Last weekend, Kerrie, Peggy and I packed up Rappy and headed to Dummer Down Farm near Basingstoke for the 2026 VanLife Eats Big Picnic — and what a brilliant weekend it turned out to be.
We were there with Rappy on display in the Victron Energy area, which gave us a great opportunity to show people around the van, talk about some of the systems I’ve built into her, and spend the weekend surrounded by people who share the same interest in campervans, travelling and off-grid living.
The Big Picnic has become a proper gathering for the vanlife community, combining camping with food, cooking demonstrations, workshops, traders and live music. This year’s event ran across the August Bank Holiday weekend at Dummer Down Farm, with campervans filling the Hampshire countryside for several days.
Rappy Gets Plenty of Attention
One of the best parts of the weekend was seeing people’s reaction to Rappy.
I’ve spent years adding, changing and improving things inside the van, so it’s always interesting seeing which parts grab people’s attention.
And strangely enough, one of the biggest talking points wasn’t the Auto Tracking solar panel, batteries or electrical system.
It was the washing machine in the back!
People absolutely loved it.
There were plenty of surprised faces when people realised Rappy has a proper washing machine installed. It led to lots of conversations about how we live in the van, how much power everything uses, and what’s actually possible when you build a campervan around being genuinely self-sufficient rather than simply having somewhere to sleep.
For me, that’s exactly why I enjoy taking Rappy to events like this. People can actually see the systems working rather than just looking at diagrams or watching one of my videos.
A Weekend With Friends
Of course, these weekends aren’t really about the equipment.
They’re about the people.
It was great spending the weekend with Kerrie and Peggy, catching up with friends we already knew and meeting plenty of new people along the way.
There is something quite unique about the vanlife community. You can walk between vans, start talking about someone’s conversion, solar setup or a place they’ve travelled to, and suddenly you’ve been chatting for half an hour.
That’s what makes these events enjoyable for us.
Sunshine, Rain and Proper British Camping
The weather didn’t completely cooperate.
We had some rain during the weekend — it wouldn’t be a British camping weekend without it — but it certainly didn’t spoil things.
When the rain arrived everyone adapted, carried on talking, cooking and enjoying themselves, and when things cleared up the atmosphere picked straight back up again.
Peggy seemed perfectly happy with the whole arrangement too.
Great Music and a Brilliant Atmosphere
The live music was another highlight.
The Big Picnic isn’t just a campervan show. The combination of food, music, camping and people wandering around looking at each other’s vans gives it much more of a relaxed festival atmosphere.
The official programme included live music alongside cooking demonstrations, workshops, a food village and other activities throughout the weekend.
For us, it meant that once we’d finished talking vans and answering questions about Rappy, we could relax, see friends, listen to the music and simply enjoy being there.
Why We Enjoy Events Like This
One of the things I enjoy most about building and developing Rappy is being able to share what I’ve learnt.
Some people came over because they recognised a piece of Victron equipment.
Some wanted to know about the electrical system.
Some were building their own campervan and wanted ideas.
And others just wanted to know why on earth I’d fitted a washing machine in a Sprinter.
They’re all good conversations.
I’ve never really believed there is only one correct way to build a campervan. Everyone uses their van differently, and that’s what makes walking around events like the Big Picnic so interesting.
You always come away having seen an idea you hadn’t considered before.
Until the Next One
By the end of the weekend we were tired, Rappy had welcomed a lot of visitors, Peggy had done plenty of exploring, and we’d had a genuinely enjoyable few days.
Good friends, great music, lots of vans, plenty of interesting conversations and even a bit of rain.
That’s a pretty good Bank Holiday weekend as far as we’re concerned.
Thanks to everyone who came over to say hello and have a look around Rappy — especially everyone who was fascinated by the washing machine!
Kerrie, Peggy, Rappy and I will see you at the next one.
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