Camper Vans are an economical way to have a self catering holiday on the move. They are vehicles which provide transport and sleeping space. They can be known as motor homes, motor caravans or campers. My friend was recently dating a man who ran a motor home business and she seemed to think it was hilarious. I reckon this is because she saw it as a peculiar business for a young man to own. This would seem to indicate that camper vans have a reputation for being the possessions of the more senior members of society. However, with the economy in a state of meltdown at the moment, people are looking for a way to get a break without breaking the bank. The good old camper van could be the answer to all of our dreams.

Who needs a hotel? Or a cottage? You can have both!

I have a young family and I would definitely consider using one as it is so convenient. You can stop and start your journey whenever you please. However, I would make sure that there is more than one driver – there is nothing worse than being the one stuck driving while everyone else is kicking back with their feet up. If the kids are tired they can just go to bed because bed is right there. Unfortunately, if your husband is snoring as mine tends to do, there is no escaping it. There is also no room service or digital television and you are your own maid service. A small camper van inhabited by two or more people can become very messy and rather smelly too in a very short period of time I would imagine. Do you really want to spend your holiday cleaning up?
It is typical for camper vans to have a pop-up roof to be used during camping or a fixed high-top roof. They usually have small kitchen areas with either a gas or electric refrigerator and a gas burner hob and grill. Lighting is dual voltage which means that it can work from a dedicated battery, also known as the leisure battery, or from AC power which is often available, for a small fee, at campsites via hook-up cables.

Campsites are in some lovely places

For those who cannot afford to purchase their own camper van, it has become popular to either hire or convert transit vans, or other general use vans, into camper vans and there are many books and websites dedicated to the topic. What satisfaction, when the arduous task is complete, to know you are touring the country or indeed further afield in Europe in a camper built with your own fair hands? I’m not saying that I would attempt it, as it is far too much like hard work for me and I am really not proficient at DIY (I’d rather go for the soft hire option), but I am in awe of people who can carry out a project like this and succeed at it.

Fancy a do-er-uper?

If I was to own a camper van, my dream would be to have an iconic Volkswagen one in one of a number of fabulous colours. Apparently they have nicknames depending on their age and model. A ‘splitty’ has a split windscreen, a ‘bay’ has a bay framed windscreen and a ‘bricky’ is a brick shaped van. Volkswagen camper van enthusiasts are like a family and there are several events and organisations dedicated to their membership of this exclusive club.

Probably the most lusted after camper van…

Simon Elliot, Director of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, says: “In March we saw around a 25 per cent increase in enquiries for brochures for our California camper van and Caravelle people carrier, so it seems the freedom and carefree spirit that made Volkswagen vans iconic in the 60s is back.”

Modern camper van amenities tend to include a microwave, a water heater and one or more beds which double as daytime seating. I have this romantic notion of families driving about singing the kind of songs that we would sing on school trips when I was younger, or playing I Spy. Then making a stop and building a campfire and heating beans and toasting marshmallows while all huddling together and telling stories. Afterwards perhaps we would spend some time inside the van playing some good old-fashioned board games. Why should this be a romantic notion? This type of holiday means spending real, quality time together as a family or a group of friends. Apparently nine out of ten people asked in a recent survey agree with me.

They’re like palaces inside!

Queen of the travel shows Amanda Lamb said recently: “In these unusual times, people’s habits are changing. They want to pack up their loved ones and throw themselves into the thrill of road trips rather than being tied to a beach.”

Of course the weather is a factor, especially when you are holidaying within the United Kingdom, but only 20 per cent of people surveyed said that rain might stop them from having fun. Twenty per cent of people will be packing wellies and thirty three per cent will be packing an umbrella. Well, you need to be prepared. However, four out of five people will be packing sunglasses. We are nothing if not optimistic.

Rain? Pah!

The freedom of the open road is very tempting to people. They are not tied to being in a certain place at a certain time as with a package holiday. Instead, with finances being tighter for most people, they are just setting off without a planned route and much of the excitement is from seeing where they end up. It is also a chance for spontaneity when life is usually so planned and full of routine. Self-catering holidays are so popular because people don’t want to be tied to eating in the same place and doing the same things every day. The camper van just takes it one step further. Britain is a wonderful country to tour but the rest of Europe is also so easily accessible. Once you return from your first camper van trip, you will be busy planning your next one and the next and the next.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 9:15 am and is filed under Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.