First trip

Juramalt
Juramalt Forum Participant Posts: 55
edited February 2016 in New to Caravanning & Touring #1

Finally got to test the van at last. Thanks to the winter floods it's been a lot longer than I would like. Just  a two nighter to test things out at Poolsbrook. Set off Friday afternoon & came back Sunday. Everything worked. No real issues. Thanks to whoever
lent us his hookup lead as mine was too short.... Well it looked longer when I bought it. Despite the cold weather the van was warm & the kids loved it. Didn't see many other kids in the park though.... So off again in the Easter hol's for another two nighter.
Even got 38 to the gallon towing  Not too bad.

Comments

  • ABM
    ABM Forum Participant Posts: 14,578
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    edited February 2016 #2

    Glad  you  all  had  a  good  time,  Juramalt,  just  think  how  much  fun/pleasure  there  is  to  come  !!

    The  "Standard  Length"  of  a  hook-up  lead  is  25 metres  but  the  Club  does  not  approve  of  connecting  two  together  so  it  seems,  sadly,  you  might  need  a  new  oneSad

    Brian

    P.S.  I  do  like  the  name  !!Wink

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,644 ✭✭✭
    5,000 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper
    edited February 2016 #3

    Finally got to test the van at last. Thanks to the winter floods it's been a lot longer than I would like. Just  a two nighter to test things out at Poolsbrook. Set off Friday afternoon & came back Sunday. Everything worked. No real issues. Thanks to whoever
    lent us his hookup lead as mine was too short.... Well it looked longer when I bought it. Despite the cold weather the van was warm & the kids loved it. Didn't see many other kids in the park though.... So off again in the Easter hol's for another two nighter.
    Even got 38 to the gallon towing  Not too bad.

    That's a good return when towing. What car are you driving, and how big is your van. Wish I could manage that mpg even solo!!

  • buzz00
    buzz00 Forum Participant Posts: 16
    edited February 2016 #4

    surely you arent going to wait until easter to go out again.... we regularly go on two night breaks and we feel like we have had a lot longer break....must be the caravans ability to 'de-stress' us from the pressures of work......

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
    1000 Comments
    edited February 2016 #5

    That's an interesting point of view. I'm retired ( supposedly) and I have to blank of bits of the diary to fit in breaks. Now I'm not sure whether it's due to not being stressed by a full-time job but somehow going away for just two nights seems too much
    hassle and I don't generally get the van out for less than four nights.

  • young thomas
    young thomas Forum Participant Posts: 11,356
    1000 Comments
    edited February 2016 #6

    i think CY is right,in that its all relative....

    for someone working, the thought of getting away for a couple of days (even if it might be a faff to sort your van out) could be very attractive...

    on the other hand, thise with plenty of time on there hands dont tend to 'rush these things' and make a longer job of it.....reward v effort.....

  • Juramalt
    Juramalt Forum Participant Posts: 55
    edited February 2016 #7

    Yes need a 25m one. Car is an Audi A3 2.0 Tdi Which looks silly pulling a 23' van. Its close to the legal limit but copes better than I expected. It was very windy on the return trip so slowed to 50 as a precaution. Could really feel the gusts hitting the
    van. When I stopped I had a job to open the car door against the wind & realised how bad it was. It weighs almost 1.5 tons so is only slightly heavier than the van. It's now 12 years old but has just cost me £120 for a full service with no work required for
    it's MOT.so I think I will keep it another year! Can't think of anything to replace it with that can do 70 to the gallon. Hence the 38 when towing.The new ones arn't as well made.

    Am stuck with 2 nighters at the moment as no holiday when the kids are off.  Next school holiday Easter so unless I leave them behind thats it! And no I'm not going away Easter weekend. Don't fancy siting in a jam.

  • Pippah45
    Pippah45 Forum Participant Posts: 2,452
    1000 Comments
    edited February 2016 #8

    So glad you had a good time - I am surprised your cable wasn't long enough at Poolsbrook - I always wish I had a shorter one than the norm as I so seldom need a long one.  So you might find it useful to take both cables with you to save unwinding a longer
    one (yes I am old school and unwind the cable fully - not everyone does!)  Well done the Audi - that is impressive!  Long may it last. 

  • The Vengabus
    The Vengabus Forum Participant Posts: 13
    edited March 2016 #9

    Well done to the A3 I get around 25 mpg with Ford Kuga 2.0 diesel AWD just factor that in to the cost. Anyway our first trip was completed mid Feb, picked van up on Thursday pitched up near Leek on Friday and had a blast figuring everything out. Short breaks
     are valid for us as much as longer trips due to work and school terms we grab what we can and don't want the van sitting in storage. It's all great fun.

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