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Hi

We have just purchased a vw camper and awning and are starting to get prepared for our weekends away(husband,me and 2 little girls).We have little experience of camping and any help with any of the following queries would be SO appreciated(apologies in advance if any  of these queries are "done to death" Ive ben lurking around for some time and so far....

1) Combicool we are prepared to splash out a little on this as girls are 3&1 so must keep foods fresh,plus Savignon Blanc and Stella  are foul when served warm can you make icecubes in them?? or does anyone know of and similar cheaper versions?

2) we are buying one of those 3 plug EHU's and by my calcs <insert dunce icon> i should be able to run a halogen heater,the above fridge and alternate a light/portable tv fom this. Am i way off do you think??

3)what items can cross over easily form home to van so that we dont have to buy new.

4)What are you"top tips" for our first trip.

We have already booked 2 campsite Goosefarm near York(chris loves to fish) and Or dHouse in Nothumberland for spring and august respectively Does anyone have any view about either of these sites?.

thanks so much for reading

Kelly

Hi Kelly welcome to Ukcs .........

re: Combicool, not sure if they make ice cubes, next item on our to buy list (we have 12v fridge box), looking at the Waeco 3 way.

EHU ........ the items you mention should all run together (one of the guys may know different).... the main problem we have is the leccy kettle (kettle and heater can't be plugged in together) they trip the supply, and on some sites you have to get site personal to reset it

Items from home ..... anything that you want, (older items are best, things get lost or left behind) .... and have room for lol ..... we now have everything in the vans already to go

Start looking now for the bargains ..... or if you can make do this season  .... also Sept is a good time to buy, cutlery plates etc. ... you get them for pennies rather than pounds (Wilkinsons)       WARNING .. collecting bits and bobs can get addictive along with this site

Checkout this link

Enjoy your trips ....... looking forward to seeing you at a Ukcs meet in 2005

Quote: Originally posted by Cas54 on 08/12/2004

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    WARNING .. collecting bits and bobs can get addictive along with this site

 

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I am gld I am not the ony one then, the Mrs is going mental at me, I keep buying all sorts of stuff, half of which we wil lprobably never use.

We take the microwave from home, and the TV everything else is always in the van.

I have found ebay pretty good for some stuff, pots pans etc. and I got a good sleeping bag off there.

thanks for you answers

Yes its the waeko we've been looking at too.... but i will check the smaller fridges, as we could pack with ice boxes... plus the camper(a 4 berth westfalia)has a built in coolbox so as wont be going more than a couple of hours away from home.

thanks for the link Cas and the advice re halogen George.it was very kind to reply 

Hi Quirkygirl. Welcome to U K Camp Site.

Cas & George have answered your queries re EHU & fridge; re stuff - have a furtle round your local charity shops, pound shops & car boots & you can kit out the camper for very little, saves taking the bone china & family silver etc from home, plus you can keep it in there ready for the off at a moments notice. That's the fun of having a camper compared to a tent, very little packing to do. Just clothes & fresh food & you're off.

I take it your Veedub hasn't had a EHU installed so if you're getting a tent type one, go for the 3 socket one. It's a bit more expensive than the single socket but so much more useful. You could use a table lamp then to save the van battery.

Hello Kelly.

Everyone else has answered most of your queries, I would have said the same as Caz really.

We have camped at Goose Wood, it was quite good. It will be nice and safe for your girls. It is a bit isolated though, you will even need to drive for a pint of milk etc. Ordhouse is in a nice place too. I am from Northumberland, and my family still live in Berwick.

Where do you live, maybe I know some other places for you to go.

Jana.

thanks for responding guys

I am from cleveland.... so anything north yorkshire or northumberland would be good 

for anyone considering the 3 way combi cool just kampers have it on offer for 129.99 plus a free 30.oo hamper. I think i will bite the bullet and purchase.

thanks for the tip caz.someone recommended abc caravan and camping and they have 3 point one for less than 70.00.(still sound loads for but safety and all that.....) 

Quote: Originally posted by quirkygirl on 08/12/2004

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thanks for responding guys

 

I am from cleveland.... so anything north yorkshire or northumberland would be good 

for anyone considering the 3 way combi cool just kampers have it on offer for 129.99 plus a free 30.oo hamper. I think i will bite the bullet and purchase.

thanks for the tip caz.someone recommended abc caravan and camping and they have 3 point one for less than 70.00.(still sound loads for but safety and all that.....) 

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Thanks for the info Kelly ....... hope Santa see's the offer ..... I like a bargain

Good evening George

No we wont be using the EHU in the van... we have bought the" Kyham Motordome Classic" awning to have as the true living space so the EHU will be hung in here,as this is where we'll be sitting ,eating coking etc.

Cas fingers crossed for you. Its a pinic hamper not a food hamper, so no choccie treats but more melamine than you could shake a cracker at.

The CombiCool does make ice...you get a dinky little metal ice-cube tray that sits on the little shelf at the back where the cooling bit is, and you can make six ice cubes at a time....wow! You can also make freeze-pops...as long as they are the short ones, and you can only fit two on the ledge.

You can also freeze your milk solid if you run the thing on gas...lol.But you very quickly get used to the fact that one side (left hand) is cooler than the other, and the back of the compartment is cooler than the front, and arrange your food accordingly.

I LOVE my CombiCool.