As teenagers, my sisters and I went with my parents in a lovely comfortable caravan which they bought from the manufacturer, Thompson, somewhere near Falkirk. We usually went to the West Highlands. Later, we too had a Sprite Musketeer when the boys were young. I sold it when I got divorced. My DS1's family now have a caravan and have taken me with them to France and to Suffolk. As you say, Nfk, it's all very different nowadays, but certainly in Provence the fridge has been essential and we hired another one to put in the awning - for the wine, of course.
. Congratulations on being able to reverse the van. I never mastered that, nor did my exH - we had to (wo)manhandle it! Once, coming down Shap on the M6, when I was towing, the van went into a 'snake' and I had to control it without braking. When I succeeded in safely getting it onto the hard shoulder, it transpired that exH had not attached the stabiliser securely. My worst ever driving experience by far.