Hurrah!..picked up our 1st caravan today

[chelsea1]

Well...we collected our new caravan today from Bristol...1st time husband has towed anything and the purchase/collection/journey home to Devon went without a hitch!

Our bailey caravan is immaculate and we bought from lovely private owners who guided us through everything and even ensured we got back on the M5 (we followed them in their car).

M5 was strangely quiet southbound for a saturday lunchtime...weather was also perfect and when we arrived home he managed to reverse onto a CURVED driveway 1st time faultlessly!

sometimes I had my head in my hands (passing buses on single track roads)...and we cheered on the motorway when we overtook our 1st lorry...on the whole though an excellent start!

Cant wait to get going now!

 

[BrianStAlbans]

Well done Sarah, I hope you enjoy vanning as much as I have over the last 20 + years. Brian

 

[Lol1]

Ok, I'm going to do the obvious one here, I am truly sorry, but you should never look a gift horse in the mouth....

Sarah, how did you get your van home without a hitch, what did you use, bungies?

Seriously, I hope you enjoy your new caravan; you have made an exceptionally wise choice with a Bailey (yes I have one too), pity about their warranty's but you probably wont need anything done anyway!

Can I suggest a bottle of champers to celebrate?

 

[chelsea1]

mmm...very funny!..

Sadly we have no champers...i could have murdered a stiff drink when we eventually got home, i found the whole occasion very stressful and i wasnt the one driving!

1st trip out is to Wareham Forest in May..so I am warning other road users in advance to steer clear of the M5 and A30 towards Dorset on that weekend!...(only joking )

 

[Tina3]

Congrats sarah,have a FAB timE with your new van ! just be prepared for glitches and when they happen try to laugh them off, otherwise you'll go bonkers!! keep the fridge full with wine and chokky and you wont go wrong!! see you at the next meet !!!

Tina xx

 

[Tina3]

p.s I, like you sit there a nervous wreck whilst hubby tows,but you do get calmer believe me !!its having faith in your van,car and last and least(he he) your hubby!!!!

incidentally what model bailey did you get??

T x

 

[RogerL]

sarah - glad you've got started.

The best advice I can give is to relax when towing, it's not a race. The difference between flat out, aggressive towing and calm, considerate towing is only a few minutes, even on a long journey. The same advice actually applies to all driving, not just towing, but the pace of life clouds most peoples' judgement.

Just be wary of the inconsiderate idiots and don't let them wind you up.

We've had our Bailey Pageant for 5 years, from new, and are very pleased with it - we're not even considering a replacement.

Enjoy yourselves.

 

[chelsea1]

yes..I am sure there are gonna be plenty of mishaps/forgotten things/tiffs along the way..but hey - like you said we will just learn to laugh about them...at the moment just caught up in all the excitement/novelty in having a caravan..silly things - like the 1st thing we overtook...the 1st person that flashed us in on the M5...(sad eh)..

We bought a Bailey Regency (exactly like a single axle senator)

which was Bailey's 50th Anniversay Edition.

I am calm now...Hubby is very confident towing, and the van came with a motor mover so hopefully people wont laugh at us too much when we park up at sites!!!!

 

[chelsea1]

ps...our freelander towed a treat - didnt even know we were towing anything

 

[Wendy-Norfolk]

Good for you Sarah, have lots of fun!! :O)