Hi!

[Alanjarvis]

Hi I just put a deposit on an Elddis Odessy 432, 2004 in very good condition. Is is our first caravan afer many years of owning a camper van. We are looking forward to the greater interior space and lower running costs. Bit worried about never having towed or manuvered a caravan before (although the one we are buying has a electric mover fitted).

Anyway we are looking forward to our firts trip (to Wales) just after Xmas.

Alan

 

[Mel]

Welcome to caravanning and to the forum. We went from a motorhome to a caravan and have never regretted it. If you can manage it, try a caravan towing and manouvering course. Both the CC and C&CC run them, well worth the money.

mel

 

[Parksy]

Hi Alan, welcome to the forum and congratulations on buying your caravan.

Why not hitch up and tow your caravan round your local area to get used to the towing before you set off for Wales or better still try a weekend on a small site not far from home by way of a shake down maiden voyage?

 

[Alanjarvis]

Thanks, this is good advice, only problem is I dont pick the caravan up till 11th Dec, apparently the dealer is very busy getting new caravans ready to beat the VAT increase. Also can't get a towbar fitted till 8th Dec. Still may try a night away before xmas if we can.

 

[forestgump]

alan try a drive out on a sunday find a ind est and do some reversing or a tescos site on a sunday at 5pm

 

[ValA.]

Good idea to just take it around a large empty supermarket car park (providing it doesn't have a barrier, of course) and get used to it being on the back.

Our first run out was no more than ten miles away, so that if we found anything not working, or dangerous, that we could just return home. We didn't, that was 16 years ago, and we're still caravanning, just further afield.

I hope your first trip goes well.

 

[jacquie1]

Hi, we have been out in our caravan for the first time the end of oct, we were really worried about it, we went to the lake district, we had no problems even on the way back with terencial rain, high winds and flooded roads, we were worried about the lorries as we had alsorts of stories but never experienced any probs there, just be sensible, not like some of them, flying up the middle lane at seventy and eighty miles an hour, enjoy