Tell me everything!

Sparkly lady

We are back from a stressful traditional holiday in Spain with a baby and young child and somebody mentioned that a camper van might suit our needs in the future!
As I said we are a family with a baby and young child and I know nothing about camper vans! My hubbie however had one as a child and has fond memories! He's a mechanic too so knows his way around engines and is handy at fixing things!
We live in a housing estate so couldn't park it there- I assume there are companies who you can rent parking from?
How much would a camper van be? I know it's a how long is a piece of string question but we wouldn't have much spare money but I'd like a shower and so on!
I assume they need tax and insurance?
Where can you park them- as in can you head off somewhere and not pre book something, can you park places for free or do you need to pay to go to a site somewhere?
I have a little dog- anyone else take their dogs?
Do they have TVs or would you bring portable DVD for kids?
Can you cook in all of them?
What about car seats?
I'm sure I've more questions but can't think now!
Thanks in advance!
Oh and do any women here drive them? I've my hubbie here telling me I can take off with kids for the week (because he wants a break lol!!!) but I can't imagine myself driving/ parking one!!! Also not sure if I'd be comfortable staying in one by myself with the kids... I'm bad enough in my house with the alarm on!

dickwod1

Sparkly lady wrote: »

We live in a housing estate so couldn't park it there- I assume there are companies who you can rent parking from?
How much would a camper van be? I know it's a how long is a piece of string question but we wouldn't have much spare money but I'd like a shower and so on!
I assume they need tax and insurance?
Where can you park them- as in can you head off somewhere and not pre book something, can you park places for free or do you need to pay to go to a site somewhere?
I have a little dog- anyone else take their dogs?
Do they have TVs or would you bring portable DVD for kids?
Can you cook in all of them?
What about car seats?
I'm sure I've more questions but can't think now!
Thanks in advance!
Oh and do any women here drive them? I've my hubbie here telling me I can take off with kids for the week (because he wants a break lol!!!) but I can't imagine myself driving/ parking one!!! Also not sure if I'd be comfortable staying in one by myself with the kids... I'm bad enough in my house with the alarm on!

Yes you can rent indoor or out door parking
A camper costs as much as you can afford to spend on one
Tax = €100 per year - Insurance = €345 per year no matter how big or small new or old
Safest place to park them is a campsite roughly €35 per night - best to prebook if in high season/good weather - SNI do membership offering good value safe parking in b&b's hotels etc. for €10 per night
I used to take my dog with me no problems
Some have tv's some dont
Yes you can cook in all of them however some will have full size ovens/microwaves/grills/gas rings some will only have gas rings and grill
Car seats depends on age and size of camper

Aidan_M_M

Sparkly lady wrote: »

He's a mechanic too so knows his way around engines and is handy at fixing things!
TBH , thats the simple side , a bit more knowledge is needed to keep the "house" part in tip top order . And I speak as a mechanic who works on campers inside and out full time.


We live in a housing estate so couldn't park it there- I assume there are companies who you can rent parking from?
Yes , but not that many that I know of , you'd need to check into the insurance , both theirs and yours.

How much would a camper van be? I know it's a how long is a piece of string question but we wouldn't have much spare money but I'd like a shower and so on!
Dodgy cheap ones start probably around 6k , good nick ones in the mid nineties that you could comfortably go abroad in about twice that. Bear in mind damp in the "house" is the biggest evil of all , and more or less writes off many a camper .

I assume they need tax and insurance?
yes , just like any motorized road vehicle. Tax and insurance are cheap , about 102-105 euro for 12 months tax , insurance from Dolmen/Stuarts etc about 350 as I recall , fully comp , for a year. Also they need a DOE test now , kinda like an NCT but done where vans and trucks get tested.

Where can you park them- as in can you head off somewhere and not pre book something, can you park places for free or do you need to pay to go to a site somewhere?
Safe Nights Ireland , and campsites such as the Glen of Aherlow , or White Bridge in Killarney for example. Loads of sites in the UK and abroad.

I have a little dog- anyone else take their dogs?
Lots of people.

Do they have TVs or would you bring portable DVD for kids?
Not all , but any of them can be retro fitted with TVs , DVD players , satellite TV dishes etc.

Can you cook in all of them?
Yes , it's one of the mandatory requirements to make it a camper . 99.9% have a 2-4 ring hob , fed from a gas bottle , some have ovens/grilles , the odd one a microwave that usually only works when plugged in to mains.

What about car seats?
As in carrying children? Most better/newer ones have rear seat belts , but not always on all rear seats , and retrofitting them is almost a no-go area .

I'm sure I've more questions but can't think now!
remember , as I tell all our customers , there's no such thing as a stupid question when you don't know the answer . It's only stupid if you DON'T ask.

Oh and do any women here drive them? I've my hubbie here telling me I can take off with kids for the week (because he wants a break lol!!!) but I can't imagine myself driving/ parking one!!! Also not sure if I'd be comfortable staying in one by myself with the kids... I'm bad enough in my house with the alarm on!
We have a good few customers where both the ladies and guys drive them , a few go on their own but most get good alarms fitted and would only park in reputable places like the good campsites.

Hope my answers/opinions in bold italics is of use. keep asking questions...we don't bite.

Aidan_M_M

sorry DickWOD , I didn't see your reply before mine!

dickwod1

Aidan_M_M wrote: »

sorry DickWOD , I didn't see your reply before mine!

