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 via mobile 07/4/2019 at 7:44pm
Location: Derbyshire
Outfit: ElddisAvante462 Honda CRV SE2.2 i-Dtec
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Joined: 26/1/2006 Diamond Member 
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We were once tempted to go back to tent camping, it lasted all of two seasons in a lovely Outwell Winfield 5 tunnel tent. We sat out a few heavy 'height of summer' Thunderstorms in her without a drip of rain coming inside, whilst other campers around us were less lucky and a few just packed up and went home early.
It was a trip to Lynmouth one May bank holiday that really changed out minds and made us yearn for another Caravan. Its bleww up a gale in the middle of the night, the tent snapped a pole, and we got up to damp clothes and having to fix the broken pole using gaffer tape and a piece of copper pipe that formed the handle of an home made tent peg puller. Most of that day was spent down the pub with a couple of bored teenagers playing on the games machines and pleading to try some package holidays abroad to the sunshine just like their friends at school enjoyed.
We gave in the following year and took them to Spain and on a cruise around the Canary Islands for Christmas, which they compared to being carted around on an 'Old fogies coach trip'!
Fast forward two years, the eldest was off to university to study Law, the youngest anounced that She was moving out and into a place of her own as she was expecting a baby in a few months time, shock horror, she was only 17 at the time. My Husband retired in the January and recieved the usual Golden Handshake after 50yrs spent working in the building trade. In the March we bought a car suitable for towing a caravan again, and by the July we were back on the road towing our Lunar Zenith 4 and living the dream of retirement as Caravanners which we have done ever since.
Now its us that look out on a cold and stormy night and feel sorry for the soaking wet tent campers, but we would never dream of returning to tent camping ourselves, we are simply getting too old for it all now and may even sell up altogether for good in a few months time due to Arthritis and a general feeling of we have now seen and done it all many times before in the 30 odd years since we started camping and my first caravan, a little Monza 360s, bought new in 1982, a tiny little very basic 5 berth tin box on wheels!
Julia
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Just love to be out amoungst Nature and Wildlife
Celebrating 37 years of Caravanning in 2019, Recently Considered Retiring, but Totally Addicted for Life!
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12/4/2019 at 9:35am
Location: Derby.
Outfit: Karsten 350+Awnings
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We've had a little taste of "how the other half live", spending the odd winter evening in our friend's caravan (before returning to our tent to sleep, of course).
I can see the attraction when the weather's not great... sitting around in shorts and tee-shirts whilst your "extra £4pn" pays for the rather decent heating is great, (We're more used to sitting around fully wrapped up, huddled in front of a 1500W fan heater!) and even being able to watch Jools Holland on NYE had it's plus points, but overall, there's something about caravanning that just doesn't appeal... and I'm not sure I can put my finger on it.
We're always comfy (and warm) enough on our made-up camp beds. As soon as the weather allows, we prefer to be sat outside in the evenings anyway, even if we need warm clothes to do so.
We hardly watch telly at home, so most certainly don't need one when we're camping... Jools Holland on NYE notwithstanding! LOL!
We've virtually stopped rigging up a cooker/kitchen now anyway, relying on kettle-snacks, sandwiches, and eating out, so we certainly don't give envious looks at fitted kitchens, ovens and microwaves etc.
And of course, if you're going to go to the bother of putting an awning up to your caravan, you're pretty much back to square one anyway!
Yes, we always go with EHU, for the inflatable tent pump, the kettle, the fan heater, and a decent fridge (and occasionally a deep-fill sandwich toaster which doubles up as an omelette maker!), and yes, we have our mobiles and an i-pad handy for if they're needed (which they very rarely are), but being the sort that are happy in each others company, chilling out chatting or reading of an evening, and being out "all day every day", we neither see the need, or have the desire, to go over to the dark side.
... YET! 
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Give us chance!
Tent:
July 2012-Dec 2024: 456 nights.
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14/4/2019 at 11:43am
Location: Lincs
Outfit: Skoda Yeti and Coach
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Quote: Originally posted by Bob61 on 14/4/2019
I can tell that being a caravan owner is much more interesting than having a tent. Looking through all the different posts covering everything from damp walls to spongy floorboards, electrical problems, weights, ages and driving licences, tyre pressures and tyre valves, fridges not working, etc; etc; etc; I am not surprised that I get a bit bored sometimes with just a tent to worry about. 
