Going to the Shows: What does your pitch comprise of:

[Paul Marsh]

Many of the people here go to shows, some go for one day, some stay the weekend or make a week of it.

Was thinking, although it's obvious, when you go to a show, what people use to sleep,cook, get drunk in, but for some who never been to a event, but might want to go, who takes what and makes your weekend stay?

Mine is a caravan and awning, although my last caravan the axle failed last weekend and was stuck. managed to get one cheap and was only 2 miles away. some minor issues but now am back on the road again...

[Tony Bennett]

i tend to sleep in my estate car, though i do now have an old vw t25 camper van for next year.

that's if it manages to get to any shows.

Tony B

[Don Fry]

I once towed my boat to a show to sleep, cook, poo in.

[Denis Watkins]

The boys and I now crash in a hotel for the weekend as our annual treat.

[Geoff S]

We have a campervan so we'll have that (and our bikes) at the Nats. It's not all that big as it's based on a long wheelbase 20 year old Ford Transit made by Autosleeper.

Donald, I don't think any boats we ever owned would be very suitable for sleeping in (much less pooing in!). They were all racing dingies (Graduate, Enterprise, Scorpion, Laser). Although when sailing at week/weekend long championships we used them as camping trailers for our tent as our cars were then 2 seater sports jobs (A-H Sprite or Triumph Spitfire)

Geoff

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

I loiter within tent, they're very good these days, completely waterproof, weigh nothing n easy to put up, getting em back in bag is fun though.

[Martin Leslie]

I,ll echo Johns comments, used t have a trailer tent that 3 of us used, now we each have our own tent and carry everything in the trailer. Good fun until packing away time comes, still ten times easier than packing trailer tent.

[PETER BRUCE - Eastchurch Gap]

At our recent show, we noticed that this year it was almost an equal split between tents and caravans - I put the motorhomes in the caravan bracket. Previous years there were more tents however this has steadily changed over the seven years - but then so have the tents... Some of the tents footprints are now massive and equal to a couple of caravan pitches and the biggest tent I saw had 4 x 4 berth separate bedrooms and was easily 30 foot square and at £13 for 2 nights camping we could see why they stayed with a tent!😀. It's all good fun either way and by staying its much better as they can always go back and have a cup of tea and of course they can see the fireworks and then they don't have far to walk to crash out for the night - many shows now do the night flying and fireworks so by staying in whatever you can makes sure you get the most of the show you've gone to...

 

 

Edited By PETER BRUCE - Eastchurch Gap on 05/08/2017 14:47:40

[ken anderson.]

since the 90's I used a tent(basic one)...last time out was at greenacre's.i also have a caravan which I use for trip's with mrs A.nowt like living the dream getting a wash and tidy up in your bathroom in the tent(dish of water) and cooking al a carte on your one ring stove which also double's up as your heating also...at one with nature etc....

ken Anderson...ne...1..... outdoors dept.

[Paul Marsh]

Used to use a tent - but it takes up the whole car and if it's been raining, you are inside a damp tent. If the weather's hot, all your food/milk goes off.

Prefer a caravan, now. The one i'd been using, the axle failed coming back from Don Valley fly-in. Got back ok,but it's impossible to source an axle, so just bought a cheap, but good another van and now back on the road.

The axle on my Lunar now had it!

 

And my replacement:

The caravan came with a little porch awning. Can use the big awning for fly-ins and the porch awning at others where I'm not taking much.

 

Edited By Paul Marsh on 05/08/2017 17:03:08

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

Looks o.k Paul, glad you got home o.k, too many models in it put strain on the axle.

[Martyn K]

Got a motor home but I need 2 passes to go to a show now. One foe me and one for the motor home. Rarely do the timing of the two passes coincide

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Paul Marsh]

I prefer the caravan to a hotel, one thing it is your place and you can take with you what you want. You get to a hotel, miles from your venue, if you do a model show, an empty room and have to do the only thing you can do :watch the rubbish on the TV, which is present on Saturday nights.

A caravan, you have a fridge, oven, hob, grill and shower/toilet, although never used it's toilet, as there are toilets at shows and might as well use them and having to empty mine, which is a bit gross! (even with blu stuff in it...)

[Chris Barlow]

I use a caravan for the fly-ins and a tent for PSSA and slope meetings.

The caravan is quite luxurious with seperate lounge/kitchen area and bedroom with the permanent beds already made up. TV sometimes works on the omni ariel but is usually better on the yagi beam which means setting it up. I also bought a light weight awning for it as a hanger for the flying as the family awning is huge and a bit too much for one person to erect.

