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hiya

Don't worry about a thing the kids will love it ours have never had the luxury of a caravan but i know that last year when it rained we had all the caravan kids in our tent watching DVD's cos their mum said there wasn't enough room in the van! It does take a bit of practice but there are always people who miraculously appear when you look like your having trouble. We put ours up first when youngest was 9months old next was 2 next was 7 and we managed without divorce.

IT WILL BE FINE AND YOU'LL LOVE IT

Alison

Quote: Originally posted by justmum on 10/4/2008

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Just told my dad we were getting a trailer tent on saturday and he immediately said oh you and the kids won't like that! he said they are expensive for what they are and a real bu**er to put up and nothing but trouble!

so I was looking forward to saturday but am full of dread now :(

just takes one person to put doubts in our heads

Dont worry Back in the old days they was a bugger to put up, but newer TT are all made to be easy to put up.. just takes a few trips and you will have it up in no time..

Remember the bottle of shiraz or to and enjoy

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well the caravan left our drive today and is replaced by our cabanon stratos :) we are very pleased with our decision and thats that.  Well I may take that back when we actually try and put it up lol.  havent had a go yet so should be fun! just waiting fior a dry day now.

Quote: Originally posted by Jan P on 11/4/2008

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Tell him you know a fair few other idiots who love theirs! Personally in todays society I think it offers kids more freedom than any other holiday. Get the kids involved in getting water ,pegging ,arranging beds from the word go so you can all go off and explore the site together.

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My outlaws have never understood why their son would want to holiday in a tent (thye have always holidayed in hotels). Last year we bought the Camplet and invited them to come and visit when we had a trial run out in it to a local site.

Weekend in August they turned up in thick wooly sweaters and coats heavenknows what they were expecting. They sat in the tent and slowly had to take off coats then sweaters - we thought it was hilarious bless them. Pa in law had to concede it was nice (even if not his cup of tea).

Kate

Quote: Originally posted by Jan P on 13/4/2008

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Our kids found there was much more space in the camper than the caravan. Once they are up that's it no making beds up and down every day. Plenty of space once they go to bed. We love ours and would never go back to a caravan while we are fit enough to put it up.

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Spot on!

Every now and then in brief moments of madness, I hanker after a caravan. But as soon as I view a couple, I remember why our fc is so perfect for us - the S P A C E! We have 3 children (2 young teens and a 3 year old) - so would need a big caravan to come anywhere close to our fc.

Last year we bought (off ebay) a matching awning extension so that our eldest lad could have a bit of privacy in his own little room. We have just bought a second annexe for the other side of the awning for our daughter. It's going to be HUGE now.

Can wait for summer....

Has your dad had experience with a trailer tent? Especially the model you have?

I suspect he is just "sounding off" and giving unwanted advice. He is probably an  ex caravanner. Naturally you will need good weather, time and patience until you get practiced at erecting your tt. It will come and please ignore the onlookers and try not to give each other advice.

We are having to give up camping now after 40 years of tents, motor caravans, caravans and now folding campers and we cannot think of a better way of relaxing away from home. Especially with children. Ours are adult now but they still entertain us and their husbands and guests at Christmas with family camping stories and adventures, which shows the lasting impression they have.  

Hotels and cottages plus the occasional cruise are our holidays now but we would prefer to carry on camping.

"Every now and then in brief moments of madness, I hanker after a caravan."

Caddyclan,

Please take my advice and dont switch to a caravan - you will reget it.

We had 3 brand new caravans, a luxury single axle and 2  twin axles and they were all dreadful to tow and shift. And we were pulling with new 2 LR Discovery diesels a manual and an auto. 

Over a 12 year period we tried everything to find reasonable stability, hence the changes, but encountered too many scary moments when the monster would lurch about trying to kill us.  

Eventually after yet another near disaster on the M1 we towed it home at 30mph and sold both caravan and Disco for peanuts.

Missing the life we went into a dealers to buy a small motorcaravan and eventually drove out with a P Pullman which we have loved every minute we have been with it. It is a dream to tow at 60 behind out VW Golf diesel auto but for a third of the fuel of the Discos.

We are having to switch to hotels and cottages now as we lack the energy but are already missing the life. I am trying to convince my wife it would be a good idea to buy a towbar (quoted £800+) for our new Golf DSG diesel so we could take to the road one more time but she says NO.  

The fc has bedrooms and much more space than the caravans yet has the same equipment. When the awning is up it is really spacious.

Hi I'm sure your all right........... we will love it.  Hmmm can see me missing the warmth in the caravan though but not the lack of space/the nightmare of towing/fuel costs etc.

Yes Dad been in TT when we were younger, (probably 25-30yrs ago) so the TT would have been totally different in those days anyway, they've come on in leaps and bounds with easibility for putting up.  he said we hated it as young children but my mum said that no we didn't hate the tt as such but we hated the arguments that used to go with erecting the tt.................. we loved it she said.

We did look at fc but still issues with cost and storage for us and would love a camper van but dont have the money!

we will go away in late may and will let you know how it went LOL I just hope we love it or he'll say told you so.