Kitting out
Hi everyone. I've had my caravan for just over a year now. Over the last year, I've spent a fortune kitting out the van with all the creature comforts that I could want.
I'm talking TV, pots pans, dinner set, bedding, cleaning stuff, aqua roll, wastemaster, steps, awning, lights, switching the lighting to LED from halogen, reclining chairs... the list goes on and on.
I've taken the time to make sure that I make use of the things that are in the van, and there's nothing there that's "just in case" (fire extinguisher excluded)
What I've found over the last 12 months is that getting the things that make the time at the caravan the most relaxing has cost me loads of money. I'm hoping that next year, will be much cheaper, as I have the stuff now, so it's more a case of enjoying what I have than kitting out for those little (and no so little) things that make for a great break.
I was wondering if other people have had similar experience and if it does indeed get cheaper now that I think I'm over the initial buying phases.
Comments
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We keep our motorhome in ready to go mode, just add clothes, footwear and perishable food from home fridge when we're off 😃.
Yes I does get cheaper no extras to buy once all sorted. You'll also find, like most of us there's a few items that don't get used so are removed and sold if you get yourself organised!
I would urge you to check your purchases keep you inside your payloads - very important especially with a motorhome.
Lastly I hope you've enjoyed your first year and you have many more to come 😆
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I suspect most of us have built up our kit gradually, Astro, rather than splashing out all at once.
The answer to your question about whether it gets cheaper depends on whether you intend to carry on buying really. Only you can control that.
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Having recently switched from caravan to MH, we did splurge a bit at the NEC last month. A lot of the minor stuff came from the caravan but it is surprising how the list of bits and bobs mounts up. There are a couple more things but they will probably wait until the Spring to give the plastic time to catch its breath.
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I do not believe in borrowing from the home. The only thing that I transfer is stuff from fridge, some trousers and jackets (always at least a pair of jeans and another pair in the 'van). I keep underwear, shaving gear, beard trimmer, electric tooth brush, toiletries, tee shirts and sweat shirts in the caravan along with a few tinned products.
We do not go away at the drop of a hat these days, When I did all I would pick up from home was fridge contents.
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We never ever buy "Caravan/motorhome" specific stuff from dealers, as usually it is so overpriced. If you are handy at DIY or with a needle you can save hundreds of pounds on stuff. We like to travel light as well, can't be doing with too much clutter. Have got all we need, pots, pans, bedding for both MH and Caravan, collected down the years, always ready to roll! We still use a 30+ year old camping pan set, super lightweight in our caravan, packs up into itself including colander!
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I think we have been reasonably frugal. We had a van back in the 70s/80s so had pots, kettle and dishes etc,, sleeping bags, spare pillows, spare cushions, rugs etc, so when we started up again in 1998 we used those. We bought the Aquaroll and Wastemaster.
We also bought a small microwave, but found we rarely used it, DD got it when she was a student. Instead we bought the Lidl electric oven/grill, and an electric 2 ring hotplate so we could cook outside.
After a while we bought some better pots and a frying pan, and then changed from sleeping bags to a duvet and sheet. We had a porch awning but later sold it and got a small Fiamma.
Everything was transferred over to the next van in 2008, all we had to get then was a larger Fiamma.
Over time we have swapped our old outside furniture for something lighter weight and more compact.
The only ongoing costs now are servicing, insurance, tyres, repairs and toilet fluids. Caravanning is not cheap, but it does not need to be hugely expensive either.
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As with other replies, the van is packed and ready to rock and roll at a minutes notice and all we take are clothes and food from the fridge. Rarely buy anything new now for the van and we've still got the Aquaroll that we originally bought back in the 1980's and even though it is on the small side, we can still get two showers from it if OH doesn't wash her hair! Enjoy your travels.
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I can't get my head round the price of caravan specific items, an example was the tv with built in dvd player, 220v & 12v, excellent picture for £200 less than Avtech version. Best way to avoid overpaying is by buying online and not buying caravan specific items.
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Having downsized from a coachbuilt MH to a PVC, it's been necessary to be ruthless and cut back to the bare essentials. I never realised how much stuff we carried 'just in case' and never used.
