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[Misc] Campervan thingie - help pls!



Goldstone1976

Goldstone1976

We Got Calde in!!
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patron
Apr 30, 2013
13,791
Herts
We have just had an addition to the family and my partner mentioned that she'd quite like to buy a camper van/mobile home (not a caravan) so that we can do long weekends/a week (or maybe 2?) in the UK and near continent with the little one, instead of braving airports and planes with a screaming child. Like an idiot, I said "yes, that sounds like a good idea" - As mitigation, I have only the fact that the perpetual extreme tiredness has fuddled my rationality.

One small problem. I know nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing about said vehicles. Thinking about the various things I need to research: how the f do I get power to it? how do we cook? how do we shower? what the f do I do with shit and piss? what facilities do I look for on a site that we might visit? is it legal to just park it anywhere? which models are reliable? As I said I know nothing about any of this. The only thing I do know is that it'll need to sleep 3, in two beds (and for a couple of years, it'll need to be able to sleep a baby/toddler).

I'm sure that some of you do know stuff. Any tips welcome...
 






Horses Arse

Horses Arse

Well-known member
Jun 25, 2004
4,571
here and there
Goldstone1976 said:
We have just had an addition to the family and my partner mentioned that she'd quite like to buy a camper van/mobile home (not a caravan) so that we can do long weekends/a week (or maybe 2?) in the UK and near continent with the little one, instead of braving airports and planes with a screaming child. Like an idiot, I said "yes, that sounds like a good idea" - As mitigation, I have only the fact that the perpetual extreme tiredness has fuddled my rationality.

One small problem. I know nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing about said vehicles. Thinking about the various things I need to research: how the f do I get power to it? how do we cook? how do we shower? what the f do I do with shit and piss? what facilities do I look for on a site that we might visit? is it legal to just park it anywhere? which models are reliable? As I said I know nothing about any of this. The only thing I do know is that it'll need to sleep 3, in two beds (and for a couple of years, it'll need to be able to sleep a baby/toddler).

I'm sure that some of you do know stuff. Any tips welcome...
Click to expand...
They cost a fortune!!
 




Eric the meek

Eric the meek

Fiveways Wilf
NSC Patron
Aug 24, 2020
5,347
Might be a worth doing a bit of research as they vary enormously in size, features, cost etc. A VW camper with a porta-potty or a Hymer A-class with bathroom, oven, fridge freezer, fixed bed and garage*?

Might be worth thinking of futureproofing if you're planning more junior moderators.
* You'll need to learn the lingo as well. Good luck.
 








B-right-on

B-right-on

Living the dream
Apr 23, 2015
6,196
Shoreham Beaaaach
My daughter and son in law just sold theirs a few weks ago. They spent a couple of years doing it all themselves after buying a LWB Mercedes sprinter, kept them pretty sane during lockdown.

Howver they sold it because they have had a little one (just turned 2) and its really hard to get legal seats with a toddler in. They didnt want to sell t but they said it was really impractical for a toddler.

Cooking was a calor gas cooker. mini fridge, TV, lights etc.. went off extra battery and solar installed to charge it. Was a very small loo and shower as a last min thing but they mainly did camp sites where they had the elec hook up and onsite wash facilities. Pretty much like a caravan (with a motor and steering).
 






ditchy

ditchy

a man with a sound track record as a source of qua
Jul 8, 2003
5,209
brighton
Hi Goldstone , I bought a motorhome just over a year ago , its fun but there are the odd pitfall . If you want to PM me i will gladly tell you of my experiences , and still learning
 






Horses Arse

Horses Arse

Well-known member
Jun 25, 2004
4,571
here and there
Goldstone1976 said:
Now that doesn't surprise me. That's what lay behind my immediate regret at having said I thought it was a good idea...!
Click to expand...
I've always wanted one but the cost and what I perceive to be unsuitability for day to day use put me off. Couldn't justify one of them plus a car. I looked at older/cheaper ones but with more and more cities bringin in restrictions to non Euro6 emission cars it could be problematic. Also when you've 'camped' up, if you want to travel anywhere then what do you do? Presume the awning/tenty thing on the front can be left behind but quite a ballache I'd imagine.

I've stuck to a car and a tent, lots more space for little ones to move around than in a camper van. It seems most folk have tents with their camper van anyway, using the van for stop-overs and for cooking (and shitting!).
 








S

Springal

Well-known member
Feb 12, 2005
23,886
GOSBTS
Would a caravan not be more practical ? Except looking like a palace fan.

