AS a family, we've never been on a camping or caravan holiday. So there were raised eyebrows among friends and family when we announced we were swapping our annual sojourn to a comfortable apartment in Northern Cyprus for ten days in a camper van, braving the crowded roads of the south of England.

It was an idea which had been circulating in the house for a while. Why not visit all the friends we have lost from the North-East to the south, where jobs and marriage had lured them? Great, but they weren't going to be delighted at having the three of us and a medium-sized dog arriving on their doorsteps seeking a bed for the night.

Enter the brand-new Swift Kon-tiki 650, a flying machine with more personas than Alistair McGowan. By day it would transport us effortlessly on our way; by night it would become a comfortable and roomy bedroom, complete with en-suite bathroom and shower; on arrival at each destination it provided a comfortable lounge in which to entertain our friends from a fridge full of cool beer.

I'm used to driving on holiday - to the airport and back - and my gradually receding enthusiasm took a large leap backwards when Tony introduced me to the Kon-tiki on the forecourt of Cleveland Motorhomes Ltd at Teesside Airport. Having just stepped out of a Ford Fiesta it looked big - very big - and I waited in trepidation for someone to ask to see my non-existent HGV licence.

Tony, however, showed the calm assurance essential to put newcomers to the motorhome game at ease. "No problem," he said. "They are easy to drive, just take your time and enjoy it." No worries then.

There followed an unveiling of the Kon-tiki's hidden secrets which seemed almost a labour of love for Tony. Electricity supply: simply link the cable (with extension) from the socket on the van to the mains supply on your camp site berth. And if you aren't on a camp site? Tony produced an adaptor with three-pin plug to slot into our friends' domestic electricity supply. Water: simply fill up the substantial tank from the campsite supply. No campsite supply? We used a garden hose and, in one instance, a succession of refilled bottles of water to top up. Toilet waste: a self-sealing unit takes care of this and it is easily removed from outside the van to be disposed of in a suitable place - not an open drain. Shower/basin waste: a little more tricky as I had to go under the rear of the van and got just a little damp on unscrewing the outlet, but hey, we're camping and I was probably doing it incorrectly anyway.

A computer panel to control electricity supply and heating, an electronic mast for the portable telly and decor which would not disgrace a five-star hotel completed the impressive line-up.

My initial trepidation as a novice motorhome driver slowly evaporated as I settled into the job. I took a wrong turning within yards of leaving the garage - not the best start to a tour of England - but successfully negotiating some tricky narrow lanes to rejoin the main road was an early confidence-booster.

Safely home and I was soon enthusiastically packing all and sundry into every nook and cranny on the Kon-Tiki. The motorhome in general is a tribute to design and the Kon-tiki is no exception, with every centimetre of space utilised and door clips and Velcro aplenty to ensure no slipping and sliding en route.

I am neither a keen, nor a particularly good, driver, but with the hatches battened down, everyone seat-belted into place and Nelly having found a secure base in the front-seat passenger's footwell, we set off on the first leg of our journey, to Barton-under-Needwood, near Derby, and no mean trip on a busy late Friday afternoon. The amazing thing was that, within a few miles, I felt I had been driving the Kon-Tiki for years. With power steering, enormous wing mirrors to make up for the lack of vision through the rear window and all the creature comforts deemed essential to modern motoring, it was literally home from home.

Son Nick's concern that, like another creature carrying its home on its back, we would proceed at a snail's pace was soon left in our 70mph slipstream as the A1 and M1 were safely negotiated, with us all trying to disguise that rather smug way of looking down on fellow motorists which is usually the exclusive domain of 4x4 drivers.

Driving in a straight line was easy, but negotiating a tight turn into Pat and Philippa's house, bang on a blind bend in the middle of the village's single and busy road, was the first major challenge. We eventually settled for being off-road but not quite in the main drive, a perfectly reasonable compromise which allowed the van to be regularly admired by passers-by.

