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 Topic: Moving on from our Camplet
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16/12/2014 at 11:17am
Location: Redditch
Outfit: Changes almost daily!!
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Quote: Originally posted by slj76 on 16/12/2014Quote: Originally posted by mrsmac2001 on 15/12/2014We too are off to the show in Feb, we went in October but got a bit dazzled by the caravans and motorhomes if I'm honest, and the tent section was titchy in comparison. We hope to leave the kids behind as they nearly lost the will to live poor things.
My husband was definitely dazzled by the caravans too and has kept a brochure on one for the day he suddenly finds a spare £20k lying around!!!! In the meantime though we just can't afford to shell much more out to change ours and we are therefore looking at a 2nd hand FC or a new TT. As you say, I don't mind at all going to a traditional TT set up as it would be really handy for overnight stops and with a zip in groundsheet in the awning I think the usable space is really increased. My worry with a Folding Camper is that you're back to just a normal awning and after the wet 2 weeks we had in France this year where all awnings, no matter what they were attached to, were totally water logged - for us that meant the kids were limited to playing on the bed.
I do worry though about wet pack ups and the amount of stuff you've got to get out to clean and dry when you get home. At least with the Camplet you can unfold it and just put a couple of pegs in and it drys really quickly. Have you also seen the Raclet Quickstop X-Trail - that's a sort of inbetween TT and FC? http://www.raclet.co.uk/quickstop-xrider.html#!product/prd1/3157104181/quickstop-x-trail - quite pricey though when you start to add all the bits on.
I know what you mean about the tent section of the show - it's definitely not as impressive as the caravans and a real shame that they don't have more of the models on show. Fingers crossed it will be better in Feb. We're also leaving the kids behind :))
I must admit, that's quite a long way from the popular viewpoint of things. 'Traditional' trailer tents are the one things you normally try to avoid for 'overnight stops' as they are the one option, above all others, that takes the longest time to set up. The space is brilliant, but the compromise is setup time. This is why the likes of the Campl-lets and the Combi-Camps came about, to bridge the setup gap between traditional trailer tents and the much faster folding campers. You're right though. It's a shame that most of the folding campers, even the new ones, come without the zip in groundsheet. The Raclet Quickstop Xtrail is one of the few exceptions. If you like that, then it's predecessors, the Quickstop and Super Quickstop might be worth a look. The Super Quickstop, particularly, is worth a look, as it is a higher spec model, more akin to normal folding campers, but with the benefits talked about above.
You should find there's a lot more choice of canvas options in the February show. The Autumn shows tend to be the 'Motorhome and Caravan Show', whereas the Spring ones tend to be the 'Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show' so a lot more to see, camping wise.
If they struggled at the last show, I would definitely leave the kids somewhere for the day for that one. 
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16/12/2014 at 3:03pm
Location: Redditch
Outfit: Changes almost daily!!
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Talking of all those fun factors; you mentioned earlier about having the kids restricted in the folding camper, insofar as they were limited to playing on the beds. I think it will, partly, depend on how you will mostly be using the unit. If you are going to be pitched up for a long time, then a traditional TT will give you all the flexibility you need, especially if the weather is not so good, as long as you have the sewn in groundsheet. Where you lose the advantage is when you have a number of shorter stop overs. Yes, a folding camper has restrictions, but one of the generally accepted advantages of a folding camper is that you can get to use it equally well, for short periods, without the awning.
You're right; conditions are, rarely, ideal for setting up. A folding camper needs no pegging at all, but still has all the facilities inside, like seating, storage, kitchen ZIG etc. The problem with a traditional TT is that, if conditions are not great, and you have no awning set up, you have very limited space inside, plus you can't easily use the kitchen, etc. You mentioned that you take a lot of stuff with you, as well. Firstly, with a folding camper, most of it will fit inside, so you don't have to carry too much with you in the car, plus, it means it's all to hand. You're not running backwards and forwards to the car to get stuff out when you need it. The Cabanon Mercury, for example, is a lovely tent for longer term stays, but the basic tent, without awning, contains just two beds and a couple of drawers. (Not a space I'd like be confined in with a couple of kids, in bad weather, even for a couple of days). Same applies to most of the Raclets.
Of course, it depends on which model you go for. The smaller FC models will, admittedly, give you no advantage over the Quickstop, and, unfortunately, they wont have the benefit of the zip in ground sheet.
It sounds like the larger folding campers would be ideal for you in many ways, as they can be opened up in 15 minutes or so and be ready to go in 15 minutes or so, they have plenty of space and facilities for a shorter stay (some models even have toilets / wash rooms) and their accommodation can be doubled, for longer stays, using the awning. Models such as the Pennine Sterling or Pullman and the Conway Cruiser are worth looking at, as are the larger Pennine Pathfinder and Conway Crusader. The downside of these models is that, although a lot easier to tow and store than a traditional caravan, they are larger than a standard trailer tent. Also, they wont come with a zip in awning, as standard, so there's always going to be a compromise somewhere.
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The one good thing about being wrong is the joy it brings to others..
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