Four showers and a plastic bucket

Having previously borrowed a basic and rather aged caravan, the first van I used regularly was when my step-father decided to buy his first ever caravan and plumped for one from a new manufacturer in 1988. It was a Coachman VIP and, coupled with the new car Mum bought to tow it, this totalled about £20,000 worth of new kit. What did they think they were doing allowing a 20 year old student and his two mates to borrow it for weekends and holidays? Anyway, they did and we were very careful not to damage anything!

The Coachman was chosen for its 'stretched' but conventional end-kitchen layout (in preference to the new trend for end washrooms) but the corner washroom was large enough to provide a separate shower and Coachman even changed the shape of the room to enable them to fit a new-fangled cassette loo; these were so new they hadn't thought to allow for one even in this, their more expensive range. We almost exclusively used CLs and this van well and truly got me into the mindset that showering in a caravan was entirely normal.

Move on 8 years and I buy the first van of my very own; a 1983 Autosleeper CX1000 on a Talbot Express (I'd always had a yearning for a 'holiday van' since I was a young child). This had a toilet compartment but no hot water and no shower. To rectify this I bought a camping shower compartment (and an awning to put it in) and a shower that pumped hot water from a plastic bucket. It worked ... but I think I may only have used it once or twice.

Two more years pass and I trade up to a 10 year old 1988 Autosleeper Rambler. Yes, you had to move the loo to the far end of the van before you could use the shower. Yes, it was so small that if you dropped anything you could barely get down to retrieve it (I'm 6'2" and quite broad). Yes, the instantaneous water heater would sometimes go out mid-shower leaving you with nothing but cold. It didn't matter; I could have a shower in the morning before I faced the world and I was prepared to put up with a lot to have this facility.

The Rambler lasted me six years until I realised a tourer would suit me better; so I switched to a compact Elddis Whirlwind of 1987 vintage in 2004. Further luxury ... a built-in hot water tank and the loo could remain in-situ during showers. The clingy four-sided shower curtain was annoying and there was no shelf but this arrangement lasted me another seven years.

What I REALLY wanted was an end washroom but this was simply not possible with a small drive and a 1.6 litre towcar. Until 2011 that is, when the manufacturers suddenly caught on; Bailey being first with the Orion 400/2. I didn't need telling twice and snapped one up.

So that's the tale so far. Don't look at me in amazement when I use the shower in my small van; remember I've used far worse!  . Incidently I still have weekends away in the van with those two mates and on those occasions I have to concede that three unrelated 6-footers through one caravan shower really doesn't go. You'll see us traipsing across to the toilet block with everyone else!