Well that was an experience . . .

Well that was an ‘interesting and eventful’ first weekend away with the caravan, 4 adults and two grandchildren.

Like a lot of people we decided to trial our new caravan with a local trip and get used to setting the van up complete with putting up (the dreaded word) . . awning.

I should have known it wasn’t going to be a smooth journey (pun intended) as we were stuck in traffic for an hour and a half.  It’s a notorious spot on the A64 in York where the dual carriageway becomes a normal road again.  It’s a terrible place to be on a bank holiday as it’s usually gridlocked.  Last weekend wasn’t a bank holiday but it was still grid locked.

Eventually arrived at our destination in Pickering. Tried to manoeuvre to van into place and to be fair didn’t do a bad job but decided to the last fiddly bit by using the motor mover.  What an invention !!

Connected all up following my checklist I’d put together.  It’s fair to say I’ve never done as much research in the last three weeks since buying our caravan on setting up, towing, equipment etc etc.

All went well, then the last job . . . the (dreaded) awning.  I find it difficult not to grimace and clench my teeth when I say that word.  The instructions were ‘minimal’ a picture of the poles assembled, that’s it.  I noticed five brackets, which were for the poles to connect to and I noticed they were padded on one side.  Now I am a practical person, handy with a set of tools etc but I had no idea how they fastened to the van.  I watched videos on the subject of erecting an awning beforehand but none of them should these brackets.  Were they a universal fit ? a unique design to the manufacturer ? Well I didn’t know neither did the three other adults stood around me.  I had no idea.  All I could make out was the thumbscrew arrangement, which appeared to hold to separate parts of the bracket onto ‘something’.

I admitted defeat.  I said to my team “There’s only one thing for it . . . ask a fellow camper !!” as I’d read we are all a friendly bunch.  Went to a van, which had, a similar awning to mine and true enough a very helpful camper appeared.  I showed him the perplexing bit of kit and was pleased to hear that indeed it was standard type of fitting.  He should me how it fixed onto the rubber beading just on the inside of the awning.  I said I didn’t remember seeing that on mine.  He came across to my van and looked a little puzzled as he couldn’t see this beading either.  Then the proverbial penny dropped.

I realised I’d thread the rubber beading through the awning rail and not the very edge of the awning. Whoops !!  I wondered why the awning was so difficult to thread thorough even though I’d read this could happen.  Took the awning off and slid the right part through and it glided around the van. Marvellous.  The poles proved problematic but we got there in the end.  It wasn’t brilliant as the top of the awning wasn’t taut enough but it was 8.30pm and three adults were getting tired and hungry. It would do.  We needed the awning up as two adults would be sleeping in it.  Luckily, we’d heard there was a mobile fish and chip shop van on site at 9pm so we made a point of being first in the queue.   

Eventually, time to retire to bed.  The grand kids were fast asleep by now which was something we did have concerns about being in a strange environment from home and all the excitement they displayed earlier on.

In the night we heard a bump or two to find one of the grandchildren had fallen out of bed but still slept through it all.  Sorted that issue out, only to find the eldest decided when he woke up our bed was more comfy than his so decided to invite himself into our bed.  He fell asleep with his head on my chest and his arm wrapped around me. Bliss. The joy of being a granddad.

Sunday morning arrived and everyone a little bleary eyed arose and we ventured into Pickering and had an enjoyable morning including an early caffeine boost at a café then going to the old railway station where stream trains were arriving and departing.

Later, time to pack up, which I must admit, actually went very well including the dismantling of the awning.

No issues . . until we arrived back.  I went to uncouple the electrics from the van and noticed the cover over one of the sockets was missing and the thin metal plate it was attached to was bent slightly.

I thought I must have caused it when driving when turning into a corner ??  but no, the plate was bent away from the bumper.  Turns out, my wife had lifted the caravan brake cable as she thought it was too low to the floor and has positioned it so it was sitting on top of one of the electrical sockets.  Fair to say, that when I turned a corner the cable was stretched and therefore broke off the bracket holding the cap in place. Argh !!

Anyway, we arrived home safe, all agreed it was an experience, never to be forgotten. I’m pleased that we had this experience before we go away next week before a week away in the Lake District.

I’m pretty certain we have overcome a big learning curve and as made us better campers for it.

For those who never experienced such frustration on their first outing, I am envious, for those who did endure such frustrations I’ve now joined your club and am a fully paid up member )