New to caravaning - what to buy

[Ttcaravan]

Hi
Me and my husband have impulsively bought a caravan having never had one before. We're excited or get out and about with our two kids. We're just wondering what kit we need. Obviously I know there's loads we could have but can anyone give us some pointers for basic kit that we will expand on over the years - the kind if things for our first beer trip in the caravan. Thanks in advance.

 

[Damian]

Have you bought a brand new caravan or second hand?
If second hand, was it from a dealer, or private seller, when was it last serviced?
What, if anything, came with the van?

 

[Ttcaravan]

It's new. I'm not sure what it comes with - we go and pick it up next week

 

[Parksy]

Hello and welcome to the forum
Congratulations on buying your caravan and as you've no doubt noticed you could spend a fortune on caravan kit that you may or may not use so I'll start you off with a link to a previous topic which dealt with the same query, Click Here to see it.
There is a wealth of information availabe to new touring caravan owners and the Camping & Caravanning Club have produced a towing check list Here
My own advice would be to check your caravan tyres if you bought a pre-loved tourer because if tyres are over 7 years old the sidewalls deteriorate and cracks appear between the tread pattern and safety must come first.
You may or may not have a ehu (electric hook up) lead, an Aquaroll and a Wastemaster, and before your first trip you'll need toilet chemical, crockery and cutlery. Lightweight crockery is available if you prefer, personally I prefer ordinary cups, classes and plates but it depends on how much payload (the legally available weight for domestic items and clothes) you have in your caravan.
No doubt you will have many suggestions, I'd advise you to buy as much as possible from ordinary stores such as Wilkinsons and Argos because similar items from caravan accessory shops usually cost more.
Enjoy your caravan and if there's anything you're not sure about don't hesitate to ask

EDIT: I've just seen that your caravan is new so you should have an ehu, a plastic caravan step and a waste water container (of sorts) supplied.
You'll need a leisure battery and an lpg bottle, the dealer should fit a number plate for you and it's worth asking if you can get a discount from their accessory shop.

 

[Ttcaravan]

That's really helpful thanks. I better get reading and figuring it all out thanks

 

[Parksy]

It can seem like a steep learning curve at first but I'm sure that you'll enjoy your new caravan. It helps to make lists of things to take, we still make a list before we go.

 

[Thingy]

Hi and welcome. Make sure at first you only get the essentials. Figure what extras you need as you go along. You mention kids, what ages are they and where will they sleep. If old enough, as my kids did, they preferred a bedroom annex in the awning. If you are going for an awning, dont rush. Have a good look around, there is a huge range of them and a vast difference in quality. You will certainly need a water barrel and waste container. Chocks and ramps for levelling, and a small spirit level. Consider what electrical items you will take and the total amps they will use, most caravan parks have either a 10 or 16 amp supply, but some can be as low as 5 amps. Too much drain can trip your pitch supply. As has been said many times too, the potential for bacteria in your water system is high. Many of us take a seperate container to fill with fresh water from the site supply and use that to drink and fill the kettle with, using the van supply for washing with. Are you planning to use a gas bbq in the future. If so, check that you have an external BBQ point on your van. If not, your dealer can fit you one in no time. Again, if you are going to use an awning, check for an external 240v socket. Some budget vans come with neither.
Above all, dont forget to insure your van and use a good company. The caravan club is a bit more expensive but you get what you pay for. Join the club and take a look at the clubs breakdown service which goes way beyond normal AA/RAC levels. An alternative is Camping and Caravan Club. Make sure your car insurance covers you, though it would be unusual nowadays for that not to be the case.

One big thing to throw in here for somebody new is learn how to load your van properly which really is a whole new topic.

The rest of the list of what to take is a large one and everyone has their own thoughts and ideas. If you get the main stuff sorted out, there are caravan accessory shops everywhere. You can always pick stuff up as you go.

 

[LizziePope]

Hi and welcome to the Practical Caravan forum. It looks like you've already received a load of useful advice – feel free to ask more questions!

 

[Raywood]

Some dealers will sell a discounted starter pack so if they do it is worth considering.

 

[SirRogerFFS]

Welcome to the wonderful world of caravanning and welcome to the Forum.I have said many times if you have a question you might think is silly go ahead and ask there are no silly questions but you may get some witty answers.There is a wealth of knowledge on here so fire away .Just a thought you have had a few already put you in the right direction for what you may need I would suggest you take a good supply happy pills for when you first put up the awning or the divorce in a bag .They can all be a bit head scratching but once you have erected it once you will be ok. May I suggest also when you have the awning up mark your polls ready for the next time .Good Luck and enjoy.
Sir Roger

 

[mealsonwheels]

If you have to buy an awning, have a look at the Bradcot awnings website. They do 'easy alloy' poles, which really do make putting the awning up a lot easier, without fumbling around with loads of loose poles. Over the years, whenever we've changed our caravan, we've always got a Bradcot awning again.
Another good thing about Bradcot is that the sides of the awning have strong mesh sides, so that when it's stifling hot, they have an acrylic outer, which rolls up and stores neatly, allowing fresh air to circulate through the awning when you're away for the day. Their awnings are extremely well made, with strong zips and have a Tencate roof. We can thoroughly recommend them. To find the size you will need, put a length of string or cord on the ground under one awning channel, then take it up and across the channel, then down the other side to the ground again. That will tell you what size you need.

Don't forget to put a First Aid box in the caravan and also a couple of torches. The Caravan Club has a comprehensive list of things to pack, on their website, some of which you won't need, but it gives you an idea of some of the things that you will want to take.

 

[Ttcaravan]

thanks for the advice everyone. we're picking it up at the weekend and have our first trip planned