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We're still using things that we got with our first ever caravan, many years ago. We bought a second-hand one which came fully equipped, literally down to the toothbrushes in the bathroom (no, we're not still using those). Over the years some things have been replaced, but the waste container, set of pans, dustpan and brushes, levelling ramps and blocks, and lots of other bits and pieces are still in use.
If we do have to buy anything new we look for alternatives to those in Camping Accessory shops - for example a set of Corelle crockery will cost around £50, a set of tempered glass from Ikea just £6 for the same number of pieces. A draining rack was around £20 in an accessory shop, we bought the Wilko equivalent for £4 (it's now £5 on their website).
We don't really have a lot of fancy 'kit' - no Cacad or TV and satellite system, a second hand awning cost just £50 including easy-erect pole system, and our chairs were bought from Dunelm mills and are sooooooooooo comfortable!
If you have a lot of money you may well spend it, if you don't you make do with whatever you can beg, borrow or (perhaps not) steal!2 -
Like other's have said our van is always ready to go all year round, just need to throw in some clothes and we're off. Funny tough when we recently upgraded our van and emptied it out how much stuff we were carrying but never using so a big declutter ensued.
Probably our biggest outlay after buying the van was a Kampa Air Awning, we also have a porch awning we bought second hand for £50 to use during the winter months.
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Many years ago, when we changed from towing to motorhoming we had a real clear out and I was surprised at the amount of stuff we had accumulated. Out much came! Then over the years the stuff somehow just appeared in the lockers once more. When the children left home we did the same, cleared out. It stayed that way for sometime but now I've noticed it reappearing as the grandchildren come along on occasions. I now need to check more regularly as it seems to be an 'insidious condition'.
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I stopped counting the cost of stocking our caravan as the total passed through £1000 and that didn't include our secondhand awning. Most of the stuff we brought is still in the van and has been used. Like others here it is kept ready for the off at short notice so we don't take anything from the house.
There is a big initial outlay but most of it is a one-off spend; I hope.
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we have all been there, a fork is a fork now matter how much you pay for it, it dose get cheaper as the paying out stops beacause you have every thing, only thing I do is a shop before I go, saves the temptation of buying when you get there as you tend to bye more when you do that enjoy
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we are using a set of billy cans that I bought for camping when I was still at school, I am 62 now, duvet & pillows stay in the van, along with plates, cups ans cutlery
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Having been in the same position as you a few years ago - we indeed thought how expensive it was to kit out our van.
Just about to take delivery of a brand new van and to be totally honest we do not NEED to spend a penny - Mrs H of course is starting to look at new this and that, but it does get much cheaper as you have made all the initial 9ne off purchases,
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I had a clear out of "my locker" last year (all the others belong to her indoors) and I was amazed how much junk I was hoarding but never using. "Keep it simple" I say, it saves you money and keeps your weight down (well the van's at least!)
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We try to leave our caravan fully equipped, save for clothes and food. But from humble beginnings in the 1970s numerous items have been upgraded when suitable improvements have been found. Where sleeping bags once sufficed, we now use a goose down and feather duvet. (not to mention an electric blanket) A basic folding table has morphed into a lightweight aluminium one, with easily adjustable tags. Very comfortable Kampala tub chairs have superseded garden folders. Our cooking utensils are no longer Woolworths economy, nowadays we use a Joseph Joseph set. Pans are thick bottomed and frying pans Tefal ingenios, with removable handles. My home makeup is duplicated in the van, my husband’s razor charger (12v) lives there too, as do various phone and tablet charging leads. Where once, rubbish lived in a £ shop plastic bin, it now resides in the luxury of a Simple Human, stainless steel pedal bin, designed to recycle free supermarket bags, which I occasionally, nowadays buy in bulk for the purpose.
So the expense has been ongoing, but is no longer seen purely in terms of cost. Upgrades occur gradually, each bringing its own pleasure as luxury and comfort rise. For most of us, the initial outlay is surprisingly large, after which, it’s up to the individual whether they periodically swap out the old crockery for a new set which better colour co-ordinates with the replacement van’s upholstery. I enjoy using my cherry stone pitter, which replaced the old, entry point model, though a knife would suffice. And it’s quite good fun finding Lilliputian items to take touring - see Joseph Joseph’s folding kitchen scales.
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It does get cheaper as you can sell the junk you bought last year to fund to buy the junk this year. 
