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I know we've had 4 vans in about 25 years, but can't remember the exact dates for the earlier two without looking it all up.

1. ABI Marauder 450CTL (new) had it about 5 years

2. Abbey Cachet (a special edition of the Abbey Oxford) (new) had it for about 15 years

3. Bailey Pageant Series 6 Vendee (new 2008 - van stolen in May 2009)

4. Bailey Pageant Series 7 Sancerre (new July 2009) - present van - really happy with it so expect to keep it some time.

Before caravans we had a Conway Kampa Trailer tent (for about 3 years) and before that several tents, increasing in size by date.

1995, 1979 Deanline Crown       [got damp]

1996, 1985 Lunar Kumara         [got damp]

1997, 1995 Coachman Mirage

2004,  2000 Sterling Eccles Coral

2007, 2005 Avondale Dart

2010,  2010 Bailey Ranger

i forgot that we had a tent from argos, but it never even got out the bag & we took it back.

then we got a folding camper which was lovely but a nuisance to put up but it made us realise that we had the caravanning bug lol....

Van number 1 - 1991 Buccaneer, loved it but wanted something more modern with rooflights and hated faffing with making the beds up, had it about 8 months but used it lots.

Van 2 - 2002 Elddis Firestorm 505, lasted for one holiday, it was lovely & bright but had no workspace or tall cupboards for storage & was so inconvenient, bed was hard and so part exed it & got more than we paid for it.

Current van - 2007 Compass Magnum 540, can't think of a single thing I don't like about this one, loads of storage, fixed bed, privacy windows, plenty of worktop, even the small things are perfect like having a mini rooflight in the shower cubicle & upholstery walls which make it feel super cosy.

It was also a bargain, our local Discover was closing down & head office had treated the staff like c**p, we'd become friendly with the sales guy & he sold it to us at less than they'd paid for it, threw in EVERYTHING including a motor mover! Two years on it's still worth more than we paid

Quote: Originally posted by Esther1 on 13/5/2011

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Van number 1 - 1991 Buccaneer, loved it but wanted something more modern with rooflights and hated faffing with making the beds up, had it about 8 months but used it lots.

Van 2 - 2002 Elddis Firestorm 505, lasted for one holiday, it was lovely & bright but had no workspace or tall cupboards for storage & was so inconvenient, bed was hard and so part exed it & got more than we paid for it.

Current van - 2007 Compass Magnum 540, can't think of a single thing I don't like about this one, loads of storage, fixed bed, privacy windows, plenty of worktop, even the small things are perfect like having a mini rooflight in the shower cubicle & upholstery walls which make it feel super cosy.

It was also a bargain, our local Discover was closing down & head office had treated the staff like c**p, we'd become friendly with the sales guy & he sold it to us at less than they'd paid for it, threw in EVERYTHING including a motor mover! Two years on it's still worth more than we paid

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Caravanned from birth in various Sprites, a Cavalier, a very short lived twin axle Adria etc

Since getting married in 1994 we personally have had:

1994 - 1996, a 1990 Sprite Musketeer S

1996 - 2004, a Bailey Beachcomber 440/4 Club (wonderful 'van)

2004 - 2005, a 2005 Abbey 418 GTS Vogue (didn't get on with the fixed bed)

2005 - 2006, a 2006 Swift Challenger 470 (wonderful, however my father passed away and we needed to revert to a 4 berth so that my mother could join us sometimes so ...)

2006 - 2009, a 2007 Abbey 416 GTS

2009 - ??, a 2010 Swift Island Jura dealer special

Likely to change next year as we fancy trying a fixed bed again!

So that's 6 'vans in 17 years.

2 vans in almost 7 years.

First was our lovely Swift Alouette.  Got an old van to try out first and see if we liked caravanning.  We did.  Old but nice and cosy and we kept her for 4 years, after selling her on for not a lot less than we had originally paid!!!

Now have the Hymer (after much shopping around and research on here).   New to us van 2 years ago and don't envisage getting rid at an time soon.  Perfect van for us with 2 teenagers and 2 fixed single beds. 

5 in 9 years,

First was an old Elddis Whirlwind, which we didn't really tour with, I used it to sleep in when I first left home, We donated it to the local dogs home

Freedom Sunseeker, brilliant caravan but very small, had some real adventure with just me, OH and the dog towing it with a 1.3 soft top jeep

Ace Jubilee Globetrotter, bought off my mum and dad who had it since new (I grew up with that caravan)

Swapped in 2007 for a Brand new Swift Charisma, Had so many problems wiith it so in 2009 my Other Half went to northampton for "a look" and rang me to tell me she had bought our current van which is a

Geist Aktiv AK560,We love this caravan and is the perfect layout for us, we have fixed bunks, side dinette witha bunk over for the foster kids and a huge u shape lounge that turns into a massive bed for us, Its a bit more basic than the swift but we love it, only thing I miss is having a built in stereo, but going to look at getting one installed when its out of warranty.

We have had three in roughly three years.  Six year old Freedom Jetstream, 2 year old Lunar Ariva and now a two year old Avondale Dart.  In fact, we wasted money as each one was valued less when we part exchanged and we had to pay more for each new one.   We choose the Freedom as it was light to tow and we had a small car but found that van too small and changed to the Lunar which was lovely but then had to get a bigger car.  Then found that the toilet compartment was a bit small and as shower was in the washbasin and standing area, that became an irritation (for me not my long suffering OH) so saw the Dart which had a super end washroom with loads of room.  Money dictates that we will have to stop with this one but I am hankering after a fixed bed and large washroom! 

Carol

Started out with a 4-man frame tent, one of the last proper one's with cotton canvas. Got sick of that damp, slimy feeling over everything in the mornings, waking up half out of bed due to pitching on a slight slope, 2am loo runs and pegging out...! So...

Rapido folding camper. Nice and light, but very tinny, dealing with wet canvas was a faff and ex hated lifting up the kitchen and sorting out all the plumbing.

Coleman Cap Cod folding camper - hard top, hard sides, canvas ends so less to get wet; kitchen swung up and plumbing stayed in place. Very spacious and comfy, super sliding glass windows but draughty and still a pain to put up and down sooo...

Abi Ace Northstar 4 berth caravan with a fixed bed (ex insisted on a fixed bed). Super 'van, spacious, light, lovely cosy shower room.

Now 'van has stayed with ex as part of split but I don't want to give up caravanning! I've thought about a tent but realy don't want to do that again. I like using CS sites so want a toilet and shower. I was looking at folding caravan's but friends had one and pulling up the sides in a breeze by yourself can be a pain apparently so I'm looking at a pop-top caravan...watch this space