Volkswagen Camper Adventures

This is the second part of our collaboration blog with our friends,  The Chaotic Campervaners.   This post shares their suggestions on how to keep your kids amused whilst camping. Keeping Kids Amused Whilst Camping We;  The Chaotic Campervaners;  love camping and campervanning!  But the first time that we felt brave enough to take our son camping was when he was 2 years old. The reason that we were so reluctant to take our son camping was that he is (and always has been) a very active child, who is always on the go and is full of energy! In fact, on this first camping trip, the woman in the next tent told us at the end of our holiday that she had thought that we had twin boys because she didn't think that it could be the same child running around the whole time! So you'll understand that the thought of keeping him amused and entertained whilst in a structure that has no sound proofing when there are other people in such close proximity did not inspire a feeling of a relaxed cam

I've been asked on numerous occasions, how do I keep my kids occupied when we go away in the campervan.  The truth is, I don't find it too difficult. The majority of times we book a campsite, it's usually because of its local attractions.  That may be a beach, a theme park, a museum or whatever else we decide we wish to experience.  When we are visiting these attractions, the van is only really a space to sleep and eat breakfast, so we don't really spend much time in there. My wife and I have camped at coastal sites ever since our first trip away together, and as a youngster I spent many a holiday at the seaside in my parents caravan, so it isn't really surprising that our two daughters also share our love of the beach. It's very easy keeping kids occupied with a beach.  Who doesn't love the old tradition of sandcastle building?  I know I do, especially when they're surrounded by a moat.   When you're bored of sandcastles, why

Our  last blog was a collaboration subject, with our VW camper friends  The Chaotic Campervaners .  This publication is the first part of their campervan playlist. There is nothing better than setting off on a road trip. The open road stretching out in front of you, the excitement of the adventures ahead. Tootling around the countryside, we (The Chaotic Campervaners) love to listen to our favourite tunes. ...So we created a playlist of loads of tunes that we thought were perfect for playing in our campervan when we are on a road trip. Have a look, see what you think and let me know if you have any favourite road trip tunes. Wake Up Boo! - The Boo Radleys Shotgun - George Ezra Put Your Records On - Corinne Bailey Rae Sunroof - Nicky Youre and dazy Good Time - Owl City Mr. Blue Sky - Electric Light Orchestra Happy - Pharrell Williams Walking On Sunshine - Katrina And The Waves Best Day of My Life - American Authors Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing - Tori Kelly Take a

Having the right playlist for your campervan trips is absolutely essential.   If you're anything like me, hearing certain songs will remind you of specific trips, holidays or journeys.  For example, whenever I hear Vanessa Carlton's 'A Thousand Miles', it takes me back to a road trip to Cornwall for a lads holiday to Board Masters in 2007.  The song was five years old at this point, so it isn't like it was hanging around the charts and playing on the radio regularly, it was more about the funny moment where two, big, rugby league players and an Army engineer blurted out the opening lines in perfect harmony without thinking, when it played on whichever radio station we were listening to at the time. Wyatt, the T4, may be 22 years old at the time this blog is posted, but he's fully equipped with a modern Alpine head unit, meaning I can attach my phone by Bluetooth and play my favourite songs from my Spotify account.  Being a bit of a music fan (and ex DJ), I have

If you've followed any of our social media outlets ( Instagram / Twitter / YouTube ), you'll know how much we love the Yorkshire coastal town of Whitby.   What was once a quiet, historic fishing town is now a booming tourist hotspot, and it's easy to see why. Like Moana, the sea calls me.  That's why we head to the coast whenever we can.  As much as I love to find new places, I'm regularly drawn back to Whitby.  It has a special 'feel' about it when you walk around it's historic east side of the River Esk, which cuts the town in half and flows into the 700 year old harbour.  I love to walk around the cobbled streets, and browse the independent shops before climbing the infamous 199 steps to St Mary's Church graveyard.  It was in this graveyard that I proposed to my now wife.  That may sound a strange place to pop the question, but if you see the view from this vantage point over Whitby, you'll see why it is common to find the benches

When you have your pop top down, where do your straps go?  Do you leave them hanging loose, and feel like you're playing with fire, waiting for the headwind to lift the lid? Maybe you do what I did? Tie them in a knot and stuff them into the canvas?  You’ve probably had dozens of people telling you how this damages the straps and canvas.  I know I did. The stuffing and knotting technique is one I wasn't really happy with, but it kept the straps out of the way (until they eventually slide down and make you jump while you're driving as they hit you on the shoulder) but then I came across a suggested product being sold on eBay by Yorkshire 3D Printing. The Pop Top Strap Spool. The spools are one of the best £15 I've spent on the van. They're one of those 'why didn't I think of that?' ideas.  Such a simple design, yet extremely helpful.  The strap is fed through the centre of the spool, wound up, then held in place by an elastic band.

  What is Van Life? Some people think van life is just about living full time in your camper, parking up wherever you want and and taking a morning photo from the tailgate, overlooking a lake or beach.  That's what it may look like on Instagram, but, in my opinion, van life is whatever it means to you. For me, it's the break away from a busy working week.  It is holidaying with my family.  It is the festivals and meet ups.  It is using the camper as base camp when we want to explore a corner of the UK.  It is climbing underneath my T4 and changing an oil pressure switch.  It has become vlogging and blogging.  It is a drain on my wallet.  It is my commute to work.  My van is a big part of my life, so surely this is MY van life? Who knows what the future will bring, my van life may change.  Maybe I'll have a big lottery win and decide that I'd like to tour the whole of the UK coast line (there may be a little vlog about this in the coming months... the trip i