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Camping under canvas

Topic: Caravan v`s Canvas

caline

12/5/2017 at 6:48am
Location: Bucks
Outfit: Viking Fibreline 2 beth and awning

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I have a small retro caravan. I camp 3 or 4 times a year, usually just for weekends. The caravan is starting to show its age ( 40+ years old!) and is leaking. She is starting to cost a lot of money plus I have just bought a new car and need a £500 tow bar fitted.
The alternative....a Vango 400 Airbeam tent!
I camp with my 5 year old daughter with friends. Husband hates camping and stays at home. I want to be independent hence considering the inflatable tent. I find the caravan quite a chore by myself, with the hooking up, preparing, towing, maintenance etc.
Has anyone else got fed up of all the prep and cost of a caravan and gone back to canvas? I am torn between the 2! The cost of camping gear won't be an obstacle as I will have the proceeds of the caravan which would be more than enough.
Any advice or words if wisdom would be much appreciated in aiding my decision.

homebird2003

12/5/2017 at 9:07am
Location: Southampton
Outfit: Elddis Magnum 505 Conway Countryman

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Joined: 19/7/2006

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We added up the costs involved with a caravan - servicing,storage,insurance - and when you divide the total with the number of nights camped, we discovered that we could stay in a static for a similar cost. This may be down to the fact that we are fair weather campers but also we were beginning to find the setting up and packing down a bit of a chore, for a weekend anyway. Still worth it for a weeks holiday although we went back to a folding camper for that. Also we started to doubt our cars towing ability as it got older and although we have changed cars and have one which on paper is more than adequate we still find towing the caravan stressful.

If you think the tent would work better for you its worth a go, you'll still be camping with friends.

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Homebird

Katieep

12/5/2017 at 11:54am
Location: None Entered
Outfit: Xplore 422

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To me it depends on whether you mind the cold and what time of year you want to camp. Because it's difficult to dry out wet canvas in the winter and I dont like being cold we only camp May to September. I know others on here camp all year round. I'm thinking of a campervan at the moment to give us more year round options but they are expensive.

I also like the idea of having our own bathroom so we can stay on more basic campsites or anywhere in Scotland

purplebean

12/5/2017 at 6:52pm
Location: West Yorkshire
Outfit: Karsten 350 CA FW RA :)

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If you have a 5 year old I would go for a tent, there is just something about sleeping under canvas when you are a child

DeborahTurner

13/5/2017 at 11:00am
Location: London
Outfit: Vango Kalu Hypercamp Eldorado

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What sort of sites do you and your friends favour? Personally I prefer the type of sites that don't always take caravans, and find camping more flexible.

Needing to find a site that takes camper cans / caravans sometimes restricts choice when I go with groups of friends.

From the perspective of never having owned a caravan.

Johnnie Boy

13/5/2017 at 1:26pm
Location: Cleveland
Outfit: Swift select 164

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We tried out our new drive away air awning (outdoor revolution) which is basically a tent with a bit of a tunnel on the end.

I was amazed at the speed in which you can deflate it and pack it away, bit different putting it up as it was the first time, but that will get quicker now we half know what we're doing.

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