Camping with kids - dodgy features of any conversions?

[Ali140128]

Hi all,

First of all, greetings to one and all. I've recently joined the ranks as we're in the market for a T25 (soon I hope?), ideally a high-top with an original factory interior for around the 6-7k mark.

My question is: Are there any experiences within the club of notably crap / annoying features on particular conversions when it comes to having kids in them? We've a 1-yr old daughter and hope to travel around Europe for a decent amount of time in it eventually (before she goes to school anyway!). Am thinking predominantly about space to entertain the little 'un on rainy days. As an example, I spoke to a guy with an autosleeper high-top who noted the extra floor space in that particular conversion due to the reat bench seat being located further back in the cabin, he found it very useful for his chiddlers on rainy days. Do any conversions have significantly less floor space than others? Annoying table locations? etc.

Obviously I hope to get to a show or two to view a few interiors for comparison - not an easy task of a weekend however as we live in Aberdeen! Do hope to meet some of you soon enough at some such event though.....

Any help greatly appreciated!

Cheers

Ali

[1664]

I spoke to a guy with an autosleeper high-top who noted the extra floor space in that particular conversion due to the reat bench seat being located further back in the cabin

I think you might mean Autohomes as that is set very far back, unless Autosleepers employ the same design. I did slightly relocate my table position towards the front but that's just me as I like to be able to reach it from both front buddy seat and back seat. I don't have kids though

and welcome to the club

[eatcustard]

Welcome

Westys dont have grills, so you cant make toast
you need a driveaway awning, gives you more space

example here
http://www.cave-crag.co.uk/3466/Khyam-D ... -Tent.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Ian Hulley]

Don't spend a fortune on a mint factory conversion until your kids are old enough to know what they breaking. You could lose a lot of money off a mint Westy when the kids have broken the knobs and picked the laminate off

Ian

[Fozzie]

We've got an Autohomes and can vouch for the value of the floor space. Then again the child seat is a long way back if fitted to the rear seat. We had ours on the buddy seat, just behind the passenger seat, for quite a while (well, 'til number two came along to keep number one company at the back). The advantage now is that they can listen to their music (from the speakers I've just moved to the tailgate! ) while we can carry on an adult conversation at the front. Everyone's happy.

Get a toilet. Ours is stored in the buddy seat and makes life so-o-o-o much easier than having to find a toilet on the road, or traipse to the toilet block on sites.

In our hi-top we've redone the Autohomes upstairs so that it can be completely closed off at night. It's small (compared with a pop top) but the girls are happy to go up there at bedtime, and sleep while we make noise downstairs without disturbing them.

Oh yes - don't go for white carpet(!); laminate is much easier to clean mud from.

[dalel]

Hi all

This is my first posting after buying at 1988 Auto Sleeper (Pop top) in August. We love our T25 and really like the Auto Sleeper layout.

We fit two adults, two kids aged 8 and 6 and three dogs into ours. A bit of a squeeze! I didn't fancy spending ages trying to put up an awning, especially with kids running around, so got a large Quechua pop-up tent which stands right next to the sliding door. It goes up in less than 5 minutes and provides loads of extra space - we couldn't do without it and would recommend it to anyone.

Hope this helps.

[Ali140128]

Thanks everyone, good sound advice and it's made things a bit clearer. I guess I'll have to try and get to a show where I can compare a few side by side. Fancy the hi-top from a storage / warmth point of view though, ideally with a nice retro cream / brown exterior

[TravellingChick]

I've got an autohomes solid sided poptop and have a 4yr old daughter. Couldn't manage on longer trips without the drive away awning and I have the khyam motordome classic that I can put up on my own in about 10 mins.

Having a non-fixed table works really well as it goes in the awning unless we're eating and I just pop it back inside for meals. All her mags/books/colouring stuff lives in the flip lid cupboards between the sink and the wardrobe.

Whilst she doesn't sleep in the poptop (yet) it makes for an excellent play area and she goes up there to watch DVDs, do her colouring or generally play whilst listening to her music on her iPod. Being solid sided makes it pretty warm up there and it's huge with plenty of head room.

Definatley get some sort of loo, we just use a bucket with a seat attachment and a very tight sealing lid at the moment but I'll be investing in a chemical flushing affair soon.

Make sure you have a good leisure battery and electric hookup so you can run the lights in the evening and charge up any portable gadgets.

I prefer my poptop to a hightop as I find the hightop space very coffin-like and it's restrictive if you want to get into low access car parks.

Have fun!
Sarah

[T-3PO]

Ever thought of an in-van high chair arrangement??

We bought one of these http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Safety-First-Port ... 2556fc222e" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; it's got two straps normally used for holding to a chair but by removing the lower strap, cutting it down and screwing the cut ends to the timber of our RnR bed we just have to clip it in and out as needs be. Gotta say it can be a lifesaver at meal times when things can get a little hectic in the van with the wife and I throwing plates and pans around!! At least we know juniors strapped into his seat and out of harms way.

Agreed, pop-up tents are a superb idea for overnight storage ... nowt worse than fighting over prams and car seats first thing in the morning however some campsites charge extra for them as you have potential to sleep in them so we picked up a zip-up-fronted beach tent from Fleabay for less than a tenner and have never had any arguments about its uses, plus they mark good "this is our pitch" markers.

[TravellingChick]

I've got an autohomes solid sided poptop and have a 4yr old daughter. Couldn't manage on longer trips without the drive away awning and I have the khyam motordome classic that I can put up on my own in about 10 mins.

Having a non-fixed table works really well as it goes in the awning unless we're eating and I just pop it back inside for meals. All her mags/books/colouring stuff lives in the flip lid cupboards between the sink and the wardrobe.

Whilst she doesn't sleep in the poptop (yet) it makes for an excellent play area and she goes up there to watch DVDs, do her colouring or generally play whilst listening to her music on her iPod. Being solid sided makes it pretty warm up there and it's huge with plenty of head room.

Definatley get some sort of loo, we just use a bucket with a seat attachment and a very tight sealing lid at the moment but I'll be investing in a chemical flushing affair soon.

Make sure you have a good leisure battery and electric hookup so you can run the lights in the evening and charge up any portable gadgets.

I prefer my poptop to a hightop as I find the hightop space very coffin-like and it's restrictive if you want to get into low access car parks.

Have fun!
Sarah

That should say MY ipod, not HER ipod LOL!

[Ali140128]

Thanks for that, good tips. I appreciate the benefits of a solid-sided poptop over a high-top, though do you ever find the lack of extra storage space an issue? Guess that comes down to the pop vs high-top debate and Im sure that's been debated once or twice on this site.....

[TravellingChick]

I personally don't find it an issue. More space you have the more you are inclined to pack LOL.

I have a small roof rack over the cab which I used for the first time going to Cromer - put the awning up there - as I had 4 teens in the back and a 3yr old in the passenger seat.

We were pretty tightly packed but not uncomfortably so.

[AngeloEvs]

Had a bad experience in France during a wet spell in our pop top and have stuck to a high top ever since. Much drier and nicer, damp bedding is no fun for kiddies...............

[dalel]

I like my pop top, if I had a fixed top I wouldn't get the van into the garage. Out and about, its easier to drive - although this is only a personal opinion and to be honest, there has only been one or two car parks where the height of a fixed top would have been an issue. I have a lockable trailer for extra storage.