Caravan or campervan / van conversion?
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I was camping out and living a very different life by age 7 as my step father was a different man from most, take him to the wild's and teach him there is other ways to be and live, it can put a spirit of strength and boldness in him, it did me. Parents are god's to children, take him camping and show him a sense of adventure.
Nice idea but 5 year old and mother have a different assessment of risks to me.
Think of it like that image of the son throwing his baby into the air. He sees the baby barely leaving his hands. Strangers see the baby leaving his hands by a risky but acceptable 2' gap. Mother sees baby being thrown 20' into the air!
The son is risk adverse a bit. Mind you, he's an absolute nutter on his bike. We bought him a bigger bike a week after getting the hang of riding. After 5 minutes learning the new bike (a bit too big for him too) he was riding it at speed while standing on the frame! He'll try anything on the bike but zero or less camping and he's not sure.
Mind you, we'd have to get the kit for him. Strictly 3 seasons kit at the moment. OK for me I have xl golite quilt and skinny enough to wear anything while using it. Down coat and warm pants and I'll sleep to way below in that.
So it seems arguments are preferred to anything else. If I took that option out would you choose other or campervan? No caravan fans here? I agree with that sentiment. Convert a van is my preference.
Think of it like that image of the son throwing his baby into the air. He sees the baby barely leaving his hands. Strangers see the baby leaving his hands by a risky but acceptable 2' gap. Mother sees baby being thrown 20' into the air!
The son is risk adverse a bit. Mind you, he's an absolute nutter on his bike. We bought him a bigger bike a week after getting the hang of riding. After 5 minutes learning the new bike (a bit too big for him too) he was riding it at speed while standing on the frame! He'll try anything on the bike but zero or less camping and he's not sure.
Mind you, we'd have to get the kit for him. Strictly 3 seasons kit at the moment. OK for me I have xl golite quilt and skinny enough to wear anything while using it. Down coat and warm pants and I'll sleep to way below in that.
So it seems arguments are preferred to anything else. If I took that option out would you choose other or campervan? No caravan fans here? I agree with that sentiment. Convert a van is my preference.
Arguments are preffered.......does seem that way round my house at times lol
Caravan is gonna be cheaper assuming you can tow/store it at no extra cost
Van will be dearer and probably have less space but far more versatile and you can drive it to places a car and caravan couldn't get....secluded areas in campsites for example
Caravan is gonna be cheaper assuming you can tow/store it at no extra cost
Van will be dearer and probably have less space but far more versatile and you can drive it to places a car and caravan couldn't get....secluded areas in campsites for example
Caravans and campervans are not really designed for winter conditions. The main problem isn't the cold, it's condensation. I have done a few frosty/snowy nights in our caravan. You end up burning a lot of gas (it has to be propane for winter), and you will still have running wet walls.
With some careful design you could winterise a van to take insulation and condensation into account, but I would still prefer a warm tent.
Could you convince the little boss and his attorney to go on a glamping adventure? Rent someone else's teepee with stove and all the luxuries for a weekend as an introduction? I am guessing that so long as he is warm, well fed and not bored then he will love it.
Z
With some careful design you could winterise a van to take insulation and condensation into account, but I would still prefer a warm tent.
Could you convince the little boss and his attorney to go on a glamping adventure? Rent someone else's teepee with stove and all the luxuries for a weekend as an introduction? I am guessing that so long as he is warm, well fed and not bored then he will love it.
Z
Not if last October was anything to go by. A wooden yurts with two wood burners, light, electricity, etc was ruled out straight away.
Still we got a cottage for less money than the wooden yurts and other things like pods and caravans (static). Bargains abound outside of normal holiday times.
Still we got a cottage for less money than the wooden yurts and other things like pods and caravans (static). Bargains abound outside of normal holiday times.
Not sure about the caravan not being good for winter. My parents used theirs in winter and cold weather without condensation issues. Mind you their motorhome has condensation issues despite it being a very good quality make (hobby or hymer I can't remember).
Mind you when we did camp in food weather this year and a few years ago condensation was a huge issue in the tent. We were caught out by weather a lot colder than forecasts both occasions. Plus snow or ice so thick it cracked off the flysheet like snow.
Mind you when we did camp in food weather this year and a few years ago condensation was a huge issue in the tent. We were caught out by weather a lot colder than forecasts both occasions. Plus snow or ice so thick it cracked off the flysheet like snow.
Don't argue. Just pose the following invitation: "I'm taking junior camping (fishing, hunting, canoeing, horseback riding, mountain climbing, etc.) this weekend. Would you like to go with us? I'll understand if you'd rather hang out with the girls."
