Newbies - what do we need?
Hi
We have just purchased a caravan and are due to pick up on the 12th April. We would appreciate some tips on equipment we may need to get us started, we have an idea but don't want to miss anything
We have battery, gas bottle and electric......a list or checksheet of equipment would be greatly appreciated
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Welcome
some way of getting water and emptying it, there are various brands but you'll see aquarolls and wastemasters a lot on sites. I have mine from 1999 and they have seen serous use.
A basic toolkit - screwdrivers and stuff, space fuses and bulbs. A good jack system (the basic ones are useless btw). Spare tyre? Torches. A spare fan heater. First aid kit including painkillers...
Stuff for inside, kitchen stuff, you choose plastic or china plates, pots and pans, cutlery, some have microwaves, bathroom stuff, bedding, either sleeping bags or quilts.
The list is really almost endless and whatever you need to enjoy your van.
Others will along to suggest other stuff like solar panels, service pitch stuff.
But I would say the most important item that everyone forgets is a corkscrew. Nothing is worse than getting a bottle of wine sitting down and... cry
Enjoy
Post edit, my favorite accessory is having a motor mover
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Hi Nicola and welcome to Club Together.
If you can, start by using some stuff from home and see how you go. Don't go mad buying everything in the accessory shop. We've all got garages full of stuff we thought we couldn't live without.
Chat to others on site; most folks are happy to show you how they do things.
As a general rule, we don't carry anything glass; using lightweight unbreakable pots, pans, storage containers, crockery. A couple of comfortable lightweight folding chairs and a table are, in my opinion, essential.
You might need to consider an awning at some stage and I agree about the wonderful motor mover.
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Hello & Welcome, a couple of ideas for you if you havn't thought of them already;
Waterproofs, spare 12 volt fuses, spare caravan key (kept in car), tin of silicone spray. The list goes on but as others have said people on site will give you ideas.
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Nicola, the first time out in the new toy should be a weekend somewhere close to home if you can manage it. That will allow you the chance to nip back & get whatever you have forgotten, such as the bottles for the corkscrew to open !!
All the above suggestions, especially Lornalou's are from years of experience 
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Thank you all for the suggestions
I will start to compose a list of essentials and then like to have :-)
We are campers who are moving up so used to a bit of outdoor living but really looking forward to getting away a lot more.
We have booked our first trip and it is between wheer we live and where we are collecting the van from so we can quickly go to either if weve forgot anything :-)
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thanks for posting back, and let us know how you got on?
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Yes, have a good trip.👍🏻
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Couldn’t agree more with Jill. Have a really good look around the marketplace before spending loads on accessories. It’s amazing how much ‘clutter’ you can accumulate if you don’t watch it. For instance, I bought a 40 lt aquaroll many years ago and then discovered a 50lt aqua caddy- why pull 40 when you can pull 50? Melamine ‘crockery’ doesn’t get house room now we’ve discovered ‘Corelle’ - far superior - so take your time to equip your van. Good luck.
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We were total novices when collecting our first van. The dealer was very helpful in the essentials even supplying a hitch lock.
This was the first problem when we went to park the van at the storage site. I couldnt get the Winterhoff hitch handle down from the unlock position to fit the hitch lock.
A quick phone call to the dealers salesman was enough to dicover the absence of the plastic hitch ball needed to let the hanlde be placed in its resting position.
A quick waggle of a finger was ok for an immediate solution.
Just to show even dealers forget things and as stated before DONT look at something and thick it will come in useful, as quite often it doesnt.
Enjoy!
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As you are coming from a camping background, I would say try and maintain some of that camping mentality. Life touring, no matter what you are sleeping and living in, is always a lot easier if you don’t carry too much clutter. By all means enjoy the warmth, comfort and luxury of your new touring home, but only take what is necessary to stay warm, dry and safe. Weight onboard can be a key factor, as can setting up for bedtime and easy set up on site.
Key things to think about. Will your van be used all year? If yes, then bedding needs to suit, water and waste need to be able to cope with ice and hot weather. Similar with your choice of gas. Butane or Propane. Do you need to protect flooring in wet conditions? How do you prefer to cook? Do you like to sit outside, think chairs and small table? Will you do all types of pitches or just hardstandings? Knowing the answers to these basic questions will help you choose the essential stuff you need. Hopefully help with not buying stuff that you might not need, but getting the quality essentials right.
I can recall getting our first van after years of camping, lovely. Hope you have a great time 😁
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