Adventures in "Harry"
Discussion
Thought I'd post some of our adventures, starting with the most recent one last Weekend, perhaps to whet the appetite of anyone looking to take the plunge! Or even to persuade those who've packed up for the season to bring the vans out of Hibernation! 
We set off last Friday, in frankly atrocious weather, from West Essex to Kelling Heath, between Holt & Sheringham in North Norfolk. Not the best planning, since I had been working 14hr days at work leading up to going away and a late night reception on the Thursday meant there was no time really for packing, so we winged it a bit on the Friday morning, which resulted in us naturally forgetting a fair bit of stuff............thankfully for me, it was Mrs Spuff's winter coat and trekking trousers which were the main victims of the rush, which although made me feel relaxed to start with, the subsequent wrath of a woman fearing the cold, was definitely my problem by the time we arrived at site!!
The journey itself was a real mixed bag. Spuff Jnr decided to take the passenger seat next to me and spent the majority of the inital part of the journey telling me which way to go(!) and red being for stop and green for go (which was incredibly helpful!) but once we got on the M11, it was the weather which proved the challenge, rather than the co-driving!
Strong, gusting wind and a c. 3m high and 6.7m long motorhome are unpleasant combinations and on several occasions it felt like I was piloting a small plane into London City Airport more than taking a motorhome up the motorway. But once we got onto the A11, the weather calmed a little and we stopped for a spot of late breakfast/lunch just after Newmarket at a wonderful little Farm Shop "La Hogue" which we found on our last trip to Thetford. Fully fuelled with "Farmers Breakfast" (possibly one of the biggest, but best breakfasts I've eaten!), we were on our way northwards once more.
The weather further north was unexpectedly pleasant. Gone was the wind (to a large extent), certainly the rain stopped too and out came the sun, which bathed the whole of the countryside in beautiful autumnal sunshine and brought out the colours from the leaves turning on the tree-lined roads. Beautiful and a real treat.
Not far up the A11, we headed off down single-carriagway roads through Brandon and past Lakenheath and Mildenhall, where we were treated to flypasts by a couple of Hercules and then on to Swaffham (beautiful market-town) where little'un decided she urgently needed a wee - thank goodness there was a large enough parking space in view which I managed to slot Harry into so we could climb rearwards to avert the bladder emergency. Thank goodness for on board toilets! (y)
Further up the road, the elevated position of the van's cab provided a great view of pig farms, which promoted a cacophony of "oink" sounds from little'un who is currently Peppa Pig's biggest fan! Which also provided big smiles from me and Mrs Spuff.
We eventually arrived at Kelling Heath around 14:45 - checked in, filled up with water and went through the usual arrival spiel of me connecting up the electric hookup, turning on the gas, firing the heating & hot water and cladding the van in its thermal blanket for the windscreen whilst Mrs Spuff arranges the cushions and turns the cab from driving mode into lounging mode (turning the cab seats around on their swivel bases) and popping the kettle on!
Quick cuppa and we decided to use the remaining daylight (and pent up energy from the little'un) to fly a kite in what was now becoming quite windy weather.
Once twilight became dusk, we headed back to the van and cooked up some dinner (homemade soup brough from home & potato waffles and sausages for little'un) and settled in for the evening. The temperature had dropped markedly and by the time bedtime came around, outside air temperature was down to around 3degs C and the wind was whipping up. A quick play with thermostat had us basking in warm air - perhaps a little too warm since we got a bit of condensation on the interior of the windows, but resolved this by cracking open the roof vents the following night. (y) With Spuff Jnr safely tucked up in bed on the Sofa (with duvalay memory foam topper), Mrs Spuff and I retired to the cab (curtains drawn from the habitation area), reading lights on, beer & G&Ts in hand and put the world to rights without an iPad, iPhone or TV anywhere in sight. In fact our only concession to comfort is a small Bose Soundlink II bluetooth speaker which I purchased recently which gives us some nice background music. Given the temperature outside and the fact the cab is the least well insulated space in the van, it did mean having a blanket over our legs, but still amazingly cosy in just microfleece jumpers.
