Well we don't hang around, we've gone from considering other camping options to buying a trailer tent in about 10 days. As I said in my previous post (see here) we have been considering a change in our camping style since our last trip.

We went away for the Mayday Bank Holiday weekend and it was bitterly cold. This made us think about a change in our camping style and at some dark, dank, bitterly cold points in the night giving it up all together, although that last thought was dismissed quite quickly in the cold light of day. We do enjoy camping after all and the kids absolutely love it.

So we started to look at the options and the trailer tent seemed to fit the bill:

• More comfortable main living area with beds that are off the floor. 
• Faster to erect than the tent, or at least faster to get to a point where we can sit down and have a cuppa.
• Several configurations for different occasions, just the trailer for overnight or late arrivals, then various awnings in different sizes that can be added on.
• Small enough to go in the garage and not a major headache to tow.

So having started to think about getting one it became pretty obvious pretty fast that it was the the way to go. It was also pretty obvious that a new one was out of the question, they were too expensive at £2,000 - £5,000 and the dealerships were miles away. At that point we were on a collision course with ebay and preloved. It was just a matter of time.

There were lots to choose from on the second hand sites even when we restricted them to those which were relatively local. A little research suggested that the best makes were Cabanon and Trigano as they used thicker canvas and better poles. There was a Cabanon Saturn that looked possible and also a Trigano Chantilly but in the end we bought a Trigano Vendome.

The Vendome was a 2004 model, a youngster in trailer tent terms (they seem to age in geological time). It had not been used a lot (7 times according to the seller) with 2 careful owners. Also it came with lots of optional extras, it was quite close (around 40 miles away) and the sellers said they would put it up for us to view it. So off we went last Wednesday evening with a wodge of cash and we came home with a trailer tent.

So what have we ended up with. The Vendome was (it's been discontinued) the largest in the Trigano range. It's like the current Chantilly but with an extra front awning. The trailer opens up to make the main living area with 2 large double beds and a seating area. The kitchen, which attaches to the rear of the trailer in transit, is a freestanding unit with a sink, 2 ring hob, grill, shelves and drawers. The main awning (about 3m deep) with a kitchen area and a toilet/wardrobe. The smaller awning (about 1.5m deep) can be used instead of the main one or attached to the front of it to make a huge space. We also got 2 under bed sleeping pods (one that's never been used), a front storage locker and a bike rack for 3 bikes. I said there was a lot of extras didn't I.

We're going to put it up on the front lawn today to check we know what we're doing and to transfer all the camping gear from the old trailer into it ready for our next trip over half-term.