Old Bloke Goes Campervanning
Old Bloke Goes Campervanning is a hilarious and painfully relatable travel memoir about one man's attempt to embrace adventure, family bonding, and the open road - only to discover that campervanning is really just domestic chaos on wheels.
The "Old Bloke" of the title is a gloriously grumpy everyman who should probably know better by now. Instead of settling into a quiet middle age filled with comfort and dignity, he finds himself squeezed into a campervan with "My Better Half," an increasingly unimpressed teenage daughter, two confused dogs, and enough emotional baggage to overload the suspension before they even leave the driveway.
What begins as a hopeful family getaway quickly descends into motorway misery, campsite disasters, exploding tempers, impossible parking spaces, suspicious plumbing systems, and the horrifying discovery that campervan toilets apparently come with rules and regulations stricter than international air travel.
As the family heads south through Britain and into Europe, absolutely nothing goes to plan.
There are sat nav disasters,
mysterious road charges, contaminated gluten-free muffins, public humiliations, diesel spills, sleepless nights, and an awning described memorably as resembling "a used nappy hanging in the wind." Every simple task becomes a full-scale military operation. Making tea requires engineering skills. Sleeping arrangements trigger diplomatic incidents. Even throwing something in a bin somehow becomes stressful.
The humour throughout is sharp, warm, and brilliantly observed. The Old Bloke's running commentary on modern life, family holidays, ageing, and the complete absurdity of campervanning turns everyday frustrations into laugh-out-loud comedy. Anyone who has ever travelled with family will instantly recognise the slow psychological breakdown caused by traffic jams, lack of personal space, and trying to stay cheerful while trapped inside what is essentially a moving garden shed.
But beneath the sarcasm and grumbling lies something genuinely heartfelt. The relationships feel real, affectionate, and believable. "My Better Half" has the patience of a saint - until she doesn't. "Our Youngest" delivers teenage disapproval with devastating efficiency. The dogs often appear to be the most emotionally stable members of the travelling party.
At its heart, the book is about the difference between the dream of adventure and the reality of trying to reverse a campervan while sweating heavily and being silently judged by strangers on a French campsite.
There are no glamorous Instagram sunsets here. No life-changing spiritual journeys. No picture-perfect moments around a campfire.
Instead, there are leaking hoses, chemical toilets, passive-aggressive silences, expensive coffee, motorway services, and the growing suspicion that the entire campervan industry is one giant practical joke.
And that's exactly what makes it so funny.
Old Bloke Goes Campervanning is a celebration of imperfect holidays, ordinary families, and the uniquely British habit of carrying on with terrible ideas long after common sense has packed up and gone home. Honest, chaotic, and packed with memorable comic moments, it's the perfect read for anyone who has ever survived a family road trip - or barely survived one.
Customer Reviews
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
