Many moons ago, as my boy and I had been going to festivals together for almost 2 decades, we decided to buy a little caravan to take with us on our adventures.
It was a much cheaper option than hiring a motorhome each time and much more comfy than a tent.
We scoured the internet — and the classified papers — and stumbled across a dated little caravan; nice and solid and well loved by her owners.
But, boy, was she ugly.
So we bought the ugly, dated little van and turned it into something lovely.
A proper little home from home to use while we were camping.
Et voila, Dolly 1 was born. Since then, our unit of two turned into a family of four and we decided we needed a little more room. So we sold our original van and bought a bigger version — Dolly 2.
After years of adventures, we sold Dolly 2 in 2019 and bought a third van; you guessed it! Dolly 3.
This collection of posts shows how we renovated all our vans — plus everything I’ve written that’s caravan related.
We were lucky enough to spend the August bank holiday weekend at the Blackmore Camping and Caravanning Club with our friends and had such a lovely stay. I wanted to share our experience and thoughts with you.
Some of our favourite money-saving accessories for RV campers you can’t afford to be without.
Remember we once did a DIY caravan renovation? Took an ugly little beige van and turned her into something lovely? Well, last month, I mentioned that we’d traded our beloved caravan — Dolly 1 — in for a ‘new,’ larger model. I use the term ‘new’ very loosely. The new van may have preceded her chronologically but certainly not in any other …
From wallpapering to painting caravan cupboards; here’s ‘Decorating a Caravan Part 1’.
Can you put laminate flooring in a caravan? Absolutely. If you’re looking for new RV flooring, here are a few reasons why laminate is a really good choice.
Have you ever wondered how to modernize a caravan? Our first caravan makeover was a bit of a gamble. We’d bought a little touring caravan; plain, boring (and a bit beige). And I’d decided to upcycle her. As you do. But it was well before the days of Pinterest and Instagram. There was no reference. …
Our cool caravans —Dolly 1 & 2— were featured in Reloved magazine! A full 4 page article talking about my caravan makeover ideas!
Make sure you you go through your spring caravan checklist, before you embark on your first adventure this year!
Painting caravan cupboards is a really cheap and easy way to give your caravan a facelift. Here’s how I do mine…
With spring on the way and caravanning season on the horizon, some of you might be wanting to give your caravan a brand new look. I regularly get asked what paint to use on the outside of a caravan and in this post, I give you my tips on what I think is the best …
Disclosure: The post ‘5 Tips for Buying a Second Hand Caravan’ contains affiliate links of products that I’ve bought myself. Purchasing via an affiliate link doesn’t cost you any extra. But I may receive a few pence if you click on a link and buy something. Buying a caravan for the first time? I’ve had …
Since we bought Dolly, our first caravan, we’ve been on a mission to find the absolute must have caravan accessory. Now I’m not talking basics — and I’m not disputing that wheel chocks and beautiful melamine plates are ‘must have’ items — but I’ve been on the look-out for something a little different, that really …
Give your caravan a makeover and wn a £500 John Lewis gift card with Ripe Insurance! Head over to the blog to find out how…
If you’re buying a used caravan, one of the things you may have heard about is a CRiS check. Question is… what is a CRiS caravan check? And do you really need one? When we bought our first van — Dolly 1 — I had never heard of a CRiS check. I spotted her in …
‘This is an unpaid review of the OLPRO View 420 Caravan Inflatable Porch Awning. Disclosure: I received an OLPRO View 420 Caravan Inflatable Porch Awning, as part of my ambassadorship with OLPRO. With half term on the horizon, we’re dreaming about going away in Dolly The Caravan again. I can’t believe we’ve only been away …
Tired of dull caravan accessories? Upgrade with floral prints, bright crocks & classic Bunting to make your caravan unique!
When I first looked at the Bosch Unlimited Cordless vacuum cleaner, my first thought was — I already have a cordless vacuum cleaner — what makes this one any different from the one I’ve got? Then I read the brief; the New Bosch Unlimited Cordless Vacuum is SO different from the others — and I’ll tell …
It feels a bit sad to be writing this but the time has come for us to say goodbye to Dolly 2! We’ve bought another van and are planning another makeover project, so we’re looking for a new owner for our little upcycled caravan. She’s taken us on so many adventures — and given us …
Last weekend we finally got around to celebrating Mr D hitting a massive age milestone. His actual birthday was back in March; but our idea of a little wild camping party with friends wouldn’t have been such a success with the temperatures in the minuses, and snow on the ground. That said, a couple of …
I’ve been meaning to write this post for AGES. I’ve had so many messages from people over recent months, asking what I use for painting a caravan exterior. So I thought I’d finally jot down my method; before another year passes by. Caravan painting is nothing new — people have been doing it for years! …
Summer 2018. Since I began this blog, it’s been my life’s mission to capture as many family moments as I can; to preserve them for when the boys are old enough to read and understand just how much they mean to their daddy and me. What began as a cathartic exercise — and something that …
I think it’s fair to say that — for me — the last eight weeks have been tinged with frustration and a little bit of boredom. It’s unlike me too; I don’t get bored easily. If I ever feel my attention waning — and inertia setting in — I tend to just change direction and do something else. But …
Disclosure: We were sent two Dinky Duvalay sets for the twins, for the purposes of this review. All photos, thoughts and words — as ever — are entirely my own. It’s that time of year folks! Spring is finally here which means it’s time to dust Dolly down and get her out of her winter …
Summer has been a wash out so far hasn’t it? As I’m sitting here, typing this, the sky is a steely grey and the rain is drumming a tune on the roof of my new office. Its a far cry from the sun-drenched picture in my head, when I think of summer. Not many days …
These captured moments were taken last year. It was July and we’d taken Dolly The Vintage Caravan to a farm nearby our home; for a camping weekend with a couple of other families. It was a baking hot weekend and our friends were due to arrive, from London, later on in the day. We’d finished setting up …
