The plan was all well and good, a couple of nights somewhere 'local' to try out our freshly acquired caravan. However family circumstances intervened, so our 'local' test trip turned into a tow from Oswestry to just beyond Carlisle! That said, it went very well. Our Seat Alhambra pulled the van beautifully.
I learned a few things during this trip! 1st thing I learned is the massive variety in how good towing mirrors are. I had a selection available due to buying a Halfords Clearview mirror (actually believing I'd bought a pair), then finding one in van, and finally being given some from a friend that didn't fit his car. All of them seemed to vibrate a lot except the Halfords one which was easily the best mirror and best view too. I will probably be getting a 2nd one eventually.
Next thing I learned was what a pain motorway services can be with a caravan. Heading North, Charnock Richard did have a signposted caravan area, but it was full of transits and Lutons. Grrr! I ended up reversing into a coach bay. On the return trip, Lancaster Services said "Caravans Left" but then no mention of Caravans on any signs after that and I realised too late that caravans mixed in with the trucks. So we carried on to Charnock RIchard southbound which was absolutely heaving as it was 1pm, and we ended up taking the last place in the truck park. As we passed Chester the kids needed a toilet stop and I was dreading another services experience but I was pleasantly surprised- Chester services were brilliant - clear signs leading to a great big area for Caravans and Coaches.
The site we stayed on was friendly and quiet. The showers and toilets were spotless. The only negative would be after some heavy rain the pitch didn't drain well, though the kids loved splashing around.
Regarding the caravan, having pre-cooled the fridge on mains I am dubious whether the 12v element is doing anything at all as it didn't feel too cold upon arrival. The other things we discovered were a slightly leaking skylight (in torrential rain) and a similarly slightly leaking window. We'll crack on with fixing these soon.
We took advice from an old hand that if we were leaving today we might consider getting the awning down last night while it was dry, to avoid a wet pack down. This turned out to be exactly the right advice.
Overall we had a great time, we were warm and dry, we ate well, and the kids can't wait for the next outing. The highlight for me was cooking bacon and eggs for breakfast this morning...!
I learned a few things during this trip! 1st thing I learned is the massive variety in how good towing mirrors are. I had a selection available due to buying a Halfords Clearview mirror (actually believing I'd bought a pair), then finding one in van, and finally being given some from a friend that didn't fit his car. All of them seemed to vibrate a lot except the Halfords one which was easily the best mirror and best view too. I will probably be getting a 2nd one eventually.
Next thing I learned was what a pain motorway services can be with a caravan. Heading North, Charnock Richard did have a signposted caravan area, but it was full of transits and Lutons. Grrr! I ended up reversing into a coach bay. On the return trip, Lancaster Services said "Caravans Left" but then no mention of Caravans on any signs after that and I realised too late that caravans mixed in with the trucks. So we carried on to Charnock RIchard southbound which was absolutely heaving as it was 1pm, and we ended up taking the last place in the truck park. As we passed Chester the kids needed a toilet stop and I was dreading another services experience but I was pleasantly surprised- Chester services were brilliant - clear signs leading to a great big area for Caravans and Coaches.
The site we stayed on was friendly and quiet. The showers and toilets were spotless. The only negative would be after some heavy rain the pitch didn't drain well, though the kids loved splashing around.
Regarding the caravan, having pre-cooled the fridge on mains I am dubious whether the 12v element is doing anything at all as it didn't feel too cold upon arrival. The other things we discovered were a slightly leaking skylight (in torrential rain) and a similarly slightly leaking window. We'll crack on with fixing these soon.
We took advice from an old hand that if we were leaving today we might consider getting the awning down last night while it was dry, to avoid a wet pack down. This turned out to be exactly the right advice.
Overall we had a great time, we were warm and dry, we ate well, and the kids can't wait for the next outing. The highlight for me was cooking bacon and eggs for breakfast this morning...!
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