Campervan base vehicle question

bigjl

Pound for pound you can't really do much better than a BootJump.

You can get awnings that you attach and have the option of a bigger self contained awning that you can zip up and leave on the campsite and use the car as and when.

It has a decent little sink and cooking facilities.

No toilet of course but then there has to be a compromise. They only take a couple of minutes to unpack and stick in the boot and you are away.

The bloke that designed it and sells it used to be a designer of larger stuff if I remember correctly.

There is a video on their website which is slightly cheesy but shows how useful it is for a small outlay, and you can lift it out of you vehicle as needed.

Thinkfun

The more I see and read about the Bootjump - the more impressed I am. Just found out that a Peugeot dealer in the Peak District has got a demo unit fitted in a Partner Teepee. Not interested in the car but going to go and have a look at the Bootjump. Huge thanks for the tip - wouldn't have known about them otherwise.

bigjl wrote: »

Pound for pound you can't really do much better than a BootJump.

You can get awnings that you attach and have the option of a bigger self contained awning that you can zip up and leave on the campsite and use the car as and when.

It has a decent little sink and cooking facilities.

No toilet of course but then there has to be a compromise. They only take a couple of minutes to unpack and stick in the boot and you are away.

The bloke that designed it and sells it used to be a designer of larger stuff if I remember correctly.

There is a video on their website which is slightly cheesy but shows how useful it is for a small outlay, and you can lift it out of you vehicle as needed.

bigjl

A fair few people have made their own BootJump knock offs which makes me think they are worth a look.

forgotmyname

Make sure the vehicles tall enough to sit inside. The first tme i saw pictures of it the people were sitting inside bent forwards like their spines were curved.

Or they are sitting laying backwards, not a nice position to have to sit in.

fred246

I have a relative who bought one. You could sit in it fine. However he found getting dressed impossible. It's very hard to get dressed without standing up. He got rid of it pretty quickly. It all just seems so compromised. You're far better with a towcar and caravan. Use the towcar all week. Take the caravan and then once you're setup you can still use your car. Attaching an awning to a vehicle that you would usually need to drive around in just seems wrong to me.

bigjl

forgotmyname wrote: »

Make sure the vehicles tall enough to sit inside. The first tme i saw pictures of it the people were sitting inside bent forwards like their spines were curved.

Or they are sitting laying backwards, not a nice position to have to sit in.

Can't say I noticed that. But there are versions of the Berlingo and probably Partner that have a modutop in the roof which has storage and vents, not sure how far back that unit extends.

A Berlingo/Partner has a pretty high roof IMHO

bigjl

fred246 wrote: »

I have a relative who bought one. You could sit in it fine. However he found getting dressed impossible. It's very hard to get dressed without standing up. He got rid of it pretty quickly. It all just seems so compromised. You're far better with a towcar and caravan. Use the towcar all week. Take the caravan and then once you're setup you can still use your car. Attaching an awning to a vehicle that you would usually need to drive around in just seems wrong to me.

Did he have the seperate awning?

I would not even consider one without a seperate awning to be honest. As just as your relative has found there are certain things you can't do in the back of a small van that you can in a caravan.

However a BootJump can be stored in a shed or garage, doesn't need a towbar or for your car to be suitable for the weight of your caravan.

And you can drive at normal road speeds without the extra hastle of towing a caravan not least the extra wear and tear on the vehicle and the extra fuel used.

And the OP never asked about a Caravan.

bigjl

forgotmyname wrote: »

Make sure the vehicles tall enough to sit inside. The first tme i saw pictures of it the people were sitting inside bent forwards like their spines were curved.

Or they are sitting laying backwards, not a nice position to have to sit in.

Have just watched the video again.

Can't say I noticed anybody having any problems with head height.

The elderly couple seemed happy enough, the husband was indeed leaning forward, hardly an issue when you see his head was nowhere near the roof.

BeenThroughItAll

fred246 wrote: »

I have a relative who bought one. You could sit in it fine. However he found getting dressed impossible. It's very hard to get dressed without standing up. He got rid of it pretty quickly. It all just seems so compromised. You're far better with a towcar and caravan. Use the towcar all week. Take the caravan and then once you're setup you can still use your car. Attaching an awning to a vehicle that you would usually need to drive around in just seems wrong to me.

Unless you want to sleep in different fields each night, or wild camp.

fred246

I prefer to sleep in my nice cosy caravan. If you prefer to sleep in fields that's fine. I would have thought that a car was adequate if you like sleeping in fields.