Camper Van / Caravan Questions

Firstly, I think that the split very much depends on the needs of the user. I've been caravanning for years and towed a caravan through virtually every European country upto now.
I then packed it up, as a new breed of caravanners started to enter the ring with "whose got the biggest, shiniest caravan with the most gadgets"
I used to love putting a towel round my neck and heading over to the washrooms and getting the waft of frying bacon as you walked past the odd van.
Now everyone wants showers and every conceivable gadget in caravans and to me it takes the shine off the whole "fun bit". If I want that, I'll go to a hotel or guest house.
My Mate started caravanning recently and started with a small Elddis 2 berth to try it out.
They then made a disastrous move and joined the "caravan club". When they went to a "meet" everyone would be there boring the pants off each other about this latest gadget and that etc. and they then went out and splashed out on a "mobile gin palace".
Yeah you've got it,the lot inc. Sky tv etc.
My mate says it's his wifes fault as she likes to take half their home with her.(She is the driving force). He Subsequently had to go out and buy a 4x4 to tow all this tackle around and now they have a combined towing value of £000s with the van and towing vehicle and a happy finance company who lent em the money!
Now then I think the avarage campervan owner like me is more in tune with our environment and who enjoys the raw freedom and not necc. goes seeking the 4 an 5 star sites with swimming pool and club house, but tends to get to more inaccesible places or places that towing a gin palace to would be very hard. Also we don't get sucked in by things like the caravan club and "whose got the biggest nob on the site routine".
Key retailers I would think are probably avoided by the average campervan builder/owner purely because of unnecesary high retail costs...(My favourite retailer is Needham mkt boot sale, where a guy from Ipswich sells new/used caravan stuff at a fraction of cost) and Ebay.(my own personal fave is rummaging through boxes of crap at boot sales).
I do believe certain names come to the fore...."Carver" being one of them for heating and water heating etc. and for campervan windows.."Seitz." "Thetford" for portable toilet systems.
Please remember that this is my own personal opinion and probably does not represent someone elses who may offer a differing opinion.

I agree with everything MGroadster said. For me, the fun is doing as much as you can yourself, which is why I'm building my own caravan. I'm not interested in buying anything, just finding stuff and making it fit. The more money I spend, the more the fun drains out of the hobby. Some people are happy to spend £30,000 on a giant caravan or a camper, but HOW can they justify spending that amount of money on something which is just a hobby? I don't want hi tech stuff in my vans, I love the walk to the loo at 5AM, listening to people snoring and watching the wildlife, returning for a quiet cup of tea and watching the day begin. I have a sink in the van, but I like the cameraderie in the washing up area, where new friendships are struck up over the Fairy Liquid. These friendships usually develop into a table set out in a circle of vans, with candles late at night, by the dying embers of a barbecue or a firepit and shared bottles of wine or vats of hot chocolate, while the kids sleep safely nearby. Total cost of all this equipment? About £30. Need I say more?

i"m on the minimal side , like finding , unexpectedly a fab natural layby next to water and having a swim in the morning and the joy of a visitor , like another van pulling in and having a chat or that moment when the cops pull in to see what you are "doing" and after long discussion they leave and i feel like i achieved something (wot?)doing a repair /bit of maintenance etc , yeah , keep it cheap, keep it basic .... for me anyhow