How do I measure an awning and other advice please!

[JaneB1]

Im compltely new to this! I have just bought my first van, a 92 Lunar Sunbeam and Im lookinh to purchase a full awning. I have looked at the ones in Argos but I have no idea how to measure and what the sizes relate to.

Can anyone offer me any advice?

Also, the van is empty. I know Im going to need things like pots and pans, but Im not sure about waste water containers, hook up leads etc. What are the basics I need to gather over winter??

Jane

 

[rayc]

Jane, go to www.caravanclub.co.uk 'practical help' 'new to caravanning'. There is avery good doc called 'A beginners guide to tourer caravanning' amongst others.

as fas as tha awning goes insert a piece of string in the awning raail from the ground at one end to the ground at the other. Measure it in cm and get the next awning size above the measurement. Ray

 

[colin(bridgend)]

Hi Jane - welcome to the world of caravvaning, I am sure that you will enjoy many years of this hobby. There will be downsides but just put it down to experience and that 99% of us have been in the same boat as you sometime in our caravan life. Now for the advice - contact TOWSURE (www. towsure.co.uk) or by mail to Sheffield, Birmingham or Southampton depending where you live and have a look at their very comprhensive catalouge. I am sure that you will find all you want at very competative prices with this company. Be careful mind you can go crazy and buy too much.

You will need a gas bottle(s), the size and type can vary, generally the blue bottle is used, Aquaroll for fresh drinking water, a waste water container, electric hook-up lead, low wattage kettle (why use your own gas if you are going to pay for electric?), cutlery, crockery and a few saucepans/frying pan. You will also need the blue/pink chemicals for the toilet. Instead of using sleeping bags my wife and I use a continental quilt over the seat cushions and another over us for bedclothes. Sleeping bags are very clausterphobic and tight unless you are a midget. If you can buy an empty gas bottle cheap at a car boot sale, waste refuse centre, etc. do so as the initial purchase of a bottle and gas is quite hefty as you are paying a deposit for the bottle. Exchange refill bottles are reasonably cheap afterwards. You will need to steralize the Aquaroll with Milton or similar prior to initial use.

Don't take too much as you could be overloading the van. We take enough food with us for 48 hours as nowadays you are not very far from Tescos, etc. Keep all heavy stuff at low level over the axle.

Take the van empty and go to a public weighbridge. Having determined the true unladen weight of the van you can then calculate the maximum load you can put in the van. Also be careful not to overload the nose weight of the van as you will run with the front of the van low and the rear high which could lead to unsteady towing.

I think I have covered most things so good luck to you and enjoy yourself, we have for 30 odd years.

 

[JaneB1]

Hi Jane - welcome to the world of caravvaning, I am sure that you will enjoy many years of this hobby. There will be downsides but just put it down to experience and that 99% of us have been in the same boat as you sometime in our caravan life. Now for the advice - contact TOWSURE (www. towsure.co.uk) or by mail to Sheffield, Birmingham or Southampton depending where you live and have a look at their very comprhensive catalouge. I am sure that you will find all you want at very competative prices with this company. Be careful mind you can go crazy and buy too much.

You will need a gas bottle(s), the size and type can vary, generally the blue bottle is used, Aquaroll for fresh drinking water, a waste water container, electric hook-up lead, low wattage kettle (why use your own gas if you are going to pay for electric?), cutlery, crockery and a few saucepans/frying pan. You will also need the blue/pink chemicals for the toilet. Instead of using sleeping bags my wife and I use a continental quilt over the seat cushions and another over us for bedclothes. Sleeping bags are very clausterphobic and tight unless you are a midget. If you can buy an empty gas bottle cheap at a car boot sale, waste refuse centre, etc. do so as the initial purchase of a bottle and gas is quite hefty as you are paying a deposit for the bottle. Exchange refill bottles are reasonably cheap afterwards. You will need to steralize the Aquaroll with Milton or similar prior to initial use.

Don't take too much as you could be overloading the van. We take enough food with us for 48 hours as nowadays you are not very far from Tescos, etc. Keep all heavy stuff at low level over the axle.

Take the van empty and go to a public weighbridge. Having determined the true unladen weight of the van you can then calculate the maximum load you can put in the van. Also be careful not to overload the nose weight of the van as you will run with the front of the van low and the rear high which could lead to unsteady towing.

I think I have covered most things so good luck to you and enjoy yourself, we have for 30 odd years.

thanks all. I have sat and made a list including everything down to smoke detectors.

Unfortunately there was little included with the van as the owner had purchased a new one, but one of the things he did leave us was a gas bottle. That saves a bit!

The leaflet was very interesting and Im looking forward to reading some of the member only ones as soon as I have paid membership (not that I can afford that now!!!).

Many thanks for your guidance! Im sure ill be frequently begging for help here until we get the hang of things!!

Jane

x

 

[alyson_5075411]

I am fairly new to caravanning, only having started this summer, but I have got my first trip under my belt so can add one or two things to the excellent advice above. The caravan handbook published by Haynes written by John Wickersham (spelling?) has been a lot of help to me. Also the towsure catalogue and just wandering around camping shops to see what is available. My biggest piece of advice is: dont go mad with the accessories. Get the very basics, like water carriers and gas bottles, borrow kitchen equipment from the house at first, and then get out there. On your first trip you will realise what you need and what you dont. It is easy to see all these wonderful accessories and think they are absolutely essential ... they may be to some but others may not need them.

When you make your first trip if you are short of something try good old Woolworths or Wilkinsons if its just basic stuff and not specialist. Its easy to spend a fortune on a brand new melamine dinner service at a camping shop only to find you cant stand eating off plastic! Use ebay and car boots too ... dont make it a too expensive hobby or you will end up making less trips out!

 

[alyson_5075411]

A P.S.

Awning manufacturers often do a size guide and measuring guide on their websites, do a google search and compare these. Awning retailers sometimes have a service whereby if you give your caravan make,model and year they can tell you the best awning.

Also, forgive me for stating the obvious, but it was something we found out after caravan purchase, you will need a number plate for your van, a towing mirror and a stabiliser is a good idea.

 

[alyson_5075411]

A P.S.

Awning manufacturers often do a size guide and measuring guide on their websites, do a google search and compare these. Awning retailers sometimes have a service whereby if you give your caravan make,model and year they can tell you the best awning.

Also, forgive me for stating the obvious, but it was something we found out after caravan purchase, you will need a number plate for your van, a towing mirror and a stabiliser is a good idea.

Something else I thought of, shop around and find the cheapest hook up lead, but get a 25 metre not a 10metre. I found the cheapest was Towsure. Also you will need some blue piping to connect up your water carrier to the caravan and some waste piping to connect the waste pipe to its container, again Towsure or ccc outdoors have these.

 

[JaneB1]

A P.S.

Awning manufacturers often do a size guide and measuring guide on their websites, do a google search and compare these. Awning retailers sometimes have a service whereby if you give your caravan make,model and year they can tell you the best awning.

Also, forgive me for stating the obvious, but it was something we found out after caravan purchase, you will need a number plate for your van, a towing mirror and a stabiliser is a good idea.

Thanks Alyson. Very good advice! Ive spent