Nervous newbie with many questions
Hello everyone,
After 20 years of deliberation my wife and I decided to take the plunge and purchase a new Elddis Xplore 304 following our visit to the NEC show.
My problem is that I am a born worrier and never having done this before i am really apprehensive of the whole experience. We pick the caravan up on Thursday but I don't have the first clue about hitching, unhitching, or how anything works in the caravan. I know I will get a tutorial from the dealer but the thought of arriving on site and pitching up for the first time is literally giving me sleepless nights.
I know I'm a wuss (personality trait I'm afraid) and as I think through the whole process from leaving home to pitching up so many questions are coming to mind, and I have spent countless hours reading forums & watching videos trying to find answer to some of these questions. However I imagine they are so basic no-one bothers to talk about them!
In order for me to relax a little and get to the point when I can start to enjoy planning our trips away it would be really good if some of my questions could be answered.and I was rather hoping that this may be place to do it. I know this is the 'introduction' section and not the Q&A section but they are the sort of questions I would ask if I was being 'introduced' to an experienced caravanner (that's my excuse anyhow)
Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated
Mick & Carol
1. How many gas bottles would you typically have?
2. Can you connect mains water (if available) to the aqua roll and if so what accessories do you need?
3. How is water pumped from the aqua roll into the caravan & when you turn the tap on does it come direct from the aqua roll
o The hot water tank:-
§ How & when is it filled.
§ How is it heated (is the whole tank heated or is it heated as it is used)
§ How long does it take to heat up
§ Does the tank need emptying before driving away.
4. I assume the 3 pin sockets can only be used when hooked up to electricity supply. There is a 12v socket for the TV but if no EHU you can’t use other items such as electric kettle/toaster/microwave – is this correct.
5. At what point will the fridge work off 12V, ie, when the battery is connected it will always be on, therefore, as the battery is charging whilst driving, the fridge will always be on during the journey?
6. You add fluid to the cistern and to the cassette, how and when does the cistern fill with water (if it does) & do you put fluid in after its filled? Will the cistern need emptying before driving? Do you put water into the cassette as well as the fluid?
7. Best way to make it level if no motor mover (push onto ramps, use a jack)?
8. If using a ramp to make it level, how do you use a chock if it is up on a ramp.
9. Is it always necessary to chock a wheel or just when it’s on a ramp.
10. Stupid Question - Do you apply the handbrake when pitched up?
11. Do you keep the jockey wheel down after the steadies are down (all the time whilst on pitch)
12. Is this the sequence when setting up : Reverse/push?Motor move into position. Check level width ways and raise a tyre if necessary. Once level use the jockey wheel to make it level length ways. Once level put down the steadies. Is that the correct sequence ?
13. Where & how do you store equipment like aqua roll & wastemaster etc, whilst driving. I assume the toilet cassette is located in it’s normal position
14. Both car & caravan noseweights are 75kg, is this a target or is it just the limit? For instance if the actual weight is 40kg are we better adding more things to the nose to make it nearer 75kg.
15. Do you keep the EHU connected whilst parked up at home, and if so what are the main reasons?
Comments
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An awful lot of questions all at once
Better to split them up really rather than run before walking.
Is your first tow to home or storage or a site?
You refer to both motormoving, pushing and reversing caravan onto pitch. Will you be having a motormover fitted as this effects the answers to a few questions?
What make and model car are you towing with.
The hitch limit on the car may be 75kg but on the caravan will certainly be 100kg and so you are limited to the car. Personally I would be looking at 65kg plus on the hitch as generally that will give a smoother tow. You will obviously need towing mirrors. No idea what the noseweight of your unladen caravan will be if towing home. I know that on mine when it is unladen it is light on the front end and does not tow as well as when laden. Not a problem unless a long tow home as I just keep my speed down and don't throw the outfit around.
Can you answer those few questions first.
Alan
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use youtube as much as you can and get a rough idea what to expect, it's easier than you think. Keep as close to home as possible for first trip as you will forget something and can pop home for it. explain to the wardens when you arrive as they will help you out. hope everything goes well. type "pitching a caravan for the fist time" in google and see what come up.
