Short preparation break?

[Buckman]

The last time we used our caravan was in Sept 2020. In Oct we emptied a lot of stuff out of it to take the caravan for its third service. Before we venture more than an hour from home, we proposed to find a CL within a short drive and stay for 3 - 4 days to make sure that we have everything back on board.
No fun driving to a site 50 miles away only to find you have left something simple but essential behind. Also gives you the opportunity to make sure everything is working as it should.
Any one else doing similar as previously our caravan has never been laid up this long and also very little use last year.

 

[otherclive]

I was planning to do the same with 3 days in Brecon before Easter but that has had to be cancelled. Our first long trip is Yorkshire in early May. But I’m finding it quite difficult to find short break dates before then as our daughter is working and granddaughter comes and goes in and out of school. So it’s either me going solo or most likely I will have the van back by the end of April and give it a shakedown on the drive. We have our lists so not really a problem getting everything together. More interested in making sure everything works with time to sort out any problems. It was serviced in December so not expecting anything significant. But as the saying goes “ better to plan......”

 

[Raywood]

As we have the caravan stored next to a site I am wondering if a night on there will help me sort out any problems.

 

[Trevormc]

Was not able to go anywhere last year wife ill and lockdown.

Wife passed away 3rd January this year, Caravan was serviced 2 weeks ago I will be going on my own, but not until the mad rush is over say end August / September.

Trevor

 

[Jcloughie]

So sorry to hear your sad new Trevor.

John

 

[Trevormc]

Thanks John.
Life has to go on.


Trevor

 

[Beehpee]

Good luck with solo trip Trevor, only you know your wife and I’m just guessing she would want you to continue having a life, best of luck and I’m sure it will bring back lots of memories.
BP

 

[Dustydog]

Sorry to hear your sad news Trevor.Half my caravan stuff is in the garage. A few minor repairs now needed. Not sure when we will be away. All depends how my knee replacement goes in a few weeks time.

 

[JezzerB]

So sad Trevor.
Sorry for your loss.
We had booked a local shakedown few days on our storage site but that was before the 12th was cited, so that's cancelled so we are away on the 12th and it's a proper full on trip to Wales. Hope we can remember what to do.

 

[Buckman]

Was not able to go anywhere last year wife ill and lockdown.

Wife passed away 3rd January this year, Caravan was serviced 2 weeks ago I will be going on my own, but not until the mad rush is over say end August / September.

Trevor

Sorry for your loss. TBH I think the "mad rush" is a myth. No issue with booking sites in late April or May. We are also booked to go away to 3 different sites in June/July and we only booked recently.

 

[GeorgeandAde]

Sorry to hear of your loss trevormc.
💐

 

[Beachball]

Was not able to go anywhere last year wife ill and lockdown.

Wife passed away 3rd January this year, Caravan was serviced 2 weeks ago I will be going on my own, but not until the mad rush is over say end August / September.

Trevor

Deepest sympathy on the loss of your partner in life and caravanning, hope the holiday in summer is a happy experience and will bring back memories of happier times.

 

[Parksy]

Sorry to learn of your loss Trevor.
We can check everything on our drive for a few days before we go away, but my eldest son, d.i.l. and granddaughter are now the proud posessors of a trailer tent which he's keen to try out.
With no onboard facilities he won't be able to until May at the earliest, so we might go for a fairly local weekend with them to act as the 'mother ship' with the onboard toilet and shower.
As long as he empties the cassette and grey water.

 

[Beachball]

Our first trip is not to far from home and it having a service before we go to check everything is working ok

 

[woodsieboy]

We always try a local site for our first trip away after the winter, usually Longleat, so that if we have forgotten anything, we can go back and pick it up, over various years we have left at home, hook up lead, groundsheet, aquaroll handle, and waste water containers. Probably be even worse after the lockdown.

 

[Raywood]

Sorry to hear your bad news Trevor. If it helps, there are several organisations for solo caravanners both in the two clubs and elsewhere. It might be useful on the first time you go solo to do it with others on their own.

 

[otherclive]

Sorry to hear your sad news Trevor.Half my caravan stuff is in the garage. A few minor repairs now needed. Not sure when we will be away. All depends how my knee replacement goes in a few weeks time.

Our friends wife went into the Bath Circle at 1200 yesterday. Had her full knee replacement operation which started at 1930 last evening and she’s coming home by 1800 today. She says it feels good and opting for a local anaesthetic that deadens below the waist was a good move. Only one more hip left to do and all four joints will be artificial. Hope yours goes as well.

 

[Dustydog]

Our friends wife went into the Bath Circle at 1200 yesterday. Had her full knee replacement operation which started at 1930 last evening and she’s coming home by 1800 today. She says it feels good and opting for a local anaesthetic that deadens below the waist was a good move. Only one more hip left to do and all four joints will be artificial. Hope yours goes as well.

The sooner the better now. I really want to get this over with before the end of lockdown!

 

[Plug]

The last time we used our caravan was in Sept 2020. In Oct we emptied a lot of stuff out of it to take the caravan for its third service. Before we venture more than an hour from home, we proposed to find a CL within a short drive and stay for 3 - 4 days to make sure that we have everything back on board.
No fun driving to a site 50 miles away only to find you have left something simple but essential behind. Also gives you the opportunity to make sure everything is working as it should.
Any one else doing similar as previously our caravan has never been laid up this long and also very little use last year.

Been doing the same today filled aqua roll up filled hot water tank got it all working as it should ready for the first weekend away on the 16th april

 

[Hutch]

I booked our van in today for its service, thats on 29th of April. Our 2nd jabs will be around 9 to 16th of April, 1st things to do is see our two lads, then maybe start of May we will look for sites. We normaly bring our van home, have it on the drive for a couple of days and then get away. That way we know everything is working. The amount of spares I carry I can normally fix most problems, I may replace the hitch head friction pads, I will see how worn they are.
I have check around for sites and there seems to be no real panic.

As for leaving stuff behind, I now have three hook up cables, two Aqua rolls, I know how to use the Cadac without the legs, and we have three wine bottle openers.

Trev, sorry your wife passed away, my wife lost her sister to cancer on Boxing Day., but as you say life goes on.

 

[Beachball]

Been doing the same today filled aqua roll up filled hot water tank got it all working as it should ready for the first weekend away on the 16th april

Our caravan got a breathable cover on and that will have to come off and it going in for a service to make sure everything is working to each its own

 

[Trevormc]

Thanks for all your messages, we had 42 years of caravaning and 55 years of marriage and have enjoyed every minute. We used manly C/L's and since I retired always took our holidays outside of public and school times. I'm sure that I may have a laugh when I do something wrong.
Caravan is stored at the rear of the house (used a few times towards the end when I had over-night respite). Just the matter of sterralising the water system run out of puriclean.

 

[Beachball]

The first booking we have is not to far from home so we can check we have everything we need .on this break

 

[Hutch]

Trevormc, I hopefully think thing will come together for you, at times we sit outside our caravan hoping the people on the next pitch will say hello.

When some do its nice, all thats needed is a little bit more than a nod hello. Ask about an awning or a mystical problem with the van to get a conversasion going, ( but not about the honey bucket).

Lets hope this year is good for all of us.

Think about coming along to a Woosiefest, nothing organised , just a get together, to put faces to names,