Loads of them in Arbroath today. Spring must be just around the corner! ;D
I passed a couple of manky old conversion jobs, one lorry, one van, in Stornoway today. None of "tourists" looked like they had seen a bar of soap this millennium.
With the lack of affordable accommodation you can understand why they are so popular, but they are still a plague.
Last week I saw a pair parked overnight in a flooded lay-by with snow falling. Rather you than me was my thought!
Quote from: arawa on February 24, 2024, 01:39:49 PMRather you than me was my thought!
I can't imagine they would be much fun for more than a night or two. Maybe a week maximum if you had one like Nicola Sturgeon's - the £110K Niesmann Bischoff "Independence".
I'll let you know if she ever turns up in Arbroath! ;D
We had a campervan in NZ for a month, Nth island and Sth. 3,000 miles and a great trip. Shifted on every couple of days.
Campervan in Tasmania too and the same Toyota Hilux base vehicle. Really enjoyed both holidays going where we wanted to go and lots of good campsites.
Spent years wondering about a standard VW here but stick with cottage bases or climbing club meets at big lodges or whole bunkhouse bookings.
As I said above, with the lack of affordable accommodation one can see the attraction of the Grockle Wagon, I often considered one myself in the wild days before I had kids, but even then I was smart enough to realise it would soon become a very expensive and little used novelty.
The strangest thing at the moment are these roof tents. I can't see the point of getting somewhere, climbing on top of the car to set it up and get into it and then can't use the car again until it is time to move on. Much easier to set a tent up beside the car and then you can use the car to get about. I hate to think what it would be like in a high wind.
I'm looking at one of these, prices released next month. Should be good on juice and enable me to do overnighters on the Clyde and Annan. I've done day trips to them before but it's exhausting!
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That looks good Sean, very inconspicuous. Let's just say normal Grockle Wagons are not too poplar with locals in the H&I but that would do the job admirably.
Quote from: Wildfisher on February 25, 2024, 11:40:20 AMThat looks good Sean, very inconspicuous. Let's just say normal Grockle Wagons are not too poplar with locals in the H&I but that would do the job admirably.
I hate them with a passion myself tbh. They've ruined the experience of the highlands in places. I head up there to get away from the entitled arseholes I deal with daily, since lockdown the countryside has been invaded by them.
Dacia seem to do decent motors these days, I like it as it's a bit of a stealth camper, probably not ideal for a week away but for a quick two day trip it's spot on. Could also see a use when we head up to Caithness as it'll get up the rough tracks no bother and could stay overnight to fish the mornings and evenings on more remote lochs.
Quote from: Sean Freeman on February 25, 2024, 01:09:26 PMDacia seem to do decent motors these days
Mate of mine has had several - Duster, Stepway etc. Loves them.
When fishing on North Uist, another angler had a tiny Renault-based campervan that looked like a plain van. It squeezed in a fixed single-berth and a cooker plus a porta potty (although how the latter could be used was beyond my imagination!). The owner said he spent several weeks at a time fishing across the Highlands in his camper with an occasional night-stop at hotels for a shower etc.
I have an inflatable mattress that makes a decent flat bed in the back of my Forester but my roughing it days are largely over 😳.
My Peugeot 807 is big enough to sleep in but I have never needed to. I can see where it would be convenient if I ever had to.
Grockle Wagons are a lot like salmon. You get a few early on in the year but the main runs come later in the season. ;D
Difficult now to get a car where the rear seats can be taken out. I had a VW Sharan and then a virtually identical Seat Alhambra where all rear seats came out giving 7ft 6inches of flat floor. Excellent for sleeping in, even with a fully inflated float tube as well!
Now using a Skoda Karoq with all three rear seats removable again giving a long flat floor and only a little bit shorter. Seats already taken out for the season coming. Also takes three of the very big builders bags filled with hedge trimmings so plenty versatility. Plus there is a spare wheel !