Ive bought a little 2 berth caravan and I absolutely love it! Its got a shower, an oven, a fridge, a toilet, a wardrobe and an alarm!!!

I cant wait to try it out!

Does this mean Im getting old??

Yes !!
We progressed last year from a tent to a folding camper!!
We have admitted to each other that we will be "old when we progress to a caravan!!
enjoy :-)

i have gone from tent, folding camper,trailertent,caravan and now have a campervan, so i am officially old and i don't care

I was very anti caravans until a friend was selling her little two berth which was only a couple of years old. After getting over the embarassment of not being able to travel at 80mph plus and then not worrying about the people who appeared to be following us(!) I relaxed.
The fantastic thing is that we have visited so many places in the country that we would never have got to, so wonderful not having to rush off after a show and have we had some great BBQ's and get togethers!!
I decided I was getting older when pulling out the bed became a chore( especially after a glass of ice cold white wine or two!) and we traded in our beloved van for a new van fixed bed, power shower BUT I cried when we left the old van at the dealer and I checked the website to see how soon it sold which was quick. I just hope the new owner didn't get the itch as our boy had brought visitors home from Wales the week before we sold :(

So enjoy your van, you will meet some great people ( and some odd ones) nothing better than arriving somewhere and seeing someone you have recently met at a show and them bringing you a tray of tea ( or stronger) as you set up.    

Getting old? Caravans are what you need for dog shows. isn't it?! Or is there a different use??? ;)

> Does this mean Im getting old??

Nah!! We had a caravan when we were young!  We have a motorhome now we are 'old'!!!  :)  :)

Oi you lot I'm still youngish and have a VW camper, I love him!!!

I am only 27 though! ;-)

My OH is planning a road trip to France! Oh dear!

> Ive bought a little 2 berth caravan and I absolutely love it! Its got a shower, an oven, a fridge, a toilet, a wardrobe and an alarm!!!
>
> I cant wait to try it out!
>
> Does this mean Im getting old??

Well I have caravan envy so that makes us 2 old bods together then!

> Does this mean Im getting old??

Nawwww!  Getting old is when you get a static.

Like me!  :-)

JeanSW that was so funny !!

I'm only 26 and have had our caravan for 3 years so no your not old! Its much more comfortable than a tent at Agility shows!!!

Yep, I believe getting a caravan equates to aging ... touring or static :-)

I thought I'd never, ever, not in a million years, own a caravan ... good, aren't they? :-D

Lucky you - getting old??  No only that you don't want to sleep in a tent - I envy you.  Getting up early to travel to shows then driving back at night to repeat the whole thing the next day really wears me out.  I would love a little caravan or a motorhome.  Unfortunately my husband doesn't share my interest in camping or agility so I will remain one of the day parkers for ever.

I dont own a dog so I wont be going to dog shows but I do own horses so Im tempted to go to windsor horse show next year and stop in the caravan rather than a travellodge.

Just need some money to go away with now!

We bought a tow bar for the car today and also a spare number plate for the caravan. One more hoop jumped through before we can hit the road!

ceejay do you not drive if you do what is stopping you getting a small caravan and going yourself, my OH was not the one to go away etc, so when i got my first trailer tent he thought i would never tow it myself until he realised i was packing to go away when he had said he did not want to go, the look on his face when i kissed him goodbye and off we went a week away to agility, the same thing when i upgraded to a huge caravan but hitched up and waved, he now comes along when he wants to but i love time away by myself if you can call by yourself with a car full of dogs.

> what is stopping you getting a small caravan and going yourself

Would love to but will need to change the car in the next few years and I really want something that I can put a proper dog cage in the back - that is an expense that he is not going to like never mind a caravan!!!! 

woohoo lucky you Tracy123 and all you other travellers! I'd love one--and said as much to my sons, who were clearly at that point weighing up having me rehomed.

judgedredd, that is my idea of heaven!!  I dream of hooking up and driving off into the sunset with my dogs, some wine and a good book to a nice quiet site beside the sea.  Only trouble is the minute I mention the 'van, the entire family is packed and sat in the car!!!  Will I ever get your holiday??
We have been towing off and on since our early 20s too and we love it.  Every few years, I think I would enjoy camping more and we sell the van and buy all the camping gear, and then I need to sell it all again and buy a new van!  Any excuse to modernise!!

the thing is don't mention the van, just say you are off shopping and leave a note pinned to the fridge saying when you will be back LOL

Just a reminder to those in their twenties, if you passed your driving test after 1997 and the van weighs more than 750kgs you might not be licensed to tow it!  I had to sit my towing test this week for this very reason and when the money is finally all saved that nice trailer will be mine, all mine mwahaha haaa!

