Hi all - Yet another Newbie.

[mdhuxford]

Hi everyone,

Just a quick message to say hi and a thanks in advance for answering all those Newbie questions I'm sure to ask.
We (my wife, 2 kids and myself) are off on our first two night adventure at a CC site in Dorset, weekend after next. New van and equipment to tryout and many a new trick to learn I'm sure. I guess we get to be the on site entertainment for the weekend.

Regards
Mark

 

[brian_c]

Welcome Mark.
I'm sure you will get along fine with your new van. Learning is part of the fun. Everyone on the Forum is still learning really.
I'm sure you will get excellent advice to any questions you pose to the other members of this forum.
Best wishes Brian

 

[Hutch]

Yes welcome to the Forum Mark, ask away on things, and yes you will possibly be the entertainment geting set up, but you get used to it. Just take your time, think about things such as, am I close enough to the electric hook up, is the awning the correct way round, done that not too long ago myself. Most of all enjoy yourselfs
Hutch.

 

[Martin24]

Welcome to the forum. Let us know how you get on! We'll be down in Dorset end of July/beginning of August. Our last trip before moving there next summer. Enjoy your weekend and your van.

 

[Mel]

Hi. Welcome to the forum.
Mel

 

[Gagakev]

Welcome to the forum Mark, I like watching "newbies" set up
As all your info will be stuck in your head you will be spinning around in circles :lol:

Only kidding really, just take your time and if you are not sure just ask your neighbour, most will be more than willing to help, but more importantly just enjoy it, you never stop learning.

 

[mdhuxford]

Hi all,

Many thanks to you all for your kind wishes, i have to confess we did take the whole outfit into my factory for a few hours to setup the awning. It did take a good couple of hours and the wife and i kept our cool doing it. Im sure there will be many a funny moment.
I also took the chance to put a few marks on the awning ends to remind us which is the front and rear of the caravan.

I'll keep you posted on how we get on.

Best regards
Mark

 

[Gagakev]

Hi all,

Many thanks to you all for your kind wishes, i have to confess we did take the whole outfit into my factory for a few hours to setup the awning. It did take a good couple of hours and the wife and i kept our cool doing it. Im sure there will be many a funny moment.
I also took the chance to put a few marks on the awning ends to remind us which is the front and rear of the caravan.

I'll keep you posted on how we get on.

Best regards
Mark

Ah the "divorce in a bag" as it is better known
When you set it up next time take 3/4 rolls of different colours of insulation tape, mark all the poles with 1 strip to 1 strip, 2 strips to 2 strips and so on. Makes it look as you know what you are doing the next time, good luck

 

[LizziePope]

Good morning Mark and welcome to the Practical Caravan forum. It's great to have you on board and we hope we're able to help!

 

[Gafferbill]

Welcome to the forum from a fellow Southerner who grew up a stones throw from Southampton.

 

[Dustydog]

Welcome to the Forum Mark.
Our kids thoroughly enjoyed the caravan holidays so it's good to see yours starting early.

In addition to Sir Gagakev's suggestion take a can of silicone spray with you. Just before you feed the awning through the rail wipe it clean with an old rag or pipe cleaner. Then lubricate it with the silicone spray. Makes life much easier. B)

 

[Craigyoung]

Hi there and welcome to the forum . what gagakev said is a good point as well , we took delivery of our new awning when we started , and were up for good few hours in the front sitting room colour coding the poles for the awning because the instructions might as well have not been in there , they were terrible and even when we got down to the first place to set it up at the Peak District at Castleton we looked at it and thought no way but the nice couple next door came to our rescue and actually helped us put it up. It would have been back in the bag otherwise ! it's still took over 1 hour to do for the first time but since then we've done it 3 or 4 times now and can do it in about 3o minutes . Never be shy to ask someone will always help you. Happy Caravaning .

 

[Hutch]

Ah the days of having poles in awnings, just hope my pump for the airawning doesnt break and have to get out the bicycle pump.

 

[Dustydog]

Ah the days of having poles in awnings, just hope my pump for the airawning doesnt break and have to get out the bicycle pump.

Have no fear Sir Were Rabbit
I , Lady Mel and the Great King Sproket have 3 electric and 3 hand pumps between us.
If pushed we may be able to offer you a disposable mouth piece. You will have to supply your own wind :kiss:

 

[Martin24]

Welcome to the forum from a fellow Southerner who grew up a stones throw from Southampton.

Snap! Winchester

 

[Lynnybobs]

Hello from another newbie - glad to see so many new comers and look forward to hearing tales of your travels with 'van !

 

[coachmanbutch]

Welcome to the forum I am sure you and your family will enjoy you van time as we all do. We have been caravanning for over thirty years now but before the van, we had a trailor tent and before that a large frame tent.
On our first trip to Devon with our recently aquired tent, after marking all the poles we assembled it no problem. The tent itself proved more of a problem, it had fringes along the top, after putting it up we the noticed the fringes were inside, yes thats right we had put it up inside out and by now it had started raining, Much to the caravanners amusement watching from their cosy vans.

 

[Hutch]

Put up the awning in a bit of a panic, not too long ago, on pegging it down found it was inside out.
Hutch.

 

[Gafferbill]

Welcome to the forum from a fellow Southerner who grew up a stones throw from Southampton.

Snap! Winchester

.........to be more precise it was Shirrell Heath...... near Wickham.

 

[Martin24]

Welcome to the forum from a fellow Southerner who grew up a stones throw from Southampton.

Snap! Winchester

.........to be more precise it was Shirrell Heath...... near Wickham.

Used to have a lot of family in and around Wickham.

 

[mdhuxford]

Thanks to you all again for all your tips and ideas.
This Saturday we are off on our first ever test run, a two nighter at Hunters Moon CC site. Can't see us putting up the full awning on this trip, but certainly the porch awning will get an airing. Forecast looks cold and mainly dry, so the heating and hot water system should get a good test.

 

[Lynnybobs]

Have fun and do let us know how you get on !

 

[mdhuxford]

Just settling down on our second night of two on our first caravanning experience. In short it been bloomimg brilliant, caravan did exactly what it says on the tin (see my honest review in the Bailey section) yes there was a couple of morecambe and wise moments but we have all enjoyed our first experence. We stayed at Hunters Moon CC site, very friendly staff and what a spotless site, couldnt fault it at all.
Looking forward to our next trip soon.

 

[Hutch]

Mark,and Family, glad you have had a goor first outing, hope your return home was safe, Hunters Moon, will obviously be a favorite for you.
Have fun, Hutch.