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Topic: First season with an FC

shed63

07/11/2012 at 7:39pm
Location: Leicestershire
Outfit: 1995 Pennine Fiesta

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Hi,
Seeing so many posts about people having second thoughts about FC's because of this terrible summer I am feeling really lucky.
We got our second hand Pennine Fiesta in May and had 4 weekends and one week away between then and October and every one apart from the October break had on the whole great weather. We didn't have to pack away wet at all apart from October and that was mist rather than rain.

We have loved having almost everything packed in the trailer and not having to have the house full of camping equipment all summer (it never seems worth putting it all back in the attic to have to get it down again a few weeks later).
The comfort of a caravan with the feel of a tent is brilliant and extending the season to October was another plus.
So roll on April and fingers crossed for next year.

fredted

07/11/2012 at 10:30pm
Location: None Entered
Outfit: Coachman Pastiche 420 2

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This year was also our first year in a FC!! We managed to fit in 2 separate weeks and 2 long weekends between June and September. And despite some heavy rain and wind we didn't have a wet pack and it's been put away for the winter nice and dry!!!
I'm so looking forward to next year and I'm hoping to get away from April onwards, now we know what we're doing!!
Don't know why we didn't do it earlier!!!

Claydoncamper

08/11/2012 at 1:14pm
Location: Bucks
Outfit: Used to have a Pennine Fiesta

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1 horrendous week at half term (June). Rained nearly every day but luckily dry on pack up.

Two lovely weeks in Brittany in August. Fine everyday except for a heavy downpour just as we were about to pack up. Luckily weather was nice the day after getting home so we could dry it out.

Fab weekend in early September.

Won't be using ours much next year as we have a big family holiday in a French gite planned, but will use for the odd nice weekend.

Other family members have caravans, and frankly the space in them, with kids in tow, would drive me mad. Wouldn't dream of getting rid of our FC.

blueexpo97

08/11/2012 at 2:01pm
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So two kids in a Fiesta have more room than in a caravan

just asking.

-------------
XVI yes?

As well is two words!
How does a sage know everything about everything? or does he? or does he just think he does?
Remember, if you buy something you bought it, not brought it.

dubs1978

08/11/2012 at 2:26pm
Location: Birmingham
Outfit: Pennine Pullman

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We got our bargain Pennine Pullman back in March for a super price of £525 from a well know auction site.

We had a long weekend at Easter, a 3 night weekend at the end of June, I took the children away on my own for 6 nights at the start of the summer holidays and we had 15 nights away in France at the end of August.

All with pretty decent weather, bit of rain on each UK trip but could have been much worse considering and each trip was a dry pack up which was very lucky. Easter was bit drab and chilly but generally dry, June was sunshine and showers, August was cool and showers with odd sunshine and France was baking hot sun and no rain whatsoever!!

Total of 28 nights which I think is pretty good going, especially when you are tied to school holidays and weekends only.

Claydoncamper

08/11/2012 at 2:31pm
Location: Bucks
Outfit: Used to have a Pennine Fiesta

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Actually, from what I have seen yes. I have found my relative's vans very narrow and cramped. In the Fiesta, the kids can sprawl on the beds as well as they are always set up. The floor well is also quite wide. We have no space set aside for fixed beds and shower rooms either. In terms of actual useable space, I;d say they do have more room. However, my statement (as I did make explict in the earlier post) was only based on personal experience of the vans my relatives have and wasn't intended to suggest that this was the case with every van. I would imagine that those vans where it wasn't the case wouldn't be available to me partly because I would have nowhere to put it and partly because as my other half would only have a brand new one, we simply couldn't afford it.

ejjerome

08/11/2012 at 2:48pm
Location: Devon
Outfit: Fleetwood Meridien 560EK

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Our first season too. We absolutely love our FC and have to say that the fixed beds make all the difference to us.

My sister has a Bailey Ranger GT60 4 berth(fixed bed) and does have more available space inside obviously, but with the awning up on our FC that's where we all ended up every evening, my sister and OH, the three of us and my best friend and her family! It did make me giggle because they were both in tin-tops but enjoyed the space in our awning.

We don't discount ever getting a caravan but at the moment as claydoncamper says, it's down to money, storage and the versatility the FC offers us.

-------------
New van!

Alcoholx

08/11/2012 at 5:07pm
Location: Nottingham
Outfit: Conway Cruiser 2001

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we purchased a Conway cruiser in September so our first full season will be next year, this year our trips away in our much loved sunncamp trailer tent have been very wet and windy but enjoyable none the less it really has not been a very good year weather wise, although the 3 weeks in the languedoc sweetened the deal.. lol.

we took the conway cruiser away at the end of October and was treated to high winds and rain again and due to the very poor weather we decided not to use the awning as obviously its not needed like it is on the trailer tent.

On the topic of space i have to say that i very much missed the space that the huge sunncamp 400 awning provided but did not miss putting it up, although oddly enough it was always the cabin on the sunncamp that i did not like putting up i did not mind the awning.

the cruiser was great.. very comfy and warm and there's lots of room inside but compared to the old sunncamp i was getting a bit of cabin fever.. lol

so even though you dont need the awning on the folding camper i think i will find myself using it most of the time as with 2 kids arguing its nice to be able to move them away :)

but all in all i am looking forward to next season, the canvas is off the camper and in the repair shop now to get a new zip and repair a torn seam that was there when we bought it so itl be all ready for action come next easter..

happy days

cheers geoff

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