No probs mate, the more the merrier

Sparkly lady

Thanks for the replies!!!
Car seats for the kids are a must so that would be a priority... I think maybe we should rent one for a few nights and see how it goes! I didn't caravan as a child or anything but himself had a turtle van? WW camper maybe and has fond memories.
Also I should get a close up look at one- I don't think you tube'ing videos or passing one on the n7 counts for much!
Are there dealers that would have a few to view like the way you can go to a car garage and look at cars?
Also (from what I've seen on the n7!!!) I don't think I like the vans that have been converted to campers- they look very small?
Our kiddies are very young and go to bed early so id like a bit of space for us to kick back then

m8

Go and look at as many as you can because only then will you be able to figure out what your exact needs are. Also talk to anyone you know that has one and I'm sure they will help you make your mind up with what might suite you..

Macy0161

Sparkly lady wrote: »

Thanks for the replies!!!
Car seats for the kids are a must so that would be a priority... I think maybe we should rent one for a few nights and see how it goes! I didn't caravan as a child or anything but himself had a turtle van? WW camper maybe and has fond memories.
Also I should get a close up look at one- I don't think you tube'ing videos or passing one on the n7 counts for much!
Are there dealers that would have a few to view like the way you can go to a car garage and look at cars?
Also (from what I've seen on the n7!!!) I don't think I like the vans that have been converted to campers- they look very small?
Our kiddies are very young and go to bed early so id like a bit of space for us to kick back then

We started off in a VW T2. I loved (and still miss) it, but it was a bit small when we were away with all of us (two of us, and two small children). Ours did have 3 point seat belts, but we were never entirely comfortable with them in them (Proper seat belts, but on a wooden seat held together with screws!). I have friends that have a T5 caravelle, and they swapped out the rear seat for a proper crash tested seat bed (not cheap), and have a pod that they lift in when camping, so it's one of their daily drivers.

We now have a 6 berth motorhome - really no comparison to the VW experience (Campervan v Motorhome). The missus does drive it, but if I'm honest she isn't that comfortable doing so. It can be tight through towns, petrol stations etc. It came with a Satellite dish, and a TV bracket, but we haven't bothered fitting a TV - the kids are happy with a mini DVD (which also gets us a greater driving distance). We normally settle them in the van and have quiet time ourselves outside under the awning - it is still a small space inside.

Cooking - we generally cook outside. We've electric rings for when on hook up, and a BBQ. We've also a electric oven and grill from Lidl that we got earlier this year. When you're paying sometimes over €4 a night for hook up, I'm buggered if I'm using my own gas! But there is also a smell issue, depending on what you're cooking. Ours has gas hobs, and a retro fitted oven/grill. Again, we haven't really used them much.

Seat belts - you're really talking from late 90's on for proper 3 point seat belts. Some from the mid-90's, but really became more common later than that.

There are a few dealers around. East Coast Campers isn't a bad spot for comparing layouts - very easy going about people viewing (which isn't necessarily a good thing if it came to buying from them I suppose). We ultimately brought privately through a friend of a friend.

Sparkly lady

Thanks again!
I don't think I'd drive it to be honest! Himself just wants a few days break every now and then while I go off with kids!!!!
Will def go have a look at a few and see them in real life!

I asked everyone I know and nobody has one... In work today I asked and somebody said they didn't have one because if you set up somewhere and want to drive somewhere you have to secure everything down inside and it's a pain in the as*?
When you all are going off for a weekend would you tend to not move the camper once you find your location or do you drive around in it?

munsterabu

That's a good point about having to move stuff before taking off.we have a motorhome generally we park it up for the day if a trip to the nearest shop etc. Is needed. We carry bikes at the back on a rack for such trips also after time spent on the road and sites etc. You tend to travel light and more or less can be ready to move within. A shoft period of time...

Macy0161

I don't know if moving off that big an issue? Levelling ramps and stabilizers are about all that's outside. Generally (unplugged both ends) hook up lead is left to show you're using the pitch, and you can leave tables and chairs etc. We don't tend to move, but that's generally our choice rather than the fact we can't - we're there to relax and do things differently. And that's why we carry bikes! I suppose it depends how much you unpack etc when you arrive.

I probably wouldn't bother to nip 5 minutes down the road for milk (or drive to the toilet block which I witness a baffling number of tuggers and campers doing on sites!), but it wouldn't be too much hassle to go off for a day and many people do.

And speaking of tuggers - if you think you'd like to get off site regularly, and want the freedom of the car when on site, consider a caravan. You get a lot more living side bang for your buck with caravans (for the price of late 90's camper, you'll get a nearly new caravan) so for small enough money compared to campervans you can get a decent condition caravan, and if you have a car the only other investment would be the tow bar and electrics. We were close to going the same route, but ultimately the missus was happier driving the van than towing, but if you wouldn't drive a van either...

Benbecul97

Sparkly lady wrote: »

... I think maybe we should rent one for a few nights and see how it goes!

I think renting a camper is the first thing you should do (especially if you haven't camped in tents before with kids. If you have you will have an idea of what it's like holidaying in a smaller space than you would be used to say on a traditional sun holiday, and you would also have an idea of what's on offer in Irish campsites )...you'll know pretty quickly whether its for ye or not.

They are approx €150ish per day in high season (July/August) - i'd imagine you'd get a reduction for a week.

Don't know where in the country you are based but have a google. Some will even arrange a suitable location for you to pickup/dropoff.

Sparkly lady

Well we went to view some campervans today at an auction so I could finally see one inside!
Still thinking about it but seeing them in real life hasn't turned me off!
My hubbie would buy a converted van if he had a choice but I'd rather an actual purpose built camper van?
One thing I realised today after seeing them is that we would need to spend more money then I thought to get one :-(