What did you start off with ???

herbenny

Guest
As stated before in previous posts we woke up one day and decided on impulse that we would go and buy ourselves a campervan:banana::banana:,it really was that simple. We can honestly say its been the best thing we could of done. In the short time we have had it we have come to love everything about being away from home and getting some real quality time together:rockroll: not always easy when you work all the hours god sends. To be honest we have never had much money, but we did have little put by for a rainy day and just blew it on our renault trafic. I love its quirkiness, its very retro, quite reliable but its also very basic and I cant help hoping that maybe one day I may have something a little bit more luxurious, a shower would be lovely oh and I would kill for a decent bed:sad: Its true what they say beggers cant be choosers and I am really happy with what we have got (its not much but its ours), but it would be nice to go a little more upmarket in the future.

Just wondering what your first campervan/motorhome was ??????

Jac ;)
 
My first campervan was a 96 Mazda Bongo which I brought from Wellhouse leisure in 2004, I part exchanged it in 2006 for a 2005 Auto sleeper Gatcombe coach built, I part exchanged that for a 2008 Trigano Tribute in 2008 and in 2011 I part exchanged that for our present 2011 Auto Roller 100 with fixed bed.
I also yearned for a motorhome for years and I also love the lifestyle
John
 
Our first 'camper' was a vauxhall midi with home built bed in the back. We had this for 10 years before we splashed out on an autosleeper trooper. This was followed by another trooper (bigger engine and aircon). We eventually were seduced by the fixed bed and shower in our current Knaus.
 
A good sleeping bag, plastic sheet, change of clothes and a trusty thumb.
 
maingate said:
A good sleeping bag, plastic sheet, change of clothes and a trusty thumb.
Click to expand...

weekend dossers they called us as we invaded scarboro,cleggy and skeggy:baby:
those were the days my friends we thought they'd never end (what did they call her??was she welsh??oldtimers thingy
 
i've already shown my first camper,the morris minor, but our first family camping was done on a motorbike and sidecar,a bsa a10 i built from bits and a homemade sidecar,with a mouldy scout tent from a junkshop and plastic sheeting,we were very skint. had great times on that,going offroad in the brecons,totally brainless and irresponsible with 2 kids.didn't think in terms of wild camping so much as couldn't even consider campsite prices!
 
Old_Arthur said:
weekend dossers they called us as we invaded scarboro,cleggy and skeggy:baby:
those were the days my friends we thought they'd never end (what did they call her??was she welsh??oldtimers thingy
Click to expand...

mary hopkins old chap,extremely welsh
 
I suppose my first 'camper' was a Morris Minor 1000 van, many many years ago with a sleeping bag in the back when I was young and single, can still remember 'camping' on the beach at Loch Lomond.

Peter
 
Mine was a morris minor van as well, ex electricity board van then moved up to a Austin maxi.
Happy days

Rob
 
Ummmm.... Seat 133 at age 19 followed by a tent - Citroen 2CV - Fiat Panda - Seat Marbella Fun - Renault Kangoo panel van - Kangoo Roo - Renault Kangoo panel van and now a Romahome (my first 'posh' motorhome).
 
We camped when I was kid in a transit van and trailer tent, then as I grew up took a tent and hitched around with my now husband then when our family came along we had our own frame tent, trailer tent then moved up to transit 14 seat minibus stripped down to 7seats(because we couldnt afford a 6 berth van) when we were with the family we put a tent up alongside, when it was just the two of us we chucked a mattress in the back.
Weve always dreamed of converting our own van and had some savings but when we had to take all six of us to a family wedding in France three years ago the cost of either flying us all to Brittany and hiring a people carrier then paying hotel bills or taking the transit over on the ferry and still sorting hotels proved to be very expensive so rather than spending all my savings on one trip we looked into buying a van. We were very lucky, it coincided with the stock market crash in 2008, and found a dealer who seamed to have a few older vans on ebay at 3 or 4 thousand cheaper than on their forecourt, we were the only ones bidding and we got a five berth Hymer at a bargain price:cool1:
The strange thing is although we love our Hymer and it is pretty much perfect for us we both still have white van envy and fancy getting a sprinter to convert just for us when the kids have left and we dont need as many seatbelts in the back.
 
started off in tents and motorcycles (and in a weird way miss it)

bike went when married, 22 years later, end of the road, bought my ci euro and buggeed off,

i always fancied and still do an autotrail apache on merc running gear .

