DAJJER
Not a discussion but I had 30 minutes free time so just thought I’d share our very first campervan experience – roll back to 2020.
Yup! We were all going stir crazy amid the Covid pandemic and everyone wanted a campervan. We did the usual google research (how I wish AI had been around then) and found a lovely local company who did conversions – and off we went to meet them - at a suitable distance with masks on. We discussed models, layouts, etc but were struggling to see how it would work with two very big dogs in tow – so the kindly gents at said establishment offered to lend us one of their campervans for an overnight trial to see how it would all work. What could possibly go wrong
We arranged the date and booked our campsite – only 20 miles from home – for an overnight stay. Having picked up the loan campervan, we took it home and packed it full of all the things we thought we might need – and the dogs – and off we went.
We arrived at the campsite – utter and complete novices – shown to our pitch by a very bemused site manager.
We shuffled the campervan back and to – much to bemusement of our neighbours – as, according to my better half, it had to perfectly straight and level
Then we started to unload…..our rag bag collection of odd camping chairs, a wonky table, a picnic basket, drinks, a tin foil BBQ and lastly the dogs – who were tied unceremoniously to a screw in the ground anchor.
Next, we attempted the awning :-O Now it took some time to get that bad boy out but, in the end, it was up – albeit listing drunkenly to one side.
The sun shone on us as we lit our tin foil BBQ – and completely smoked out our neighbours – nevertheless we enjoyed some BBQ sausage and a drink
Ah this is the life!
Having made peace with our neighbours, we decided to walk to the local farm shop to get some fresh homemade cake and to give the dogs a walk at the same time. So, we locked up and off we went.
Two miles to the farm shop and we duly purchased their finest victoria sponge and a few more tasty treats and started to head back the campsite – as it started to rain. Well, by the time we reached the campsite we were truly sodden, as were the dogs. The wind had whipped up and the storm that had been threatened was nearly upon us.
We could feel the eyes of the campsite inhabitants upon us! They already thought we were the Clampets – now we had confirmed it!
We tied the dogs to the ground anchor and put the cake and treats inside, by which time the awning was flapping like a kite – yikes - we had forgotten to put the ground spikes in. Well, the flapping awning scared the dogs and they broke free (signs all over the campsite – please keep your dog on a lead). Well strictly speaking they were on leads – but with no human attached.
One dog, a massive Alaskan Malamute wolf look-a-like ran round the campsite barking at anything and everything (she is big friendly giant and was just enjoying being off the lead). Everyone stayed in their campervan/tent – watching! The other dog, a big scaredy-cat boxer, ran around aimlessly looking for a place to hide from the now rain, wind, thunder and lightning and with selective hearing mode fully on ignoring our pleas to 'come here'. Great – we have a loose flapping awning and two dogs on the run!
Decision made – capture the dogs first and then deal with the awning – we were the campsite entertainment
Ok dogs caught and pushed into the campervan and we wrestled with the awning and eventually got it wound in (jammed in) – albeit a little bent.
So, we (wet though) hunkered down in our campervan, with two big sodden dogs – we had forgotten dog towels - to see if the storm would subside. Sadly not, the storm was set in for the night. We tried our best to demist the campervan and to dry stuff out but failed - even the victoria sponge could not lift our mood. Eventually by 9pm we gave in and took the dogs for a wee (in the rain) – went to the loo ourselves (got wet again) – each time causing our campervan lights to go on and off as we were not versed in the fine detail of camping mode.
Next - we set up our bed in the roof which was hilarious in itself and worthy of being a sitcom script - it resulted in short tempered words between us and then, not so impressed with this camping lark, we read in frosty silence for a while and then went to sleep - a bit too close for comfort when your'e not speaking to each other ;-)
3.03am – yup 3.03am - the time is engrained on my brain! Our campervan alarm went off! WTF! Neither of us knew where the keys were – ‘Well you had them last’ and ‘where’s the lights’ type conversations ensued in the dark until eventually we found the keys and turned off the alarm – we did not know there was an internal sensor – and we did not dare look outside
6am – we, as quietly as we could – so really not very quietly at all, quickly packed up and left the campsite (not having seen the sign for ‘no car movement between 9pm and 7am) and sloped off home – the Clampets left the campsite.
For the record we confessed to the lovely guys who lent us the campervan about the awning and paid for it to be fixed.