I still like camping in a tent though and as I'm usually on my own for slope meetings it is quite nice. I used to use a fishing bivvy and my carp fishing gear and only recently upgraded to a four man tent which means I can cook etc in the "living" area of the tent.

The tent and camping gear stays in the roof box on my Discovery and the caravan is always stocked with food, clothes and models ready for the next fly in until winter when it gets emptied for storage.

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

At the last three Nats (at Barkston) we have ended up with effectively a tented village!

There is Mrs BEB and myself, my son and his partner, my daughter and her partner. So, 6 of us.

So we begin with a 6 man tent - you might think that would do? No chance! That accomodates just Mrs BEB and self. Then (along with a gazebo attachted to the front) it also provides the communial sitting, storing and eating space. Then there are two 3 man tents - one pitched each side - which provide sleeping accomodation for the kids and their partners.

So, if you think you have a challenge putting your tent away - imagine what its like with that lot! Two years ago we ended up breaking all that down in te pouring rain - now that was fun,.....not!

BEB

[Bustergrunt]

We'll be there in our recent purchase...along with an awning

[onetenor]

You should find axles here https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Axle+for+lunar+or+Luna+caravan&oq=Axle+for+lunar+or+Luna+caravan&aqs=chrome..69i57.41924j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 No excuses You could have Googled this yourself. Just go down the list past the van sales .

[Glyn44]

I've used an Elddis van looks identical to to Paul's above up to recently, but this year decided to to stay in the nearest B&B or hotel. Then I changed my car, so do not have a tow bar, so if anyone wants my van it's going cheap, as we do not use it for any thing else now.

[Paul Marsh]

Posted by onetenor on 06/08/2017 04:01:50:

You should find axles here https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Axle+for+lunar+or+Luna+caravan&oq=Axle+for+lunar+or+Luna+caravan&aqs=chrome..69i57.41924j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8"No excuses You could have Googled this yourself." Just go down the list past the van sales .

Bit rude aren't we?

They are for all new vans, already checked and exhausted that avenue. Mine is 1998 and an odd size, the Lunar was only 6 foot 6 wide, where normally, even my old van was 7 foot wide.
Only course is the breakers, but now I've got a replacement can look at leisure...

[John Emms 1]

I guess what can be used all comes down to budget, storage, and time for maintenance.

Over the last 40 years, I have been on the verge of buying caravans, various types of trailer tent, and converting the van to a campervan, and all have been rejected for various reasons.

Of all the many tents I have owned and used, by far the best is our current Vango Icarus 500 that takes up little room when packed, but provides a good living space for the two of us plus dog. We have been in that tent during the most horrendous storms, and a replacement is currently no more than £200 should we need one. Our latest (and best) air bed is an Aero Bed Active - yes, £80, but worth every single penny. Furniture is two folding chairs and a water proof camping table with adjustable legs. Cooking is taken care of by two Trangia methylated spirit cookers that can be used inside and out, and take up little room when packed (we mostly use only one). Light (and lots of heat) comes from a 35 year old Coleman kerosene lamp. For eating and drinking we have lightweight stainless steel cutlery and real ceramic mugs. Sandra's absolute must have luxury is two glass wine glasses that she keeps in a box. Everything stores easily in a spare wardrobe, and fits easily in the back of my Suzuki Swift.

I intend to be at the Nats with a 3 person tent (that has a small porch), single lightweight air bed, chairs, table, and one Trangia - see you there!

[Tim Hooper]

We don't travel light.

For the pair of us (+ small dog);

5 -berth caravan c/w awning, containing several models, generator (for the hairdryer), guitars, too many shoes, cosmetics, too many clothes, tec.....

Tim

[John Emms 1]

Posted by Tim Hooper on 06/08/2017 13:11:53:

We don't travel light.

For the pair of us (+ small dog);

5 -berth caravan c/w awning, containing several models, generator (for the hairdryer), guitars, too many shoes, cosmetics, too many clothes, tec.....

Much like a colleague who keeps a collection of cars, a campervan AND a motor home.

I am sure that one day I will see the light!

[Paul Marsh]

An old thread, as its the show season, wonder what's the feed atm.

Bought a newer caravan, much bigger and with a massive awning, now can have my own model show,,,

One thing i really needed is a motor mover, as my back is still sore from trying to push the other one, should have bought earlier. Going from a diddy caravan, to this is not too bad. the little ABI Marauder did me well and still miss it.

Edited By Paul Marsh on 30/07/2018 16:00:10

[cymaz]

Travelodge, Toby Carvery, Enterprise hire van, plane(s), Mrs Cymaz. And that’s not in order of priority