Things to get to make life very comfortable
Hi all,
We just thought we would share with other fellow newbie’s to caravanning some of the comfort items we bought and where to get things from. As you can see from my profile, we have only been Caravanners since March 2016 however we had put five years thought and planning into this venture prior to van purchase. Some items, we had started buying as and when we came across them before we got the van.
Firstly, never under-estimate how good Aldi is for Caravan and Camping stuff and very cheap. One of the best purchases we made at Aldi was an inflatable sofa for in the awning. This was a robust and substantial made item with a velour finish. It is a three-seater but in reality seats two adults very comfortably and isn't made of the thin plastic stuff that lilo’s are made of either so shouldn’t puncture very easily. It also folds down into a double bed if required too. It has two cup holders built in at each side too. We bought this for I believe £25.00 at Aldi the year before we bought the van. So impressed were we that we looked up the manufacturer online and purchased a matching single seat arm-chair to go with it. Again, this too folds down into a single bed if required.
We also purchased a small electric air pump with multi / connections so we don't have to have a heart attack inflating the furniture.
Aldi also supplied us with our rotating three stage space heater for the awning too and this only cost £15.00 at the time.
This weekend, we purchased a spare 25m EHU cable from Aldi for just £25.00. We don't particularly need this as we have one, but things do break or get nicked so I'm told when you are off site for the day so we thought at that price, why not have a spare.
Aldi will also sell levelling wedges and Caravan covers too on a seasonal basis but we already have these.
Moving on, we purchased a small freezer (household type) so we can carry and have a supply of frozen foods with us in addition to the way too small Caravan freezer. We bought this second hand from the British Heart Foundation shop in Preston Lancashire. We simply prepare the freezer in the van whilst we it's being charged up at home in the days prior to departure. As long as you are not travelling for more than 10 hours, it keeps everything frozen throughout the journey to the site then is simply plugged in again. In addition to this, we purchased a 40Lt electric cool box second hand but as good as new on the "Pre-Loved" website. This is a fantastic item as it plugs into the mains and also has a car charger built in so you can run this whilst travelling to your destination. Its ideal on site for keeping your beer, wine and the kid’s 2Lt pop bottles which fir exactly inside it.
Our van is a four berth with fixed double bed at one end and of course the front benches make into a king sized double too. We purchased excellent double and single mattress toppers from B & M Bargains for literally a few quid which make for excellent sleeping comfort. Rather than keep taking bedding from home, we also bought quilts, pillows and covers all colour co-ordinated to the wife's specifications from B & M too.
All of our pots, pans and crockery etc we simply bought from Asda but we did treat ourselves to colour co-ordinated plastic beakers and un-screwable wine glasses (also plastic) from our local branch of Campbell’s Caravans shop.
We got camping tables and chairs and an actual second hand Swift Caravan table again on the Pre-Loved website.
We always take our house-hold slow cooker with us but again, you can buy these from Asda for not much money and of course we always take our Dolce Gusto Coffee machine from home.
Finally, we bought decent flat screen TV with free-view from a local auction house and this only cost £25.00 and looked as good as new.
There is much more I could mention but these are just some ideas on how to make life ridiculously comfortable and enhance the whole touring experience. We would like to hear from other people who might have suggestions on stuff to take.
Comments
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You must have a big payload allowance in your van, LJ.
We prefer the lightweight and simple approach but good luck to you if that's the way you like to do it.
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Don't let other people's criticism affect your choices. We all do things in a different way. Some people prefer minimalist caravanning, others prefer home from home (with added frills). Each to their own, and well done for sourcing some bargains to make your caravanning experience more comfortable, and more the way you want to do it.
For those who prefer it, there is always the minimalist way too, but it doesn't make an interesting first post........... 'basically we take the caravan, and that's all'.
I must admit that after thirty odd years of camping and caravanning, and thinking we need this and that, and then deciding we don't, we have now decided what suits us, and we're actually more on the minimalist side, but with 'extras' which we feel we need to make our caravanning more comfortable.
