19 Sep 08
The Caravelle did me proud again for the End of the Road. My friends pitched tents up on the main site, but I particularly revelled in having a retreat from the teeming masses of muddy humanity. OK, it was a much smaller festival than, say, Glastonbury and the weather did improve on the Saturday, but it was still nice not to be woken up by people falling over my guy-ropes, chattering inanely in the wee small hours, snoring from the next tent or enjoying other activities that you really, really don't want to have to listen to.
Call me antisocial, but I was extremely content to retire on Saturday night after the last bands played. Going back to the van to lie in bed, read the weekend papers and listen to the late-night Mark Lamarr radio show was very, very pleasant indeed. And - sorry if this is too much information - in the morning there was even enough room to wriggle about for a pretty decent wash with wet-wipes and flannel, saving me the hassle of joining the long queue for a shower. Yes, I am entirely converted to the joys of the camper van.
Of course, sleeping in a van is one thing, but it does actually have to operate as a workaday vehicle for most of the time. The Caravelle is not too bad a compromise at all for daily use or long-distance journeys: unlike a larger camper, it is easy to manoeuvre and park, as well as being relatively car-like in its on-road refinement.
No wonder there have been so many iterations on the Volkswagen Transporter/Multivan/Caravelle/California theme (with varying interior configurations and seating layouts, load-bays and cargo-carrying capabilities, specifications and degrees of versatility) at every festival I've been to in recent years: it's a formula that clearly works for a lot of people, especially those who need an all-purpose vehicle for work and/or family use as well as weekend leisure.
As this was the last major outing for the Caravelle, I've brushed out crushed Bourbon biscuits, powdered Pringles and Lidl paprika crisps, peeled off squashed Haribo and bagged up apple cores and peach stones. However hard I brush and scrub, though, the grey carpet will never look properly clean and the grey seat upholstery does have a tinge of grubbiness. A professional valeting might be in order, I fear, before it goes back to VW in a few weeks' time.