My parents keep toying with a camper can idea now retired, but the fact the campervan is also your vehicle when away and how inconvenient that might be has stopped them. Where as a caravan is a bit more park and leave it and still have a car to go out with.

No actual idea / experience I might add
 


Papa Lazarou

Papa Lazarou

Living in a De Zerbi wonderland
Jul 7, 2003
18,873
Worthing
We currently have a campervan based upon a Vauxhall Vivaro LBW, and as a kid I travelled in many different configurations.

Our van had a 'pop top' with space for 2 to sleep in the roof, and a rock and roll bed below.

Generally vans of this style have:

kitchenette along 1 side, with 2 gas rings, a small sink with pumped cold water and a small condensing fridge.

Eating, as I said you will generally have 2 gas rings to cook on, and a fridge to store some food (not a lot).

In ours the only toilet is a potable one like this: Amazon product

It's not ideal for 'solids' and we tend to keep it in the awning once we're parked.

Showering - we don't have a shower.

From your classic campervan style (VW etc) which are usually of this sort of configuration.

With our van we have an inflatable drive away awning, which sleeps 2, which we use now the kids are bigger.

This is our van.

van.PNG


For power we are able to plug in to power on site, via a provided cable; the van has a power management unit, that also powers a leisure battery from the alternator and the 'shore power' when plugged in.

On our van I have upgraded with solar panels, and MPPT controller, and inverter to run mains power from solar.

We're running a 12v system on a self built 280ah battery, with 300w of solar on the roof. This means that running the internal 12v systems (lighting, water pump, Fridge) in the summer we have excess power and can pretty much camp off grid 100% of the time. We even power phones, laptops and another cooler during the day when the battery reaches max capacity.

Lots of vans come with solar now, but they often only stick a single 100w panel on, and a 100ah lead acid battery. I'd definitely recommend going for more power and a better battery (ours are Lithium Iron Phosphate, or LifePo4), which is a much safer chemistry than Lithium Ion.

solar van.PNG


If you want more you need to move up to a sightly larger van, like this:

longer.jpg


After that you get into Coachbuilt motorhomes, which are bigger, more luxurious and have better facilities at a price.

We've taken our van all the way down to the South of France and around the UK. It was lovely when the kids were young and we still use it these days, with the addition of the awning.
 








Goldstone1976

Goldstone1976

We Got Calde in!!
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patron
Apr 30, 2013
13,791
Herts
Papa Lazarou said:
We currently have a campervan based upon a Vauxhall Vivaro LBW, and as a kid I travelled in many different configurations.

Our van had a 'pop top' with space for 2 to sleep in the roof, and a rock and roll bed below.

Generally vans of this style have:

kitchenette along 1 side, with 2 gas rings, a small sink with pumped cold water and a small condensing fridge.

Eating, as I said you will generally have 2 gas rings to cook on, and a fridge to store some food (not a lot).

In ours the only toilet is a potable one like this: Amazon product

It's not ideal for 'solids' and we tend to keep it in the awning once we're parked.

Showering - we don't have a shower.

From your classic campervan style (VW etc) which are usually of this sort of configuration.

With our van we have an inflatable drive away awning, which sleeps 2, which we use now the kids are bigger.

This is our van.

View attachment 162239

For power we are able to plug in to power on site, via a provided cable; the van has a power management unit, that also powers a leisure battery from the alternator and the 'shore power' when plugged in.

On our van I have upgraded with solar panels, and MPPT controller, and inverter to run mains power from solar.

We're running a 12v system on a self built 280ah battery, with 300w of solar on the roof. This means that running the internal 12v systems (lighting, water pump, Fridge) in the summer we have excess power and can pretty much camp off grid 100% of the time. We even power phones, laptops and another cooler during the day when the battery reaches max capacity.

Lots of vans come with solar now, but they often only stick a single 100w panel on, and a 100ah lead acid battery. I'd definitely recommend going for more power and a better battery (ours are Lithium Iron Phosphate, or LifePo4), which is a much safer chemistry than Lithium Ion.

View attachment 162240

If you want more you need to move up to a sightly larger van, like this:

View attachment 162238

After that you get into Coachbuilt motorhomes, which are bigger, more luxurious and have better facilities at a price.

We've taken our van all the way down to the South of France and around the UK. It was lovely when the kids were young and we still use it these days, with the addition of the awning.
Click to expand...

Cheers - a lot to go do some research about. :)
 




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