If you’re undecided about whether to buy a camper-van these six points will explain how life is better with a camper-van.
01 The world is your oyster (but watch out for height barriers)
If you thought getting your first car gave you a sense of freedom, wait until you get a camper-van. If you leave it packed with essentials you really can up-sticks at a moment’s notice and head out on to the open road for an adventure. And if needs must, you can stop just about anywhere too.
02 Drive in and you’re set
Camping with a campervan is so much easier than camping with a tent. For a start you don’t have to hunt around the campsite looking for a decent spot that isn’t covered in lumps and bumps that will give you back pain in the middle of the night. There’s also no complicated erection process, at worst it’s just a case of popping the roof up and maybe putting an awning together to give you extra space - like a huge porch.
03 You can stand-up
Most campervans have a roof that pops up to allow you to stand-up when you’re inside. That’s so much nicer than having to crawl around in a pokey tent. And if you’re using it as a base for sports like surfing or triathlon, you’ll find it much easier to get changed when you can actually stand-up properly.
04 You’re dry even if there’s torrential rain
Even a great tent can’t keep you dry if it’s raining when you crawl in because the groundsheet is wet from the outset. And unless you’ve got a huge family model, there’s nowhere to change out of your soggy clothes without getting everything damp.
Then if it continues to rain once you’re inside you’ve got to be careful about touching the walls and making them leak. There’s none of that trouble with a camper-van. Just it’s essential a waterproof box made of metal and glass and the beds are usually raised from the floor so you bedding doesn’t get wet even if you walk the rain in.
If you’re flash and have an awning you’ve got the perfect area to hang damp clothes while you stay nice and dry inside the van. But if you don’t have an awning you can always put wet clothes on the front seats.
05 Coffee and toast whenever you fancy it
Equipping your campervan with mod-cons like a gas stove (and grill) and a fridge can save you a small fortune in eating costs at festivals, on holiday and trips away - or even if you just fancy a short break not too far from home. A late night cup of tea or an early-morning fried breakfast are on the cards.
06 You feel safe
The solid sides and lockable doors of a campervan make you feel so much safer than the nylon walls and zips of a tent. It also means that your belongings are safer too, so there’s less need to carry absolutely everything with you when you leave the campsite.
Also, passing foxes (or bears/wolves) can’t chew their way into your abode and eat all your provisions/toothpaste/soap.
07 The kids can take all their stuff
Kids have a different perception of essentials and it doesn’t matter how many times you explain to them that they can only take a suitcase full of stuff, they always want to take their bike, scooter, bodyboard and soccer ball, etc on holiday. Well there’s loads of room in a campervan so they can take just about anything they can think of.
Of course all that space can be useful when you’re not on holiday too. Bikes usually fit in easily enabling you to expand your cycling range without fear of a bike rack falling off the back of your car at high speed. And if you need to get a few lengths of skirting board from the DIY store, you’ve got the perfect means of transporting them home.