The great thing about sleeping in the van is that it's pitch black in there. Even though we live in a village, there is still some light from neighbours houses or headlights of cars outside, but when the blackout blinds are down on the windows and over, there's nought in terms of light so you actually get an amazing night's sleep. Even with the little'un waking up half way through and needing the loo, that was quickly despatched and we all settled back in for what would become a regular 12hr sleep (unheard of normally).
After a spot of breakfast (toast cooked in a dry frying pan!) and a selection of mini Tiptree jams which we keep in the van
, we were ready for another kite flying exercise, followed by swimming at the indoor pool on site.
The fact that the site was virtually empty meant that the pool was too (although there are static caravans which get used all year round, so we didn't have it totally to ourselves). But nice not to have any noise around us (note the Caravan in front of us just an a middle-aged fella on his own, who just spent the entire weekend reading books).
The pub & restaurant on site provided a great place to refuel post-swimming and also just to escape the van given that the rest of Saturday and all of Sunday was ruined by torrential rain and gale-force winds.
But contrary to expectations, we didn't kill eachother and ended up spending our time playing Peppa Pig dominoes 
and Snap! It was a real "back to Basics" experience and one I think all of us are better for than the usual focus on technology to Keep us occupied. Ok, so it would've been nice to spend more time outside, but the whole weekend really recharged our batteries (each and every one of us) and I wouldn't hesitate to go away in bad weather again since the van is so totally cosy and warm and surprisingly accomodative of three people, even when stuck in it for hours at a time.
Leaving on the Monday, it was the usual mad rush to get breakfast down us and the van decommissioned. Cushions need securing, cab seats repositioning, gas off, electricity unhooked, Thetford toilet cassette emptied (again! Given how far the facilities were from our pitch, we used the toilet in the van almost 100% of the time, which for three people, meant emptying on a daily basis) and dropping c. 80litres of "grey" water from handwashing & washing up. We'd have needed to empty this before Monday had we have showered in the van too, but we showered as part of our swim routine.
We set off back, leaving the site around 10:30am, stopping for lunch again at La Hogue and got to the storage yard after a leisurely drive at c. 60mph on the dual carriageway and motorway at 15:00. A quick unpack and vacuum of the inside, wipe of the kitchen and clean of the bathroom and we were unpacked and home by 15:45.
Total stats for the weekend (four days and three nights):-
- 258miles @ 24.8mpg
- Fuel Cost - 55quid
- LPG Cost - 4quid (heating and pre-cooling of the fridge)
- Pitch Cost - 60quid
- Leisure Centre Cost - 33quid
- Eating out - c. 25quid per day = 100quid.
Total Cost - 252quid
All of which basically left us all feeling completely refreshed - got me spending some quality time with my two favourite girls and didn't break the bank. Can't wait to do it all again and underscored the reason why we bought the van and why I persevered getting it sorted, even when it looked like it had the potential to be a moneypit. In short - loving it.
Thanks for reading and bearing with my dissertation!
We set off last Friday, in frankly atrocious weather, from West Essex to Kelling Heath, between Holt & Sheringham in North Norfolk. Not the best planning, since I had been working 14hr days at work leading up to going away and a late night reception on the Thursday meant there was no time really for packing, so we winged it a bit on the Friday morning, which resulted in us naturally forgetting a fair bit of stuff............thankfully for me, it was Mrs Spuff's winter coat and trekking trousers which were the main victims of the rush, which although made me feel relaxed to start with, the subsequent wrath of a woman fearing the cold, was definitely my problem by the time we arrived at site!!
The journey itself was a real mixed bag. Spuff Jnr decided to take the passenger seat next to me and spent the majority of the inital part of the journey telling me which way to go(!) and red being for stop and green for go (which was incredibly helpful!) but once we got on the M11, it was the weather which proved the challenge, rather than the co-driving!
