They’re painfully slow and generally driven by tourists with all day to get to wherever it is they are going. What is the appeal? In the interest of science I took up the offer from a new Irish camper hire firm, ‘Kamp-Easi’, to test drive one of their fleet for a couple of days.
The family (of willing participants) called for a large unit that could sleep all five of us. Step forward the four to six berth ‘Marlin 65d’, which is basically a Fiat Ducato van chassis with a caravan on the back. Powered by a 2.8 litre JTD diesel engine this machine is motorway quick and easy to drive on the open road. The manual five-speed gearbox and all controls are car-like.
It is wide, and with a Luton-style sleeping compartment over the driver’s head and a substantial rear overhang one needs to quickly become aware of where to position it on the road, especially when turning or taking bends.
The easiest measurement is that the side mirrors represent the widest part of the camper. The mirrors are great as they are both split (helping eliminate any blind spots) and electrically adjustable. My camper, the larger of two sizes available, is classed as a car so anyone on an ordinary ‘B’ licence can drive it. Camper rates and sites can be found at www.kamp-easimotorhomes.com.
Inside is a masterpiece of packaging. From front to rear there is the driver and front seat passenger cab, and above it is a double bed sized sleeping area (accessed by ladder). This has a ‘bumper’ to stop people falling out during the night. Next is the first dining table/seating area, here you have safety belts for four people (two facing front and two facing rearward). This area folds down in to a bed. Beside it is the side door with a closet to one side and the galley on the other. There is a fridge, gas hob, gas oven/grill, utensils and storage.
Opposite is the bathroom/head with the famed ‘chemical toilet’ and shower. The loo works using a storage box found underneath the pan that is accessible from outside. It is not the horror job my mind had thought it would be. The unit is sealed and has an excellent ‘twist cap’ operation when it comes to emptying. Most campsites have a toilet bowl set aside for this ‘manly’ task and it should not be feared! At the rear of the camper is the main dining area with a collapsible table that forms the main double bed. Every centimeter of wall space has storage. It is an extremely well planned and functional interior.
There are three forms of power used for lighting, heating and cooking. 12-volt battery power is used when in the wilderness using an auxiliary ‘leisure’ battery. Gas provides heat and cooking power via a standard gas bottle. Finally mains electricity is used when parked up at a serviced campsite. There is a power cable that plugs into the van and the campsite’s socket, it is as simple as that.
Campsites are easily found on the web and, importantly, a list of their facilities. A star rating is given, which is self explanatory. We hit two good sites, one in Kilmuckeridge, Co Wexford that was on the beach and had a very child-friendly set up – ‘Bliss’.
The second night after spending a day in Courtown mostly swimming (the leisure centre is great) we ambled up to Redcross in Wicklow where we found a busy campsite with lots to do. Both sites had electricity and water and a shower block and onsite loos.
A camper holiday is certainly different and with a modern machine you don’t have to feel guilty about holding up the traffic. I even passed a modified Civic!
Michael Sheridan
