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Good on yer!

We too made the leap from a tent to a caravan, over a year ago now, and haven't looked back since.

Good luck!

We also converted from a tent, after a particularly wet and stormy week in Devon two years ago.

We recently changed caravans and when we discussed the logistics of selling one caravan and buying another we recognised that there may be a gap when we had nothing.  We talked about getting the tent back out for a weekend...... but with the summer we are having this year we just couldn't do it.  I know, I am a wimp, but I like my roof, walls and floor!!!!

Enjoy your new van.

Again, we also have been promoted from Canvass Clans and wouldnt look back now !! We came back from Longleat about 3 weeks ago ( 21 of us ) - Heavy wind and rain for 2 nights, walked out in the morning and looked at our friends who were all in tents except us and they looked sooo traumatised  - Its was ace !!!! Did we feel like the odd ones out ?? ......Nope !!

We too changed but only after six months camping. Enjoyed our TT but would have hated it this summer I am sure. But the van well that means year round camping and being nice and warm and dry in any weather.

Have fun.

Valerie

We have had three tents, had some good holidays in them but eventually all got too much to cart around, the trailer ended up crammed to the top.We contemplated a trailer tent but the thought of putting it up and taking it down everytime worried me.

A caravan was the obvious choice, the boss lets me store it at work for nothing which is a bonus, we havent looked back, had some wonderful holidays, with hopefully many more.

good luck.

Were looking into it now after been away with friends last weekend! one had a motorhome and the other a nice big caravan. We spent well over an hour setting all our gear up and then it rained for 6 hrs solid and the tent started to leak for the first time. Miserable as hell! Friends turned up late, wound the legs down and plugged in and that was it! And they only paid £3 more than us a night. Need a 6 berth but dont know what to go for, we want the kids beds to be a fixed bed layout. i.e bunks.

Good luck with your new van.

Cheers John

john & caz

We bought a Swift Charisma 570 last summer - 6 Berth (single axle) and tows well with our car. Fixed Bunks at back for kids, 2 x large seats at front converts into massive double and second seating area in middle that converts to bunks if needed. We don`t need the extra 2 bunks in middle but really handy as extra seating area or breakfast area. This layout is the same with Sterling, Ace, Abbey and Sprite virtually all the same but just different finishes and fabrics etc. Layout works great for us with a full awning for extra living space for longer trips.

Congrats on your new van...enjoy!

Netty

I see you have a 520d tourer extentman, we also have one! Is it good a towing?

Ive looked at that layout, it seems good. My mate has got a Compass Carona 636, this has teo lots of bunks at the back and a partition you can pull across. They just leave the beds set up all the time for the kids and partition is nice for bed time.

John

Hi John

Yes the 520D is pretty good at towing (Had the A6 Avant when we bought the van but it struggled a little as only 130bhp) even though this is a large single axle van - Looked at twin axles but you`re really pushing your weight limits so we went for this version instead.

I`d watch your weight limit with the Compass 636 as this is a twin axle with max load at 1700kg whereas the Swift Charisma is 1500kg - checkout whattow.com as it reckons the weight ratio is a little heavy for the compass 636/bmw 520mix

Any more questions just shout

Thanks for that info, were now thinking of dishing our BMW in.  A Mitsubishi Outlander + caravan = same price as our BM! We went to a site at Ripon last weekend and you def needed 4wd to get a van on. Mind you it had rained for 6 hrs solid, just what expect in summer! Not!

John