I can rustle up a full English breakfast with a trangia. I know how to pack light and camp “wild”. But now that I have children packing light is impossible, my camping list now includes sleep teddies, games, pillows, scooters… By the time we set off I’m exhausted and I can forget about seeing anything out the rear window of the car! The idea of a campervan has been slowly growing on me so when we came across Flamenco Campers I was really excited by the idea of being able to hire one, chuck everything in and hit the road.
We collected the campervan from Alhaurin de la Torre on the Friday. The van was in perfect condition, very clean and well looked after. Gonzalo the owner showed us things like how to fill the water tank, the curtains for all the windows, where the plug sockets are etc. We drove home and filled it with EVERYTHING a three and five year old need! The school run was fun since our boys saw us coming before we parked up and they were so excited they pulled the dinner lady over to see. Once they were on board they gave a royal wave to all the kids who were hanging out the school railings in awe. It was clear that this campervan was going to be a hit!
Flamenco Campers have several vans. The one we had is a Ford transit van professionally converted by Westfalia. It’s amazing what they can fit into the space. The kitchenette includes a sink, a decent size fridge, a two ring hob, several cupboards and shelves. Flamenco Campers supply plates and cutlery, utensils, trays and even washing up liquid, sponge and tea towel. The front seats swivel round to face the rear and there is a table that unfolds in between so you can eat dinner together comfortably or play cards etc. There are two double beds, one you create by folding down the passenger seats and one you pull out from above. Both are really comfy, the upstairs one is 150cm wide and the roof is all soft to touch. There is even a wardrobe with hangers and a makeup mirror! We were comfortable.
We decided to head down towards Cadiz way. It’s beautiful, it has a feel of the Hampshire New Forest mixed with a Cornwall surf vibe. We drove through a forest, pulled up at some sand dunes and put the dinner on while we watched the sun go down. Each Flamenco Campervan is a member of a club that offers discounts in campsites. The vans come with maps and lists of campsites. We decided on one in Conil de la Frontera and it turned out to have grass so that was a novelty for us. It’s November, I thought we’d be cold and had packed blankets and pyjamas etc, but we were not cold. The only time we put the heating on was before bed after touring on our second night, we had it on for about 10 minutes and it worked so well that then we were all too hot! This is definitely something that is an all year round activity.
We loved touring in the campervan, being higher up than a car but small enough to still get everywhere, seeing lots of new places and having everything with us so we could just stop wherever for snacks and cups of tea. Brandied hot chocolates on the beach while the kids ran off energy under the 18′ noon sunshine in mid November, what a life! We definitely want to hire a campervan again. The children want to go next weekend! Next time we have family visit I might suggest they hire a campervan instead of a car.
Gonzalo is talking about buying some more vehicles to add to his fleet and has bought a van to convert himself. If anyone is interested drop in and see him at his depot. Nice guy with a fab business idea.”