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If you think logically through each individual operation on it's own, you will find that much of it is intuitive and common sense. Your handbook is a useful source of information on setup for specific models of caravans.
As for Q12, the simple answer is yes, so you see you have already sussed out some of it.
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12. Is this the sequence when setting up : Reverse/push?Motor move into position. Check level width ways and raise a tyre if necessary. Once level use the jockey wheel to make it level length ways. Once level put down the steadies. Is that the correct sequence ?
It is the correct sequence as CY says but you talk of using a ramp to level caravan. I would find them next to uselesses if I was hoping to align an alko wheel lock at the same time no ,atter how I got onto a ramp. Not something to be done manually. If a ramp is used then either a car or motormover to drive up ramp but unlikely to line an Alko lock up if using. Far better to have short boards to climb as caravan can be positioned to line up lock, boards placed alongside wheel, vam moved forwards, boards moved to the previous wheel position and caravan moved back onto boards. If not using a motormover I personally would bot use an Alko wheel lock. I have done it once when the motor mover had failed and it was a pig.
I estimate that I consider using level blocks once on every two dozen sites
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Swift Caravans have produced a series of five videos to help newcomers. If you do a search for "Swift first time buyer part 4" that's the one which covers arrival on site, pitching your caravan and setting up.
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Having got your new van home the best thing you can do is to sign up for a club towing course - normally 2 days. It certainly did me well and sorted a few problems and a few that I did not know that I had.
Try and get an experienced caravanner to sit in the passenger seat on your first tow to give you guidance should it be needed.
Good luck
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I'll try and give you quick answers to each of your questions Mick.
1. 2 gas bottles are usual, so that once one is empty you can then swap onto the second so not be without gas. Then get a refill as soon as practical. Suggest Red Propane bottles especially if you intend cold weather caravanning.
2. Yes you can. We don't so not familiar with what's actually required but others will be able to advise.
3. Connect supplied pump to van and insert other end into aqua roll. Switch pump on from control panel, open a tap and wait till water flows out of it, close tap and the pump will switch off. Tap now activates the pump. The dealer will show you how the heating system works, as there are a few different ways depending on the make of your van, I always drain off our water tank before moving to another site but others don't.
4 Yes.
5 Fridge will only work off 12 volts when the van's connected to the car and the engine is running, provided of course that you have switched it to 12 v from mains while on site and connected to EHU. Do not try and run it on gas while towing but it will work on gas when on site.
6, Blue toilet fluid into Cassette and add 2 ltrs water, Pink into cistern and then fill up with water by hand, usually using a watering can. We don't empty cistern before moving. Thetford state that one should clean out the cistern yearly using an appropriate product.
7 I use ramps and either reverse/drive onto one, or use the motor mover.
8 Yes use a chock.
9 Not necessary to chock wheel normally.
10 Apply handbrake as soon as you are on pitch and before unhitching from the car. If you are then going to use your mover don't forget to take the brake off before trying to move the van!!
11 Yes we do, although others don't.
12 Yes.
13 We carry ours inside the van, but other put then on the front locker, and yet others put them in the car.
14 See ET's post
15. We don't, but do connect up for a day before setting off to ensure that the battery is fully charged, so that we can use our mover to get the van out onto the road.
Hope this helps and don't hesitate to come back with more questions or if any of the answers need clarifying. Welcome & Enjoy your caravanning.
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You have answered a lot of your own questions yourself Mick ..... so it;s in there somewhere
Hitch up & go .... just use a little common sense as you go, take you time & you'll be OK. If you ask, others will help .... if you don't, others can be a little reticent sometimes in offering help.
When all else fails .... read the manual 😊 (or search YouTube
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Thank you for your replies and advice, I was a bit apprehensive about coming back on here to read the replies but to receive such helpful advice is extremely heartening.
