Complete newbie

[AndyDudley42]

Hello guys n gals.
Im Andy from Dudley in the West Midlands.
My wife & i own a Citroen Xsara Picasso 53 plate Diesel & we have just bought our first tourer.
We have bought an Eldiss Slipstream 1999 model 4 berth with full awning.
We had the towbar fitted to the car yesterday & we picking the van up from the dealers on Saturday of next week.
Having never towed a tourer before any hints & tips would come in very handy

 

[dougie201]

Hi Andy

Welcome to the forum, and to the world of caravans as it will take over your life but you will love it
If you have never towed before then first of all do not panic as its not as bad as you think. All you need to do is remember that you have a caravan on the back and give yourself a bit more room when turning and overtaking. But most of all do not over load your van with kit or it could become unstable, plus if you go over your MPTLM then you are also breaking the law.
What you need to do now is get a site booked for your first trip, as you know when you getting van, and enjoy the experiance.

Dougie...........

 

[Mel]

Hi, welcome to caravanning and to this forum. There are loads of really helpful people on here so don't be afraid to ask any questions. It is worth doing a caravan manouevering course, if yu can manage it. Both the clubs run them. Don't forget your towing mirrors on your first trip
mel

 

[BrianMarsden]

Hi Andy I am Brian from Gloucester, we was a first time for towing about March this year was the first time I have towed anything,we had purchased a Ace Award Transtar 4 birth 2003. THe towing vec is a Chevrolet captivia 2.0ltr, the first time out I was bricking it but had to do it, so after loading up we took our time hitching up and double checked everything, the first time out was at Moreton in Marsh site which is about an hours drive from home. Yes I was very nervous to start with but after a few miles and get use to the caravan on the back I did relax a little, so take extra care give a lot more time braking, give a little more room going around roundabouts, but all in all enjoy it and have a good time,if I can do it late in life so can you. (born 1948) . We cant wait for our next outing which will be the third time out.

 

[Sproket]

HI Andy & welcome to the forum

 

[Smith21]

Hi Andy, your in the right place here to ask as many question you like. I have just bought a Bailey Ranger 460/2 never towed a van in my life was a bit nervous but it was easy. I had to tow mine 85 miles on my first towing experience. Don't forget you need mirrors if your van is wider than the car you are towing with. The van just more or less follows the car just keep checking in your mirrors to make sure the van is not to close to the near side. Get your weights right and you will be ok. Check the nose weight of your Citroen as I have a Grand Picasso C4 7 seater and the nose weight is only 50kg.

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

hi Andy,
welcome to the forum, being a complete novice is actually not a bad thing as many of us old uns have picked up some bad habits over the years,and sometimes can be a little over confident.
just take your time the things you learn will hopefully be the right ones, there has been many new aspects and legistlation governing the use of trailers in recent times it is good that getting abreast of these while learning will be benificial.
there will also be a mirad of questions you want to know so just ask were are here to help.
there is also no such thing as a stupid question, we all have to learn, the only stupid question is one that was never asked,
so again welcome and happy caravanning.
colin

 

[Dustydog]

Hi Andy
A warm welcome to you and may you enjoy many happy caravanning holidays.
As Lady Mel and Sir Chunky point out there is an immense wealth of knowledge on this Forum . Please feel free to ask anything.
SWMBO did a towing course with the Caravan Club some years back. It was very professional and even an old dog like me learnt a few new tricks.

 

[Parksy]

Hi Andy, welcome to the Practical Caravan forum and congratulations on buying your first tourer.
Before you tow for the first time make sure that you know how to hitch up, Click Here to see Practical Caravan's step by step guide to hitching correctly, winding the jockey wheel back down to lift the rear of the car slightly to ensure that the hitch is fully engaged etc.
Take your time coming back from the dealers, anticipate the movements of other vehicles and you'll be fine.
It's nice to welcome a fellow Blackcountryman to the forum, I'm about 3 miles 'down the cut' from Dudley so if you are stuck drop me a line

 

[kopite]

hi andy and welcome as already said take you`re time dont rush double check everything before you tow i`m still new to this after 3 years and i still triple check hitch,handbrake,jocky wheel and all windows and van loaded correctly i have a check list and wouldn`t leave home with out it.and most of all i love it happy vanning

 

[Gagakev]

Hi Andy nice to see you on the forum some real nice folk on here so ask away you will get all the answers you are looking for

 

[Beachball]

Hi Andy This is a belated welcome to the practical caravan forum there are a great bunch on here any questions you will get a answer..