Strong, gusting wind and a c. 3m high and 6.7m long motorhome are unpleasant combinations and on several occasions it felt like I was piloting a small plane into London City Airport more than taking a motorhome up the motorway. But once we got onto the A11, the weather calmed a little and we stopped for a spot of late breakfast/lunch just after Newmarket at a wonderful little Farm Shop "La Hogue" which we found on our last trip to Thetford. Fully fuelled with "Farmers Breakfast" (possibly one of the biggest, but best breakfasts I've eaten!), we were on our way northwards once more.
The weather further north was unexpectedly pleasant. Gone was the wind (to a large extent), certainly the rain stopped too and out came the sun, which bathed the whole of the countryside in beautiful autumnal sunshine and brought out the colours from the leaves turning on the tree-lined roads. Beautiful and a real treat.
Not far up the A11, we headed off down single-carriagway roads through Brandon and past Lakenheath and Mildenhall, where we were treated to flypasts by a couple of Hercules and then on to Swaffham (beautiful market-town) where little'un decided she urgently needed a wee - thank goodness there was a large enough parking space in view which I managed to slot Harry into so we could climb rearwards to avert the bladder emergency. Thank goodness for on board toilets! (y)Further up the road, the elevated position of the van's cab provided a great view of pig farms, which promoted a cacophony of "oink" sounds from little'un who is currently Peppa Pig's biggest fan! Which also provided big smiles from me and Mrs Spuff.
We eventually arrived at Kelling Heath around 14:45 - checked in, filled up with water and went through the usual arrival spiel of me connecting up the electric hookup, turning on the gas, firing the heating & hot water and cladding the van in its thermal blanket for the windscreen whilst Mrs Spuff arranges the cushions and turns the cab from driving mode into lounging mode (turning the cab seats around on their swivel bases) and popping the kettle on!
Quick cuppa and we decided to use the remaining daylight (and pent up energy from the little'un) to fly a kite in what was now becoming quite windy weather.
Once twilight became dusk, we headed back to the van and cooked up some dinner (homemade soup brough from home & potato waffles and sausages for little'un) and settled in for the evening. The temperature had dropped markedly and by the time bedtime came around, outside air temperature was down to around 3degs C and the wind was whipping up. A quick play with thermostat had us basking in warm air - perhaps a little too warm since we got a bit of condensation on the interior of the windows, but resolved this by cracking open the roof vents the following night. (y) With Spuff Jnr safely tucked up in bed on the Sofa (with duvalay memory foam topper), Mrs Spuff and I retired to the cab (curtains drawn from the habitation area), reading lights on, beer & G&Ts in hand and put the world to rights without an iPad, iPhone or TV anywhere in sight. In fact our only concession to comfort is a small Bose Soundlink II bluetooth speaker which I purchased recently which gives us some nice background music. Given the temperature outside and the fact the cab is the least well insulated space in the van, it did mean having a blanket over our legs, but still amazingly cosy in just microfleece jumpers.
The great thing about sleeping in the van is that it's pitch black in there. Even though we live in a village, there is still some light from neighbours houses or headlights of cars outside, but when the blackout blinds are down on the windows and over, there's nought in terms of light so you actually get an amazing night's sleep. Even with the little'un waking up half way through and needing the loo, that was quickly despatched and we all settled back in for what would become a regular 12hr sleep (unheard of normally).
After a spot of breakfast (toast cooked in a dry frying pan!) and a selection of mini Tiptree jams which we keep in the van
, we were ready for another kite flying exercise, followed by swimming at the indoor pool on site.
The fact that the site was virtually empty meant that the pool was too (although there are static caravans which get used all year round, so we didn't have it totally to ourselves). But nice not to have any noise around us (note the Caravan in front of us just an a middle-aged fella on his own, who just spent the entire weekend reading books).
The pub & restaurant on site provided a great place to refuel post-swimming and also just to escape the van given that the rest of Saturday and all of Sunday was ruined by torrential rain and gale-force winds.
