Hi from newbies to the foum

[Dexter&Echo]

hi, we are a couple from the Scottish Borders and Echo and Dexter are our travelling companions who come in the form of 2 newfoundland dogs.
We bought an older Bailey beachcomber caravan as we want to refit it to better suit us and the dogs. We took the caravan down to Surrey for our first trip away as Echo had a check up with his specialist vet and have to say both dogs thoroughly enjoyed their new home from home as they claimed a seat at the front but could also get on the bed to cuddle with their dad.
We will have a lot of questions no doubt once we start the refit, my hubbys really handy thankfully

 

[otherclive]

Hi
Welcome to the Forum. With the caravan work and two Newfies you’ve got your hands full.

 

[Beachball]

Welcome to the forum enjoy

 

[RogerL]

Welcome - be wary about "refitting" a touring caravan as it can't be done with domestic units, they're far too heavy - any furniture or fittings needs to be lightweight construction otherwise you'll end up overloading the chassis.

 

[Jcloughie]

Hi there

John

 

[Raywood]

Welcome to the forum. There is plenty of experience of most things on here if you need to ask anything.

 

[Hutch]

Welcome to the forum folks, lovely sort of working dogs. Seen the Canadians using them to rescue swimmers.

 

[Parksy]

Hello and welcome to the forum
We have the names of the dogs but not your names 😊
Be careful if you're refitting or reconfiguring a touring caravan because some of the interior fixtures and fittings will be part of the structural integrity of the caravan .

 

[Dexter&Echo]

Thanks for the warm welcome.
We know that we can't use commercial items etc due to the weights. Its not so much a full refit as just making it a bit more up to date. The main things we are doing is stripping the bathroom walls out and replacing them with the lightweight showering panels we have a family member whose a carpenter and he has sourced us lightweight panels, that way we know its properly sealed.
The gas fire isn't working so because of the dogs that is being stripped out which means we can remove the cupboard it sits against to give more space for the bathroom. (Don't worry my hubbys an electrician so trading off work with a gas fitter for electrical work. A panel heater will be installed. The seats will be staying where they are but getting recovered, new curtains being made (my job) the cupboards around the top are staying but getting painted. The fridge is still the original fridge that was sold when the van was new so with it being over 20 year old its going to get renewed as will the cooker through time, the walls will be getting papered. The carpets getting ripped out and replaced with lino. We loved the size of the beachcomber with it being a 5 berth as we needed the extra size for the dogs but because they are big slobbery hairy babies we didn't want something new that they would wreck as its their home from home too and this way we can put our stamp on it. There's solar panels being fitted too.