Saturday, 12 May 2012

Adria Twin - Live In Review


She scrubbed up well, despite having covered over 44,000 miles through 21 countries
We purchased our 2007 Adria Twin shortly before it’s 3rd birthday and owned it for just shy of two years. In that time it received more use then many, having spent over 370 days occupied by us with 334 during our 11 month tour of Europe. It seems the Twin is a popular van; one of our most popular and earliest blog posts is our Adria Twin Modifications and Improvements post and has received over 5,000 views.

At 5.98m, a panel van conversion might seem like an odd choice for a year touring Europe. Many who full-time or travel “long term” often choose vehicles much larger in size and with a bigger, all important payload. By comparison I recon we travel fairly light, but we still managed to take loads of stuff with us which came back unused a year later!

The fixed rear bed layout while still relatively unknown in the UK (where the “rear lounge” is king)  is the most popular selling panel van layout in Germany and was pioneered by Adria on the X244 Fiat Ducato, but the extra width and length of the X250 Ducato really made the layout work well. It has been replicated and reproduced by over 10 different manufacturers, of which only a few other than Adria have started to make their way over to the UK.

The Twin makes light work of parking everywhere a regular car would 
- including underground parking garages!

While motorhoming is often about compromise we never felt we had to make one in the Twin. For us it was the perfect combination of being able to squeeze into regular car parks in towns, cities (and even underground parking!) and we even used it to wild camp in the centre of 7 capitals cities. It also meant that all of the ferries through Norway and also the Denmark to Sweden Storebaelt Bridge was the same price as a car, saving us over £350 in tolls overall.

What we loved:

The fixed bed
One thing we would not be without. If we ever felt like lounging we’d hop on the bed and watch a film and when we did want to go to bed there was no “setting up” or “putting away” required. There are also masses of storage space underneath the van which only a fixed bed can give you. We utilised this with 6 large stacking boxes which fitted perfectly, with four being accessible from inside. The bed also lifts up so is great for carrying bikes or even moving furniture when at home!

We changed Adria's seat covers for
something a bit more hard wearing.
The ability to fully utilise the cab seats. Many panel vans (rear lounge vans especially) lose all functionality of the cab and driver seats. This is a shame because you effectively gain half a metre of living space and two of the most comfortable high backed seats in the van.

The large gas locker meant we could take 2x 11kg refillable cylinders equating to 44 litres of gas. Gas consumption when off hook up worked out to just under a litre a day to run the fridge, hot water daily and ad-hoc heating. An under slung tank is of course an option, but we already had a 2x 11Kg Gaslow refillable system.

It's not the size that matters, it's how you use it. Under bed storage was maximised through the use of 
stacking boxes and a partitioned area for chairs, screens and ramps.

The 80L waste tank also helped with wild camping. Our 90L fresh usually lasted us 3-4 days even with a shower daily or every other day thanks to a trigger action shower head we installed.

What we’d change:

We didn’t like the tambour door on the bathroom and in the bathroom cupboards. A good idea at the time but we much prefer the solid wooden door in the Globecar as these start to fail over time and can rattle fairly badly and fall apart.

The fridge was small, but had enough
room for all of the essentials.
We’d swap the wardrobe for a full size fridge/freezer as found in the Trigano Tribute 650 and some pull out storage underneath, although many might be grateful for the hanging space.

While two rings are perfectly adequate, a larger cooking area for long term touring might be advantageous. The grill was surprisingly versatile, cooking fish, meat and chips.

Of course, a few things we changed ourselves! Check out our Modifications and Improvements post.

Summary

Where to dry the underwear when wild
camping? In the windscreen of course!
The van is a perfect if you are active and don’t want to spend several days at a time lounging around inside, but as a drive, explore, eat, sleep vehicle it is first class. Ours covered nearly 30,000 miles in our time of ownership and the build still looked fresh and new when we came to sell her with over 44,000 on the clock which is a testament to the build quality of these vans.

Also Consider: Globecar Globescout (599DB), Possl Style 599DB.


June 2012 Motorhome Monthly

It's that time again!

