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Hi all,

just came across this site on google and felt obliged to join (and post).  We are now the proud owners of a 2005 pennine pathfinder and are celebrating our one month ownership!  That said, we have already spent a long weekend away (locally) and our main fortnight's holiday in north wales (got back yesterday).

We loved it and if my partner wasn't working so many weekends due to her shifts we'd be away a lot more often.  We had bought a tent originally and really enjoyed camping - we only went out to buy a decent cooker and ended up falling in love with the folding campers.

The reason we went for a camper is because we don't have a lot of space at the back of the house to store it (live in a terraced house with a garden across the back street - I don't reckon we could maneouvre a caravan into the space and it'd be a little heavier I reckon).

As a guy who's never towed before I was really surprised how well I did - I can't reverse yet but I hope that'll come.  The weather we've camped in had ranged from very high winds to thunderstorms and torrential rain but the unit has been a haven of comfort.  In north wales I also noticed there are a fair few hills and the car struggled a bit but I'm not overly worried as we made it (we only have a Kia Rio 1.4) -n I wouldn't like to tow a caravan with it though!

We have an awning but don't really use it other than to gather additional clutter (the first week of our two weeks away) - the bed skirts are useful though.

The cat loved it - which is pretty surprising as at home he's a little agoraphobic?

The toilet compartment was invaluable and we're really glad we got this.  The cooking facilities are also a real bonus.

One thing I did notice was how ignorant many campers are though?  I'm basically a guy who tries to think of others (as is my partner and her 9 year old daughter) - you know, we don't make noise after 10pm; we don't park so as to cause an obstruction; we don't have the radio on at 7am every morning; we don't walk in between other people's units and their cars and we don't empty our waste anywhere other than the specified areas.  Seems we were in a bit of a monority at times though!  Have we just had a bad start or should we come to expect the everyone for themselves attitude as normal to camping?

Any thoughts/comments appreciated.

D.

Hello and welcoome to UKCS

Congratulations on the purchase of your folding camper

So pleased to hear you all love it.

As regards campers I think you may have just been unlucky, I have found the majority of campers to be very thoughtful in the years I have been camping. I have an idea now of which campsites would best suit me.....

Carry on enjoying your FC and have fun  

Congratulations ! Campsite wise I think you were unlucky. We only went to get a gas cylinder when I saw ours. We only put the awning up for a week or more and prefer the bedskirts for a short stay.

We tow with a peugeot 406  2L so I suspect yours is a little underpowered.

Hi there. Glad you enjoyed your hols. I think you were unlucky with your fellow campers. Have you thought about joining the Camping and Caravanning club, we have and have found their sites to be really lovely.

Fiona

Thanks for the kind comments folks - much appreciated.

I did actually join the camping and caravan club and it seems pretty useful - the sort of things I'm talking about are people emptying their aqua waste into the bushes at the back of their caravan/our unit; people turning up at 9pm and taking the next 3 hours drinking and swearing and letting their dogs roam free because they're obviously annoyed (an all female party unusually); people parking so that they block the narrow road and even where they put their table on the narrow road so that everyone has to off-road to get past them (and spray other people's units with mud in the process).

I mean, don't get me wrong, the site people were really good but let's face it... they shouldn't have to point out the obvious.....

D

Daz, glad you are enjoying your Pathfinder. We are now in the market for one, probably a 2001, (so we get the gas struts and sprung mattresses)

Colin has sold his motorbike and all his gear, and we are saving like mad. (Anything that's not nailed down goes on ebay!) Finally sold the tent, airbeds, camping stove and kitchen so has all gone in the 'fund'.

When we were looking before we sold all our stuff, there were quite a few in our price range, but they all seem to have disappeared. I said last night maybe we will have to wait until after the summer for the right one. Don't want to rush in and buy, and then regret it later, I would rather save a bit more and buy a newer one so it will last us.

So come all you lot. Keep your eyes peeled for us and let us know if you hear of one.

Thanks.

Hello there

Not sure what I am doing on this site, just keep clicking away on everything!!

Well, we have recently brought a Conway Cruiser Trailer Tent and we love it. The kids think it is great and I quite like it too (I was adamant I would hate camping .ie. roughing it!!) But it's brilliant, you get everything u need ready to use in about ten minutes!!! Just like a mini caravan and with the awning it is even better (for when we take the dogs). The only disappointment is that aall the good campsites I know of are fully booked!!!!

I would defiantly recommend Trailer Tents to everyone, they are spot on.