Message Forums

We had to leave campsite on tuesday morning due to flooding like they have never seen before, so the warden told us. Was anyone else there?  We were pitched about 20 feet from the river and at 7am it was about to burst the bank. The field next to us and slightly lower was already completely under water. I could not believe my eyes and was amazed at how quickly this was happenning. Due to OH's health problems packing up in a hurry is no easy job. We struggled, but made it just in time, I think. Then, due to the road being flooded, we couldn't leave the site. We all had to be directed out of the back gate and along very narrow lanes, back to the main road. It was an adventure I can tell you !!  ... lol.....  I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and in fact, did both.  We now have a ripped tent (kyham Chatsworth)  with runined bedroom poles.

We have been thinking for a while that it is becoming too much as we are getting older and, as I said above, health problems make setting up camp  very hard at times. We are never going to give up camping though as we both love it too much.  We are looking at campervans, but thought maybe this could be used for cooking etc..... and we could have a smaller, and therefore easier to put up, tent just for sleeping in. Does anyone else do this?  We need ideas please??? 

HAPPY CAMPING!

Oh dear...poor you - I'm sure it was very stressful for you and your OH.

Of course you can go in a campervan and pitch a smallish tent beside it, you can even get a motor awning, essentially a tent that you pitch right beside the campervan. When you choose a site you like, ring ahead and check that they'll let you pitch a 'pup' tent beside the van.

Although for different reasons we got a ultra quick and easy to pitch tent earlier this year and its proven a godsend for touring. We had it up and down daily for 5 days in the wet and wind this summer.

We use it for 3 of us and you'd certainly have plenty of standup space for 2. I can put the tent up in less than 10 minutes by myself and down in a couple. Its the Vango Kairos 400. Only one steel pole and a piggy back fibreglass pole. There is still a pitching video on YouTube of the 300 version going up. The 400 is exactly the same, except has more room, a front window and 2 side doors.

We are so impressed with its ease and quality that we are going to use it touring in Austria next year for several weeks.

Quote: Originally posted by treefaerie on 08/9/2011

---

We have been thinking for a while that it is becoming too much as we are getting older and, as I said above, health problems make setting up camp  very hard at times. We are never going to give up camping though as we both love it too much.  We are looking at campervans, but thought maybe this could be used for cooking etc..... and we could have a smaller, and therefore easier to put up, tent just for sleeping in. Does anyone else do this?  We need ideas please??? 

HAPPY CAMPING!

If you look at my profile pics you'll see what was left of my campervan after a visit from the local chavs at midnight. When we were using the campervan we used a tent for just sleeping in and the van for cooking/watching TV etc. We never had a problem we just explained that the bed in the van was very uncomrfortable(which it was) and the camper was our sole means of transport. We never had any problem whatsoever and never paid any extra in pitch fees either.

---

Quote: Originally posted by Safeway56 on 08/9/2011

---

Quote: Originally posted by treefaerie on 08/9/2011

---

We have been thinking for a while that it is becoming too much as we are getting older and, as I said above, health problems make setting up camp  very hard at times. We are never going to give up camping though as we both love it too much.  We are looking at campervans, but thought maybe this could be used for cooking etc..... and we could have a smaller, and therefore easier to put up, tent just for sleeping in. Does anyone else do this?  We need ideas please??? 

HAPPY CAMPING!

If you look at my profile pics you'll see what was left of my campervan after a visit from the local chavs at midnight. When we were using the campervan we used a tent for just sleeping in and the van for cooking/watching TV etc. We never had a problem we just explained that the bed in the van was very uncomrfortable(which it was) and the camper was our sole means of transport. We never had any problem whatsoever and never paid any extra in pitch fees either.

---

---

---