As an experienced caravanner, what helpful tips would you pas...

[mealsonwheels]

My offering would be:

Make your very first trip out in the caravan somewhere not too far from home, for a 'shakedown'. This gives you the opportunity to become familiar with your new van and wouldn't cause a problem to *** home if there is anything important you've forgotten to pack.

It's a good idea to make this first trip on a roomy CL or CS, where you will have a lot more space to manoeuvre your caravan on to a pitch for the first time. They can only take a maximum of 5 caravans and are therefore less daunting for a beginner.

 

[Rubix]

I am by no means and experienced caravanner, but one thing that helped me was having a routine.

I just love lists, and so modified the list that is in the back of the caravan club site guide for setting off and pitching up.

It really helped me to try and establish a routine so as not to forget anything (eg breakaway cable attachment or any other important checks).

I learnt the hardway when early on in my caravan "career" my father came with us on one trip in the van and he was trying to be "helpful" but unfortunately his "helpful" suggestions became more of a hinderence by him saying things like "have you remembered ...." or "don't forget to ..."

I found myself forgetting what I had and hadn't done, and so it took me a lot longer to set up that trip.

So have a routine, then you you should rememeber everything.

Hope this helps

 

[ValA.]

Mine would be not to buy a new caravan for a 'first-timer' - you may find the layout is wrong, for example, and lose a fortune in 'depreciation'. Buy an old van in the layout you think you want, and try it first. If you like it then keep it a year or so, and then buy new, and your new van will be then a year younger than it would have been!

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Don't overtake going downhill.

 

[LMH]

Keep your cool at all times when towing - there are lots of people out there who will try and overtake you at every opportunity, whether it's safe to do so or not.

Always have a torch in the van/car and make sure you keep spare batteries.

Lisa.

Good luck

 

[JeremyClarksson]

Join your local centre and try at least one rally.

Buy a S/H van first to make sure you and caravanning do actually mix.

Throw away any preconceptions you may have and just enjoy yourself.

 

[rayc]

On the same theme as LB my advise is to use the same gear going down a hill as you would to get up it.

 

[SirRogerFFS]

OK . I think you have been given some useful tips here, I think the the only one that has been missed is when you are out on the open road never worry about the rear or what is behind you as long as you can see the van at all times in your mirror just concentrate on what is in front. good luck and happy caravanning

Stewart.

 

[Parksy]

There's some good tips already given and one that I will add is that if you make up the seats into a bed keep a spare double duvet to put underneath yourselves as well as the one on top. Its surprising the difference that this makes to your warmth and comfort.

 

[anotherDavid]

My tip is dont ever drive around sites with the van looking for a pitch. Get out at the reception/entrance and walk. The last time I did it was about 25 years ago and after ending up in a dead end at the bottom of a hill I entertained the rest of the campers by burning my clutch reversing up hill.

Dave

 

[colin(bridgend)]

Just one tip - ENJOY YOUR CARAVAN.

 

[Stephen_374341239]

My offering would be

Make your first trip not to far from home. Also not a big site small would be nice. My first trip with my new caravan was to York a CC site. Arrived did not know a thing and it showed. Everbody around had a good laugh and took the P**. It put my wife and I off for a bit. BUT there are good people out there as we now have found out.

kind regards best wishes Janet & Steve PS have a great time.

 

[Angus1]

If you have to pitch on a slope, make sure you are facing DOWNHILL so when you come to leave you aren`t trying to pull the van uphill from a standing start, possibly on wet grass.

 

[GeorgeB]

Weigh your car (or whatever your tow tug is) to find out it's exact kerbside weight actually is, don't rely on the manufactures published weights (example published weight of my car 1490kg, actual weight 1621kg)

load your caravan with what you think you're going to take with you on hols, take it to the local weigh bridge & find out exactly what the loaded van weighs, if it's within the mtpl fine, if over decide what you can do without, take it out & weigh it on your bathroom scales, keep taking stuff out untill the weight of it = the weight you were over.