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Come to think of it , you failed to mention any items that really matter like extended mirrors for the towing car, a first aid kit specialist burns kit for all those heaters and alike ect ect . I assume you're stripping out the van and just leaving the fixed bed as I'm sure all the extra items you say you've added would make any standard van over weight unless you tow with a twin axel pick up truck **
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Do you realise that the OP really only mentions an inflatable sofa amd armchair,, an electric air pump, a small heater, spare hook-up, levelling wedges, small freezer, and electric coolbox., pans,, crockery, etc............. Apart from the freezer how much actual weight is that adding!
Everyone carries what they think will help to make their own caravanning experience more comfortable. Would anyone's extras list be much different?
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That's a bit unnecessary, Forsythia. The OP's way might not be ours but he's quite entitled to do things his way. See Valda's post - she's got the right approach to other people's choices.
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Absolutely, each and everyone to their own. However, it is prudent to remind each and all of us, particularly 'newbies' I believe, of the need to be pay due attention to the weights and the consequences of breaking the law should we fall foul. Having been stopped by the police and forced to drive to a weighbribge I am now of the minimalist opinion. On this occasion I was just within the law but only just! I was both shocked and surprised mind and the worries of that escorted drive I want not to experience again and would wish that on no one.
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There ae some good bargains to be had from AlDi - often worth keeping an eye out for. In the past, when we have taken the caravan to France etc., we have often taken an extra fridge (which travels in the car and we keep in the awning). However, now there are only two of us, and having a much larger built in fridge, I can see it staying at home far more often. It's not wasted though - I use it all the year round at home - mainly to keep soft drinks and wine!
David
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It's good to see how everyone is different LJ, good thread
. Everyone does their trips away differently, it's the diversity of the campers that make it interesting. There are always some folk who believe their way is best & attempt to harangue those that don't conform to that way. It's your life-enjoy it
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We all need different things when away from home on trips & do admire the sourcing of the many bargains. Having said that I hope the OP’s weight carrying allowance is within the legal limit of the law & hopefully he has had this checked at a weighbridge when packed for a trip.
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We also have an electric cool box which we purchased at Halfords last year. It can work on mains as well as 12 volt, so we can plug it into the cigarette lighter in the car when travelling.
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All to there own, we carry stuff that others probably wouldn't approve of, so politely 'I don't give a t**s'. At least 5 cameras, lenses, tripod, scope, bino's etc., etc The weight of all that gear is probably more than the total weight of the blow up furniture.
Good for you LJ and enjoy your style of vanning
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Wow, Freezer
Must be small to fit through the caravan door.As said each to their own but it makes me think about load margin and weight distribution.
It also made me think about asking what other things folk carry around the country? I'll confess to having a very small & lightweight Dyson upright on board that lives in the bottom of the wardrobe, didn't buy it specifically, it came from a flat we sold last year and was just sitting in the garage. Comes in to it's own having 2 Border Collies on tour with us
Look forward hearing what others take along with them, Just off now to make sure I have packed the chemical kit for the caravans Spa/Hot tub
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When our lot were young, we didn't have a caravan but family holidays meant we went away completely loaded with "stuff" (plus the dog!) You forget how much families take away with them. Now we travel light because it suits us. As long as you can safely load everything and keep within weight limits enjoyment is what it's all about.
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We all have different ideas on what we need for our touring life. It would be rather boring if we were all the same. My only concern is the weight. When we had our last caravan I put it on a weighbridge loaded for holiday to find we were only just within our max weight. I do hope the OP has checked his actual weight on a weighbridge and that the items are loaded suitably inside to insure stability.
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something I carry that not many of you will a portable loo, it's stored under my bed and stays there all the time ,I have to be careful what I take put some plastic drawers in when I 1st got it ,then some smaller narrower ones now not take either with my camper being small I have to get away from cluttering it up to much or I will get claustrophobic and need to travel as light as I can as I use it all the time !!
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Oh dear, I feel I must clarify this post some more. Like I say, the freezer is one of those small cube shaped affairs which weighs next to nothing when empty. The reason we take this if we are staying for a week or more is that we take a vast amount of food and drink items with us in the first place so we don't have to pay extortionate food prices shopping at small spar shops etc in rural isolated areas or overpriced tourist resorts where they have you by the short and curlies. Strangely enough, our food shop is predominantly done at Aldi too.