But contrary to expectations, we didn't kill eachother and ended up spending our time playing Peppa Pig dominoes and Snap! It was a real "back to Basics" experience and one I think all of us are better for than the usual focus on technology to Keep us occupied. Ok, so it would've been nice to spend more time outside, but the whole weekend really recharged our batteries (each and every one of us) and I wouldn't hesitate to go away in bad weather again since the van is so totally cosy and warm and surprisingly accomodative of three people, even when stuck in it for hours at a time.Leaving on the Monday, it was the usual mad rush to get breakfast down us and the van decommissioned. Cushions need securing, cab seats repositioning, gas off, electricity unhooked, Thetford toilet cassette emptied (again!
Given how far the facilities were from our pitch, we used the toilet in the van almost 100% of the time, which for three people, meant emptying on a daily basis) and dropping c. 80litres of "grey" water from handwashing & washing up. We'd have needed to empty this before Monday had we have showered in the van too, but we showered as part of our swim routine.We set off back, leaving the site around 10:30am, stopping for lunch again at La Hogue and got to the storage yard after a leisurely drive at c. 60mph on the dual carriageway and motorway at 15:00. A quick unpack and vacuum of the inside, wipe of the kitchen and clean of the bathroom and we were unpacked and home by 15:45.
Total stats for the weekend (four days and three nights):-
- 258miles @ 24.8mpg
- Fuel Cost - 55quid
- LPG Cost - 4quid (heating and pre-cooling of the fridge)
- Pitch Cost - 60quid
- Leisure Centre Cost - 33quid
- Eating out - c. 25quid per day = 100quid.
Total Cost - 252quid
All of which basically left us all feeling completely refreshed - got me spending some quality time with my two favourite girls and didn't break the bank. Can't wait to do it all again and underscored the reason why we bought the van and why I persevered getting it sorted, even when it looked like it had the potential to be a moneypit. In short - loving it.
Thanks for reading and bearing with my dissertation!
Nice read 
This is EXACTLY why we have a MH and love it too
We go away every other weekend regardless of weather and it works out at c.£100 for 2 nights for the 2 of us. That usually includes a pub meal or takeaway. We just had 2 nights at the CC site in Moreton in Marsh: 36 quid for 2 nights; local curry house does free deliveries for one of the nights and food from home for the other...happy days
Could you share the link for the campsite you were on (PM me if ist too good for general sharing
)
Nice one
This is EXACTLY why we have a MH and love it too
We go away every other weekend regardless of weather and it works out at c.£100 for 2 nights for the 2 of us. That usually includes a pub meal or takeaway. We just had 2 nights at the CC site in Moreton in Marsh: 36 quid for 2 nights; local curry house does free deliveries for one of the nights and food from home for the other...happy days
Could you share the link for the campsite you were on (PM me if ist too good for general sharing
)Nice one
Was just looking at Hymers on eBay before coming onto PH to stop me from spending money & I find this!
We had two motorhomes over a 3-4yr period, sadly been without for 6-7yrs & miss the life terribly. Looks like we can't afford what we really want, have to see if we can find something affordable.
We had two motorhomes over a 3-4yr period, sadly been without for 6-7yrs & miss the life terribly. Looks like we can't afford what we really want, have to see if we can find something affordable.
Thanks chaps. Once we've our house move under our belts and bedded that down (financially too), then we'll be back on the open road in the New Year.
Interesting that when you look at the numbers, the majority of the spend is entirely discretionary too. We could so easily have cut out 130quid, which would've made for a very cheap weekend away should we have needed to. But as a result of the weather (and in consideration of it), the facilities on site made it perfectly civilised.
Happy to recommend the site - it's Kelling Heath Holiday Park. We went there for three nights in the Rimor we had last year and rated it ok. Back then it was June, hot and full of kids (like Centre Parcs) and wasn't entirely what we were after. It has some lovely walks across the Heathland though and in spite of being quite isolated, there is a bus which goes into Sheringham / Holt, IIRC. Plus of course the facilities on site. But IMO, it makes a great "off season" pitch because you get the beauty of the site, tranquility and the facilities with none of the chaos and slight chavery you get in the peak season. Think of it as a Centre Parcs for motorhomes and you won't go too far wrong!
http://www.kellingheath.co.uk/touring-and-camping-...
