Days out in the Campervan September and October 2025

September

A night in the Chilterns ahead of the Ultimate50Challenge.

The van was parked at the back of tents behind the yellow car in the middle, bit of a walk to the toilet and shower block but the weather was dry.

I didn't bother with the insulated window covers, just hung a blanket over the front seats for privacy in the back.

Soup and bread for dinner and porridge for breakfast and I made myself a packed lunch for the day.

Glorious sunrise. I sat on my chair outside with my coffee to watch the sun rise.

October

Camping at Tredegar Country Park in Newport. Arriving Friday afternoon ahead of Storm Amy. We parked away from the trees as much as we could.

Not too far from the toilet and shower block.

I sleep soundly outdoors and slept straight through the storm. Peter however was disturbed all night with pine cones dropping on the van roof. We spent two nights here. We've got packing the van up down to a fine art so we can be in and out within minutes when we go out for the day.

Phone signal was brilliant despite the storm and we were able to stream the football.

A day trip to Hanbury Hall nr Droitwich. On arrival only 40 minutes from home, we made coffee and read our books for an hour, then headed off round the grounds. Back to the van for lunch and a cup of tea, then into the house for a look round. We were able to swop walking boots and muddy trousers.

Our next trip in October was a week on a campsite in Northern Ireland, but before we went we needed to do a bit of van maintenance. We had a full service the end of September and at the same time, it was stripped of everything and given a thorough clean, but it was time to check and clean the water tanks and hot water system.

We've discovered a leak in the van. I was packing for our trip to Northern Ireland and I found the fleece, gloves and hats I keep in the cupboards in the back were damp. I just assumed that the leak occurred when we were in Newport and the roof was up and something had touched the side of the tent and water had dripped through. I repacked the van on Thursday and after our journey on Friday we discovered items were wet again when the roof was down. After a night with the roof up with a towel in the cupboard, which was dry in the morning, we think the problem is caused by the awning bracket which is breaking the seal when the roof is closed. no idea yet how we're going to sort it. 

We discovered that the damp is actually condensation and make sure we don't store anything in the cupnboards and leave the internal doors open when we're not using the van, like we did last winter.

We camped on Lough Neagh and brought the drive away awning with us, we didn't spend much time in there as it was too cold in the evenings and we were out all day, but it was a great space to store our bags, more space to get dressed in and leave the bedding during the day which makes life easier without having to keep playing Tetris packing the van away.

The drive away awning is so simple. Driving back takes about twice as long but I need both hands and can't film it.

It was at the point of being too cold, wet and windy to have camped as it was difficult to get everything dried, especially the roof as it is made of canvas and folds onto the mattress. Once we got home, we removed the mattress from the van to ensure it was fully dried and the roof has been popped for the odd hour in-between showers to make sure it is fully dry and aired.

The awning is drying under the canopy, it's been turned, zips opened to dry the inside which was full of condensation and once the carpet in the house has dried after a burst water pipe when we were away, I'll bring it inside so we can fold it back into it's bag for storage.

The ground sheet needs rinsing properly with a good downpour to remove all the mud, then drying.

Welly boots waiting to be washed.

I've a couple of overnight trips in November but I'll be sleeping on the bench seats. I've purchased a stool to sit on in the back for when I'm cooking or making hot drinks as it's difficult to do when the roof is down, but I'll have to have the tail gate open which means I'll need to park carefully to ensure the wind and rain isn't blowing in.

Week 44 - One Daily Positive and Project 365 -Half term, Halloween, Northern Ireland.

I think we're pushing our luck a bit with camping this late in the year in Northern Ireland. We're in the van and we have a drive away awning set up so we can come and go for the week to visit child 4, his wife and our two grandsons as well as the outlaws. It's been cold, wet and windy, but we're dry, have heating and it took a while to sort the blankets out so we didn't actually end up getting too hot and then too cold.

I've binged watch Celebrity Traitors up date. I've never seen it before but really enjoyed the concept. 

Sunday 

Day 298 Slightly confused with the clocks going back especially as one in the van did it automatically but the other didn't so for a while we didn't know what had happened or what we could trust. I went for a run, then after breakfast we went to son's house for an hour to see the grandchildren. They left for the outlaws and we followed via the supermarket to buy desserts and wine. We had lunch, played with the children, enjoyed a relaxed afternoon and early evening, then headed back to the van for 7pm to watch TV, read and blog. it was really windy, wet and cold outside but cosy and warm in the van.