We got asked a few times recently if we write the content specifically for Motorhome Monthly Magazine, the answer is no - they have just been lifting it straight from our blog (warts and all!) and we send them through some high resolution images.

We never really thought when we wrote our blog that our mutterings would be worthy of printed media but I must say we're really enjoying seeing our photos in full colour print! To read it in full online and for free click here: Motorhome Monthly Magazine - June

Wednesday, 2 May 2012

Quick update from Adam & Sophie

We're really, really sorry we've not updated the blog in so long. We promised it wouldn't happen just because we were back in the UK and we won't let it happen again, we'll be updating at least once a week from now on!

In recent news, Sophie and I are just back from the Peterborough show after launching a little business venture, Motorhome WiFi. We did this on the back of the several thousand people who have read one of the most popular pages on our site ‘Internet Access in Europe’ and e-mailed us asking for information and advice. We thought, rather than promoting someone else’s products on our site, we’d take the products that worked for us along with some custom mounts and put them to a wider audience and the result was a resounding success.

What overwhelmed us most of all were the 100+ people who recognised us personally and had been following our progress as we toured around Europe. It really means a lot to us to know that you have enjoyed reading about our travels enough to recognise us and come up and say hello! Hello to all of you and I’m sorry if we didn’t remember you all by name, although a few stand out!

If you would like to be kept up to date with new products and information about WiFi and 3G in Europe, please like MotorhomeWiFi on Facebook as we won’t be promoting it too heavily on here. Click to view the website.


Like MotorhomeWiFi on Facebook here: 

So what’s next for us? We’ve had lots of e-mails asking how we’ve adjusted to life back in the UK and apart from the weather we’re doing OK. Adam is still working for himself with lots of web projects on the go and Sophie is working for SMART so we’ve got an awesome little convertible SMART car to run around in… a bit of a change from a 6m camper van!

We’d like to replace our van soon but we’re not sure what route to go down next… Perhaps we try a Self Build? We’ve looked at some UK based panel van conversions so watch out for some information on those as we look into them!

May Edition of Motorhome Monthly

We're in Motorhome Monthly Magazine again this month with 12 pages dedicated to our trip through Norway, Finland, Russia and Estonia.

You can view the magazine online completely free of charge by clicking HERE. (Pages 54 - 65)

Watch out for next months edition which will be covering Latvia and Lithuania.

Thursday, 12 April 2012

Practical Motorhome: Baltics or Bust

We're in the June 2012 edition of Practical Motorhome on page 36,37 & 39 talking about our experiences of touring The Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.  This was our first experience of 'writing for' a magazine and we're really impressed at how some of our photos came out! We didn't choose the title but I'm pretty sure 'Baltics or Bust' was battered around by Catherine @ The World is Our Lobster while on tour in Morocco. Thanks to her for proof reading!                   
We subscribe to Practical Motorhome digitally which can be read on a Laptop or an iPad either through Exact Editions or cheaper through Zinio (here). If you are a new reader who has come to the blog for the first time you can read About Us and get in touch here!

To read more about the countries featured in the article, click to view Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania blog posts.  
                                                                                                    
In other news our Adria Twin has gone to new owners who sound like they will be using her to her full potential in the UK at off road Land Rover competitions. We wish them the best of luck with their first baby and hope that WAVY serves them well. I think they just might be getting her stuck a few more times then we did!

We have lots of other exciting things to tell you about and article's to write including updating our country guides (long overdue). Despite us being back in the UK our visitors to the blog have actually increased with our recent magazine features! Thank you all for coming and reading about us, I hope that what we have written has been useful and have encouraged you to go and do something similar.

Adam & Sophie

Friday, 6 April 2012

Top 10 Places to Visit in Europe with a Camper

We have been asked by lots of people over the past year what our favorite places have been on this trip. One thing that we have struggled to do is rank these in order, maybe we should but we find it so difficult as we really love all of these places! So, here is a round up of our Top 10 ...

