a430f3151

We got a abi adventurer cheap. Its small enough to not count as a proper caravan! Apparently it has a rack for surf boards on top!

3 berth

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Takes about 10 minutes to put up

I spotted (geddit) that spotted yellow thing that George Clark’s trying not to push over up there^^^ when walking to Shortlands station near Bromley earlier this summer.

I’d seen it on the Amaaaaaaaaazing Spaaaaaaaaces programme, and loved the idea.

Looked, er, well used when I saw it.

I still want that ABI. Not found another for sale, regret missing out earlier this year. Sell it to me!

Like this:
http://www.erento.co.uk/hire/vehicles-boats-aircraft/trailers/trailer/2983113497.html
But with a pop top for a lid.

A caravan that’s not a caravan or the discomforts inconvenience of a tent is called a B&B 😆

surely there must be others out there that would buy a cooler caravan, not Beige but set up for Active families?

A subscription to the Daily Mail is not compulsory.

I like Eribas as being a bit different. The toys go on the car.

The only ‘slightly cool’ caravans I’ve seen are from Kedron caravans in Australia. – Might be a bit of an overkill for Europe though ?
Otherwise, just suck up the shame.

What you want is to get a grip. Caravans are great. The nice ones nowadays are white rather than beige 🙂

You could try this – it’s only three berth though:

I still want that ABI. Not found another for sale, regret missing out earlier this year. Sell it to me!

Shh. Don’t go and look at eBay (as I did). Expensive though….

It sounds like what you want is a caravan. Stop being a snob and go buy one.

There was an Eribas on the next pitch to us last month. I thought our motor home was small for four of us. They had three adults and two kids in it. 😯

Take a look at Hobby caravans. Still a caravan but at least they are trying.

Or go to any dealer and take a look. They are pretty decent inside. Elddis my favourite for interior style.

Love those all terrain trailers, would look great on the back of the ranger. Hard to justify in the UK though.

Eribas are really cool!!

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Yeah, you don’t get too much of this sort of thing in the UK.

Molgrips hit the nail on the head. I camped opposite one of those in France 2 years ago. Only caravan i have ever likes. Brilliant little canopy style awning as well

http://www.airstreamandco.com/l400-td3-overview

Design wise some of the European brands are really nice inside, aesthetically pleasing.

The chap in the unit opposite me at work is importing old airstream vans from the states. Just a bare van cost £10k+. Seems to be doing a good trade though.

Bloody hell thats steep!!! Ours needs fixing up but easnt even close to that price…
http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/231323297974?nav=SEARCH

The answer. I want one.

Having done 6 days in a 6 berth camper with 2 people I’d hate to try it with more. The weather would need to be prefect and eating/sitting outside until you went to bed would be fairly obligatory to avoid standing on each other etc. One without a shower/toilet would be better for space if you were only heading to proper sites etc.

Thing is for the amount some of those caravans cost you could have a lot of nice holidays without 9 hrs of driving.

Tiger6791 – Member

Tell me I’m not alone.

No you are not!!

I used to camp a lot as a kid and eventually my parents bought a caravan and we had many happy family holidays in it.

After camping in Cornwall over the bank holiday I decided that the time had come to make the step up. I have packed away everything in driving rain (again) one time too many.

It does not bother me what it looks like (conventional van would be fine) or what other people think.

I was shocked however to find that my car is virtually useless for a 4 birth family van. Surprising as I have a 1.8 diesel Mondeo estate. The maximum (legal) braked trailer weight for my car is a measly 800kg!!!! Something to do with how they geared my particular model (for economy).

I can’t afford to change the car as well so it looks like a bit more camping.

The maximum (legal) braked trailer weight for my car is a measly 800kg!!!!

How’d you work that out? From the handbook or from the gross train weight?

800kg is pushing it but there might be some options for you. You might however find that you could change the car for a similarly aged but higher powered one for no extra money…

Thing is for the amount some of those caravans cost you could have a lot of nice holidays without 9 hrs of driving.

True*, but for the price of some of those campervans you could have a brand new caravan and brand new luxury car.

* except for the 9 hours of driving bit. It doesn’t take that much longer – 60mph vs 70mph is only 16% slower, which is only half an hour on a 3 hour journey. You’d save more than that not having to pack a family tent away.

Eskay,i think you have your weights wrong.
I have a 1.8 Mondeo and tow a ‘van with an unladen weight of 1100kg and max laden of 1330 kg.
A make such as Lunar or the Bailey Rangers would come into this weight bracket for a 4 berth caravan.