I am collecting my brandnew Bailey Pageant this Friday and would like to know if there is anything i should be checking for when I collect it. I have a check list of things I will be looking for but want to make sure I don't forget anything.
Collect my new caravan on Friday
- Thread starter PaulAsserati
- Start date
Even if you go with a list as long as Gordon Browns initiatives you`re bound to forget something.
I thought I had covered all the bases both on collection and then checking before our `maiden voyage`, arrived on site 260 miles later (I know, a reasonable distance for a `shakedown` run), and set up with no problems. Everything in its place and working fine. brilliant. Right now to wash my hands and crack a can open - wheres the sink plug? ******! Never mind I`ll borrow the one from the bathroom, er,no, maybe the shower one then. Or maybe not.
I might wash my hands, face under running water at home but not in the van (not hooked up to water), as it`s me that has to fetch it. And the dishes.....
A TINY thing, (well three of them actually), but SO frustrating knowing you thought you had it sussed but would have to travel to find a van sized plug the following day. Its times like that you mourn the passing of the local hardware stores.
I thought I had covered all the bases both on collection and then checking before our `maiden voyage`, arrived on site 260 miles later (I know, a reasonable distance for a `shakedown` run), and set up with no problems. Everything in its place and working fine. brilliant. Right now to wash my hands and crack a can open - wheres the sink plug? ******! Never mind I`ll borrow the one from the bathroom, er,no, maybe the shower one then. Or maybe not.
I might wash my hands, face under running water at home but not in the van (not hooked up to water), as it`s me that has to fetch it. And the dishes.....
A TINY thing, (well three of them actually), but SO frustrating knowing you thought you had it sussed but would have to travel to find a van sized plug the following day. Its times like that you mourn the passing of the local hardware stores.
Tugster
Picked up my new bailey this time last year so I'm trying to recall the 'surprises'.
My previous caravan was old so I discovered that some of the ancillary equipment was not suitable.
Pad of paper and pen to note the endless info on your new baby.
Don't forget the Number plate
Insurance updated?
My old Water roll opening not large enough for pipe and filter supplied with new caravan. New water roll required.
Existing waste roll was difficult to use and I needed to buy a new flatter type.
New hitch lock required to fit stabiliser hitch.
Stabiliser hitch needs extended neck ball (maybe supplied). Tow hitch fitted Bike rack holders and bumper protector plates can interfere with Stabiliser hitches.
Is a battery supplied?
Camera!, we forgot ours.
Bottle of Champaign and large cigar!
Enjoy !
Picked up my new bailey this time last year so I'm trying to recall the 'surprises'.
My previous caravan was old so I discovered that some of the ancillary equipment was not suitable.
Pad of paper and pen to note the endless info on your new baby.
Don't forget the Number plate
Insurance updated?
My old Water roll opening not large enough for pipe and filter supplied with new caravan. New water roll required.
Existing waste roll was difficult to use and I needed to buy a new flatter type.
New hitch lock required to fit stabiliser hitch.
Stabiliser hitch needs extended neck ball (maybe supplied). Tow hitch fitted Bike rack holders and bumper protector plates can interfere with Stabiliser hitches.
Is a battery supplied?
Camera!, we forgot ours.
Bottle of Champaign and large cigar!
Enjoy !
caravantalk have a good checklist for those taking delivery of new van here.......
http://www.caravantalk.net/advice/new-caravan-checklist.htm
Which Bailey Pageant did you go for, the Provence had my vote but I was over ruled and we went for a swift van, should be picking it up end of March.
I'll be towing it with a 04 320d tourer..if I've linked previous posts do you also have a 320d tourer? ....If so, what do you think of it as a tow car? I've never towed before (apart from a recent CC towing course)so no idea how it'll hold up.
Cheers
Gavin
http://www.caravantalk.net/advice/new-caravan-checklist.htm
Which Bailey Pageant did you go for, the Provence had my vote but I was over ruled and we went for a swift van, should be picking it up end of March.
I'll be towing it with a 04 320d tourer..if I've linked previous posts do you also have a 320d tourer? ....If so, what do you think of it as a tow car? I've never towed before (apart from a recent CC towing course)so no idea how it'll hold up.
Cheers
Gavin
"I am collecting my brandnew Bailey Pageant this Friday and would like to know if there is anything i should be checking for when I collect it."
Just make sure it's there springs to mind
After a couple of days delay my new Elldis Odyssey 524 was being delivered to the dealer today, dealer had to open up at 7.30am to accept it, at 7.35 the lowloader turned up with a van, only problem it was a 544 even though the driver had all the paperwork showing it should have been a 524.!!!