Stockholm - Sweden

Stockholm is one of the top contenders for our favourite capital city which we have visited so far. Sweden on a whole is very clean, but even more so in the capital Stockholm. It is a mixed bag as during the day the lifestyle is very laid back and has a café culture about the place, by night it is a lively, vibrant city. At one end of the city lies the colourful architecture, old and new, with the most dominant building being the Royal Palace. We were surprised to find that just around the corner is a large park which leads up to the TV Tower, a lovely afternoon stroll can be found here.


Click here to see our related blog post

Lofotens - Norway

Ok, so we are slightly cheating with this one as it is an Archipelago, but the scenery is just fascinating. The E10 takes you from the mainland and steadily winds its way through some spectacular fishing villages for some 200km’s before you reach the small but picturesque village of Ã…, the last stop at the end of the Lofotens. You won’t be able to drive for long, as at every turn you will want to stop to admire and take in the mountain views.


Click here to see our related blog post

Vilnius - Lithuania

Vilnius was our 3rd Capital of the Baltic States and we were admittedly looking forward to visiting. Only in 1990 did Vilnius announce its secession from the Soviet Union to restore its independence. Vilnius is clean and colourful and has been rapidly transformed into a modern European city. The historical centre has been restored but some old buildings still exist. There are countless astounding viewpoints above the city such as the Hill of Crosses and the Gediminas Tower. There is a strong sense of café culture in Vilnius with a friendly attitude to go with it.


Click here to see our related blog post

High & Low Tatras - Slovakia

The Tatras in Slovakia are a paradise for walkers and ski lovers. We visited for the first time in July 2011 and were mesmerised by their charm. New facilities at the bottom of the High Tatras made all of the amazing walks on offer very accessible. The trails are well marked and the maps are in abundance with different scale options to match your requirements. We stayed in the Tatras for two weeks and whilst we were there we met all different types of nationalities who were there to explore the alluring landscape.


Click here to see our related blog post

Meteora - Greece

Meteora, the Unesco World Heritage Site seems to be suspended in the air on very small rock pillars which on first impressions astounded us, and still does. The first people to inhabit Meteora were Hermit Monks back in the 9th Century and only 6 of the monasteries remain today. It is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Greece so can get very busy especially at peak times. As we stayed at nearby Pension Arsenis we got up early to visit. When we look back at our photos of Meteora we still cannot believe how extraordinary and totally breath-taking the monasteries are.


Click here to see our related blog post

Erg Chebbi - Morocco

Erg Chebbi was by far our favourite place in Morocco. The dunes seemed to have some kind of hold over us and although really, there isn’t anything in the Sahara as such, Erg Chebbi did it for us. As of yet we haven’t been anywhere like this and we definitely plan on going back on our next trip to Morocco. The colours are just magnificent; the seemingly endless dunes change from bright orange at sunrise to a rose gold at sunset. The people who we were with really made our trip and we enjoyed every second of Erg Chebbi and its charming ways.


Click here to see our related blog post

St Petersburg - Russia


St Petersburg is a crazy place and was a whirlwind adventure for us. We visited on the Visa Free overnight ferry crossing from Helsinki and stayed overnight right in the centre of St Petersburg. Russia is like no other place that we have visited, the mixture of new and old is visible and a sense of mayhem during the day leads to a calmer more sociable city in the evening. However, the wacky city never seems to sleep with its traditional and extremely tasty 24 hour cake and coffee shops. One of the main attractions in St Petersburg is the Hermitage Museum of art and culture which is the largest museum in the world and definitely surpassed any of our expectations. Add St Petersburg to your list!


Click here to see our related blog post

Veliko Tarnovo - Bulgaria


Veliko Tarnovo is situated on 3 hills and is based around a medieval stronghold called the Tsarevets, it is surrounded by thick walls and the main attraction is the patriarchate at the top of the hill which recently had its frescoes repainted in 1985. The magnificent drawbridge still exists today but unfortunately has a ticket office just before the gate! If you are stopping in Veliko Tarnovo be sure to visit Camping Veliko Tarnovo which is owned by a lovely English couple, Nick & Nicky.