Monday 

Day 299 We slept through from 10pm till 6.30am and I think I would have gone back to sleep but I had to go out for a wee. I've got a dry robe and the toilets were heated. Peter had made tea and put the heating on and we sat and read, then had breakfast and headed over to son's house for 9am. DIL out with the baby for the morning so oldest grandson and I made halloween cupcakes, we did some colouring, then went out to the shops to buy ingredients for cottage pie for tea, which Peter cooked while grandson and I sorted through his books and teddy bears. Back to the van by 7pm. It takes about 40 minutes to set up the bedding, curtains etc. We sat and watched tv and read our books.

Tuesday 

Day 300 My best run so far 2 x 8 min runs. We had breakfast and coffee then headed over to see Dil and youngest grandchild for the day to sort through old baby clothes to list on Vinted and I sold my first 4 items within an hour. Finished rearranging eldest room, then off to Lisburn to meet son and eldest grandson for his 'Old Macdonalds' early birthday tea. Back to theirs for a couple of hours. DIL off to hockey. Peter babysat while son and I fetched the cot sides out the attic and the rest of the baby clothes to sort through tomorrow. Back to the camp site to sit and read, blog and watch some TV.

Wednesday 

Day 301 Off to the Pumpkin Patch on the farm for the day. We collected grandson at 8.15am and arrived at 9am, heading straight to the pumpkin patch where we selected two pumpkins, which were scooped out and grandson asked for a happy face to be carved into his. Next up with a visit to the sweet shop which he ate while Peter took the pumpkins back to the car. next up was a spooky tractor ride and we were joined by Sally the scarecrow, a ghostbuster and a werewolf along the journey, a play in the park, lunch, a disco, visit to the haunted house and made a halloween mask, then home. In the afternoon we had an early 4th birthday with presents and cake, pjs on and a story before we headed back to the camp site for the night to watch TV.

Thursday 

Day 302 Up early to pack up. Tent packed away wet, although it wasn't raining and the ground sheet was wet and muddy. I went out for a run while Peter had breakfast and I joined him afterwards for a coffee. We set off to sons house, but had to pull over to deal with a call from the neighbour to talk her through a burst water pipe in our kitchen that she discovered when she went in to feed the house. I had to talk her through turning off the water mains and the hot water and central heating, then guide her in the shed for a grip and a spanner, before she ran over the road to see if another neighbour was in. Her husband plugged the hole with his thumb while the other neighbour fetched a cap. Neighbour then mopped the kitchen and got her vax to dry off the lounge carpet where the water had leaked from the kitchen and through the hallway. She said it was all dry when she'd been round the night before to let the cat in. Afternoon spent doing jigsaw puzzles with grandson, playing with his road set, and lots of colouring in and finding space on my laptop to cover with more stickers. I had a shower and repacked the car ready for the ferry. The outlaws came over to say hi and pick oldest grandson up for the night. Last lot of cuddles then we headed to the port and sat in the van watching tv and having dinner before boarding to sail at 10.30pm. It was extremely wet and windy.

Friday 

Day 303 Well the Captain did warn us the crossing was going to be rough. Chairs were swinging all night and several times it felt like we hit a brick wall with waves engulfing the ship up on the 9th deck. We didn't have a cabin, but nabbed two bench seats to lie down on and several times I was woken thinking I was going to be flung off. I got up to go to the toilet around 3pm and my feet were off the ground. We had an uneventful journey home unpacked and attempted to dry the drive away awning in an area we have that is sheltered from the wind and rain, but a pickle to do. The lounge carpet, rug and wooden hallway are drenched through as was the kick board and under the kitchen units. We did some shopping, I got my nails done for the wedding next week, several loads of washing went on, pumpkins were carved, neighbours popped round for a cuppa, door was manned from 5-7pm and the cakes I iced (70) and bags of pop corn I made up (40) ran out. I had a bath, we watched TV and went to bed exhausted at 10pm.

Saturday 

Day 304 Day started with a run and coffee with a friend. Tent still drying, so turned over to air more. Roof popped on the van to ensure it is dry also. Peter still drying the lounge carpet. I caught the train to Birmingham to the football which we won 4-0 while Peter drove to collect granddaughter who is staying the night. I got home to do bath time and read stories for bed.

Things to make you smile:

Our grandson turns 3 next week and he comes out with some gems as they all do, but he's proper Northern Irish now. He told us today 'I've have my hair cut, so I did' and 'it's raining heavy, so it is' He also asked me to wash his hair before bed 'I'm a big boy now granny, I've got product in my hair' Yet when we went to the supermarket he asked to go in the trolley, I said to him that I thought he was a big boy now and he replied 'I am granny, but I've got little legs'

Things that made me happy:

Being able to run a full 20 mins with couch to 5k. A week with the family in Northern Ireland. I signed up to walk the London Marathon on an Ultimate Challenge in January 2026, just because. 

On the blog this week:

Post Comment Love - Link up with any post written this week

Word of the week - Fun

Autumn and Halloween crafts and plans

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