Oh well, now promised for tomorrow and collect it Friday like yourself...I hope
Just make sure it's there springs to mind
After a couple of days delay my new Elldis Odyssey 524 was being delivered to the dealer today, dealer had to open up at 7.30am to accept it, at 7.35 the lowloader turned up with a van, only problem it was a 544 even though the driver had all the paperwork showing it should have been a 524.!!!
Oh well, now promised for tomorrow and collect it Friday like yourself...I hope
Hi there
Jacking brackets take them off your old van.Spare wheel.
Hope every thing goes well good luck. Tell us all about it when you get home.
Steve
Jacking brackets take them off your old van.Spare wheel.
Hope every thing goes well good luck. Tell us all about it when you get home.
Steve
Hi Tugster
Fully agree with everyone else.
Make sure your dealer has water and electricity connected and shows you exactly how everything works including making up ALL the beds. Also go through the Bailey wallet and make sure you have every instruction booklet for all the ancilliary equipment.
Hope you have a great day.
Cheers
Alan
Fully agree with everyone else.
Make sure your dealer has water and electricity connected and shows you exactly how everything works including making up ALL the beds. Also go through the Bailey wallet and make sure you have every instruction booklet for all the ancilliary equipment.
Hope you have a great day.
Cheers
Alan
Sorry peeps, not been on to update for few days.. thanks for all the advice.
Yes I do own a 2003 320d BMW touring and I am not sure what they like to tow as I have never towed with this car. I have been on the bmwworld.co.uk forum and been told they are one of the best towing cars on the road due to there high bhp/powerful diesel engines. Just had my new detatchable towbar fitted by a top man in Peterborough, it looks very good and with the bar off you would not even know it had one.
This is the 1st caravan we have bought and I had everything extra from the dealer to make sure it all matched. The list I have done is general questions about the van. Tire pressures, what to clean it with, how everything works ect. I dealer books 2 hours for the salesman to show me how the whole van works so I should be either an expert or bored stiff by the end of friday.
Yes I do own a 2003 320d BMW touring and I am not sure what they like to tow as I have never towed with this car. I have been on the bmwworld.co.uk forum and been told they are one of the best towing cars on the road due to there high bhp/powerful diesel engines. Just had my new detatchable towbar fitted by a top man in Peterborough, it looks very good and with the bar off you would not even know it had one.
This is the 1st caravan we have bought and I had everything extra from the dealer to make sure it all matched. The list I have done is general questions about the van. Tire pressures, what to clean it with, how everything works ect. I dealer books 2 hours for the salesman to show me how the whole van works so I should be either an expert or bored stiff by the end of friday.
Oh and yes it is the Provence. We found this suited our needs the best due to the rear bedroom that could be shut away when the children are asleep. Giving us a break at night.
Tugster,
take a digital camera that has vidieo clip capability, if you haven't got one but have a vidieo camera take that with you, then vidieo anything that you think might come in useful such as how to turn something on or off or how to connect it up.
Although the Bailey handbook is very comprehensive, it covers all the current models so it takes a while to find what you're looking for, where as play back of a vidieo clip is van specific.
Oh & by the way, don't forget to ask the salesman if it's alright to vidieo him explaining the vans systems to you
take a digital camera that has vidieo clip capability, if you haven't got one but have a vidieo camera take that with you, then vidieo anything that you think might come in useful such as how to turn something on or off or how to connect it up.
Although the Bailey handbook is very comprehensive, it covers all the current models so it takes a while to find what you're looking for, where as play back of a vidieo clip is van specific.
Oh & by the way, don't forget to ask the salesman if it's alright to vidieo him explaining the vans systems to you
I'm very surprised it has not been mentioned yet but the first thing I would personally check is the outside body & interior for any dents/damage especially if its raining, its not till you get home and find damage that its too late because you have signed to say it was satisfactory when collected from the dealer. this happened to me after collecting a Bailey Ranger in 1999 much to my horror next day when dry i noticed a dent in the rear panel of course the Dealer denied all responsability.
Checking for damage is the top of my list. Afterall if my wife was to find any dents or marks with her x ray vision when we got home, I would be living in the caravan for the rest of our married life.
I do love her though!!
I do love her though!!
Well.... My Friday collection turned into a Saturday collection. Cockup with the bank. Anyway, collected it today and over the moon. I have only just got out of it. Been sat in the van with the heating on reading the Bailey manual. Quite nice to just sit and read in silence with no kids shouting. I have moved all my new stuff into the van to free up space in my shed again. Even after measuring the van I was still surprised how big she really is at 24ft. Had to cut down a tree on the driveway, so not only am I in the neighbours badbooks for sticking a FERRY on my drive but I cut a tree down!!!
Just trying to work out how everything works now. I have sussed the heating with gas, just got the fridge to master now. I did find that my car struggled a little pulling it though. It was very windy and the caravan was unloaded. I drive a BMW 320diesel 150bhp. I never put the car into 6th gear because I thought it may be a bit to much. This is a bit of a shock because the car is one of the most powerful 2lt diesels on the market. Maybe it will be better once its loaded better.
