Our Caravan, Bo (Bailey Orion)
Our old caravan was 22 years old and had many things go wrong with it:
* the awning rail leaked in causing damp
* the flue from the heater leaked water causing a damp ceiling and floor
* the oven refused to work
* the hob was temperamental
* the water heater leaked and was only safe to use on gas mode
* the filter housing broke and had to be replaced
* the jockey wheel had to be replaced
* it wasn't practical to shower the kids as the shower was over the toilet so everywhere got wet
* blow air heating had broken
* shower tap had to be replaced
* a hole had appeared in the back bumper
It was Easter 2011 and we were at the end our tether enjoying our caravan holidays but not enjoying our caravan. We went for a picnic in Stourport and stopped off to look at Chichester Caravans and fell in love with the Bailey Orion 440-4. We fell in love with it there and then, deposit paid and an agreement made we would pick up our new caravan 5 days later, so keen were we, they allowed us to have the display model which had only been on display for a couple of hours!
So. it was the day of the Royal Wedding and while the rest of the country were excited at the prospect of the wedding we were excited at the prospect of collecting our new caravan!
So this is Bo (as in bailey Orion!) Blog posts on using the caravan can be found here.
* the awning rail leaked in causing damp
* the flue from the heater leaked water causing a damp ceiling and floor
* the oven refused to work
* the hob was temperamental
* the water heater leaked and was only safe to use on gas mode
* the filter housing broke and had to be replaced
* the jockey wheel had to be replaced
* it wasn't practical to shower the kids as the shower was over the toilet so everywhere got wet
* blow air heating had broken
* shower tap had to be replaced
* a hole had appeared in the back bumper
It was Easter 2011 and we were at the end our tether enjoying our caravan holidays but not enjoying our caravan. We went for a picnic in Stourport and stopped off to look at Chichester Caravans and fell in love with the Bailey Orion 440-4. We fell in love with it there and then, deposit paid and an agreement made we would pick up our new caravan 5 days later, so keen were we, they allowed us to have the display model which had only been on display for a couple of hours!
So. it was the day of the Royal Wedding and while the rest of the country were excited at the prospect of the wedding we were excited at the prospect of collecting our new caravan!
So this is Bo (as in bailey Orion!) Blog posts on using the caravan can be found here.
We have used this caravan more than we ever thought we would have done and more than would ever have been possible in our old caravan. We hardly ever use the microwave but it is handy to have. I love the size of the huge fridge and the freezer which is a great size to hold a tub of ice cream and several packets of frozen foods. There is no fire in this caravan but the blown air heating keeps everyone lovely and warm. The huge bathroom is also fantastic as there is actually room to get changed (we never had this in our old caravan) we also love the separate shower cubicle and storage under the sink.
We have spent several happy summers in the caravan. I even brought a portable twin tub washing machine to keep in the awning! It was fantastic for using on sites that had fully serviced pitches but even though it was more of a chore to do the washing when we had to collect the water from the tap each time, having it right there to use was worth the effort. Our caravan is like a home from home! (Spot the slow cooker!)
We have spent several happy summers in the caravan. I even brought a portable twin tub washing machine to keep in the awning! It was fantastic for using on sites that had fully serviced pitches but even though it was more of a chore to do the washing when we had to collect the water from the tap each time, having it right there to use was worth the effort. Our caravan is like a home from home! (Spot the slow cooker!)