What it's like to be a millennial caravanner

As a younger caravan owner Lottie thought she might feel out of place - she's finding the opposite is true

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MOST PEOPLE CAN’T get their heads around the fact that I have a caravan rather than a campervan.

I’m a millennial, and it seems there must be some unwritten rule that I engage only with the #vanlife movement that has taken off on social media, rather than the more practical lifestyle of caravanning.

I constantly correct people: “ca-ra-van” I say as clearly as possible when they ask how it’s going in my camper. “I tow it with a car,” I explain, to paint the picture for those struggling to keep up.

It begs the question: is caravanning really only for the over 60s? I believe not. But society certainly seems to think I’m too young for it. Practical Caravan’s most recent Owner Satisfaction Survey found the average age of caravanners to be 62.5 years old, so I really am something of an anomaly in this market.

Freewheeling

I’ve chosen this way of travelling for the extra freedom it offers – the ability to zip about in the car to research my dog-friendly travel books, the use of campsite facilities rather than constantly battling the washing-up in my tiny sink. I’m not alone, either. I know several millennial caravanners who have chosen this lifestyle over the all-in-one vehicle that a campervan or motorhome offers.