The girls? She's a feminist! Woman not girl. She'd bite your head off of you called her a girl!
Academics don't argue they debate. I argue but I'm no longer an academic. Go figure.
Seriously though, at times I'm looking for a bit more comfort than a tent. Think a campervan is better but the other half likes caravans. Certainly a cheaper option. I'm not keen. If it's a choice between campervan, self converted van or caravan I'd like to think the first two options first but reckon campervan then caravan is the more practical option for us.
Just need the money for a nice looking airstream caravan. There's a dealer at Tebay where we pass by once a month. They're nice looking from the outside and inside they're well kitted out.
Seriously though, at times I'm looking for a bit more comfort than a tent. Think a campervan is better but the other half likes caravans. Certainly a cheaper option. I'm not keen. If it's a choice between campervan, self converted van or caravan I'd like to think the first two options first but reckon campervan then caravan is the more practical option for us.
Just need the money for a nice looking airstream caravan. There's a dealer at Tebay where we pass by once a month. They're nice looking from the outside and inside they're well kitted out.
We find the problem with winter living in our camper van is not the weather but the short days. Our VW seems awfully small for just the two of us and we spend a lot of time tucked up in our warm bed reading. It might be a bit hard on a 5 year old. When our two were small we tended to avoid the winter for family camps.
I used to take my two boys backpacking, leaving my wife at home. We all remember the time we were pinned down by a two day blizzard in the Peak District one Easter.
The OP does indicate that some compromise is in order. May I suggest that family life sometimes means having to subordinate personal plans temporarily. I well remember the frustration of not getting out on longer solo treks because of family responsibilities. But circumstances change, kids grow older and and we all adjust. I personally don't think confrontation is the answer. Give and take has worked best for us, but I have to admit to a few rows about personal freedom over the years. Joint decisions mean joint responsibility for success or failure and no one takes the whole blame - or credit!
Mothers worry: it's a fact of life. Our little boys are now 50 and 47. One earns his living flying the world sorting out international problems and the other grafts hard running his one-man business in rural Spain. Do you think she still worries about them? Too damn right she does!
I used to take my two boys backpacking, leaving my wife at home. We all remember the time we were pinned down by a two day blizzard in the Peak District one Easter.
The OP does indicate that some compromise is in order. May I suggest that family life sometimes means having to subordinate personal plans temporarily. I well remember the frustration of not getting out on longer solo treks because of family responsibilities. But circumstances change, kids grow older and and we all adjust. I personally don't think confrontation is the answer. Give and take has worked best for us, but I have to admit to a few rows about personal freedom over the years. Joint decisions mean joint responsibility for success or failure and no one takes the whole blame - or credit!
Mothers worry: it's a fact of life. Our little boys are now 50 and 47. One earns his living flying the world sorting out international problems and the other grafts hard running his one-man business in rural Spain. Do you think she still worries about them? Too damn right she does!
Condensation is only really a problem with gas in a caravan. You don't get any at all with electric heating......i realise thats not ideal either
Try hiring both for a (long) weekend and see how the boss - and his mum - get on with them. Not the same weekend, obvs.
All the better. Use those points to your advantage. Point out to her that as a feminist she should feel more comfortable indulging in what was once considered a man's recreation than "the girls." Don't forget to express (honestly) that you have every confidence in her ability to challenge her comfort zone and gain proficiency and that those traits were among the things that attracted you to her in the first place.
Remember, after all I did say, "pose it as an invitation."
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This is a very good post and is kind of where my thoughts are. Ever since jnr was born I've given up my old interests if they can't be done with a young child / baby / toddler. Walking has always been possible just not the 26 mile jaunts. As a baby jnr was in a carrier until walking. At that point he's wanted to be on foot. Mind you not all bad. At 3 he was doing 3 mile walks with a bit of me carrying him. It always impressed me the terrain he coped with from the earliest days of walking. He had the same attitude as me, you just get on with it. That attitude got me through challenge walks 50 miles long in 16 hours (not impressive but I'm not a runner or sportsman so it's good enough for me).
Campervan is something me and my partner like but the cold, dark nights in a cramped van isn't a good idea for my partner. For the reason you said. That's why my partner likes caravans. They have more room.
Current thinking is to get a caravan initially. Then replace the car with a campervan or small van conversion for longer days. Then add a towbar and keep the caravan for winter. A 4x4 van could cope with a caravan I guess. Anyone know?
I changed my vote in your poll. When I cast it originally I misunderstood the difference in terminology there vs here (Am I now correct in believing that "caravan" there refers to a small to medium camper trailer?)
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