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 Topic: A walk down memory lane
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04/3/2015 at 6:45pm
Location: Derbyshire
Outfit: ElddisAvante462 Honda CRV SE2.2 i-Dtec
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Followin on from a tread o another local Camping forum l belong to, what is the most basic caravan you have ever owned? Most of the caravans of today come with EHU, heating, cassette toilet, and full hot water system as standard.
This is all a far cry from our tiny first caravan we ever owned, a ABI Monza 3.60s, a 5 berth 11cwt caravan that was a tiny tardis, with a Elsan Bristol bucket style loo, that was in such a tiny compartment that you had to lock the outer door of the caravan to stop anyone opening it to reveal you sitting on the loo with your feet on the doormat, and yes l did get caught out a couple of times!
It really was a box on wheels with beds fitted, no fridge, no fixed heating, single glazed, no hot water system, just cold water via a foot pump to the kitchen sink, a small handbasin with no tap in the bathroom, you needed to use a pop bottle filled with water to clean your teeth, no fridge, no EHU, and just a 12v car battery for lighting and waterpump. When that failed, if there was no battery charging service onsite, then you had to run a lead to your car battery, and leave the engine running to get a charge!
Its all such a contrast to the caravan we have today, which back in the early 1980s would have been considered huge in comparison with its 460 body length for just a two berth!
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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04/3/2015 at 8:19pm
Location: Derbyshire
Outfit: ElddisAvante462 Honda CRV SE2.2 i-Dtec
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Well during the three years we owned ours, my Dad, who is an Electrician by trade, installed EHU for us, mainly so that we could leave the caravan onsite for a few weeks at a time, and he and my mum could use it without any of the hassel of battery charging. There was no oven or grill, just a small gas hob, so cooking was very basic or we had our meals out at the local takeaways and pubs. The addition of EHU was marvelous for us, we could run a small fan heater, Electric Kettle, and Toaster, and were also able to take along a little black and white tv for the first time ever!
Our next caravan, a 1988 Avondale Perle Adonis was not much better, except it had a gas fire fitted and was much bigger, at 13ft body length, and EHU was standard kit. Our first caravan with most of the modern bells and whistles already fitted, did not arrive until 1993, buy which time we had hot water, full oven, cassette toilet, shower, and a size more like the modern 5 berth family caravans of today, it was an Avondale Olympus.
We loved our first basic little caravans, although as old age creeps upon us l dont think that l would like to caravan without the comforts of a cosy heater, and a fridge is essential these days to keep my medication cool, but l cannot help but smile and think back to all the happy times we had when we first set up as campers.
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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06/3/2015 at 8:54pm
Location: East Herts
Outfit: 1992 Elddis Wisp 450CT + X Trail
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Our first van was a 1963 Sprite Alpine, which we towed with our Mk2 Cortina. Had some great times with it. Two gas lights, and no running water, heating, or toilet. It did have a toilet compartment, but it was so small that we only used it as a cupboard. We swapped it for a 1966 Musketeer, which seemed to have a lot more room. It still had no running water or heating. The musketeer did have one feature I would like to see again though, and that was a pull-down double bed with a proper mattress.
I fitted a 12 volt electrical system to both of them during my ownership, but I could only charge the battery off the car as we drove along, as few sites had EHU in those days. Those that did usually only had about 3 or 4 VERY expensive pitches.
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Best Regards,
Colin
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