I know nothing

[Dezi]

Hi, Two threads yesterday caught my attention. Zipnolans tour of Germany complete with pics of his Van “very nice” & Phil’s 10 essentials to take with you. The two threads got me thinking - bad sign at my age.

Zipnolans van, for example had a large garage type store in the rear + a top box + a back box, & this is not unusual.
At the York show I actually saw an American 32 ft motorhome, complete with double floor, rear garage & 4 large top boxes which amazed me ( I am easily amazed these days.)
I have long puzzled over what exactly it is that you good folk carry around with you in all those top boxes, back boxes, etc etc. You cannot all be full timers.

I drive a panel van with no extra storage & spent up to two months away at any one time, but even when transporting lots of goodies to my niece in Italy we never use up all of our storage.

So my question is :- What am I missing out on, what am I failing to fit into my van / life, what is going on that I don’t know about ? Please tell.

Dezi

 

[maingate]

You have not been quite truthful Lord Dezi.

You also have a 44 ton artic following you everywhere. it carries things like your champagne flutes, whisky decanters, full (silver) dinner service etc. Not to mention your Butler, housemaid, cook and gardener.

Oh how the other half live.

On the other hand, Old arthur just knocked some 6" nails into the side of his van to hang his Netto carrier bags on. Simples.

 

[zipnolan]

I am now ready to release to the world what I have in my top/rear box , here goes ....

Top box (only in summer) carry's a large folding gazeebo for extra shade and chilly evenings.

Back box is a thermally insulated coolbox (from Costco) that carries blocks of ice and cold beer (ice lasts upto a week even in very hot weather) but in winter becomes a laundry basket and muddy boot carrier to give extra space inside the van. Easily washerable with the power washer on our return - this box is very, very good, made by "Igloo" as said before - from Costco (approx £60) and buch better (in my view) than a more expensive Fiamma back box (that can't hold ice).

 

[Dezi]

I am now ready to release to the world what I have in my top/rear box , here goes ....

Top box (only in summer) carry's a large folding gazeebo for extra shade and chilly evenings.

Back box is a thermally insulated coolbox (from Costco) that carries blocks of ice and cold beer (ice lasts upto a week even in very hot weather) but in winter becomes a laundry basket and muddy boot carrier to give extra space inside the van. Easily washerable with the power washer on our return - this box is very, very good, made by "Igloo" as said before - from Costco (approx £60) and buch better (in my view) than a more expensive Fiamma back box (that can't hold ice).

Thank you young Zipnolan, You are obviously a gentleman & scholar, unlike that

northern miscreant who replied earlier.

Are a Southerner by any chance ?

Dezi

 

[Deleted member 3802]

On the other hand, Old arthur just knocked some 6" nails into the side of his van to hang his Netto carrier bags on. Simples.

back of van you fool they'ed get blown off the side and have you seen the price of placky bags in netto's??
wonder wot desmond pays in hemmaroids for his

 

[Dezi]

Infamy, infamy, you've all got it in for me.

Can you bunch of Numpties cut out the banter & kindly tell me what the hell you are carting around with you in these boxes.

Its keeping me awake up at nights worrying about it.

Dezi

 

[Deleted member 8180]

Ramps, folding table, 2 lafuma chairs, 2 hammocks, 15' inflatable canoe (+paddles, bouyancy aids etc), Kite buggy & kites, books, wind turbine (sometimes) and the rest of the space is full of the dog's stuff...

 

[milton]

Back box is a thermally insulated coolbox (from Costco) that carries blocks of ice and cold beer (ice lasts upto a week even in very hot weather) but in winter becomes a laundry basket and muddy boot carrier to give extra space inside the van. Easily washerable with the power washer on our return - this box is very, very good, made by "Igloo" as said before - from Costco (approx £60) and buch better (in my view) than a more expensive Fiamma back box (that can't hold ice).[/QUOTE]

I love this idea! As a first van owner, yet to make our first trip, we have a sparkling new bike rack which I hoped to get a luggage box for, but then I saw the price of said box offered by Fiamma. No chance. I think a trip to Costco is in order - how exactly do you attach it to the rack, so I don't just make loads of unnecessary holes in it, and roughly what size is it please?

Gillian (half of Milton's crew)

 

[maingate]

Well Dexy, if you want a serious answer here goes.

We have no boxes apart from the one for biscuits. I bought a van with plenty of storage space inside the vehicle. In fact, there is still plenty of room for more junk (if I wanted to tote it about with me). Even my solar panel is housed indoors, you cannot be too careful with these thieving Donny rough types with m/homes.

 

[Deleted member 3802]

we leave home with our's empty and fillem up on our travels

 

[zipnolan]

2 ratchet straps secure it nicely to the bike rack and the size is about 5 foot in length but there are various sizes. Also makes a good seat when lifted to the ground, mine also has small access door on the top to get at the beers when its secured on the bike rack.
As said before we often fill margarine tubs with water then freeze them (5 in total) place them in the box and eh presto ! cold beer all week.

 

[Dezi]

Hi, I think that I now have the answer to Phils question “ten most important things to carry in the van for wildcamping”.
For most people it appears the first 2/3/4 items are top boxes, & in the case of young Zippy above it seems that he even has one is dedicated to carry blocks of ice to Germany in the winter. Even when the front of his van has glacial stalactites hanging from the front cowling!!!

Most folk suffering from top box fixation problems can be helped with a bit of gentle counselling - £75 per session in my garage, but Zippy lad I fear you are beyond all help.

Dez

 

[David & Ann]

I have 2 boxes on my motor bike rack. Each box has a 13.5Kg gas bottle. in addition to the 2 bottles in the Gas compartment (total 4) I have our Tow rope, Ramps, Engine oil, Jump leads and tools plus other items that will fit. That gives me the space to use the outside storage spaces for other things like table & chairs and extra room for food storage.

 

[solan]

your a man so you don't understand...give me a box and i'll fill it lol

 

[zipnolan]

well if you go to Germany on a regular basis you'll know the delights of "Asbach" brandy which needs plenty of ice !

In winter the box is converted to a dirty, smelly laundry box which saves embarrassment when the border patrol chappies enter the van at Dunkirk or Calias in the search for stowaways.
Another tip is : put a large bucket with lid (10ltr) on the bike rack secure it, fill with warm water, soap powder, 1 or 2 hand sized round stones and put your dirty nick-nacks, socks, T shirts etc and by the time you reach the next location .. Presto ! clean gruds.

 

[milton]

Another tip is : put a large bucket with lid (10ltr) on the bike rack secure it, fill with warm water, soap powder, 1 or 2 hand sized round stones and put your dirty nick-nacks, socks, T shirts etc and by the time you reach the next location .. Presto ! clean gruds.

Yes we discovered that one on a camping tour: a bucket of washing on the roof of a landrover is soon done! All the better if the roads are bumpy.

 

[GregM]

We are a family of five and have just a roof box, for the first few months we never used it, getting up to it is a pain in the back side. We then decided to put the awning (sides and front) in there as we never use it and have no where to store it.

I must admit a 24ft 6 berth is not big enough for 5, we would love a garage but have to settle with moving foldable chairs and tables, water barrel, dirty laundry bag etc (list can go on) from the back of the van to either the front seats or under the van each time we park up, then move them back again when we move off.

If we had a garage we could stick the kids in there and everything would be fine