Our Top Three Purchases

Our Top Three Purchases

We’re often asked about the best thing we’ve bought or had installed in Absinthe and it’s quite difficult to narrow it down to one item, so here, in no particular order are our top 3, with the added bonus that we’ve been able to negotiate some discounts for Blog readers.

The Glawning

We’d known, fellow Brazilian owners, James and Sarah from Glawning for a while before they started manufacturing and selling them, and we were amongst the first people to buy one. They’re the loveliest of people, which is reflected in the product itself. We’d tried a couple of more conventional awnings before but neither of them really suited us, so when the Glawning became available we couldn’t wait to get our hands on one.

We’ve since upgraded to the second generation model with a sewn in groundsheet (and sold our first one to other friends with a Brazilian T2c), which is quicker to erect. Ours is a 4m but there are 5m ones available and even a stargazer with panels to let you see the sky above your Glawning.

They even organise a Festival every year in Yorkshire which is the highlight of our season. See this link for the Blog about this year’s event: GLAMPFEST

As affiliates we are able to offer a 3% discount from the price of a Glawning – see this link to find out how you can own your own at a discounted price: GLAWNING

We love the way that you can personalise your Glawning – no two look the same inside – we don’t sleep in ours but lots of owners do and there’s masses of space to chill. With the wood burning stove fitted you can camp all year round (whilst getting envious looks from shivering neighbours!).

There’s a Glawning Owners Facebook Group too, which will answer any queries you might have and make you jealous of other people’s set ups.We can’t recommend the Glawning highly enough.

Litesteer Electric Power Steering

Lite-Steer is a retro-fit, electronic, speed-sensitive, power-assisted steering system; engineered and made in the UK. The system have been developed over many years to improve driving experience, whilst retaining the integrity of the vehicle.We had Litesteer fitted in 2012 – see this Blog link for details of our trip to East Sussex: LITESTEER

The transformation in the driving experience since we had the system fitted is amazing. Alison’s first word when she drove away for the first time was, “Wow!”. Instead of needing a strong pair of arms to turn the wheel it can be done with one finger, which is brilliant. Have a look at their website here for more info: LITESTEER WEBSITE

Neil Oakley, who owns Litesteer, invented the system which is available in kit form to allow you to do the conversion yourself or he has agents throughout the UK who will fit it for you. We chose to drive to his workshop to have him fit it and he did a great job for us. Neil has kindly agreed to give readers of this Blog a 7% discount – just mention Absinthe7 to him when you get in touch, you won’t regret it.

Dbeilt Trailer

You may have seen us on the Caravanner of the Year competition on BBC a couple of years ago, refusing to reverse our trailer around a tree. If so you’ll know how great the Dbeilt trailer is, particularly when painted to match your van.

We bought ours from Ben Smale who manufactures them in Bury – he did a great job of matching ours to Absinthe and we always look forward to seeing him at VW shows during the season. You’ll find Dbeilt’s website here: DBEILT

Ben has generously offered a 15% discount on any extras fitted when you purchase your Dbeilt Trailer. These would include alloy wheels, a full paint job or a front luggage rack. Just mention Absinthe to Ben when you get in touch – he’ll know who you mean.

So, that’s it, our top 3 purchases for Absinthe. If you need any more info or have suggestions of your own, feel free to get in touch at Absinthe@C13MPR.com or leave a comment below. Thanks for reading.