A blue Volkswagen van with a retro caravan behind it. It was such a nice combination, but last Thursday Frank Sins’ caravan from Breda was stolen. “My birth sign was hanging in the caravan, but that is now gone too.”
About three years ago, Frank bought a vintage caravan from an older couple. “They were the first owners of the caravan. They bought it new in 1974 and have taken great care of it. I bought it from them and pimped the caravan. I reupholstered, painted and hung blue crockery,” he says. He and his friend always went to Zeeland in the caravan in the summer. “That created so much positivity. It was really a wealth to have that caravan and now someone has just taken it.”
Not only is the house on wheels gone, but Frank’s birth plate is also gone. “I hung my birth plate among the antique crockery. It’s so personal. I think it’s really sad that people took this away. It doesn’t help them at all.”
“The caravan is not even that expensive, but it has a lot of emotional value.”
Outside the camping season, Frank always stored his caravan with his parents on the fenced pasture in Made. “My parents walk the dog across the meadow every day. When they got there Thursday afternoon, they saw that the gate was open. The horse trailer had been broken open and they saw that my caravan was gone.” Frank’s parents still saw the window of the caravan lying on the ground. “If he was a real lover of vintage cars, he would have taken the window with him, because they are quite scarce.”
Frank has no idea where his beloved caravan is now. “I think they took it abroad. Somehow I hope I’ll get him back, but you don’t know. I’m really sad. The caravan is not even that expensive, but it has a lot of emotional value.”
