A home away from home in a camper van
GOING away in a metal box with wheels on it was the ultimate dreary holiday — not anymore. Camper vans are the new cool, as celebrities — for example, Coleen Rooney, Chris Martin and Jamie Oliver — forgo flash holidays for the simple life. Robbie Williams even wrote a song, ‘Jesus in a Camper Van’, about his camper van.
The trend is reflected on Irish roads; young families are travelling by camper van to festivals or to the mountains and beaches, here and abroad. A spokesperson for the motor tax office says that in the last two years there has been a noticeable increase in the number of camper vans being taxed. Tax is modest; €102 to €156 for the year.
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Sorcha Bliss, from Co Clare, bought her first camper, with her husband, Brian, 12 years ago, instead of having ‘the big white wedding.’ Now, three children on, they’ve had several camper vans, and bought their most recent model a few weeks ago, in Germany. Sorcha says the appeal is freedom and flexibility.
“Our children are 10, 8 and 6. I just couldn’t imagine being stuck in a hotel. With the van, we go surfing and we can bring bikes away or kayaks. This year, we’re going to the Pyrenees. We’ll spend some time in the mountains and do a bit of the beach. It’s easy to go away with little kids and, when they’re older, they can pitch a tent beside the van and have a little independence,” she says.
Sorcha says camper vans partly became so popular because of the recession and people doing ‘staycations’.
The ‘classic’ camper van is the ‘surfer-dude’ converted Volkswagen — Jamie Oliver loves his 1959 van, One Direction featured theirs in their song, ‘Beautiful’ — but it’s not suitable for families. People with outdoor or flexible lifestyles don’t change everything when they have children, but they have to adapt and this is where Sorcha says the family camper van comes into its own.
“How much you spend varies and, if you can do any modifications yourself, you’ll save money. Going to Germany, you get a wider selection, but, then, you have to pay VRT and it might have a left-hand-drive, so I think most Irish people still prefer to buy in Ireland. You’d get a good camper van here for €15,000,” she says.
Buying a camper van can be daunting, but if you like the outdoors or grew up holidaying in tents or around boats, there’s a good chance you’ll like the lifestyle. “It’s not unusual for the dad to love it and the mum to hate it, or the other way around, so if you could borrow a van for a weekend or hire one for a few days, it might help you make up your mind,” Sorcha says.
In Dublin, www.celticcampervans.com offers two-to-four and four-t-six berth campervans for a four-night minimum hire. High season, they charge €160-€180 a day. “Some 80% of our business comes from abroad; the Irish are getting more interested, but are conscious of the price, even though we are cheaper than the Continent,” says MD, Stephen Bradshaw. However, interest is so strong that Celtic Caravans are booked out for July and August.
Located close to Lough Derg, www.anchorpointmotorhomes.com, in Birdhill, Tipperary, offers services and tips for the camper van newbie. Selling new motorhomes and pre-owned motorhomes, they also offer a range of supply and fit services, from solar panels to air-conditioning and first-time buyer information tours. James O’Keeffe started the business 15 years ago, when “everyone said it was a daft notion. “Even four years ago, business was “tough enough”, but now he’s “crazy up the wall busy. We’ve customers from all over Ireland and Northern Ireland, we never push vans. In fact, if we see somebody gravitate towards the wrong van for their needs, even if it’s selling for more, we’ll direct them to something more suitable. We want people to go away happy.” O’Keeffe says his family always liked tents and the outdoors, but when he started the business, he started using camper vans more often, so he’s plenty of first-hand advice to pass on to the customer.
“For €15,000, you’d get a nice family camper van, valeted and guaranteed by us for six months. If you decide that camping vans aren’t for you, it wouldn’t be the end of the world; they hold their value well and are easy to sell on,” Mr O’Keeffe says.
