Fun In A Campervan.
By Jabo
@jaboUK (64361)
United Kingdom
March 20, 2017 3:31pm CST
One summer my friend Val and I borrowed my father's campervan and took it on the ferry over the sea. The year was 1960, we were 20 years old and keen for adventure.
.
We had two weeks vacation from our jobs, no set plans, we were just going to go wherever the mood took us - France, Belgium, Germany - we were free as birds.
One beautiful day we were tootling along on a quiet country road in France with the windows wide open, singing at the top of our voices, (we had no radio), when we were overtaken by a group of boys on motorbikes.
They waved and smiled as they went by, and we waved back, whereupon they decided to be our escort, two of them in front of us, and three behind. If this happened today we would probably be terrified, but at that time we had not yet learnt to expect the worst from everybody.
We went our different ways at the next village, but later we to find that not all Frenchmen were as nice. We were parked up for the night and two men tried to break into the van. We managed to discourage them by pretending we had a man in there with us!
A day or two later we were woken in the early morning to find the van rocking wildly. Fearing a repetition of the previous incident, we peeped cautiously out of the window to find that we were surrounded by cows, who were using the van as a rubbing post!
Another incident occurred a few days later when there was a terrific thunderstorm, followed by torrential rain. We had parked up for the night in a riverside camp, and even though the rain was hammering on the roof we had no difficulty getting to sleep as we were tired.
In the morning the van was noticeably lower at the back, and on investigation we found that it had sunk axle-deep in the rain-softened ground. Fortunately , the site owner pulled us out with a tractor.
All-in-all, it was a wonderful holiday, though our friends thought us mad to be so adventurous. It was only many years later, when my daughter decided to go trekking round India, that I had an inkling of the trepidation our own parents must have felt.
Have you ever toured a foreign country in a campervan?
(Photo is of me standing by the campervan, and my sister and her husband are fooling around on my motorbike. I wrote previously of my adventures on that bike.)
57 people like this
56 responses
@DianneN (246720)
• United States
20 Mar 17
Your photo is so lovely! You all look like models. My father was very overprotective of me. However, he did put me on an airplane and sent me off to California to visit my grandmother, aunt, uncle, and cousins, when I was 12 years old, for the entire summer My uncle had a camper and took us to Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada Mountains for several days. It was a fabulous summer. And no, although I've traveled all over Europe many times, I haven't been in a camper since I was 12. You girls must have had the time of your lives! I'm sure you will never forget that adventure!
7 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40054)
• Laguna Woods, California
21 Mar 17
@DianneN - Isn't it amazing how well we remember those adventures when we were young? I have encouraged all our daughters to have a few adventures ... they make us happy the rest of our life! I'm sure you enjoyed that summer in California when you were 12.
2 people like this
@DianneN (246720)
• United States
23 Mar 17
@DeborahDiane I've enjoyed California many times since! We were just talking about visiting again. Thanks, Deb.
2 people like this
@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
20 Mar 17
I absolutely love that photo. Yes I have had adventures like this, going out west is like another country around here. In the USA.
6 people like this
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
21 Mar 17
Wow, that was fun and so adventurous of you and your friends. As for me, maybe when a group of motorbikers would go along with us, I will be nervous. Good thing , in those days, there are no such things as gangs.
No, I haven't done that ever, though we have always travelled to Manila by road trip . It's a happy journey too, because we stop at places we would like to further explore. 
3 people like this
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
22 Mar 17
@jaboUK Yes, without the helmets you can discern if they are kind persons. That was really fun because you traveled with a lot of companions. It would have been so nice too, that you take pictures. Had the smartphone a thing already on those days, for sure you have lots of pictures. 
Yes, they were fun. We also did other road trips to Tagaytay, Batangas and Baguio. It's so nice to do a road trip indeed.
Yes, they were fun. We also did other road trips to Tagaytay, Batangas and Baguio. It's so nice to do a road trip indeed. 1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
20 Mar 17
My father had a camper van for a couple of years and we only ever toured around the UK. It was great fun!
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
20 Mar 17
@garymarsh6 We may not have had so much materially as young people today, but I think we had more freedom.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
20 Mar 17
@jaboUK Life was so much nicer then Janet. It is a bit different now. I don't think I would like to do something like that these days! Well not in the care free attitude we had back then!
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
20 Mar 17
@Courtlynn You've never been in a foreign country, or never been in a campervan? Could be both of course
@LovingMyBabies (85127)
• Valdosta, Georgia
20 Mar 17
No but that sounds like it was a great adventurous trip! That picture is awesome too. =)
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
20 Mar 17
@LovingMyBabies It was such fun to do that, just the two of us. I'd been on trips in the campervan with my parents, but this was the first time I'd driven it without my Dad being there.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (111164)
• El Paso, Texas
21 Mar 17
I didn't have the chance, I had to work and that kept me rooted. Oh, not in 1960, though, I was 11.
