Things to get to make life very comfortable
Comments
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Thanks for your contribution LJ. I wouldn't worry about the minority of people on here, there's a few keyboard warriors! Don't let them put you off posting here.
You just get out there and enjoy your style of camping, Bravo
Have you considered looking around some off the other caravan/MH forums?
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I agree with Oneputt. The important thing is to enjoy yourself and part of the beauty of this hobby is that we can take far more than would fit in a suitcase to make our trips away that much better.
This club does have a bit of a reputation
. I'd agree that a lot of it is keyboard warrior stuff. 3 -
I thought there were a lot of good and useful ideas in Little Jack's post. I had never thought of having an inflatable settee and chairs for the awning which would undoubtably be lightweight. I can well understand the need for an additional freezer. We always find there's not enough space to keep much frozen food in the caravan freezer and if it's kept in the car whilst travelling, it would not add to the weight of the caravan. We also have a Shogun with a roof box and it's amazing how much storage space it provides so that the caravan can be kept quite light for towing.
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i think 'life' for most who 'van' must be (at the least) acceptably comfortable, otherwise they might not do it...
however, 'acceptably comfortable' is different for different folk, and may depend on how much homely stuff can be taken with you.
those with smaller vans might have to pack more thriftily and make choices as to what will add to their 'comfort', while those who have vast storage and endless payload may take far more than is necessary to be 'comfortable'...
whatever the case LJ, glad to see youre enjoying getting out there and getting on with it, good vanning to you...
dont forget the sunshine....
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Many thanks OnePutt, JayEss,MM & BB. Morale is restored. Sorry to anyone if I came across as too sensitive.
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We carry a few luxuries, but also quite a few tools for running repairs as we go abroad for a few months at a time. Sounds like your van is of a similar size to ours, have you had the MTPLM upgraded to its maximum?
Not all vans can have a worthwhile increase, we got an extra 85kg, 1815 to 1900 kg, which covers the mover, air con and Fiamma.
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Glad to hear it. We take stuff that I'm sure others wouldn't consider necessary but I don't care too much about that. I've seen all sorts being set up on site - standard lamps, full size ironing boards (!), electric dryers etc. If it makes life easier or more comfortable for the users then it's nobody else's concern really
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you are not being too sensitive there are certain members on here that need to think before they write, they don't look at the bigger picture!!! some of us at the bottom end of the scale can't afford a 26ft all singing all dancing Caravan or Motorhome ,some of us are on a low income so need to take food with us as we can't afford to shop local ,I saw the inflatable sofa in my local Aldi I don't have an awning but did wonder if it would be ideal for sitting out in the sun but not sure it get's sunny enough to make it pay ,
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There is room for all and for compromise, GC. I think you will find my comments addressed to the OP are polite which is more than some can claim. The bigger picture is exactly what I see.
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Little Jack, please don't be downhearted. We are all different and leaving safety aside, we can take whatever we like to make our holidays enjoyable.
We don't have masses of extras. Bought 3 awnings and couldn't get on with any of them so haven't used one for years. However, just bought an air awning as a last resort and are hopeful!! We just have 2 lightweight chairs and use the caravan table outside. A small BBQ and windbreak, a little folding ironing board and iron and a small rotary line.
I'm afraid my one indulgence to take away is clothes. I do not now how to pack light for the caravan or any other holiday. For both myself and my husband I take more than enough for the number of days. I like to have a choice of what to wear and always come home with stuff we haven't worn!
Here's to a long warm summer of caravanning to everyone
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We regularly visit a site in southern France which has a storage facility for regulars (mainly Dutch). One year we watched as a couple packed all their accessories into the van ready for it to be towed to the adjacent storage site by the site proprietor with his tractor. The OPs purchases rather reminded me of this packing exercise which included awning, flooring, full size fridge, cooking equipment, table and chairs and so on.
I was talking to the proprietor's wife whilst this was going on. She was a little nervous. Suffice to say that I am sure the floor bowed about the single axle. There were many creaks and groans and it seemed extremely difficult to actually get the van moving. I hate to think of the load on the hitch and the axles. All went well but it was memorable and I was left wondering why they didn't just rent one of the chalets.
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I have to say that the people who slag off those who aren't in the 'keep it simple' camp amuse me somewhat. I'd take a small bet that they all have an onboard TV.
We tend to take stuff to make life more comfortable (coolbox, Nespresso machine, comfortable chairs for the awning, motor mover, and so on) but the one thing we don't have is a TV. Our view is that if you're going to spend your time away watching Coronation Street etc you might as well stay at home and be properly comfortable + have a big screen
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We like to have the TV for dark evenings and miserable weather but I'd never dream of humping the coffee machine around which adds further to the theory that we're all different and do things our own way. Long may it be so. The TV is part of simple as it lives permanently on the wall bracket so occupies no cupboard space and needs no setting up.