This place is a Little gem though and well worth a look if you're around Newmarket way. Must check if they're signed up to Brit Stop and if not, I'm going to recommend they do as it'd be the perfect match IMO.
http://www.lahogue.co.uk/
@Lordhavemurci - sorry to light the fire of desire again. But there are some v solid Hymers of the 90's vintage at more affordable levels, which seem to be pretty bullet-proof and easy to live with if you can do some things yourself?
Interesting that when you look at the numbers, the majority of the spend is entirely discretionary too. We could so easily have cut out 130quid, which would've made for a very cheap weekend away should we have needed to. But as a result of the weather (and in consideration of it), the facilities on site made it perfectly civilised.
Happy to recommend the site - it's Kelling Heath Holiday Park. We went there for three nights in the Rimor we had last year and rated it ok. Back then it was June, hot and full of kids (like Centre Parcs) and wasn't entirely what we were after. It has some lovely walks across the Heathland though and in spite of being quite isolated, there is a bus which goes into Sheringham / Holt, IIRC. Plus of course the facilities on site. But IMO, it makes a great "off season" pitch because you get the beauty of the site, tranquility and the facilities with none of the chaos and slight chavery you get in the peak season. Think of it as a Centre Parcs for motorhomes and you won't go too far wrong!
http://www.kellingheath.co.uk/touring-and-camping-...
This place is a Little gem though and well worth a look if you're around Newmarket way. Must check if they're signed up to Brit Stop and if not, I'm going to recommend they do as it'd be the perfect match IMO.
http://www.lahogue.co.uk/
@Lordhavemurci - sorry to light the fire of desire again. But there are some v solid Hymers of the 90's vintage at more affordable levels, which seem to be pretty bullet-proof and easy to live with if you can do some things yourself?
Spuffington said:
It has some lovely walks across the Heathland though and in spite of being quite isolated, there is a bus which goes into Sheringham / Holt, IIRC.
Worth also mentioning that there is a steam train which operates a request stop at the foot of the camp site. It's part of a line from Sheringham to Holt which would make a great way to travel with the kids. http://www.nnrailway.co.uk/
Some great walking too, with lovely sea views if you walk to Weybourne village and then back to Sheringham along the cliff top path.
Great tip on the farm shop by the way, I'll try it this weekend when I head that way to Cambridge
Edited by MattS3 on Thursday 19th November 16:15
Glad to see that at long last you have had a lovely weekend away in your van and able to spend some quality time with your family, fantastic as that is what it is all about.
Not quite sure why people lock their vans up as soon as winter approaches as a good van is really toasty and compact when you have some nasty stuff outside & even better if you have some nice views.
Warm air heating is a wonderful thing and very cheap to run, I really pleased with mine tonight as I sit here in the warm reading and typing this missive, after a quick walk with the dog before we settle in for the night, it's going to be a cold one down here this evening.
Where you parked looked lovely with some nice trees around and beautiful colours of Autumn.
Enjoy your next trip.
KT
Not quite sure why people lock their vans up as soon as winter approaches as a good van is really toasty and compact when you have some nasty stuff outside & even better if you have some nice views.
Warm air heating is a wonderful thing and very cheap to run, I really pleased with mine tonight as I sit here in the warm reading and typing this missive, after a quick walk with the dog before we settle in for the night, it's going to be a cold one down here this evening.
Where you parked looked lovely with some nice trees around and beautiful colours of Autumn.
Enjoy your next trip.
KT
We are living in our Hymer and have been since June this year as we are in the process of re-furbishing another house, really toasty with all mod cons,double bed,shower,gas & electric central heating, galley kitchen and a nice lounging section.
Woll be living in it until about April/May when the house should be finished.
We have been to Germany,Holland & France plus parts of the U.K. To visit friends this summer/Autumn , we both just love the fact that you can get to see so many parts of Europe and farther afield easily plus all the benefits of having your home on your back.
Carry on enjoying 'Harry' and we look forward to reading about your trips in the future, have a great Xmas.
