5 things every new caravanner should know!

[LizziePope]

Everyone was new to caravanning once. What advice do you wish you'd received? Or, if you're new to our hobby, what do you want to know?

Practical Caravan's David Motton shares five top tips which you can read in his latest blog. Have you any you would add?

 

[Parksy]

David Motton raises some of the most important safety and legal issues that new caravanners would do well to know.
A few suggestions from me that are not legal requirements or vital safety issues would be:

• Corner steadies are just that, they are not jacks designed to lift up the caravan and if used as jacks serious damage can be done.
  
• Use Propane (red bottle) LPG, the alternative Butane might be slightly less expensive but the liquid won't turn into gas in colder weather. Propane works every time
  
• Lay out awning poles to see how they are supposed to fit together before attempting to erect the awning for the first time, and use coloured electrical tape to colour code the poles.
  
• Make a list of essentials before leaving including utensils, corkscrew and bottle opener
  
• Most important of all- Enjoy! Caravanning at first can seem like hard work so take your time, find out what works for you and before long you'll have a workable system for every time that you set up
  
  

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hooray Yippee Well Done Motty

This is the first time I have seen in a print in a magazine, someone with some clout putting the essential facts I have been promoting for years in a readable and as far as I can see, correct way

Whilst I know it may be seen as being mean, but on point 3 I am disappointed that the word Rule is in the headline, It would in my view have been better to only refer to the common mis quote in the body text. It good to see the guidance has been put into context of the fact that it offers no guarantees of safety.

A technicality would be that the in the text Motty states you "legal towing limit, which shouldn't be exceeded" The word "shouldn't " still leaves open the possibility that the activity should be avoided but you might get away with it, the correct word should be "Mustn't" which removes the uncertainty.

I am also very pleased that the other significant factors of good towing have been included alongside the weight ratios. and that Motty has expressed the view that a properly loaded caravan at over 90% ratio can be a better tow than a poorly loaded trailer at only 85%.

And that the guidance does not limit to 85% but is infact a range which does go up to 100%

More More More please

 

[Anseo]

Parksy's comments; succinct, and good advice, especially the corkscrew

 

[Gagakev]

Parksy's comments; succinct, and good advice, especially the corkscrew

And the Bottle Opener!!! :lol: :lol:

 

[Thingy]

I would recommend

A hitching up checklist - pilot style.
Reading up on kerbweight, noseweight, loading and towing.
Learning the various caravan equipment, i.e. heaters, water, electrics etc.
Travel light in the early days, dont go out and buy everything you see, a couple of trips should tell you what you need.
Buy a Cadac.

 

[Hutch]

All the previous, but remember the Toilet Rolls, almost everything else you can do without.

 

[JonnyG]

i like to add to parksy statement red or blue bottle? for someone like me who only goes out in the better warmer weather or onto the continent again in warmer climates blue bottles are a better choice .red's only selling piont is surely that it works at colder temps.... also in the article concerning the 85% rule.. dave motton mentions he'd rather tow at .was it 95% a caravan loaded correctly than one at 85% loaded uneven and with under inflated tyres!!!!!!!!!!! .... why make mention of under inflated tyres on only one part of a comparison ! any caravan with under inflated tyres is a danger regardless of load ratio...

 

[pensioner]

Parksy's is a good starting point, but we could all add some, I think Thing's list comes a good second.

 

[KeefySher]

Take off those rose coloured glasses and put on magnifying glasses, as well as taint your enthusiasm for your new caravan until you check every door catch, cupboard door veneer, light switch, socket, everything in fact to ensure you haven't 1 of the 23% of badly thrown together common poor quality parts used by the UK caravan assemblers to produce your caravan.

We thought we had caught things, but were proven wrong after 15 months.

No need for insulting tape with an air awning.

Get a motor mover, no point in being a hero shoving and pushing a caravan as you get older.

Buy the IKEA OFSTAD tempered glass tableware, no need to splash out on expensive stuff.

Get a whistling kettle that you can use on a gas ring or the electric hotplate as you have paid for the EHU

But most of all get out and use it year round, there are some beautiful CL / CS and larger campsites in the unexpected of places.

Join one of the 2 clubs and ask as many questions of fellow caravaners, they are a knowledgeable and helpful bunch on the whole.

 

[Raywood]

My rules are
1. Make sure the car can tow the caravan safely
2. Negotiate hard for a good deal
3. Make sure you get a thorough demonstration and check everything works before you pay for it.
4. Make sure you know how to hitch and set up the caravan
5. Don't forget to insure it
but there is a sixth
6. If you need help post here possibly before you buy anything.

 

[Thingy]

Of course, there is an alternative list for British built caravans

Hammer
Gorilla Glue
Gaffer Tape
Assortment of screws and drivers
Multimeter

 

[saint-spoon]

All the previous, but remember the Toilet Rolls, almost everything else you can do without.

hand-stands in the shower?

 

[KeefySher]

All the previous, but remember the Toilet Rolls, almost everything else you can do without.

hand-stands in the shower?

But not if you have an external shower point on the off side front of your caravan, for 3 reasons. 1 it's cold only. 2 you'll scare the neighbours. 3 you'll make the pitch wet

 

[Raywood]

Of course, there is an alternative list for British built caravans

Hammer
Gorilla Glue
Gaffer Tape
Assortment of screws and drivers
Multimeter

You forgot the umbrella for the leaks!

 

[Gafferbill]

My tip is to always have a duplicate key for any that you have for car or caravan or anything else you take away with you..........and keep the spare set in a different place.

I learnt the hard way after I secured two bikes to my caravan chassis with snap locked security cables that require keys to unlock.
This was after arriving on site...........I had left both sets of keys at home.
Relatively lucky that it only required a 70 mile round trip back home to get the keys :huh:

............yet another Woosie moment

 

[Raywood]

My tip is to always have a duplicate key for any that you have for car or caravan or anything else you take away with you..........and keep the spare set in a different place.

I learnt the hard way after I secured two bikes to my caravan chassis with snap locked security cables that require keys to unlock.
This was after arriving on site...........I had left both sets of keys at home.
Relatively lucky that it only required a 70 mile round trip back home to get the keys :huh:

............yet another Woosie moment

Not a bad idea. I always remember a family holiday years ago when my father took us to the beach. He got out of the car and dropped the keys, which went down a drain. He spent some time after that dangling a magnet on a length of string to get it. He did manage it but I have been aware of the potential problem ever since.

 

[Keefanmaxx]

Our checklist.....

Caravan (obviously)
Awning
Outdoor chairs
Wine
Small tool kit (well, you never know)
Cider
Cadac

We tend to keep it simple and don't have a pre-break check list ..... although we did go away last year and leave a house window open ......

 

[Hutch]

Here we go, Woosie Club, truths, left my Wallet behind at home, prior to 4 week trip to France, noticed this at the fuel station at Dover , 4 hour round trip. . Thankfully we were overnighting before the ferry. :woohoo:

 

[KeefySher]

Here we go, Woosie Club, truths, left my Wallet behind at home, prior to 4 week trip to France, noticed this at the fuel station at Dover , 4 hour round trip. . Thankfully we were overnighting before the ferry. :woohoo:

There is a very simple check list you can memorise and recount with touch points as you chant it in order to prevent reoccurrence:
'Spectacles, wallet & watch'

 

[Hutch]

Good point but, but the wallet I had was my Nigerian one for working overseas. Doh.