> and have a VW camper

'Well Jel' :-D

> if you passed your driving test after 1997 and the van weighs more than 750kgs you might not be licensed to tow it! 

I just knew that there would be an upside to being old, and having a license issued in 1921.  I can drive anything!!  :-)

1921 eek! You can't possibly be that old!!! :)

.....At least 107 as I see it!  :)  :)

They're wonderful - particularly for shows :-) I 'downsized' last year to save on fuel but couldn't cope with no elbow room so up sized again - lovely fixed bed, huge end bathroom with separate shower and plenty of seating area!  Dogs are happy in my (huge) van which pulls the caravan easily - but having had a show at Helmsley (top of Sutton Bank, Yorkshire) it was a little tricky going the long way round through some of the villages with such a big 'outfit' but the show was worth it, lovely weather, fantastic venue and some great courses.  Sutton Bank is the only A-road in UK with a caravan 'ban'.... I love my caravan though and it's perfect for the shows.

> .....At least 107 as I see it! 

Dead right!  :-)

But I've been driving so long, that when I get in that outside lane, and get stopped by the cops, I just look innocent and tell them that I'm only driving my age.

I thought getting old was when you start looking at trousers with elastic waists :) :)

> I thought getting old was when you start looking at trousers with elastic waists

One of the girls at work, who wears exceptionally high heels, told me that if ever I hear her say that she is looking for a "comfortable" pair of shoes, that I am to have her sent to an Old People's Home!

OMG!!   Elastic waists and slippers!  :-)  :-)

and for men its when they think a nice pair or brown 'slacks' will do nicely!!!! he ..he..

> and for men its when they think a nice pair or brown 'slacks' will do nicely!!!! he ..he..

And a cardigan!   ROFLMAO!! 

Cracked up here!

C'mon Roni, we're just being silly now.

:-)  :-)  :-)

I know but its making me take a long hard look at myself !! :)

OMG!!My OH recently bought a pair of Khaki trouser to walk in as they are 'comfy'.  How did I end up married to an old guy?!?!?lol.

Just a reminder to those in their twenties, if you passed your driving test after 1997 and the van weighs more than 750kgs you might not be licensed to tow it!  I had to sit my towing test this week for this very reason and when the money is finally all saved that nice trailer will be mine, all mine mwahaha haaa!

Just to add to this, we have found that we can tow the caravan with our license (passed after 1997) as its to do with the MAM between your car and your caravan. Our mondeo can pull the caravan as together they dont weigh over 3.5 tonnes. (Weird I know!!)

I would loooove a caravan...hubby wont buy one as he said it wrecks the suspension... thats his excuse...:(

good luck and enjoy every minute!!

I would love a caravan, but hubby says no! :(
It's a pity i can't train him as well as i do the dogs.

im 32 and have a caravan and i dont think im old :). We go to Bamburgh in northumberland every year for a fortnight with the kids and dogs and it's fantastic. Roll on 8th august, Bamburgh here we come :)

My friends have just got one and I'm quite jealous. I'm going to give her some wood for pegs and heather to sell  :)

I saw a card today. A couple were sitting in front of a boat and the words were something along the lines of "the caravanners alternative" (bearing in mind English weather),  well I thought it was funny.

Well we had our first week in it this week and it was absolutely fantastic. Loved every minute (until the weather changed!)

You could try getting him to invest in an old 4x4 to tow it with....??? :)

Where theres a woman's will....theres A WAY...! :)

Bah...........you don't let a little thing like the weather put you off Tracey if you are seasoned Caravanners!  :)  :)

Loved mine. Wasn't using it enough though but will certainly buy another one.

Agreeing with your comment about the weather!  I have just finished loading all the dog stuff (just got to get a carrier bag for me)  :-)

It is chucking it down at the moment, and I still can't wait to get on the motorway.  Rain or shine, the dogs love their walks on the beach, and I go suitably attired.

Although the forecast does say the weather will improve, it certainly won't stop me enjoying myself if we don't get a heatwave!!!!  :-)

JeanSW a woman after my own heart. My husband always says that the dogs have more wardrobe space than we do, but it's always best to be ready for the British weather where they are concerned. We've had some of our best trips in challenging weather. We were meant to be going to Peterborough in ours this weekend but circumstances mean we are daytripping and I am having withdrawals :0
Enjoy your break.

I love my caravan holiday's.

Missed my early hols this year though, we had scrummy puppies instead! Will go later in the year for two weeks to make up for it. Caravan holidays are just so easygoing with dogs and kids.

You are quite correct, 3.5 tons with car and caravan is the limit for towing after 1997 without taking a trailer test.

My son and his partner have a caravan and he is 26 and she is 23 and they love it and have caravaned for 3yrs now.
We also caravan and have done for over 20yrs.
Never to young or old to caravan.