KT
Woll be living in it until about April/May when the house should be finished.
We have been to Germany,Holland & France plus parts of the U.K. To visit friends this summer/Autumn , we both just love the fact that you can get to see so many parts of Europe and farther afield easily plus all the benefits of having your home on your back.
Carry on enjoying 'Harry' and we look forward to reading about your trips in the future, have a great Xmas.
KT
So, having forgot to update this with adventures up in Kelling Heath at Easter Weekend, I thought I'd drop a little line here for the most recent trip.
The trip just this weekend gone was important for several reasons:
- we had the idea of going away at 13:30 on Saturday afternoon;
- we were gone by 15:00; and
- our usage of the van felt natural & clever for the first time in 1yr.
The first two points were great and so liberating. And part of the reason we bought the thing in the first place and part of the reason we bought the new house in December - having the motorhome on the drive facilitates this impromptu getaway and although we'd not done it previously, we've now proved it entirely possible.
Since returning from Easter Weekend, I vacuumed, cleaned the floor & surfaces, cleaned the bathroom, primed the toilet and filled the water tank. Harry has a Little oil-filled rad sitting in him to keep him warm and aired. All that was needed on Saturday was to pull out the rad, turn on the fridge and pop in some clothes and off we went!
Now we're closer to Cambridge (rather than between Harlow & Broxbourne), we are already on the A11 - Newmarket-bound. This means that trips to half decent places are already that much closer, so a quick call to Thetford Camping & Caravanning Club site had us booked onto a Grass-Only pitch for 15quid and we were there an hour later. We had just enough time for a quick play on the swings & playground with my daughter before it was tea time and then off to bed.
A refreshing 10hrs sleep later(!), we had breakfast and mosied down to High Lodge nr Brandon so that we could do the "Stick Man Trail" with my daughter. She's a complete fan and this was a dream come true for her. What was great at High Lodge was that in spite of the ridiculously rapacious parking charges (12quid for the day for a car), we were still classed as a car, so the cost was offset by the fact that Harry provided our lunch facilities without having to spend any extra whilst there. We ended up spending 5hrs walking, playing, lunching and relaxing, before eventually heading home and popping Harry away at 5pm.
Weekend Cost - Camp Site Fees - 15, Parking at Thetford Forest - 12, Diesel - 20 = 47quid. Not bad for a brilliant night away, which ultimately felt much longer. We've resolved to do this again.........often!
Now to the third Point - "our usage of the van felt natural & clever for the first time in 1yr."
This is not to say we haven't enjoyed being in the van up until now, quite to the contrary. But what happened this weekend was strange. Whether it's familiarity or the Impromptu nature of the trip, everything just fell into place. The realisation of this was around both bedtime & breakfast.
The way we had been using the van for sleeping before was with my daughter on the couch, whilst my wife and I would retire to the cab seats behind the curtain until it was time to pull down our bed and go to sleep. This had two downsides; firstly that in the winter, the cab was freezing, compared with the main hab area (there's only one blown air vent into the cab and it's not as well insulated in there) and two, we'd have to creep past sleeping Lady to get to the fridge for beer(!) or to the bathroom.
So what we've done now is to pop little'un straight into the over-cab double, surrounded by pillows so she doesn't fall out and we then inhabit the main living area. Mrs Spuff then sleeps with little'un and I sleep on the couch with my memory foam topper and sleeping bag. This is no great shakes since there's no "how's your father" in the overcab anyway and it means there's no bed swapping when little'un wakes up during the night. Result!
Taken to the next level, we managed to even work it on Sunday morning that I popped on the heating, waited for the van to warm up nicely (it was minus 4 degs C on Saturday night outside) before padding around, making coffee and getting little'un her breakfast. Then I went back to bed in the overcab, nursing a cup of coffee, whilst the girls ate early breaky in the hab area! Everyone was happy and it was a really nice way to use ALL of the living & accomodation space.