Just trying to work out how everything works now. I have sussed the heating with gas, just got the fridge to master now. I did find that my car struggled a little pulling it though. It was very windy and the caravan was unloaded. I drive a BMW 320diesel 150bhp. I never put the car into 6th gear because I thought it may be a bit to much. This is a bit of a shock because the car is one of the most powerful 2lt diesels on the market. Maybe it will be better once its loaded better.
Hi 24ft van up a drive just a bit over the top mate.
If I was your next door neighbour I think I would be a bit P*** off with You. Why did you not approach them first to find out if there was going to be a problem.
We collected our new Bailey Arizona yeterday. More impressed with the dealer than we expected to be, they were very good indeed. Arrived at 10.30, left at almost 1.30. Showed us everything, no rush, tea & coffees, a really good experience. We have been away from caravanning for 5 years, it's great to be back. First trip out next Saturday
Hi Tugster,
Are you sleeping in the Pageant tonight?
BHP is not the real issue with towing, torque is the key. What's your beemers?
My previous car had 6 cogs. In all honesty at 60 mph in 6th the engine was barely turning over and the turbo had hardly kicked in. 5th enabled light throttle openings so oddly enough it was more economical towing in 5th than 6th.
Don't forget you are pulling nearly 1.5 tonnes so the beemer will seem sluggish until you adjust to no longer being solo.
Cheers
Alan
Are you sleeping in the Pageant tonight?
BHP is not the real issue with towing, torque is the key. What's your beemers?
My previous car had 6 cogs. In all honesty at 60 mph in 6th the engine was barely turning over and the turbo had hardly kicked in. 5th enabled light throttle openings so oddly enough it was more economical towing in 5th than 6th.
Don't forget you are pulling nearly 1.5 tonnes so the beemer will seem sluggish until you adjust to no longer being solo.
Cheers
Alan
Hi Tugster
I have a 320d Touring, also 150bhp towing a 24 foot Bailey Pageant Burgundy. Too be honest, we usually use our other car, Kia Sorento to tow as its so solid. We did use the Beemer accross Spain and France a couple of years ago and no problems - plenty of power, even on long hills. 6th gear is no use when towing and makes no difference on fuel consumption, even on flat roads - we get around 30mpg.
Regards
Ken
I have a 320d Touring, also 150bhp towing a 24 foot Bailey Pageant Burgundy. Too be honest, we usually use our other car, Kia Sorento to tow as its so solid. We did use the Beemer accross Spain and France a couple of years ago and no problems - plenty of power, even on long hills. 6th gear is no use when towing and makes no difference on fuel consumption, even on flat roads - we get around 30mpg.
Regards
Ken
It seems to be the case that 6th gear is no use when pulling a caravan. I have been on the bmwland.co.uk forum that i use all the time, and they are of the same opinion. Maybe I was expecting to much from my car. Someone has said if you have the car remapped it gives it about 40 extra horses and quite a bit more grunt. Maybe this is the route I should go down as the comment to my wife about the new 530diesel being a better towing car did not go down to well. Don't get me wrong the car drove fine while towing, it was just quite surprising how much effort it took to tow.
Tugster,
I tow my Bailey Indiana with an Audi A4 Avant 2ltr TDi 140bhp & the difference between driving solo & towing is worlds apart.
When towing, as well as tugging an extra 1.5 tonnes, don't forget that modern caravans are about as aerodynamic as a brick! (does any one rembember the windslammers we used to put on the roof of the car to deflect the wind over the top of the van?) the only truly aerodynamic caravans are the tiny tear drop ones, but hey I'm not going to give up this hard fought for luxury just to be aerodynamic!
Re-mapping the engine is a good, but expensive, option, but i find by sitting in 6th, instead of 7th gear (7speed auto) is the better option, and again, surprisingly it's more fuel efficient to do so, I guess it's because the engine is working more efficiently at the slightly higher rpm.
I tow my Bailey Indiana with an Audi A4 Avant 2ltr TDi 140bhp & the difference between driving solo & towing is worlds apart.
When towing, as well as tugging an extra 1.5 tonnes, don't forget that modern caravans are about as aerodynamic as a brick! (does any one rembember the windslammers we used to put on the roof of the car to deflect the wind over the top of the van?) the only truly aerodynamic caravans are the tiny tear drop ones, but hey I'm not going to give up this hard fought for luxury just to be aerodynamic!
Re-mapping the engine is a good, but expensive, option, but i find by sitting in 6th, instead of 7th gear (7speed auto) is the better option, and again, surprisingly it's more fuel efficient to do so, I guess it's because the engine is working more efficiently at the slightly higher rpm.
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