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 Topic: thinking of going from caravan to tent
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19/1/2014 at 9:05pm
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Joined: 23/8/2009 Diamond Member 
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In my time I have had tents, campervans, and a caravan. Probably about 6 years ago now, I got fed up with the time it took erecting a tent after a long drive and also the damp and cold found in older tents without sigs, so bought a caravan.
It was fantastic once on site. Took minutes to level up and put the kettle on. However, I hated towing. Although I seemed to be pretty good at towing I was constantly worrying that something would go wrong...a puncture, wheel fall off etc; and, as you point out, the never ending expense, so I went back to a tent.
I bought the best tent I could afford at the time which was an Outwell with sewn in groundsheet and enough room in the living area to hold a dinner dance! I also went EHU with a heater and eventually all mod cons. It was every bit as good as a caravan except for the time it took to get set up every time. I just had to get my head round the fact that erecting the tent was all part of the 'fun'. I am still struggling with that one but wouldn't go back to a caravan.
Ideally, a nice motorhome would be my first choice but I doubt my pension will ever stretch to one of those now - lol.
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19/1/2014 at 9:22pm
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It sounds like a cost driven thing. Thats how it has always been with me, tents, campers, caravans, in no particular order all me adult life. At the moment I have an 80s caravan in good nick that has cost me £600, total in 4yrs, thats everything, buying it, servicing, tyres, repairs. This I find is a good compromise although of course towing costs more in diesel & more expensive on the ferry to France.
But if I got more skint again & could only afford to run a Ford Fiesta I would certainly go back to a tent before I gave up my summer trip to France. You won't miss the faffing about & costs involved with a caravan but you might miss it on a wet windy night. 
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Regards, Jack+Jon.
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20/1/2014 at 12:29am
Location: West country
Outfit: Mondeo
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I retire soon and gave up our fixed bed caravan for a Dandy Designer folding camper/caravan. I just cannot afford to keep the caravan going with insurance, storage annual servicing, depreciation and was getting s bit fed up with the long tow down to Cornwall especially with the car getting older as well.
The Dandy is very caravan like inside, made of insulated PVC with solid side walls, double glazed caravan window & locking door. Warm in winter and much cooler than the caravan in summer. Two fixed double beds, one converts to a comfy settee. Two seater dinette converts to another single bed making 5 berths in total.
Facilities are basic with 2 ring + grill cooker, sink/drainer with cold tap. Wired for 240volt & 12volt electrics. The PVC instead of canvas means it can be put away wet. They last for ever and can be bought for around £500 upwards. Maintenance is simple, spares readily available.
Tows very easily, only 500kg fully loaded and stores easily in the garden or in the garage if you have room. The trailer is 6foot square. Erected it is 14 foot x 6foot witht the living (non bed area) 8foot x 6foot.
I liked it a lot, wife not so keen as she liked her caravan but then she is a bit of a snob.
Although we used to camp for many years when we were younger, I wouldn't like to do it now at our age. The ground is definitely harder, the damp gets into old bones and I'm sure the nights are getting colder.
Good luck whichever way you decide to go.
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20/1/2014 at 9:28am
Location: Yorkshire
Outfit: None Entered
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We've had caravans, over the years, now gone back to tenting. I didn't like the annual servicing costs (and taking it to the dealers, which was blooming miles away), insurance, extra fuel for towing, depreciation etc. I did, however, like being able to go away at any time of year, knowing we'd have a warm and cosy home-from-home. I also liked knowing everything except the food and clothes was already organised and ready to go. In the end, winter use didn't seem to warrant the expenditure.
Setting up the awning took as long as pitching a tent, and drying / cleaning it after we got home was more difficult than re-pitching a tent. Then there was storage; it was a big beastie to have sitting on the drive, between trips away and we didn't want the risk, cost and inconvenience of putting it into storage.
Have you camped before? Do you like tenting? Since you've clearly got a tow bar fitted to your vehicle, why not go for a half-way house, and get a trailer tent? Much less outlay, depreciation and associated costs, but you can keep it pretty much stocked up and ready to hook-up and go. Some of them are pretty quick and easy to pitch, and some can be used without the awning for overnighters.
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20/1/2014 at 8:11pm
Location: chesterfield derbyshire
Outfit: vango icarus 5 airbeam and citroen c5
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we gave up our caravan last year after working out the cost of towing it to south of france , tolls diesel ferry etc , over £900  so we decided to research tents and ended up with monty 6 , probably a bit too big at the mo for me and the missus, but looking too the future maybe grand kids ??  we already had a trailer and roofbox + the c5 estate .plenty of room for all the stuff and 3 dogs, and i can with practice erect the tent in 30 mins on my own, then we have all our stuff packed in storage boxes arranged in order as needed ! do we regret going from van to tent ??? absolutely not , but do your research first to make sure you get the tent that really suits your needs , go round the shows and stores such as go outdoors and see them erected and try and imagine all your stuff in them and where it will all go ,
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derbyshire bloke, born & bred, strong in t'arm, weak in t'ead
and remember only dead fish swim , with the flow!!
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Expensive & fun.
A lot less expensive but fun.
