Building memories

The annual European road trip has become something of a tradition in our household. Our two young boys, now six and eight, have been coming with us since they were only a few months old and we have covered many thousands of miles in various Vans, ranging from a lovely early T4 Caravelle with petrol / LPG through to a hi-top Peugeot Boxer and latterly, our beloved T5.1. It’s the 84bhp 2.0 TDI, but I’ve had a Pendle remap so it’s putting out closer to 160bhp now.

I have converted all of the Vans myself, and each one has been slightly different as our needs have evolved with time. We have had everything from pop-tops with the traditional full side cupboard interior through to bunk beds and a lovely double bed in the hi-top.

As the boys have grown bigger, we now also have a caravan that we use for local holidays in the UK and, as a result, the need for a full-blown Camper has become less.

For our European tours, though, the only way to go is solo, and we now use the Camper and a drive-away awning. The latest Van is