I wish I had that campervan. I could almost see me taking off on a long trip with that .... but not til I figure out what to do with the cats.
2 people like this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
20 Mar 17
I have never done anything nearly as exciting
3 people like this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
20 Mar 17
@jaboUK yes and I did travel with a camper but as a mother with hubs and kids in tow
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
20 Mar 17
@BelleStarr Ah, that would be a different sort of fun
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
20 Mar 17
@BelleStarr I'm surprised at you saying that Isabelle, as I know you are a great traveller.
1 person likes this
@pgntwo (22408)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
20 Mar 17
Ah, that spirit of adventure ;) Have van, will travel, a bit like Jamie Oliver in his van traversing Italy... Or Ewan McGregor and his motor bike across Russia. Without the camera crew, of course. I must ask how did you imitate a man to scare off the thieves? Snoring?
3 people like this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
21 Mar 17
It sounds like you had a blast even with the 'unexpected' happening @jaboUK .
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
21 Mar 17
@nanette64 Oh yes, we had a real blast Nanette, and the 'unexpected' gave us something to laugh about afterwards.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
21 Mar 17
@jaboUK Oh the stories we could tell about some of our adventures and that we actually survived them all.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21737)
• Canada
20 Mar 17
My youngest daughter and a friend went backbacking in Europe about ten years ago. They slept on the train and sometimes managed to get a room. They started in
London.....Amsterdam, Barcelona, Prague, Vienna, Rome and ended up in Paris. They had an unforgettable two weeks. When they arrived home....they went for several months if not speaking....they are great friends again now.
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
20 Mar 17
@Morleyhunt That sounds like a great adventure that your daughter had. Did they get fed up with each other's company? My friend and I were even better friends after our trip than we'd been before.
@Morleyhunt (21737)
• Canada
20 Mar 17
@jaboUK we knew they were poorly matched before they left the country. My daughter had packed her backpack and walked with it for two weeks before she left...her friend....packed gets the night before.....took everything but the kitchen sink and could barely lift her pack.....let alone walk with it....she was also an extremely fussy eater....
The emails we got every couple of days gave us a clue....it was the things that weren't said.
2 people like this
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
21 Mar 17
Those are great and interesting stories!
The episode with the cows was hilarious! 
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
21 Mar 17
@allen0187 I'm pleased that you found my tales interesting, thank you Allen.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (159008)
• Boise, Idaho
21 Mar 17
Never done that. Sounds fun. We went up to Canada one time and stayed in the back of the truck. Our dog was our security system. It was a glorious time. Victoria and British Columbia.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (159008)
• Boise, Idaho
21 Mar 17
@jaboUK ....Yeah, that would be. The Canada trip was great.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
21 Mar 17
@celticeagle A dog would be a great security system, but in those days you had to put them in quarantine for 6 months if you wanted to take them abroad, so it was impractical. Your Canada trip sounds fun.
1 person likes this
@sueznewz2 (10409)
• Alicante, Spain
20 Mar 17
that does sound like you had a great time ... we had lots of caravan family holidays they were great fun I remember them fondly... I remember one time we pulled into a lay by while going through and roundxa mountain range, and itwas on a bit of an incline.. I think we stopped to take in the magnificent views and go to the toilet.... when we all piled back into the car my dad could not pull away as the hand brake on the caravan would not disengage...so my mum got behind the wheel and my dad and us kids stood behind the van and pushed with all our might at the same time as my mum attempted to drive off... it worked and my mum had to drive slow enough for us to all run and catch up with her and jump in the car, so that it didnt stop and the hand brake come on again ... lol we thought it was very exciting...but my mum was not amused... lol
2 people like this
@sueznewz2 (10409)
• Alicante, Spain
21 Mar 17
@jaboUK yeahhh thats right ....us kids didn't see the danger... we just had fun pushing the caravan
@VivaLaDani13 (60355)
• Perth, Australia
4 Apr 17
@jaboUK Wow. What an adventure indeed! I haven't really been anywhere lol 
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
5 Apr 17
@VivaLaDani13 You're still young, you have plenty of time.
1 person likes this
@Happy2BeMe (99399)
• Canada
21 Mar 17
That sounds like an awesome time. I love the picture.
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
21 Mar 17
@Happy2BeMe Thanks for liking the picture, it's very old
1 person likes this
