Who: Kris & Ann
Travel partners: Dogs Tirza (Golden Retriever), Nina (cross between Chihuahua and Maltese) and Fleur (Cavalier King Charles)
Camper: Bussie, Lyseo Futura TD690G Sky
At the top of the bucket list: Sweden
 

How did your love for traveling with a motorhome come about?

Ann: My stepfather had converted a van himself in the 80s. It was given the name 'Praline' because of its dark brown and cream-coloured bodywork. We went wild camping with it, because that was still easy back then. I grew up as a real adventurer. 

Kris: When we first met, we also bought a converted truck ourselves, second-hand. Our first trip was to Wales. I can still see us driving with our labrador Xeno at our feet and the CD of Sunny Side Up in the background. 

How did you end up at Vervaet?

Kris: That truck broke down pretty quickly and then we traveled by plane for years. Until in 2015 it started to itch for me again. At first I thought of a second-hand car, but that was almost no difference in price compared to a new one. Ann thought it was important to find a dealer in the area and so we drove to Vervaet.

Ann: He was really a top salesman with a passion for his profession! He immediately had us on board with his story and showed us a Bürstner Ixeo Time: the bathroom system with a swivel wall, separate beds... I was immediately sold. An hour later the sale was complete!

You traveled with this Ixeo Time for 5 years?

Ann: Our first trip was to Brittany, where we met a German couple in a certain parking lot. The next day we saw them again, and again the day after. Then we decided to travel together for a few days. In the meantime, we are still in touch! That's the beauty of traveling with a motorhome, isn't it?

Kris: I especially like the short trips. Leaving on Friday evening, returning on Sunday, and still having the feeling that you have been away for a week.

But then you decided to sell the motorhome anyway?

Ann: Kiana had died and because Tirza would not be alone, our Nina joined. But she turned out to be car sick. We couldn't take her with us in the camper so we didn't see any other solution. 

Kris: In the meantime, it was also corona and in that first wave you weren't even allowed to leave with the camper. So we decided to sell it, with tears in our eyes and pain in our hearts.

Ann: And the pinnacle! A few months later, Nina was no longer car sick at all. And if you were suddenly only allowed to travel with your own room on wheels. Then we were seriously disappointed.

Three years later you hear the news that Vervaet and Vanomobil would build a new showroom together, what did that do to you?

Kris: Prices had risen enormously and we doubted whether it would be better to wait until we retired. But we're alive now! When I heard that Vanomobil and Vervaet were joining forces, I knew: this is the moment.

Ann: In the meantime, we took a third friend Fleur for Nina and Tirza. We always left the animals in good hands when we went on holiday, but we both got tired of that quickly. So the idea of a new camper kept playing.
You were the first to knock on the door at the opening of the showroom in Lokeren?

Kris: Yes! We had already gone to Deerlijk and knew which model we wanted. I said to Ann: I want to be the first to buy one in the new showroom. And so it happened that we were the first to enter at the opening and straight to Natasja Vervaet: 'Natasja, we are coming to buy a camper from you!'

Ann: Just like at Vervaet, we immediately felt the passion and commitment of all employees again. That distinguishes you from other dealers. And an hour later the sale was complete. That's how we are: if we know what we want, it can go fast.

You chose a Bürstner again?

Ann: Yes, absolutely, we were so happy with the previous one. Of course, it was a newer model and we immediately noticed the improvements: now the floor is completely flat – with the previous one we fell off that step several times, really tumbled out of the camper!

Kris: This one is also much better insulated. You can really feel that.

But then we were faced with some challenges together.

Ann: Due to an engine failure, the delivery was in danger of being compromised. Our holiday was already fixed so that did indeed cause a lot of stress. Everyone at Vanomobil really sympathized and it shows: it is a company with heart.

Kris: In the end, with a week's delay and a quick service stopover in Deerlijk, we were able to leave for Brittany on holiday! Since then, we have been able to enjoy it to the fullest!

What makes traveling with a motorhome so special for you?

Ann: For us, travelling with the motorhome is really a way of life. Camping, but with all the luxuries of home. Kris really changes when travelling: then he suddenly cooks, does the dishes... 

Kris: Travelling by motorhome brings us closer together as a couple. Out of the rut of working a lot and missing each other, we are really together again. That's what I love about it!

Ann: And the dogs love it too! The door only has to open, or they already jump into the camper. The little ones have their fixed places in the couch and sleep in bed with us. 

Kris: Of course that limits your freedom a bit. You can't just leave them somewhere or take them with you in hot weather. So you stay with the camper more often or you drive around a bit. But we can live with that.

What moment will you never forget?

Kris: In our Ixeo I was once locked in the toilet... I couldn't do anything from the inside...

Ann: I heard that he panicked slightly and tried to reassure him: you have everything you need: oxygen, water and a toilet! (laughs)

Ann: In the end, I was able to force the lock. So we removed that door and put it in the boot. In the days that followed, Kris fell a few more times by leaning against a door that was no longer there (laughs)

Do you have an ultimate tip for other motorhome owners?

Kris: We don't have to go long and far away to get away from it all! For longer holidays we prefer to drive towards Brittany.

Ann: In the winter we like to go to Euskirchen Therme, a sauna complex in Germany where you can spend the night for free at their motorhome site when visiting the wellness. Delicious!

We wish you many more safe and pleasant kilometers!