A Toe in Water - A Newbie Story

We said we’d never own a caravan. All the fuss involved.  Parking it on the driveway or keeping it in storage somewhere miles away. Open to the elements and, of course, everyone aware when you’re away on holiday. Not for us.

However we had dabbled with tents and whilst we enjoyed the outdoor existence our knees and bladders protested such that we soon considered alternatives.

Firstly we thought about a camper-van. Key requirements were it had to double as my main day-to-day vehicle and be flexible to transport: people, green waste to the dump and covers band music kit as required plus small enough to fit into a supermarket parking space. Oh…and not require a mortgage to buy.

Most searches resulted in nothing until I tripped across a local dealer with a Ford Tourneo Connect converted by Danbury. One owner, 10K miles, as new. The camping element comprised an Ikea-style box that was lifted into the rear with drawers for a 2-ring hob, 12V fridge, utensils etc. The ‘worktop’ extended through the car and secured to form the base of a double bed.  Brilliant…but it was heavy to lift in an out so we sold that part and slept on a mattress the floor of the car.

I also bought a Vango inflatable awning that I lashed to the side of the car so we could sleep in the car, side door open, and ‘live’ in the awning.  Better than canvas…but still a bit of a faff especially if a bit blowy.

So thoughts turned to next steps. We were sold on the idea of getting away and sliding disgracefully into retirement so the time was right.  The car was fine, fit-for-purpose and super-practical…those sliding rear passenger doors are such a benefit and it drives well returning 55+mpg on a run.

So we’re now looking for something to tow.  I hadn’t towed anything for 40+ years and the idea of towing a ‘normal’ sized caravan didn’t appeal. Also the previous requirements still stood (nothing parked on the driveway etc.). As a Project Manager in the real world, the first part of a project is to gather requirements. Ours were that it must: live in the garage, be faff-free, be small enough to get down country lanes and be reasonably priced i.e. cheap (Mr & Mrs Frugal).

First up was trailer-tents. Scored 4/4 until we watched a couple arrive on a windy campsite and try to erect/assemble theirs and, a few days later, rig it down in a drizzle. All those poles and canvas. It slipped to 3/4 scoring zero for faff-free.

Next up was a micro caravan we discovered by Gobur. New concept to me, they have hinged side walls that fold in then the front & rear walls fold down on hydraulic struts (like a car boot) so the folded height is similar to a trailer tent.  No canvas, no poles, it seemed 4/4. Also, however, no longer made.  A couple of examples in magazines but nothing that struck a chord.

In search of answers we did what I’d recommend everyone does and visit a camping & caravan show and talk to all the lovely people there including, of course those on the C&MH Club stand. This one was at the NEC around Oct 2023 and it was where we met Ivan and Paul from Three Shires Leisure who showed us around the range of micro Trigano vans. No hinged sides however a pop-up roof means that when the roof is down and secured it’s only 1.9M high and designed to fit in most garages. And, at around £16,000 new, it also ticked the price box. In fact the more we looked and thought about how it would fit our lifestyle, the more we were hooked.

We were instantly drawn to the smallest (of the small) versions. The Mini 270 (‘for adventurers’ says the advert). At 1.95M high, 3.95M long (overall!) & 2.0M wide it’s about the same size as the car so country lanes not an issue.  There are other micros available – Swift, Eriba, Go-Pod etc but they’re either too tall for garage parking or have a rear, external kitchen or are a sleeping pod only. The Trigano is a complete caravan…just tiny.

We have bought a small microwave/grill and a fan heater that is used for 2 mins at a time as the space is so small.

The level of kit was impressive too. Standard spec includes: fridge/freezer, 2-ring gas hob, LED lighting all with usb points, sink, gas CH, tinted windows with screens cassette loo and loads of storage.  The pop-up roof (2.3M when raised) allows plenty of room for those of average height and seating is comfy and turns into a standard sized double bed.

With a max authorised weight of 750kg it’s obviously simple to tow and bounces along very happily behind us returning approx. 41mpg on the runs we’ve done so far. It also means that it can be positioned (or even spun around completely) on site manually by us as an averagely fit couple much to the amusement / envy of other watching caravanners. No motor movers required.

Small downside experienced so far is that we have to adopt a camping mentality of being in limited space. This means establishing a routine to do chores as it can be a human game of Tetris to shuffle around in half the space if the bed is made.  But for 2 adults the Mini 270 is a brilliant introduction into the world of caravanning.

I must also praise the customer service provided by Ivan & Paul at Three Shires Leisure.  They were amazingly helpful, knowledgeable and professional. Advised us every step of the way in all aspects regarding ownership, insurance and security. They took into account the fact that we were caravan virgins and made sure we were completely clear and happy before they waved us off.  I’ve spoken with them since to ask naive questions as they arose and they continue to impress.

So…to date (April 24) we’ve managed three weekend trips. We load the caravan with food and clothes directly from the house to the garage, pop the legs up, open the electric garage door, hook up the car and off we go. It’s like launching Thunderbirds. The end of our trips is just as straight-forward and everything is as we’d intended. Fantastically simple and convenient. Planning to add an inflatable awning shortly (so the cassette loo can go outside) but we are very happy and looking forward to making use of the club facilities to explore sites further afield.

If you’ve never caravanned and think it’s too cumbersome or inconvenient, then consider the micro-van route.  It’s a great introduction. Can’t wait for summer.