if i have one regret(well two) sharin the experience and command of English to write about my travels.

channa
 
Like many... I started with a bike and a tent, whilst serving in Cyprus we had the Subaru (seats folded flat for the bed) then a car and caravan, followed by van and 'van, then tried the VW and 9 berth tent then just the VW van, but no where near enough room so opted for the current motorhome.:D
GL 1000 1980 Nienburg.JPG Subaru 4X4.JPG VW n Bermuda small.jpg IMG_1016.jpg IMG_1008.jpg

Still hanging onto the bike/tent concept, and also still have our 9 berth tent which we have used (not many times) when we had the VW.
 
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Its been great reading all your stories and seeing your photos........thanks guys.;) Its made me realise thats its not how posh or plush your morothome/campervan is ...its what you make of it and what your get from it that matters. We certainly have loads of laughs:lol-061: in ours especially when late at night and trying to put a bed together ten sheets to the wind ( I mean extrememly pi**ed ) and the gear stick nearly goes places it really shouldnt !!!!..:eek::rolleyes2:...........Oh well like I said I am happy with what we have but I can still dream :D


Jac x
 
2nd hand toyota van, took the legs off a piece of 1970s G plan furniture ( class will always out) screwed a two burner stove to the top, fitted a sink & bought a roll up mattress.

This according to insurers Jardine Faber made it a camper van & entitled me to motorhome insurance - half of what I had been paying just for a toyota van. Simples.

Travelled all over Europe in it while we made up our minds whether to buy the proper thing.

Dezi :pc:
 
In 1968 it was a BSA B33 with sidecar chassis and a "Coffin" for storing tents, in 1969 when I passed my car test it was a 1950's Ford Thames caravanette, 3 speed column change where you guessed roughly where the gears were.

Then Caravans x3, lived in them while working around the UK.

A yacht (floating motorhome)

Plus various tents for families, backpacking around India & Middle east. Large tarpaulin when working in Oman and travelling around (well worth a visit, equals with Jordan for TRUE friendliness)

Now an 11yr Swift Kontiki, best of the bunch, has and does everything we want.
 
Bigpeetee said:
In 1968 it was a BSA B33 with sidecar chassis and a "Coffin" for storing tents, in 1969 when I passed my car test it was a 1950's Ford Thames caravanette, 3 speed column change where you guessed roughly where the gears were.

Then Caravans x3, lived in them while working around the UK.

A yacht (floating motorhome)

Plus various tents for families, backpacking around India & Middle east. Large tarpaulin when working in Oman and travelling around (well worth a visit, equals with Jordan for TRUE friendliness)

Now an 11yr Swift Kontiki, best of the bunch, has and does everything we want.
Click to expand...


I also spent a few nights camping out while working in Oman. The best Middle East country that I worked in.
 
Started off in tents many years ago then went to caravans and finally got our first camper a few years ago - a brilliant Bedford Bambi. Although we loved the Bambi she really was too small for us and our teenage Daughter.

Next came a very old rusty and leaky Talbot Dreamliner which we lovingly restored and sold on. We then had a Swift Royale which again leaked badly so finally we decided to splash out on our current Autocruise Stargazer which we absolutely love.

We spend at least one weekend away every month during the Winter and most weekends in the summer and can't wait to retire (early) in a few years time, let the house out and go full time.:)
 
The only one I have actually owned is what we have now which is a Swift Kontiki 6 berth.

However

I have been camping (of sorts) all my life which includes

Tents
Park Bench
JCB Bucket
Beach
Bus Shelter
Commer Caravanette (1967, The Beast. See blog, early years)
VW Campers
On water if it counts. Sports Motor Cruiser (boat from when I thought I was Richard Branson)
Swift Kontiki

I dont do the open air stuff like park benches anymore but would willingly chop of my arm for another boys adventure in the old campers (VWs, tents and commers etc). Sadly there are not many of us left that can afford time or get passes to do these sort of things. Happy days.
 
like so many I also started in tents,
moved onto caravans,
then onto campers Bedford CF poptop, oh happy days,
back to caravans, then back to campers, what was I thinking,,,,,,,,,,
VW poptop,
Bedford CF coach built,
and lastly our talbot swift kon-tiki six berth just enough room for the two of us.
 
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