I think "slag off" is a bit strong, Brian.
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Hmm - inflatable armchairs... last time I used one of those was years ago for a charity event, when I paddled it up the River Thames at Abingdon.
And while we have to be reasonably minimalist with our tiny caravan, we have restricted diets - one of the reasons for our recently taking up self-catering caravanning - so the car carries a variety of things including a small juicer.
... but I'd be interested to know if we're the only ones whose car load includes a very small harp. Admittedly it was too cold for my wife to play it on our April trip round Scotland, but it went, and it'll be going again, hopefully with warmer weather. Less power requirement than a TV, too, and needn't be very noisy at all1 -
We are minimumlistics. If it does not fit in a cupboard it does not go. Essentials, small TV from Argos . If buying again would go for DVD combi). My memory foam mattress top. Superb sleep! No awning, no dogs, no kids Everyone to his/her own.
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you could buy it in three litre (four bottle) cartons
the local 'domaine' last year was selling its wonderful rosé in boxes this size.
our local Rioja (€1.20 per bottle) was available in supermarkets in 1l cartons.....€0.70....and lighter.......however, we brought bottles.
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You have to weigh up whats most important? do you need to carry 2 Gas bottles
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I'm certainly not in the keep it simple camp!! 😂 😂 But I don't think we go overboard. I like my Isabella fold up chairs, my Cadac, my TV (in the UK only) and my drinks fridge in the awning. I will, unashamedly, use full serviced pitches whenever I can and I'm not a fan of muddy grass pitches. I have a motor mover, but am not a fan of coffee so no need for coffee machines. I do like wine and beer out of proper glasses and have given up melamine in favour of Corelle. I have a wind out awning, which is s boon on the continent in the summer - no need for the sides in, but when we do put the sides in (in the UK) it's basically like any other awning - you still have to peg it out! 😂 😂
David
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interesting post,
we're new too and I must admit I fell into the trap of pack this "just in case" but as we go on I'm being a little more selective. Although totally agree with Millie8 I like a choice of clothes, not that it's a fashion parade but I don't know what I want to wear in 4 days time.
The funniest story I can share is my hairdresser, also new to caravanning, on her first trip out took ALL her hair equipment - dryers, tongs, curlers, sprays etc etc and a full outfit to go out clubbing (dress, shoes, bag, jewellery) - she later told me she didn't know what she was thinking - she hasn't been clubbing for 20+ years
I think as long as you are happy and are travelling safe does it really matter.
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We are on the minimalist side on the whole but we do take plenty of reading matter and have just invested in a Kindle in the hope of taking fewer books. Our minimalist thinking mean that we far prefer a 2 berth van which takes up much less space wherever we go.
Six weeks ago we took delivery of a new 2.00 litre Nissan X-Trail which is larger than any previous car we have owned. Part of our thinking is that now that the two of us have a combined age of 148 we want some really comfortable outdoor seating in France. It is looking likely that we will buy a couple of Lafuma recliners before we go to France in the autumn.
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Obviously your choice Q, but I avoid the recliners that go behind the legs - it makes them awkward to sit at the awning table. If we want to put our feet up, we use a footstool type thing that slides underneath the seat of the chair.
It just worth thinking about it if you want to use them at a table as well.
David
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Although it's great to take all the things you need sometimes it's nice to have enough just to enjoy your holiday without a marathon packing session. My luxury is time. I can't buy that anywhere but it's my favourite item!
(cheesy or what? 
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have to agree with David on this one, we much prefer to operate the 'legs'independently of our desire to recline a little
it also means the chairs fit properly at the outside (not in an awning) table
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Brue, most of our 'kit' lives in the van, on the drive.....chairs, tables, windbreak, levellers, hoses, fluids, etc, etc.....tinned produce doesnt really come out of the van either (except if we are short in the house...) so we really only load the fridge/freezer, the fresh produce and clothes etc, so not too much time to get going down the road.
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We really are such a diverse group of people aren't we?
Myself, I can't really understand the 'hair shirt' brigade who pride themselves on taking as little as possible but still buy a substantial car and lug around a huge lump of metal behind. I served my time in backpacking with a tent you could barely crawl into but can understand the romanticism of true camping.
However, now Im a little older I do like my comforts, including my mini nespresso machine but definitely NO awning. I paid a year's salary for a warm, waterproof (ha ha) caravan and do not want to revert to my youth, shivering under drips falling from the roof. Others have their reasons for living in a tent attached to their van and that's unto them.
So LJ, you carry on and do what brings you pleasure and welcome to the forum
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Actually katie, an awning does have some value in both good and bad weather. A full awning - the sort that takes 2 hours to set up - is something we'd never bother with, but a quickly erected porch awning is worth having, albeit we'd not bother for just 1 night :-)
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We used to have just one gas bottle but the problem with that is when the gas runs out you can't change it over, so we had a second gas bottle put in when we last had it serviced.
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