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Topic: NEC Motorhome & Caravan Show 2024
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30/8/2024 at 6:45pm
Location: Cheshire Outfit: Swift Escape
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Joined: 16/5/2007 Gold Member 
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Is it me, or does the link above for full details and a chance to enter go to the February Show?
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30/8/2024 at 9:48pm
Location: London Outfit: Lunar Cosmos 524
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Joined: 17/9/2015 Diamond Member 
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I went to the NEC before I bought my caravan and found it an invaluable educational experience.
Been tent camping for decades, so familiar with the 'camping' lifestyle, and not exactly a total stranger to caravans, campers and MHs, friends had them, and had used hired static ones for holidays since childhood, but never owned one.
Thought I had a good idea of what I was looking for as a first caravan, but hands on experience with all the options at the show caused a bit of a rethink. The theoretical usability of things like compact bathrooms, proved to be a false concept when you actually try and get into one and realise you really don't fit very well (I'm a big bloke!)! Standing in a pop-top caravan and realising it's too claustrophobic for you with your head in the compact pop-top! Lot's of other things also got reconsidered!
My 'needs' and 'must have' features, as well as what I REALLY didn't want, were heavily influenced by what I found at the show. That 'education' ultimately made my first caravan purchase a wise one, and I've been very happy with it, with no desire to change it even after 6 years.
I also took advantage of the free trial experiences of reversing a caravan, and towing a caravan. I was well familiar with towing a variety of things, but never a caravan, and quite out of practice, so the trials were worthwhile IMHO, if only to confirm that I hadn't lost my skills, and nice to be told by the supervising instructor that my towing related skills were 'excellent'.
To my mind, it's a very worthwhile visit.
Perhaps worth resisting any tempting offers from the show dealers unless they happen to be localish to you, otherwise you'll find yourself trekking across the country to pick up your new van, AND dragging it back to the dealer for any warranty work, and possibly even servicing, which may not seem such a good idea after the euphoria of the new purchase, and may even ultimately undermine any cost savings made on the deal!
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