When do you stop camping?

Usually camp all year round, but sold motorhome 2 weeks ago and am pining for a new one, just haven't got the money together yet. Hard trying to find a decent van for £5k - anyone know of any good ones?
 
Aim to camp year-round but enthusiasm wanes when temperatures drop below -8. Days can then be spent trapped in the van scraping frozen condensation while waiting for the door hinges to thaw....
 
lotty said:
havn't tried winter wilding yet, if I can figure out the heating in the van (all our manuals are in German) :rolleyes2: then maybe we should keep going this year? (is it safe to sleep with the blown air heating on?)
Lotty
:cool1:
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we kept ours on in Scotland last year, its was -20 in the day so god knows what it dropped to in the night, we had to keep it on cos the first night was so bad and if you need to get up to the loo, oh my, its soooooo cold, i would invest in a CM detector tho, i have and feel much safer, i will have a look at your heating when i see you in October, we will suss it out together

Jen xx
 
we just carry on all year round it's our escape from reality,the weather cycle this last 2yrs as knocked us back a bit for a few more weeks at a time than usual,but last backend i fitted a Eberspacher diesel night heater and that made a big difference for us
 
Old_Arthur said:
we just carry on all year round it's our escape from reality,the weather cycle this last 2yrs as knocked us back a bit for a few more weeks at a time than usual,but last backend i fitted a Eberspacher diesel night heater and that made a big difference for us
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Where can I get one Arthur? And how much do they cost?
 
fleabay, prices vary, i spent a bit of time to study them on there until i dropped on the right one for me i finaly got a reconditioned unit and full kit for £200.99 (someone bought it and had never fitted it) was well happy:baby:
 
Old_Arthur said:
fleabay, prices vary, i spent a bit of time to study them on there until i dropped on the right one for me i finaly got a reconditioned unit and full kit for £200.99 (someone bought it and had never fitted it) was well happy:baby:
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Thank you sir....I will search right now.
 
In many ways, Phil, you are asking the wrong question - don't stop, just go somewhere warmer. In recent years, our winters (in places like Spain or north Africa) have provided much better weather than our summers in the UK. I realise that those people who are still unfortunately in the world of work would cheerfully strangle me at this point but view it as a retirement aim (if this government allows you to ever retire!). As for affordability, it is a lot cheaper to roam around in a motorhome than it is to live in a house with all its attendant costs - so, once you have acquired the van, you don't have to be rich to do it. Happy travels
 
I slept through a few days minus 10 to minus 20 in the van last Christmas. All but one time I was on electric hook up though, either on friend's drive or campsite so that doesn't count as wilding.

I think I'd need a proper gas heater and not my mirror panel stainless steel hob enclosure to wild full time off the grid.
 
I tend to agree with JH on the affordability reasoning. Speaking for myself, we holiday 6/7 months in the year. The house is shut down completely, hence saving on water charges, gas and electricity. Okay, I don't really save it on an account as I spend it holidaying. Point is, I am having fun, seeing places and not having to give it to overpriced suppliers.
 
I have been an all year round camper for about 24 years now, started with tents and a push bike, only short trips, normaly Leiceater to Inglemalls area when I got my motorcycle license going further afeild, stuck with tents when I got a car, have this year advanced to my self build conversion that I will be getting stuck back into in less than a week once I get back from working overseas, will up date you with pic's as I progress in the comming weeks.

Once you get it into your blood there is no stopping. The kids love it also not that they would have any say though, now they are getting older they have more input into where we go. A couple of years back we stopped in Darbyshire for the week end on our way back to Scotland and they were having snowball fights while I cooked breakfast on my trangia.

Squibby.
 
lotty said:
havn't tried winter wilding yet, if I can figure out the heating in the van (all our manuals are in German) :rolleyes2: then maybe we should keep going this year? (is it safe to sleep with the blown air heating on?)
Lotty
:cool1:
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I don't know what type of heater you have Lotty.
We have an Eberspacher D2 which uses diesel from the main tank. It is not possible for combustion gases to enter the vehicle and the circulated air is heated in a separate jacket .
This heater is designed for safe continuous use in campers boats and lorry cabs.
Have you tried to find instructions for yours on line in english?
 
Come on Phil what a daft question!

Isnt this the wildside? I thought everyone on here was dead hard. Ive heard that Maingate fella wilds up in Northumberland with the Windows open and no heating on in January. Mind you thats cos he's too tight to buy any gas.

365 for us although I feel I have to admit we are currently parked on a ACSI campsite on the Med. I supect I will now be banned for that. (the campsite not insulting Maingate)
 
Well not actually started yet! :( Off to our first night at the Highland Mini Meet in a couple of weeks.:cheers:
 
NEVER!!!!!!!

Like a few of you have already said, that only thing that stops us going away every weekend is sometimes lack of fuel money!
 
Work!

Try to camp every weekend we can around my 3 week shift rota. Was at a wedding at the Valley International Park near Lanark this weekend and a few of us went in campers and stayed in the car park. Toilets as well as the Sound of Bloody Music (literally both!) from 8 am in the morning which must have been a polite way of reminding us it was time to go.
 
John Thompson said:
We don't stop Phil

24/7/365 are our numbers. We will retreat to a couple of CLs we often use with hookup and one with free wifi this year, as we won't be heading south to Spain. It is time for Joans medical to retain the C1+E on her licence, then apply for her renewal in December. We then wait for DVLA to return it, so it looks like spring and summer abroard next year and an early return the following year for me to go through the process. This will then form a 3 year cycle for us from then on.
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You don't have to wait, do it now. I was in a similar position last year so asked DVLA if I could do it sooner and they sent me the forms. Got my medical done & applied 3 months early, so next time I can do it earlier & it won't clash with our trip South.

To the original post, we started in 2004 & haven't stopped since.
 
So far (we've had the van clsoe to 2 years) the only month we've not had a trip away is Februaury and thats is only down to work commitments.

Have van will travel and camp
 
Thanks keithhep

We have looked into it and DVLA will only accept a renewal 90 days before the due date and the medical have must been within a month of that application. Applications before this date will result in a new licence being issues with the original expiry date on it. The dates I quoted were for the earliest Joan can apply to renew her licence and DVLA will give no estimate of turnaround so once she has appled, we will have to wait until her licence is returned before we can set off. I have seen reports of renewals taking months to complete. We have also seen reports were people have put a note in with the application saying they were going abroard and they have had it back in 3 weeks but others saying post is left lying for 2 to 6 weeks or more at DVLA before it is opened. So i reckon it is a lottery as to when the licence will be returned.
 
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