Parking a Basecamp
Comments
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The Basecamp is one of many latest Caravans using the design features of being lightweight, easily managed, rear entry, and without all the unnecessary bling that the huge heavy vans currently have. I would like to predict that on CC campsites in the future,
lightweight well designed vans such as the Basecamp will make up the majority of the towed van contingent.Cheers................K
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Must admit when I added my post I had assumed the caravan and awning would fit on the pitch although I have not seen anything to show the length of the awning. It did look in order on the photos I have seen and it would certainly be a major error an the
part of both companies if it did not. It would probably be wise to check but I think it will be safe.As for pitching then the direction you face on the pitch might depend on the site layout but that is true for most of us.
As for the makers reputation I would not worry. Swifts are generally quite good and according to the last PC buyers survey they were one of the top two for lack of water ingress. They do turn out the odd dog but they do generally seem to be one of the better
firms when you get one.0 -
Must admit when I added my post I had assumed the caravan and awning would fit on the pitch although I have not seen anything to show the length of the awning. It did look in order on the photos I have seen and it would certainly be a major error an the
part of both companies if it did not. It would probably be wise to check but I think it will be safe.As for pitching then the direction you face on the pitch might depend on the site layout but that is true for most of us.
As for the makers reputation I would not worry. Swifts are generally quite good and according to the last PC buyers survey they were one of the top two for lack of water ingress. They do turn out the odd dog but they do generally seem to be one of the
better firms when you get one.We are livid about the absolutely crap quality of our flagship Sterling Continental 570 with it's poor quality common parts thrown together. Unfortunately the acceptance of such crap as indicated by your post is probably the reason why things havent improved
over decades. Being our first caravan, if this is quite good, would hate to have a bad one
The year before model bought by our friends has suffered similar poor quality common parts thrown together falling apart. They, as 30 year long caravanners. were accustomed to accepting crap quality 'as they are all the same regardless of the asemblers'.
If the younger buyers who the basecamp will attract find poor quality the reject rates will go through the roof. There is a different expectation by the new generation.
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We are on our sixth caravan and may be we have been lucky but we have never had one of these crap caravans. Yes they exist but they are a minority and you have been unlucky. Swiftdo have a reputation as one of the better built caravans and indeed the Sprite
has come first or second in the last three PC customer surveys.0 -
Hi all.
Ok, at last we've got the Basecamp. Arrived at dealer last Friday and towed it home the next day. Very pleased with it, though it hasn't moved off the drive yet. Thought it would be s good idea to enable the Thatcham tracker, so paid my £95 years subscription and got it enabled. Half and hour later received a call from the monitoring station who told me there's been a sudden drop of voltage on the leisure battery!! Hmmm, that's strange I thought. Went outside, there's the caravan sat on the drive, mains lead plugged in. I then called Sergent Electrical, as suggested. It seems the transmitter unit in the van was not sending the correct info about the battery. Really helpful guy on the phone said they would send out a replacement, that arrived the next day. I swapped the units and emailed Sergent who then did a software upload to it. Fingers crossed, it's all ok now. Many thanks to Sergent Electrical.
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They are pretty helpful.
Enjoy your van, Gary.
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Even as a motor-homer I like this design. It is borrowing from European minimalism but has everything you need. I cant see why it would breach the rules to park the van with the tow bar to the front or the rear. The rule is about lateral fire separation. Using the awning is I think mainly a practical matter and some pitches probably wont be long enough.
With this layout width doesn't come into it and I think a non awning pitch is one which doesn't have room for an awning (maintaining separation) as opposed to "awning prohibited". Interestingly on some sites it may be safer to pitch with the awning to the front but I have never understood why awnings (as opposed to sunshades) are needed in the first place !
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Hi, Gary, we bought a Basecamp in Dec 2017, but only just found your review on the awning!!! We have had problems on quite few sites on pitching, most sites are only 8mtrs and need 9 for the vango Basecamp awning, it is large and heavy! Does anyone out there know if there is a smaller awning that will fit!!! Just to make the weekends a lot more stress free and quicker, many thanks Deb 😀
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