If you’ve come to this site it’s likely that just like the team here at Caravan Helper, you love caravans or at least have a growing interest in them. One thing that often puts off people from going on a holiday in a caravan, whether it’s a static one on a site or a rental or purchased tourer, is the fact that caravan holidays seem to be considered, by some people, to be a poor person’s getaway.
We would be the first to say that we firmly disagree with this misrepresentation. We understand that it is easy for us to say that though. Simply put, we love caravans and caravan holidays, so we are very biased in favour of them.
It’s that passion for caravanning that inspired this post. It made us think and research a little into the subject. Rather than just dismissing the idea that caravan holidays are just for poor people, we thought we would take a look at some of the reasons, potentially, that people hold this thought.
Cheap Holidays
The first and most obvious, reason why people may see caravanning as being for poor people is that they appear to be very cheap holidays, compared to travelling abroad or staying in a more conventional form of accommodation.
That’s very much true. They are cheaper, at least most of the time. It really depends on the type of caravan holiday you take. If you already own a caravan or book a static in a holiday park for a specific duration, you will find that it is less expensive than say, a trip to France. So, yes, if it works out cheaper to go on a caravan holiday, a less wealthy or on the poverty line family are more likely to do that than try to get into more debt going to Disneyland.
Does it being a really cheap type of holiday really make caravanning just for poor people? This assumption is wrongly made on the basis that people who are not considered to be poor are happy to spend, spend and spend some more of their hard-earned money. That is a sweeping generalisation, in our opinion.
We have no doubt that there are wealthy people out there who love to spend money on all the best things. Some don’t, though.
Caravan Parks Are Overrun with Poor People with Bad Manners and Unruly Children
Another huge generalisation and misconception of caravan holidays is the fact that some people think that only poor people go, and by definition, poor people who are loud, rude and generally unpleasant and have children that are just as bad. While it may be true that some unpleasant and rude people who frequent caravan holiday parks, it’s not fair to say that they all are.
Caravan parks actually attract a wide variety of different people from all walks of life, like most other types of holidays and destination. There will always be bad eggs, but it’s unfair to say they are always poor people.
If you’ve ever been to a caravan park, you will know that unless a family are unclean, untidy and make a lot of noise, there is no easy way to tell if they are actually poor or not. The family with the cleanest caravan and pitch, friendliest and best-behaved kids and polite and pleasant adults, maybe the poorest, compared to the wealthier holidaymakers who are the troublemakers. You really should not judge a book by its cover.
They Are Considered a Bit Cheesy and Naff
Again, we can see where people are coming from by holding this position about caravan holidays. The traditional British holiday in a caravan park is very naff, full of cheesy entertainment and quaintness.
Two points on this thought, a) that has always been the point and b) is it just poor people who want some silly fun to take their mind off the busier and more stressful parts of their lives? No, no one would ever say that.
So, although we can see where the arguments, misconceptions and even stereotypes may have an origin, the truth is that caravan holidays are great for anyone. Especially if you are looking to save some money.
What do you think of our reasoning? What is your view – is caravanning just for poor people? Let us know in the comments section.