Have Camper Van .... will travel. Tan Hill and Dark Skies stout (!!)

[Craney]

My partner and I took the plunge in August and bought a campervan.  As well as extended foreign travel it will open up more opportunity to journey out to remote sites and enjoy low Bortle number skies..

This weekend we went up to Tan Hill Inn ( the highest pub in the UK).  Essentially a walking trip but I could not resist taking a tripod and compact camera to christen the new vehicle with a portrait or two.

 

20sec exposure Canon G7X  at ISO 1600. F1.8

That's the A66 in the background, a meteor a bit further away,  and Ursa Major even further.

The skies were impressively dark. The pub was busy and was lit up, so we found a good layby about 1/4 mile around the bend.

They were serving a very nice brew named "Dark Skies Stout". Thought more than one may prove detrimental to handling camera gear in the dark.

As well as the Milky Way, we had a rising blood red Crescent Moon and flashes of thunder storms out over the North Sea.   Just wish I had brought more gear... maybe next time.

Sean.

 

[JeremyS]

Looks like you will have lots of super camping trips ahead 👍🏻

[RobertI]

Wonderful, that’s an awesome picture, hope you continue to get plenty of dark skies. I expect to be remembering you with envy as I huddle under my £130 paper thin tent at Kelling in a few weeks! 🙂

[happy-kat]

Could watch that view for hours

[clarkpm4242]

Nice image!

I cycled past there (and you?) about 8 ish this morning!

There are some quieter and darker spots to pull in around the area 

Cheers, Paul.

 

[FenlandPaul]

Stunning location and picture. I suspect you’re going to have a lot of enjoyment from that van!

[Giles_B]

Great picture - I hadn't thought to put a camper van on my astro wishlist before this!

[Craney]

@JeremyS  Looks like you will have lots of super camping trips ahead 👍🏻

- Here's hoping.  Might have to visits some castles as a compromise.

@RobertI  with envy as I huddle under my £130 paper thin tent

- I've done enough camping for a lifetime.  Headroom and the ability to move on quickly is a gamechanger. .. and my back suffers without deerskins and cushions.

 

@happy-kat Could watch that view for hours

- I did with a few Pimms.

 

@clarkpm4242   I cycled past there (and you?) about 8 ish this morning!

- Small world. Good effort around those parts, it aint flat. Your pictures of Swaledale were part of the reason we thought a van was the way ahead for walking and astro.  So thanks.

 

@FenlandPaul  I suspect you’re going to have a lot of enjoyment from that van!

- Already started.

 

@Giles_B     I hadn't thought to put a camper van on my astro wishlist

- Is does equate to a lot a great gear, but it  opens up a lot more international ventures / dark skies / eclipses....etc....  

 

Thanks for the comments everybody.  The adventure begins...  keys in, second star to the right, and straight on till morning.....

 

[Macavity]

I know naathing - Just watched restoration of old VW "Camper Van"! 😎
I envy you your skies / mobility. Does it have a NAME yet?
Morning chuckle: "Camper Van Beethoven" 😁

[maw lod qan]

Excellent image. 

What's the chance a meteor would come along at the right moment?

You should print one then take it back where you bought the van.

Could get some of the cost back on an advertising image!

[Craney]

@Macavity Does it have a NAME yet?

Informally it is known as "the Bear" or " the Brown Bear" .   So the picture shows the Bear under the Great Bear.   Others have called it "Yogi"... which works.... or the "Mystery Machine".

@maw lod qan   What's the chance a meteor would come along at the right moment?

Since I was lying in a ditch for 30 mins trying to get the right exposure and composition...... err.. not as amazing as it at first seems...   but I don't tell people that.

[callisto]

21 hours ago, Craney said:

My partner and I took the plunge in August and bought a campervan.  As well as extended foreign travel it will open up more opportunity to journey out to remote sites and enjoy low Bortle number skies..

This weekend we went up to Tan Hill Inn ( the highest pub in the UK).  Essentially a walking trip but I could not resist taking a tripod and compact camera to christen the new vehicle with a portrait or two.

 

20sec exposure Canon G7X  at ISO 1600. F1.8

That's the A66 in the background, a meteor a bit further away,  and Ursa Major even further.

The skies were impressively dark. The pub was busy and was lit up, so we found a good layby about 1/4 mile around the bend.