Yes but you set a caravan up in half and hour poss 1 hour with awning. We have watched tents being set up somr take 4 or 5 hours of hard work then you have to take it all back down. Ay least our fridge freezer, 3 piece suit tables, lamps tv unite, cooking unit is all together in one place, not in trailer, box on top of car in the car ect.
The longeswt we have seen someont setting up camp is 5 hours with outa break it took 2 hpours before they could start to put tent up. There started with plastic then another sheet then another then the tent which took about 60-70 minsd to peg out then the front went on followed by side tent. All the stuff went inside big beds ect after filling tent they put a nother tent for eating in up.
all this there left after 2 days why?.
The last time we saw something along these line was in Belguim and it was raing hard and they got very wet. So its a caravan for me.
Sennen
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via mobile 17/4/2019 at 12:31pm
Location: County Kildare Ireland EU.
Outfit: Tents
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Quote: Originally posted by sennen26 on 14/4/2019
Quote: Originally posted by Bob61 on 14/4/2019
I can tell that being a caravan owner is much more interesting than having a tent. Looking through all the different posts covering everything from damp walls to spongy floorboards, electrical problems, weights, ages and driving licences, tyre pressures and tyre valves, fridges not working, etc; etc; etc; I am not surprised that I get a bit bored sometimes with just a tent to worry about.
Yes but you set a caravan up in half and hour poss 1 hour with awning. We have watched tents being set up somr take 4 or 5 hours of hard work then you have to take it all back down. Ay least our fridge freezer, 3 piece suit tables, lamps tv unite, cooking unit is all together in one place, not in trailer, box on top of car in the car ect.
The longeswt we have seen someont setting up camp is 5 hours with outa break it took 2 hpours before they could start to put tent up. There started with plastic then another sheet then another then the tent which took about 60-70 minsd to peg out then the front went on followed by side tent. All the stuff went inside big beds ect after filling tent they put a nother tent for eating in up.
all this there left after 2 days why?.
The last time we saw something along these line was in Belguim and it was raing hard and they got very wet. So its a caravan for me.
Sennen
Pfft. The tent pictured above took 15 minutes for pitching and bed preparation. We can get the Dutch pyramid up and ready in an hour and that includes tarp, kitchen and fridge. We can also get to site quicker than anyone towing...
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Hypercamp Alaska
Vango Force 10 mk3
Vango F10 Helium 1
Coleman Cobra Pro 3
Coleman Cobra 2
Naturehike Star River 2
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17/4/2019 at 1:02pm
Location: County Durham
Outfit: Explore 304
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Joined: 27/3/2012 Platinum Member
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Quote: Originally posted by Ewen c on 17/4/2019
Quote: Originally posted by sennen26 on 14/4/2019
Quote: Originally posted by Bob61 on 14/4/2019
I can tell that being a caravan owner is much more interesting than having a tent. Looking through all the different posts covering everything from damp walls to spongy floorboards, electrical problems, weights, ages and driving licences, tyre pressures and tyre valves, fridges not working, etc; etc; etc; I am not surprised that I get a bit bored sometimes with just a tent to worry about.
Yes but you set a caravan up in half and hour poss 1 hour with awning. We have watched tents being set up somr take 4 or 5 hours of hard work then you have to take it all back down. Ay least our fridge freezer, 3 piece suit tables, lamps tv unite, cooking unit is all together in one place, not in trailer, box on top of car in the car ect.
The longeswt we have seen someont setting up camp is 5 hours with outa break it took 2 hpours before they could start to put tent up. There started with plastic then another sheet then another then the tent which took about 60-70 minsd to peg out then the front went on followed by side tent. All the stuff went inside big beds ect after filling tent they put a nother tent for eating in up.
all this there left after 2 days why?.
The last time we saw something along these line was in Belguim and it was raing hard and they got very wet. So its a caravan for me.
Sennen
Pfft. The tent pictured above took 15 minutes for pitching and bed preparation. We can get the Dutch pyramid up and ready in an hour and that includes tarp, kitchen and fridge. We can also get to site quicker than anyone towing...
I'll agree with everything you've said, but the final thing that swayed me was when I had to pack my last tent away one morning and it was absolutely chucking it down.
Took me 7 hours to drive home (from Cornwall to Durham) and when I finally got home I had to unpack everything and hope that I had a dry day so I could dry the tent out otherwise i'de have a ruined tent.
There are benefits to both camping and caravanning, personally I just prefer the comfort and ease of caravanning.
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