Click here to see our related blog post

Papigo / Vikos - Greece


Papigo, also known as Papigko and Mikro Papigko is just stunning. It is located up in the mountains of the Vikos National Park and has an attractive and delightful feel about it. We visited in October 2011 when it was still relatively warm so set out to go walking in the gorge. Back up in the small villages there were little terraces and cafes, overlooked by the huge sculptured mountains which towered above. The Vikos Gorge just up the road has a lot to offer for walkers and along the route has a collection of small brick built arched bridges that vary in size.


Click here to see our related blog post

Cesis - Latvia

Cesis is a small but quaint village in Latvia which is centred on the medieval castle. We were won over by its romantic characteristics and overall allure. For an inexpensive sum of £1.20 you can enter the castle which also includes the grounds and are accompanied by a candle lit lantern for the ancient staircases. The attractive Cesis Castle Park is a delight to wander around with its well-marked footpaths and exotic plants, together with its additional residents; some black swans and signets when we visited in 2011.


Click here to see our related blog post

Camper Van Essentials for a Girl


Over the past year we have had hundreds of enquiries but for me, one of the most popular enquiries has been what I think is necessary to take on a long trip.

As a young woman, the thought of traveling Europe for 12 months was so exciting but the thought of being away from my home comforts was somehow slightly daunting. After returning from our trip I have come to one conclusion, I ended up taking way too much! I massively over estimated how little you can actually live with (or without).

The Scandinavian Peninsula was the first region we had planned to visit and this threw a spanner in the works as to what clothing I would be taking. I didn’t want to get caught out by bad weather so packed as much winter gear as I could tightly squeeze into a plastic stacking box. Ultimately after spending 8 weeks traveling through Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland the only proper winter clothing I wore was:

3 in 1 North Face Coat
Craghoppers Walking Trousers
2 x Micro Fleeces
Berghaus Walking Boots

Everything else was just made up of simple t-shirts and polo neck jumpers/hoodies. So in reality, I would say if you are visiting/traveling through the colder countries, limit yourself to the above as you really won’t need as much as you think!

As for the warmer climates, I wore even less! Forget about the bulky items as you just won’t wear them. There are plenty of places to do your washing and in countries such as Greece/Bulgaria and Morocco you are able to wash your clothes out by hand on most beaches. I would maybe consider taking the following, this is only based on my experience and I suppose some of this comes down to the weather and own preference:


6 - 8 Loose Tops/ T-Shirts
3 x Shorts
2 x Jeans
1 x Other Trousers (maybe linen?)
3 - 4 Jumpers / Sweatshirts / Cardigans
1-2 Bikini / Swimming Costume

We both really enjoy walking/and in places such as Norway and Slovakia the walks on offer in the beautiful mountains and countryside are in abundance, which meant I took far too many different types of footwear. I would recommend for the whole trip:

1 x Comfy Walking Boots
1 x Walking Sandal
2 x Casual Sandals
1 x Flipflops
1 x Heel/wedge

I also took my UGG boots on our Europe Trip which I wore quite a lot through the colder countries like Norway; however they did get banished to the storage box as soon as we hit Finland with unexpected temperatures of 25c in May.

Every woman is different but I preferred not to wear any makeup whilst traveling. I did take my makeup bag with me and on the odd occasion I did put some makeup on for going out etc. Other than this, especially in hot countries, I wouldn’t bother. One thing that I didn’t consider would take up so much room in our Adria Twin was Contact Lenses; I had a year’s supply of these things and trust me, they take up quite a lot of room.

There isn’t a lot of advice out there for women traveling via this method of transportation and at the end of the day, I found anything that I forgot to take, I could usually pickup anywhere in Europe.

Also, just before we left in April 2011 Adam fitted and installed a 2100W Inverter mainly for me to dry my hair. This really came in useful whilst driving through Denmark, Sweden and Norway. It was great to wash my hair in a morning and be able to dry it straight away, especially when temperatures were a cool 2c outside and 6c in the van.
I hope that this mini guide has given you some advice which will help you when packing to go away in the future, be it a short or long journey. If you would like to ask me any questions just drop me an email.

Sophie
www.europebycamper.com