They were serving a very nice brew named "Dark Skies Stout". Thought more than one may prove detrimental to handling camera gear in the dark.

As well as the Milky Way, we had a rising blood red Crescent Moon and flashes of thunder storms out over the North Sea.   Just wish I had brought more gear... maybe next time.

Sean.

 

Excellent 👍

Me and the missus are thinking of getting something similar to your van... any recommendations 😉

[AstroNebulee]

21 hours ago, Craney said:

My partner and I took the plunge in August and bought a campervan.  As well as extended foreign travel it will open up more opportunity to journey out to remote sites and enjoy low Bortle number skies..

This weekend we went up to Tan Hill Inn ( the highest pub in the UK).  Essentially a walking trip but I could not resist taking a tripod and compact camera to christen the new vehicle with a portrait or two.

 

20sec exposure Canon G7X  at ISO 1600. F1.8

That's the A66 in the background, a meteor a bit further away,  and Ursa Major even further.

The skies were impressively dark. The pub was busy and was lit up, so we found a good layby about 1/4 mile around the bend.

They were serving a very nice brew named "Dark Skies Stout". Thought more than one may prove detrimental to handling camera gear in the dark.

As well as the Milky Way, we had a rising blood red Crescent Moon and flashes of thunder storms out over the North Sea.   Just wish I had brought more gear... maybe next time.

Sean.

 

Beautiful image, well done 👏

[Craney]

14 hours ago, callisto said:

are thinking of getting something similar to your van... any recommendations 😉

Well,  a similiar question to " recommend me a small quality scope" ..... there is an immense range of styles, sizes, quality and.... (importantly) construction methods.

Some of the questions you need to firm up before searching.  

Is it going to be your only vehicle ...hence will it be suitable on a day to day basis ? 

Do you have space on the drive ? 

Campers of a small size do not usually have toilets/showers... is that acceptable ? 

They are, like a good APO, expensive, and the likelihood is that you will go second hand, but how many years ??..... eg mileage and wear and tear.

** Be wary of old trade vans ( 2006 etc) that have been pimped with a new set of cabinets and LED lights.  Looks great but it is a essentially a 20 year old builders van **

Lots of makes available, but VW have the history, available parts and the on-line help is amazing.  ( We avoided some tempting Japanese imports due to this).

...... and the list goes on.

The biggest thing I think is peace of mind.  I mentioned "construction methods" above.  There are an awful lot of vans that have been put together by competent amateurs following a plan. Most of the time these will be fine, but there are lemons out there and they are usually private sales with no come-back upon purchase.  The more you look, the more you will be able to spot where a compromise has been made with a van. ( note: if the advert has only 5 photos attached.... there is probably a good reason)

eg. Things like revolving 'captains' chairs up front are great and make a camper much more usable, but they are an expensive add on to a DIY build and you will find the constructor have kept the original cloth bench seats with no frills to keep in budget. As soon as you sit in another van with fancy chairs... you will want them.

... and remember if it has been built by a third party then you will not have a overall "user-manual". It will be literally built up from bolted on parts.     This may become an issue when you try to fix an internal problem like electrics or plumbing.... who knows what craziness lies behind those lovely looking cabinet drawers.

Vans at the moment seem to be priced at  £20K+ regardless of anything !!!!.... so make up a tick list of what you want and wait until it comes up.

( sods law it will be on the Isle of Wight !!).

So.... the solution,   we went for a factory built VW California. ( 11 years old  80,000 miles).  Well thought out, well equipped, well looked after.... as you would a Takahashi.

Pricey.... yes, but no nonsense quality. 

Hope this helps ... and good luck.

Sean.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 12, 2023 by Craney

[callisto]

That's very informative Sean thanks,

I'll run these questions past the missus and see where we end up... thanks again 👍 

Mark.

[Alan White]

I as a former camper van owner would add a couple more bits to ponder,
The van we had was based on a high roof long wheel based Renault Master.

Firstly, what Sean has said is bang on.

The van size also has an issue with parking and car parks (Barrier and bays sizes) some places have no where to park when you visit.
We drove along the coast in Kent for miles, all parking too small, or it had a height barrier.

Big is great from a facilities point of view, but comes with some issues as well.

 

Edited September 12, 2023 by Alan White