So, what's next? Well, more of those last-Minute weekends, I reckon. Now that the van is pretty much "sorted", my eyes are turning to a bit of indulgence. The only thing we're lacking is a decent sound system to while away hours of driving through France this summer, so with a bit of cash stashed to one side, I'm engaging Gary Hallwood at AudioFile in Bishops Stortford to do something special with Harry. I shall start a new thread to document this as it's hopefully going to be a good one!
The trip just this weekend gone was important for several reasons:
- we had the idea of going away at 13:30 on Saturday afternoon;
- we were gone by 15:00; and
- our usage of the van felt natural & clever for the first time in 1yr.
The first two points were great and so liberating. And part of the reason we bought the thing in the first place and part of the reason we bought the new house in December - having the motorhome on the drive facilitates this impromptu getaway and although we'd not done it previously, we've now proved it entirely possible.
Since returning from Easter Weekend, I vacuumed, cleaned the floor & surfaces, cleaned the bathroom, primed the toilet and filled the water tank. Harry has a Little oil-filled rad sitting in him to keep him warm and aired. All that was needed on Saturday was to pull out the rad, turn on the fridge and pop in some clothes and off we went!
Now we're closer to Cambridge (rather than between Harlow & Broxbourne), we are already on the A11 - Newmarket-bound. This means that trips to half decent places are already that much closer, so a quick call to Thetford Camping & Caravanning Club site had us booked onto a Grass-Only pitch for 15quid and we were there an hour later. We had just enough time for a quick play on the swings & playground with my daughter before it was tea time and then off to bed.
A refreshing 10hrs sleep later(!), we had breakfast and mosied down to High Lodge nr Brandon so that we could do the "Stick Man Trail" with my daughter. She's a complete fan and this was a dream come true for her. What was great at High Lodge was that in spite of the ridiculously rapacious parking charges (12quid for the day for a car), we were still classed as a car, so the cost was offset by the fact that Harry provided our lunch facilities without having to spend any extra whilst there. We ended up spending 5hrs walking, playing, lunching and relaxing, before eventually heading home and popping Harry away at 5pm.
Weekend Cost - Camp Site Fees - 15, Parking at Thetford Forest - 12, Diesel - 20 = 47quid. Not bad for a brilliant night away, which ultimately felt much longer. We've resolved to do this again.........often!
Now to the third Point - "our usage of the van felt natural & clever for the first time in 1yr."
This is not to say we haven't enjoyed being in the van up until now, quite to the contrary. But what happened this weekend was strange. Whether it's familiarity or the Impromptu nature of the trip, everything just fell into place. The realisation of this was around both bedtime & breakfast.
The way we had been using the van for sleeping before was with my daughter on the couch, whilst my wife and I would retire to the cab seats behind the curtain until it was time to pull down our bed and go to sleep. This had two downsides; firstly that in the winter, the cab was freezing, compared with the main hab area (there's only one blown air vent into the cab and it's not as well insulated in there) and two, we'd have to creep past sleeping Lady to get to the fridge for beer(!) or to the bathroom.
So what we've done now is to pop little'un straight into the over-cab double, surrounded by pillows so she doesn't fall out and we then inhabit the main living area. Mrs Spuff then sleeps with little'un and I sleep on the couch with my memory foam topper and sleeping bag. This is no great shakes since there's no "how's your father" in the overcab anyway and it means there's no bed swapping when little'un wakes up during the night. Result!
Taken to the next level, we managed to even work it on Sunday morning that I popped on the heating, waited for the van to warm up nicely (it was minus 4 degs C on Saturday night outside) before padding around, making coffee and getting little'un her breakfast. Then I went back to bed in the overcab, nursing a cup of coffee, whilst the girls ate early breaky in the hab area!
Everyone was happy and it was a really nice way to use ALL of the living & accomodation space.So, what's next? Well, more of those last-Minute weekends, I reckon. Now that the van is pretty much "sorted", my eyes are turning to a bit of indulgence. The only thing we're lacking is a decent sound system to while away hours of driving through France this summer, so with a bit of cash stashed to one side, I'm engaging Gary Hallwood at AudioFile in Bishops Stortford to do something special with Harry. I shall start a new thread to document this as it's hopefully going to be a good one!