As our hosts headed for Silverstone to watch practice for the British Grand Prix, we made rather more sedate progress to Cheltenham, or rather the delightful village of Winchcombe, nestling beneath the Cotswolds, and an afternoon watching village cricket. Our plan to stay in a Caravan Club site at Cheltenham Racecourse was a non-starter as it was closed for refurbishment, so we parked in a convenient lay-by, well off the main road and close to the cottage which is home to Ian, Lydia and their two sons, James and Mark. With a trickling stream and a stile leading to open fields, it was ideal, and though it didn't have the hook-up services of a proper site, we managed well enough on the back-up battery and tank of water.

Our hosts were suitably impressed by the comfort of the Kon-Tiki, sipping drinks from the fridge while relaxing on the comfortable sofa which was soon to convert ingeniously into our bed. A superb meal at a Winchcombe restaurant, preceded by a memorable aerobatic display by two Spitfires as the local stately home provided its annual summer fireworks display, made for a memorable Saturday evening and we could probably have slept on a bed of nails. No need. A clip here, a pull there, and the Kon-Tiki's lounge was now a luxury bedroom, with curtains, overhead lamps and a level of comfort which convinced my fellow passengers that this was a good idea after all.

Having selected the four-berth van, which offers more daytime living convenience at the expense of extra bed space, we had been concerned that the sleeping arrangements would resemble a most-in-the-bed competition. Our concerns were unfounded as there was plenty of room for the three of us to stretch out comfortably and, thankfully, Nelly seemed to prefer her private room at the rear.

Back on the road and we were heading for the New Forest, a new experience for all of us and an unforgettable one. The Cotswolds are beautiful in a traditional English countryside sort of way, while the New Forest is spectacularly different. The forestry is magnificent, with trickling brooks of crystal clear water meandering through the greenery; the plains are mildly undulating and you can see for miles, with only clumps of bushes, isolated trees and groups of wild ponies grazing on the scrubland between you and the horizon.

Money talks in the New Forest and the housing reflects this, so it was not such a tight squeeze into Jan and Maurice's drive. Badminton in the garden with Kate and Sophie, a superb meal and a bed for the night preceded a whistle-stop trip to the coast, offering superb views of the Isle of Wight.

More fond farewells and it was off to Hastings, where Nelly was treated to another trip to the seaside, where she was the only one brave enough to dip her paws in the icy water. After another comfortable food and wine-induced night's sleep in the motorhome, we headed west to Lewes, where our welcome from Steve, Janet and family was warmer than the East Sussex weather. Nelly and I braved the rain to stride out on the downs which virtually backed on to the house.

Another evening of fine dining and reminiscing over, it was time to head for home, via Pinner, home to brother and sister-in-law, Chris and Belinda, and on to a reunion with friends from recent holidays in Goa for Sunday lunch at a charming inn just off the M1 near Luton.

Suitably refreshed, it was foot down for Darlington, and it goes without saying the Kon-tiki performed impeccably. The adventure over, we were all sad to see our mobile home go. For ten days it had not only transported us around the country but also provided a luxurious home from home. The freedom to go anywhere, anytime, makes for a great holiday, and if you don't want to 'rough it' as we did, motorhomes are welcome on established caravan and camping sites throughout Britain and abroad, where assistance and all mod cons are available. If you are a motorhome owner you will know what I mean. If not, give it a try, you won't regret it.

FACTFILE

Neil's family holiday was organised by The Motorhome Information Service (01444) 458889; www.motorhomeinfo.co.uk

The Kon-tiki 650 was provided by Cleveland Motorhomes Ltd, Teesside Airport, Darlington (01325) 333111. Motorhome prices range from £19,000 to over £50,000, the Kon-tiki 650 used in the article costs £43,245.

Hiring fees: as a rough guide, prices range from around £295 per week in low season for a van conversion to between £495 and £795 for a larger coachbuilt vehicle. The Kon-tiki in the article costs around £525 per week.