Although being relatively new to it all, I did say we had planned and researched for around five years before we bought our van so was fully aware of MTPLM etc knowing what kind of experience we wanted when we eventually purchased our van. This included calculating the weight of a motor mover which is why we got a two wheel heavy duty one despite it being a twin axle van. Yes it is a 26ft twin axle Swift and our tow car is a Shogun LWB 3.2DiD. I maintain and inspect both car and van regularly especially tyres and brakes etc.
We have a roof box too so I load in such a manner that all the real dense and heavy stuff i.e awning, poles, food, alcohol etc is in the car evenly distributed and low down at floor height where possible and the van itself hardly carries anything that wouldn't normally be in there. Spare clothes and all ancillaries are only loaded in the van on arrival at the site.
I did draw the line with my wife though. We have two dogs which sometimes come with us and at home we had two metal cages. These where clearly way too heavy to add to our all up weight limits so we have bought two of those collapsable canvas dog cages which weigh nothing but allow the dogs to settle comfortably in the awning when not out on walks with us.
We of course carry a comprehensive first aid kit and medicines (and also one for the dogs too), as well as fire equipment.
I don't know if I dare mention now that we have two heavy duty Milenko wheel clamps as well as Hitch Lock and Ball not too mention the van is alarmed all in compliance with our CC Insurance.
Finally, for the comments on why bother leaving your house if we take that many home comforts, the answer is simple. We bought the Caravan to get away from where we live and enjoy the rural coast lines of the UK instead of the urban sprawl and noisy neighbours etc that we have to put up with for the other 10 months of the year.
Thanks anyway all who have commented and indeed your cautions on the weight issue may well help others new to Caravanning that maybe had not thought about things as intensely as we did before committing to purchase.
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It was the Norm many years ago with our previous 2 caravans, and the smell the gas lights made
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After a number of years caravaning we have a garage full of caravan "must have" stuff that we have bought, been given but no longer use, its much more relaxing to keep it simple and as the Scouts say apart from a first aid kit and in our case spare wheel & jack etc "if you did not use it don't pack it next time"
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good post, nowhere did you mention that al your 'stuff' was going in the van....i guessed you had a robust towcar doubling as your load carrier.
nice to see some different takes on 'vanning' and for someone to have thoroughly done their weight research prior to purchase rather thsn the other way round....
enjoy...
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Good post, LJ. Thanks for coming back.
I would just say that not all small rural shops are out to rip you off. The owners need to make a living and so often it costs them more than you'd think to get supplies and run their businesses. For instance, transport costs to Cornwall are going to add to costs, and water rates alone are sky high down here. The businesses provide a service to tourists, as well as locals, and it's a case of use it or lose it. People who boycott local businesses when away could be said to be failing to give something back to the very areas they wish to enjoy.
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True, Husky, and sometimes visitors with certain attitudes wonder why they're not made overly welcome. A bit of give and take doesn't go amiss.
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I think this thread may well have stumbled upon the difference between a Motor Caravan, which has existed for decades and is used for touring, and a new styled Motorhome, which contains a close approximation to everything that one might have in one's home.
So there you are Grenville - you now know what the new generation is going to be like!
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LJ you don't have to explain/clarify to people on here just enjoy what you do and have fun
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And finally....
I started this thread in the "New to Caravanning" section to share ideas and experiences with people like ourselves who are still massively excited about the whole adventure side of it all. I'm the sad type who loves the preparation involved and writes lists out for loading and equipment etc. However, just because we are new to it all, does not mean that we have just left school! Of course we have wing mirror extensions as it is a legal requirement that goes without saying....so I didn't say it.
If I had known that there was this much negativity I wouldn't have bothered with the post at all. We were warned that by joining the Caravan Club you can find yourselves being judged by the Caravanning Elite and the sad fact is, we only joined so we could get the most comprehensive insurance out there and you had to be a member to get the Green Flag Mayday cover if your van is super-sized or above a certain weight. The truth of the matter is, most CC Club Sites are quite expensive. We prefer CL's personally but you don't have to be a member at all to go Caravanning. As for the comments on putting something back into the community where you travel too, I think paying £30.00 per night for 14 days is pretty much lining someone’s pockets out of mine. We don't actually carry 14 days worth of rations and booze, just enough to keep the overall cost of the holiday within our hard pressed budget then we re-supply on location just like anyone else. Not everyone is a retired blue chip worker.
Thanks to all your comments though all the same especially those who haven't dampened our enthusiasm before we've even got started.
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