When you tow, tow at a pace that you're comfortable with, don't let anyone bully you into going faster than you want, if there's a que building up behnd you, pull over & let them pass

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

George makes an excellent point of pulling over and letting others pass. We have enough negative publicity as it is without making it worse by having a mile long queue behind us.

 

[JasonR_374341560]

Note, not all advice you get is correct.

It may be given in good faith but beware.

Also if your towing outfit feels twitchy or gives cause for concern there is probably something wrong.

So called correct weight and nose weight do have exceptions to the rules, better to stop and move load around and check tyre pressures and stabiliser than end up snaking in to a ditch.

When leaving caravan laid up leave the "hand" brake off and pull it on and off often so it does not seize up.

 

[grahamr_5041507]

My advice would be don't go caravanning in a rush, make sure you've got the time.

Its really not as 'hook up and go' as the mags describe, the preparation beforehand and after the trip is a lot more involved than you would think.

Also towing, and finding pitches etc. can soon cause tempers to be strained, so give yourself plenty of time for the trip or you may end wishing you handn't bothered.

For example dont try and get miles away from home on a Friday night and end up arriving in the dark with a load a pressure on yourself from the family. Allow for the fact that after you arrive its not beer and shorts time, its an hours tinkering!! Same goes for the pack up. There's not many places I'll go now without a day off on the Friday to make it worthwhile, or leave the van on a site for the week 'in storage' and pick it up next and get 2 weekends out of one trip!?

Trying to push the schedule or cram too much into a trip has often spoilt ours, now we adopt a more relaxed view, it can soon get stressful....

 

[RichardS1]

Before your first trip take your outfit to a quiet area and practice reversing the outfit. Movers are great on site but are no use on the highway if you miss a turn. As regards setting up the van just take your time doing each task, after a couple of trips everything will be straight forward.

 

[mistermac]

My top tip would be....

If you've got an awning - make sure you've put it up at least once before you get to your site!

I didn't and the world-war-three-standoff that occurred between myself and the present Mrs Mac was equal to Vesuvius giving it large....

Ouch

Don't go there!

 

[waffler]

Think about one of the courses offered by the two clubs.

 

[mealsonwheels]

.......and another:

When loading up the caravan, put a beer & some lemonade in the fridge. After the journey to your site, when the van is parked and levelled, the awning is up, electric connected, water tank full and the sun is beating down. Stop and pour yourself a lovely cold shandy before you do anything else.

To make it even easier, make up a packed lunch the evening before you leave and you have instant lunch.

 

[George2]

.......and another:

When loading up the caravan, put a beer & some lemonade in the fridge. After the journey to your site, when the van is parked and levelled, the awning is up, electric connected, water tank full and the sun is beating down. Stop and pour yourself a lovely cold shandy before you do anything else.

To make it even easier, make up a packed lunch the evening before you leave and you have instant lunch.

shandy!!! err, thanks for the tip, but as someone said earlier, not all advice is correct

yuck

 

[George2]

My advice, when reversing onto a pitch, stay calm, don't worry about the spectators, just keep it slow and take as long as you need, most of all DON'T PANIC, and one of the times, when you get it perfect first time, well just try not to look too smug.

Oh, and just because TomTom tells you to take that narrow, twisty, overgrown country lane, it doesn't necessarily mean you HAVE to take it (well not always anyway).

 

[nrdonnelly]

Hello Meals on Wheels,

I'd suggest you never trust anyone else to attach your caravan to the car. Having had a dealer leave a jockey wheel down, a colleague leave the the Al-Ko stabilser up and another leave the breakaway dangling on the floor, for peace of mind, always check everything over yourself.

That way you only have yourself to blame...

Cheers

Nigel Donnelly

Editor

Practical Caravan

 

[Rubix]

I agree with Nigel who said :

"I'd suggest you never trust anyone else to attach your caravan to the car. Having had a dealer leave a jockey wheel down" -snip-

I had a dealer who was in such a hurry tried unhitching my van when the blade stabiliser still attached !!