We keep our van on standby and just jump in and go.
Stock the fridge and grab some clothes and away.
We also have some lists made up on the PC for any activities we have in mind eg bodyboarding or cycling so we can just grab the kit and get gone.
Think our fastest "launch" has been about 45 minutes.
Stock the fridge and grab some clothes and away.
We also have some lists made up on the PC for any activities we have in mind eg bodyboarding or cycling so we can just grab the kit and get gone.
Think our fastest "launch" has been about 45 minutes.
bristolracer said:
We keep our van on standby and just jump in and go.
Stock the fridge and grab some clothes and away.
We also have some lists made up on the PC for any activities we have in mind eg bodyboarding or cycling so we can just grab the kit and get gone.
Think our fastest "launch" has been about 45 minutes.
There's a timing to aim for! Stock the fridge and grab some clothes and away.
We also have some lists made up on the PC for any activities we have in mind eg bodyboarding or cycling so we can just grab the kit and get gone.
Think our fastest "launch" has been about 45 minutes.
Good idea with the lists. Will have a think about that. My main problem is getting the wife away from thinking she Needs to pack EVERYTHING for EVERY eventuality! What she tends to forget when we're taking Food is that we Keep tins of soup and long-life filled pasta & Pasta Sauce in the van, so even if there's no camp shop, fish & chip van, pub on or near site, we've always got something to eat. And we have packets of biscuits and sweets for the little'un in the cupboards, so we really only Need the bare essentials.
Stella & G&T is always in the van, tucked in the "Drinks cabinet" as part of the Bar Layout.
We have as much in the MH as we can so as to reduce the amount of filling/unfilling required for a trip. So its usually only clothes and any fresh food that needs putting in....oh...and beer too obviously
We clean it after every trip and empty the bog so that its immaculate ready for the next trip. If we are on a local weekend I tend to pick it up from storage on the Friday morning (I don't work Fridays ). If its a longer trip (BH weekend, half term, holidays etc) then I pick it up the evening or full day before.
Roll on next weekend - its a 3 night BH weekend
We clean it after every trip and empty the bog so that its immaculate ready for the next trip. If we are on a local weekend I tend to pick it up from storage on the Friday morning (I don't work Fridays
). If its a longer trip (BH weekend, half term, holidays etc) then I pick it up the evening or full day before.Roll on next weekend - its a 3 night BH weekend
Hi Spuffington
Are you a member of the Classic Hymer group and Classic Hymermarket group on facebook?
There is a van on there that has caught my eye, it may well be sold already as I can't believe something like that would hang around for long, only trouble is that it is in Whitehaven and I am in Southampton!!!
Are you a member of the Classic Hymer group and Classic Hymermarket group on facebook?
There is a van on there that has caught my eye, it may well be sold already as I can't believe something like that would hang around for long, only trouble is that it is in Whitehaven and I am in Southampton!!!
Hi Eric - yes, I'm on both of those sites.
Finding it strange how the same shape as I have seem to be massively undervalued at the moment. Although most appear to be Fiats. People seem to be putting very low Prices on them in spite of the massive amount of interest. Anyway, given we've got no desire to sell, it's fine.
I think the only option if you're in the market is to travel wherever you see what could be the right van.
We travelled from Essex to Devon to see a Rimor a couple of years back. That turned out to be a bag of spanners when we got there. When we bought Harry we travelled from Essex to Telford. Afraid it just seems to be the way.
Good luck with the hunt though!
Finding it strange how the same shape as I have seem to be massively undervalued at the moment. Although most appear to be Fiats. People seem to be putting very low Prices on them in spite of the massive amount of interest. Anyway, given we've got no desire to sell, it's fine.
I think the only option if you're in the market is to travel wherever you see what could be the right van.
We travelled from Essex to Devon to see a Rimor a couple of years back. That turned out to be a bag of spanners when we got there. When we bought Harry we travelled from Essex to Telford. Afraid it just seems to be the way.
Good luck with the hunt though!
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