Staying away at shows with only a car and trailer – how do you cope?

BYR

BYR

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We are hoping to do some overnight shows next year and just wondering how many of you stay away with only a car and trailer and how you manage?

We were thinking of buying a big tent that you can stand up inside, and an air bed (it will just be me and my mum) but how do you manage with cooking , drying things out if it rains etc ?

Also how do you secure things away? We have a tack locker in the trailer but no way of actually locking the ramp up.

Any ideas tips or inventions welcome :D
 
i managed 2 nights in my trailer at the RC champs - got an airbed and set up camp on the floor. my grooms door is lockable but the back ramp isn't really - i just kept anything valuable in the car and kept that locked. i didn't do cooking, just bought food/gatecrashed other people's BBQ's!
 
I did 2 nights at Hopetoun. There horse had loads of facilties, humans didn't! We went a bit mad in a camping store before hand and got a little cooker etc, but at no point was I comfortable!! Want an Equi trek with living or wagon now!
 
We have a large tent that we take, but my mother prefers a caravan - the only problem with this is that then you have to pay 2x fuel and you might as well have paid for a B&B! She doesn't seem to get this though and still wants to!

Occasionally we have hired a lorry - and I keep looking out for one, but can't justify it untill I am qualified.

With respect to camping - it is just like you would do on a holiday! we have a little cooker and if you make sure it is a good tent (cheep ones are a false economy) you shouldnt get too wet! Ours has braved some pretty horrendous weather. It isnt luxury, but it does us ;)
 
I used to do it alot!

At 4 day shows, I take a pop-up gazebo and have 4 sides to it so all the horse stuff goes in there, along with a table and gas stove. In the trailer I have a pop up two man tent and air mattress. I also bought a little propane gas heater which is good for when its a bit cold. its not easy but I would rather stay onsite than in a hotel as I have been at shows with horses escaping, one getting choke and one lifting the whole front off the stabling and getting stuck (not my horses) and if it was my horse I'd like to be there (I used to also take sticky labels with my mobile on and stick it to the stable door).
 
Have done PC Nationals 2 years on the trot and I tend to agree with Tinks81 - Travellodges are fab! On both occasions we had friends who had lorries, but no room for us to stay. We stabled on site, parked our trailer up next to their lorries, and it was used as a feed/hay store room. We took our tack back to the hotel room every night - last year we were up for the 5 days/4 nights, and only really went back to sleep and have a shower etc. We all took food and cooked on one of the lorries and took turns, we even had reinforcements with the food and drink when half of our branch turned up to support us last year. The only drawback with this is that we did, umm, party quite a bit, and as it was a 10 minute drive to the hotel, well, you get what I mean........

However, you do need to be ultra organised and pack well. I only have a SWB Shogun, and it was packed to the roof with all of our stuff, plus the horses stuff as well. We bought shavings on site, and clubbed together with our friends to buy a huge bale of hay. So, yes it can be done.

Good luck and have fun.
 
A big tent should have plenty of room for the two of you and is a great idea. Some people do just put their camp beds in trailers, but a decent tent is surprisingly warm, and a trailer will not be. We camped at Blair last year and had our lorry there this year, and the tent was warmer!

You can buy proper camping stoves and take some gas with you, or just live off disposible BBQs. These days you can even buy mini fridges and cool boxes that plug into the cigerette lighter, so food isn't too much of a problem.

Drying things out...well the partitions and breeching bars of the trailer would be useful but in the cool night air things rarely dry well, even in a lorry. Best just to take lots of outfits!

An airbed is great, but does take a lot of air to pump it up.

Securing things isn't easy, even in a lorry. You'll either need to keep things in a locked car or padlock the tack pack and take your chances.
 
I do this all the time!

Sometimes I sleep in the car, and sometimes I sleep in the trailer (and sometimes in March and October I sleep in a Travelodge)

If I sleep in the trailer I lock saddles and valuables in the car, and if I sleep in the car I just make sure my saddles are in with me.

As long as you take plenty of sleeping bags/duvets you will be fine x
 
i suppose my scenario is a little different but I sleep in my equitrek, either on a camp bed/air bed/hammock in the horse bit or if am very tidy in the little living ( is the spacetrekka)
truck is packed up too, no need for a lorry for a loo/shower most away shows have wash blocks.
food is normally eaten on the go ie cereal bars and maybe bar/pub/find a local restaurant for dinner, we take a few disposable BBQs if lunch or brekfast requires it and sometimes a little calor stove for a cuppa!
my friends were next to me at hickstead and were just in a tent, theres so many people who tent it and leave tack in car
 
Done this a few times. Always stayed in a b&b and locked valuables in the car. Prefer a good nights sleep so i don't feel too rough the next day! I have camped before next to the temp stabling - had to confiscate my horses nut ball in the night.. :b Such a meanie!
 
It's called a lwb shogun..... Saddles over the very back seats with boxes for horse equipment in the boot, our clothes on the normal back seats, both front seats pushed right back flat, feet on dashboard and a duvet each!! Then there's even room for your hot choc between you.....

Trailer has shavings hay and feed bins, dry saddle cloths over bars etc. Just make sure top vent shut!

I also take either a gazebo or tent with an entrance part.... Then you can sit on camp chairs and cook on disposable BBQ. Does everything from toast and bacon, to lamb chops and sweetcorn.
Have fun!!
 
i've slept in all sorts of wierd and wonderful places. my preference is air bed in the back of trailer and ten million duvets (plus very essential beanie hat) to keep you warm. :D most show centres have good showers and toilets.

i could only do this for a couple of nights though- TBH i would probably do a travelodge if close by. i have an equitrek now which is ok for one or two nights but it gets VERY damp in there so i always end up with a chest infection. 5 days in there last year was bad! :o
 
Not done that many stay away shows, but have been camping loads - 3 x this year already.

Good tent, air bed, and camping stove, and you are away!! Lock any valubles in the car, or put in the bottom of your sleeping bag - no one can pinch an ipod or phone from by your feet!
 
Only ever done 1 night overnight at shows, but just pitched up tent and stayed in it as we would any other camping trip. Airbed (with a pump operated by car cigarette lighter, takes 2mins to blow up double airbed!) and big sleeping bag with proper pillows, hoodie and jogging bottoms and usually warm and comfy enough. :)

We have a wee portable gas BBQ that is handy for dinner/brekkie (if there's time in the morning!) but more often than not it's as easy/easier to grab summat from van at show anyway! And having car/trailer means you can unhitch and nip into local village for pub grub/takeaway much easier than those with lorries- so actually a pro to it! ;)

Tack etc lives locked up in car overnight. :)
 
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