Despite our virgin campervan trip being disastrous, we went on to buy a beautiful new California Ocean T6.1 and have fully versed ourselves in campsite etiquette :-O
Yup! We were all going stir crazy amid the Covid pandemic and everyone wanted a campervan. We did the usual google research (how I wish AI had been around then) and found a lovely local company who did conversions – and off we went to meet them - at a suitable distance with masks on. We discussed models, layouts, etc but were struggling to see how it would work with two very big dogs in tow – so the kindly gents at said establishment offered to lend us one of their campervans for an overnight trial to see how it would all work. What could possibly go wrong
We arranged the date and booked our campsite – only 20 miles from home – for an overnight stay. Having picked up the loan campervan, we took it home and packed it full of all the things we thought we might need – and the dogs – and off we went.
We arrived at the campsite – utter and complete novices – shown to our pitch by a very bemused site manager.
We shuffled the campervan back and to – much to bemusement of our neighbours – as, according to my better half, it had to perfectly straight and level
Then we started to unload…..our rag bag collection of odd camping chairs, a wonky table, a picnic basket, drinks, a tin foil BBQ and lastly the dogs – who were tied unceremoniously to a screw in the ground anchor.
Next, we attempted the awning :-O Now it took some time to get that bad boy out but, in the end, it was up – albeit listing drunkenly to one side.
The sun shone on us as we lit our tin foil BBQ – and completely smoked out our neighbours – nevertheless we enjoyed some BBQ sausage and a drink
Ah this is the life!Having made peace with our neighbours, we decided to walk to the local farm shop to get some fresh homemade cake and to give the dogs a walk at the same time. So, we locked up and off we went.
Two miles to the farm shop and we duly purchased their finest victoria sponge and a few more tasty treats and started to head back the campsite – as it started to rain. Well, by the time we reached the campsite we were truly sodden, as were the dogs. The wind had whipped up and the storm that had been threatened was nearly upon us.
We could feel the eyes of the campsite inhabitants upon us! They already thought we were the Clampets – now we had confirmed it!
We tied the dogs to the ground anchor and put the cake and treats inside, by which time the awning was flapping like a kite – yikes - we had forgotten to put the ground spikes in. Well, the flapping awning scared the dogs and they broke free (signs all over the campsite – please keep your dog on a lead). Well strictly speaking they were on leads – but with no human attached.
One dog, a massive Alaskan Malamute wolf look-a-like ran round the campsite barking at anything and everything (she is big friendly giant and was just enjoying being off the lead). Everyone stayed in their campervan/tent – watching! The other dog, a big scaredy-cat boxer, ran around aimlessly looking for a place to hide from the now rain, wind, thunder and lightning and with selective hearing mode fully on ignoring our pleas to 'come here'. Great – we have a loose flapping awning and two dogs on the run!
Decision made – capture the dogs first and then deal with the awning – we were the campsite entertainment
Ok dogs caught and pushed into the campervan and we wrestled with the awning and eventually got it wound in (jammed in) – albeit a little bent.
So, we (wet though) hunkered down in our campervan, with two big sodden dogs – we had forgotten dog towels - to see if the storm would subside. Sadly not, the storm was set in for the night. We tried our best to demist the campervan and to dry stuff out but failed - even the victoria sponge could not lift our mood. Eventually by 9pm we gave in and took the dogs for a wee (in the rain) – went to the loo ourselves (got wet again) – each time causing our campervan lights to go on and off as we were not versed in the fine detail of camping mode.
Next - we set up our bed in the roof which was hilarious in itself and worthy of being a sitcom script - it resulted in short tempered words between us and then, not so impressed with this camping lark, we read in frosty silence for a while and then went to sleep - a bit too close for comfort when your'e not speaking to each other ;-)
3.03am – yup 3.03am - the time is engrained on my brain! Our campervan alarm went off! WTF! Neither of us knew where the keys were – ‘Well you had them last’ and ‘where’s the lights’ type conversations ensued in the dark until eventually we found the keys and turned off the alarm – we did not know there was an internal sensor – and we did not dare look outside
6am – we, as quietly as we could – so really not very quietly at all, quickly packed up and left the campsite (not having seen the sign for ‘no car movement between 9pm and 7am) and sloped off home – the Clampets left the campsite.
For the record we confessed to the lovely guys who lent us the campervan about the awning and paid for it to be fixed.
Despite our virgin campervan trip being disastrous, we went on to buy a beautiful new California Ocean T6.1 and have fully versed ourselves in campsite etiquette :-O
