Our £30 trailer tent
Discussion
We had a caravan a few years ago but that got vandalised while parked at work so for the last few years we have been holidaying staying on parks with static caravans
We had got a bit bored of this so this year we decided to stay in our tent. Then my surgery date came through and it was a week and a half before our holiday was booked for. This threw up a problem as we weren't sure if I would manage sleeping on the floor. Campsite wanted 3 times the cost of the holiday to change dates or change to a static caravan so we decided to see if we could find a cheap trailer tent or caravan.
Then on gumtree popped up a trailer tent with few details but it stated it was all there just hadn't been used for several years and crucially a price of £30.
I gave them a call to check the price and went to collect it that afternoon. I thought for that price even if the tent is knackered I can use it as a trailer!
Picked it up from a lovely old couple who had bought it on a whim but he had never been able to convince his wife to stay in it!
I towed it home and the next day had a good look at it. The tyres were knackered and even towing it the 30 or so miles home at a slow ish speed they had obviously overheated and started to delaminate so they were added to the list. A couple of holes were found in the canvas so a patching kit was ordered and a couple of the zips were found to be a bit weak so those doors were put out of use. I needed to sew up a couple of rips and we found a mouse had been in there at some point so the mattresses were thrown away and the inner bed tents had a couple of holes in them. The kitchen was cleaned up and gas bottle replaced. It came with a couple of 12v strip lights and a battery so I charged that and improved the wiring then it was a case of packing it and heading on holiday!
This is a picture of it set up on my front garden so it hasn't been tied down or tensioned properly and the extension piece has actually been put in backwards!
We have just got back from a week in North Wales and the trailer tent did a wonderful job! It stood up to Welsh wind and rain, although admittedly it was only mild weather! One of the poles I had to repair before we went turned out to be a bit short so had to make a temporary extension out of the random poles left in the bag.
So all in it probably owes us about £120 with the extra stuff we had to buy. It towed lovely, the family volvo barely even noticed it on the back!
We had got a bit bored of this so this year we decided to stay in our tent. Then my surgery date came through and it was a week and a half before our holiday was booked for. This threw up a problem as we weren't sure if I would manage sleeping on the floor. Campsite wanted 3 times the cost of the holiday to change dates or change to a static caravan so we decided to see if we could find a cheap trailer tent or caravan.
Then on gumtree popped up a trailer tent with few details but it stated it was all there just hadn't been used for several years and crucially a price of £30.
I gave them a call to check the price and went to collect it that afternoon. I thought for that price even if the tent is knackered I can use it as a trailer!
Picked it up from a lovely old couple who had bought it on a whim but he had never been able to convince his wife to stay in it!
I towed it home and the next day had a good look at it. The tyres were knackered and even towing it the 30 or so miles home at a slow ish speed they had obviously overheated and started to delaminate so they were added to the list. A couple of holes were found in the canvas so a patching kit was ordered and a couple of the zips were found to be a bit weak so those doors were put out of use. I needed to sew up a couple of rips and we found a mouse had been in there at some point so the mattresses were thrown away and the inner bed tents had a couple of holes in them. The kitchen was cleaned up and gas bottle replaced. It came with a couple of 12v strip lights and a battery so I charged that and improved the wiring then it was a case of packing it and heading on holiday!
This is a picture of it set up on my front garden so it hasn't been tied down or tensioned properly and the extension piece has actually been put in backwards!
We have just got back from a week in North Wales and the trailer tent did a wonderful job! It stood up to Welsh wind and rain, although admittedly it was only mild weather! One of the poles I had to repair before we went turned out to be a bit short so had to make a temporary extension out of the random poles left in the bag.
So all in it probably owes us about £120 with the extra stuff we had to buy. It towed lovely, the family volvo barely even noticed it on the back!
brilliant!At present we are between house moves so instead of renting a house we are living in our Motorhome which is brilliant.
However because we are on site a lot longer at various times than other campers we get to see all manner of various means of camping and I must say that out of everything that comes on the site the one thing that sticks out far above all else with its simplicity of what I consider to be all things minimal and easy anywhere is the Camping /Trailer Tent.
Some of them especially the new ones are amazing and huuuge and really luxurious, big benefits must include off site storage and costs especially if you are tight for room at your property afterwards because of the compact size, hardly any wind resistance when towing, value for money, very large selection, ferry costs anywhere.
Now if you are going to Oz then they have some spectacular ones for out there, really well made and kitted out.
If I was looking to start out in this camping holiday system then Camping Trailers would be the way I would go, another benefit as you get older is not a lot of weight to move around and ease also.
Enjoy, maybe see you in a field somewhere .
However because we are on site a lot longer at various times than other campers we get to see all manner of various means of camping and I must say that out of everything that comes on the site the one thing that sticks out far above all else with its simplicity of what I consider to be all things minimal and easy anywhere is the Camping /Trailer Tent.
Some of them especially the new ones are amazing and huuuge and really luxurious, big benefits must include off site storage and costs especially if you are tight for room at your property afterwards because of the compact size, hardly any wind resistance when towing, value for money, very large selection, ferry costs anywhere.
Now if you are going to Oz then they have some spectacular ones for out there, really well made and kitted out.
If I was looking to start out in this camping holiday system then Camping Trailers would be the way I would go, another benefit as you get older is not a lot of weight to move around and ease also.
Enjoy, maybe see you in a field somewhere .
what a bargain!
Is it a Conway? It looks the same colours as ours which we just picked up cheap. Im normally used to spending a god few hours putting our big tunnel tent up, plus awning so I'm looking forward to a much simpler job with the trailer tent.
We must be lucky as ours towed back flawlessly and on a lighter car than I intend to use it with. I need to clean the kitchen up, which removes so should be easy to achieve and then remove anything that doesn't need to be in there ready for the winter storage.
Is it a Conway? It looks the same colours as ours which we just picked up cheap. Im normally used to spending a god few hours putting our big tunnel tent up, plus awning so I'm looking forward to a much simpler job with the trailer tent.
We must be lucky as ours towed back flawlessly and on a lighter car than I intend to use it with. I need to clean the kitchen up, which removes so should be easy to achieve and then remove anything that doesn't need to be in there ready for the winter storage.
spats said:
what a bargain!
Is it a Conway? It looks the same colours as ours which we just picked up cheap. Im normally used to spending a god few hours putting our big tunnel tent up, plus awning so I'm looking forward to a much simpler job with the trailer tent.
We must be lucky as ours towed back flawlessly and on a lighter car than I intend to use it with. I need to clean the kitchen up, which removes so should be easy to achieve and then remove anything that doesn't need to be in there ready for the winter storage.
Less likely but is it an Erka?Is it a Conway? It looks the same colours as ours which we just picked up cheap. Im normally used to spending a god few hours putting our big tunnel tent up, plus awning so I'm looking forward to a much simpler job with the trailer tent.
We must be lucky as ours towed back flawlessly and on a lighter car than I intend to use it with. I need to clean the kitchen up, which removes so should be easy to achieve and then remove anything that doesn't need to be in there ready for the winter storage.
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