Just bought my first caravan - SO EXCITED!

[skysky69]

Well after days and days of looking at every caravan under the planet, we put a deposit down on our first caravan today.

I feel sick with nervous excitement - will we like it, will we tow OK, will our 2.5 year old actually stay in the end bunk when it gets to bed time!

We decided to go to the main dealer not far from us - Broad Lane Daventry and bought the following van:

Elddis Shamal XL 1994 4 berth. It seems ideal layout for us and the van gave us a real good feeling, smelt really nice and clean (even the loo!) and the size is not too big for a first van either with a ratio of 80% for towing (this was fine apparently?!).

So just felt I had to share my excitement!

Sorry, I will shut up now!

 

[colin(bridgend)]

Kirstie if you are proud and happy with your first caravan purchase then why not go out and sing it from the roof tops. We have all been there and want every one else to know of our new adventure. Hopefully you will have many happy years in it and enjoy the freedom with which it will bring. Good luck to you and the family and as I say enjoy it and boast about it if you so wish - we do every time we changed the van.

 

[skysky69]

Now trying to sort out the practicalities of owning a van - trying to sort out storage - hhhhmmmmm actually harder than I was expecting, but we won't let that get us down!

Going to look at a place tomorrow that is

 

[colin(bridgend)]

Be careful regarding insurance Kirstie as there are firms which offer the moon at give away prices until you make a claim. There is so much red tape in the small print that it beggers belief. Go with a reputable company and not one that send fliers through the post or in caravan magazines. I am with Saga but you may not be of the qualifying age.

 

[colin(bridgend)]

Be careful regarding insurance Kirstie as there are firms which offer the moon at give away prices until you make a claim. There is so much red tape in the small print that it beggers belief. Go with a reputable company and not one that send fliers through the post or in caravan magazines. I am with Saga but you may not be of the qualifying age.

Look back through Insurance section of this forum for advice.

 

[parker1158]

Best of luck Kirstie you will love it.They are my local van shop as well so we can't live far from each other.Very reliable company, or least I have always found them to be so. If you get in a serious muddle give us a shout.

 

[Guest]

Well fancy that! We've been loooking at every caravan under the sun for weeks too, including frequest visits to Broad Lane Daventry, Kenilworth and Rugby. I'm sure we also saw the exact same van you've just bought!! LOL

We're excited too so we know just have you feel!! Only ours is an Elddis Wisp 400/2 from Broad Lane Rugby, a 2 berth caravan fitted with motor movers. Can't wait until it's delivered!

As for insurance, we found the Caravan Club to be the cheapest for us. (And the most recommended by varius forum members of several caravan websites)

Good luck with your new purchase, Kirsty.

 

[coljac]

Hi im sure you will enjoy caravan touring ,especialy if you have small children ,it gives you the freedom that you dont get in hotels . As far as insurance goes ,Colin has given you very sound advice .From my experience the 3 best are caravan club,NFU,and saga .It is well worth joining the caravan club ,for the annual fee you get a sites hand book a monthly magazine which is up to the quality of most of the

 

[Parksy]

Hi

Well done to both Kirsty and Gary who replied later. May your families enjoy many years of happy caravanning. Some good advice has been given on here and if any questions arise in the future there is always somebody who will know the answer. Best of luck with your new hobby.

 

[Soozeeg]

Hi to both Kirstie and Gary

You sound just like we did when we first started - 10 years ago now.......and we still love it!! We also bought our last 2 vans from Broad Lane Daventry....seems there must be a lot of us in the same area!

Hope you have many happy years in your respective vans.

 

[Guest]

"...seems there must be a lot of us in the same area!"

Sure does! It would be cool if I (or someone) could set up a small forum for caravanners in Daventry and surrounding villages. I run my own Photography forum so I could always use a part of the same domain and hosting for...

Now what would it be called? The Daventry District Caravanners Club? (DDCC) LOL Or perhaps such a club already exists?

 

[colin(bridgend)]

"...seems there must be a lot of us in the same area!"

Sure does! It would be cool if I (or someone) could set up a small forum for caravanners in Daventry and surrounding villages. I run my own Photography forum so I could always use a part of the same domain and hosting for...

Now what would it be called? The Daventry District Caravanners Club? (DDCC) LOL Or perhaps such a club already exists?

or perhaps DAFT - Daventry Association of Fanciful Tourers hehehe

 

[Soozeeg]

Go on then Gary............!

 

[Peter_374314513]

Hi Kirstie,

We are new as well. We got ours home a couple of weeks ago and we are out for the first time this weekend.

I must say that this place is very, very helpful indeed.

As regards insurance we are with Saga but as someone has already said you probably fail on the key qualification

Please let us know how you go on.

 

[Guest]

"...seems there must be a lot of us in the same area!"

Sure does! It would be cool if I (or someone) could set up a small forum for caravanners in Daventry and surrounding villages. I run my own Photography forum so I could always use a part of the same domain and hosting for...

Now what would it be called? The Daventry District Caravanners Club? (DDCC) LOL Or perhaps such a club already exists?

LOLOL Like it!! Not a lot, but I like it!

 

[Guest]

Go on then Gary............!

Serious? If there's enough interest in a small Daventry group then yeah, why not? We could even arrange lil local get-togethers and share knowledge and experience.

 

[Soozeeg]

Serious? If there's enough interest in a small Daventry group then yeah, why not? We could even arrange lil local get-togethers and share knowledge and experience.

Well, we'd be up for it......I'm using the Royal 'we', speaking for my husband who's at present in hospital having had an extensive hernia repair today...! But I'm sure he'd agree - he's very sociable!! Got to run, go to visit the poor old man..!

 

[Pat_374304630]

Hi Kirsty,

We too live not far from Daventry.Well done on your 1st caravan.We have about a dozen or so recent issues of Practical Caravan magazines which we are about to dispose of.You are quite welcome to have them if you want.

Enjoy

 

[colin(bridgend)]

Go on then Gary............!

What a DAFT question...hehehe

 

[Soozeeg]

Go on then Gary............!

Oooh Colin you're such a ....wit lol!