Pleasant surprise

[Themisto-Adrastea]

My plan for today was to tow the van down to RAF Harrowbeer near Plymouth to get some manoeuvring/reversing practice in for me and the girlfriend, and to get the awning up for the first time. The sprog and her mate would have been happy as Larry down there, but unfortunately the weather is minging, so that didn't work out.

Instead I unpacked the awning in the garage and labelled all the poles up. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that we have a proper fitted bedroom tent that fits into the awning. No mention of this was made when we bought the van! I don't really have much idea of how big it is yet, but I don't mind saying I'm quite excited by this. I didn't even know such a thing existed. The options and possibilities that this thing offers are pretty cool.

Does anyone else have one? What do you use it for?

 

[Parksy]

It's a shame that the lousy weather stopped you from practicing reversing but you could try some indoor reversing practice here
When you do it for real always try to keep the space that you want to reverse into on the drivers side if possible, and steer out to point the back of your caravan in the direction you want it to go in as far as is possible without encroaching onto the pitches of neighbouring caravans.
This makes it easier to look over your shoulder into the space that you're hoping to reverse into use a banksman to watch you back if possible because kids on bikes or scooters seem to appear from nowhere.
Go backwards as slowly as possible, use small steering inputs when going back and don't be afraid to have a shunt back and forth, it's better than hitting something hmy:
The bedroom annexe is a nice surprise, children love sleeping in them in warm weather, they're good if you take friends or other family members along with you or you could store things like bikes or fishing gear in there.

 

[Themisto-Adrastea]

That game is too hard - but I was never any good at stuff like that! I know the theory behind it, but I've never done it, so I want to take some cones to a wide open space somewhere and practice like mad before I turn up at a site where everyone will be watching!
I don't mind saying that I was bricking it before we picked the van up because the route off the site it was stored on was not an easy one. No reversing involved, but it was the first time I had towed anything. I had my girlfriend and my mum following me, my stepdad following behind in his Range Rover, plus a few other from the campsite guiding me out. Stuff like that builds confidence - just need some reversing practice.

 

[David McG]

The Camping & Caravan Club offer a very good 1 day course, giving advice and practical sessions. I received a 10% discount with my insurance once completed

 

[ProfJohnL]

I think some of our politicians also need to learn how to reverse!

 

[Dustydog]

I think some of our politicians also need to learn how to reverse!

some are very good at u turns