I will certainly seek out the Swift Caravan set of videos, I have seen quite a few homemade youtube videos showing different ways of pitching/levelling which maybe is leading to my confusion. As a few of you mention, a lot of it will be intuition and common sense and after a few goes we will find our own way of doing things.
I will look into the towing courses offered by the club, I must admit the towing side of things was my biggest worry until we went to the NEC and I did one of the towing instruction sessions. I was pleasantly surprised by the ease of which I found it (the instructor was great) and now I am not too concerned. At the moment!
We have booked out first visit to a site about 20 miles away. We have already done a dry run to check out accessibility and ease of access.
I do realise a lot of the caravan specific questions will be answered in the manuals, I guess I’m just being a bit impatient in wanting to know how everything works. The last time I was in a caravan was in 1974 when we got water by pressing on a rubber button on the floor with our foot.
In answer to EasyT’s specific questions. We are towing it to our house from the dealer (about 8 miles). We decided against a motor mover initially (for budget reasons and the fact it’s a small caravan) but as it will be quite a tight fit into our drive, and the alternative is reversing it in, we have now decided to go ahead with one. We have our fingers crossed that the dealer can fit one before Thursday!
The spec of the caravan shows a noseweight of 75kg but as it’s the same of the car then aiming for 65kg sounds like good advice (I have purchased a noseweight gauge).
The car is a Qashaqi. The dealer entered the reg number and the caravan model into a computer system and produced a printed report of all the various weights and limits.
Good tip re the levelling boards too
Once again, thank you for your help and advice, I can’t wait to get it home and start sussing everything out. You have also made me feel more confident knowing so many people are willing to help complete novices.
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We picked up our first caravan a few weeks ago. We tow with a Qashqai 1.6dci xtronic. No problem towing.
I did a lot of research on here and other caravan user sites. I also watched many youtube videos and took notes. I have made a written idiot's (in my case a marvo the non-memory man complete idiot) guide to help. It includes, loading, noseweight, hooking up, setting off, uncoupling, pitching, setting up and the reverse. My wife goes through the list as I am carrying out each task. After we have finished we go through the list again just to make sure we haven't forgotten anything (like turning on/off mover switch, lowering TV ariel or leaving caravan handbrake on when trying to move with mover)
It works well for us and I would recommend doing something similar. I'm presently doing one for putting up the awning until I'm happy with doing it without one.
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Hi Mick. There were two ways of responding to your original post. The long version and the short version. As many have already helped with your questions, I'll go for the short version.......
Welcome to Club Together and to the wonderful world of caravanning.... 😀
David
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Hello, and welcome. Attending one of the club’s practical caravanning courses is a must. On YouTube, I like the vlogs made by The Trudgians. Lots of good info on their channel. The handbook is an essential read and, maybe, film some bits of the handover when you pick up your van from the dealer. I still have to refer to the handbook on occasions, and we’ve had caravans since 2011. Good luck, and enjoy 😊
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Hi Mick. Yes you certainly have many questions. That’s good and don’t feel embarrassed- we were all there once. I’ll advise on two!
There are refillable gas cylinders now- Safefill, Gaslow etc. They allow you to purchase much cheaper gas - take a look at them. Otherwise it’s two Calor cylinders and lots and lots of rental charges unless you are always plugged up to EHU.
The other thing I would suggest is rather than ramps- take a look at the Lock ‘n’ Level blow up leveller. - brilliant and easy to use.
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Hi Mick, welcome to the Club and Club Together and congratulations on buying your first caravan.
I'm so pleased you've had some great advice from other members. It's also worth having a look at our Advice for beginners and consider going on a Club Caravan Course as these get excellent reviews from new members and will give you some confidence when towing your caravan and pitching up.
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Hi Mick, don't forget that once onsite you will be surrounded by fellow members (including wardens) who were once in your position. We are generally a helpful lot and more than willing to help. Not all of us would be happy to interfere but once approached would relish the chance to help a 'newbie' so don't hesitate to ask for advice or assistance on here on whilst on site.
Your fellow members won't want to see anyone struggle!
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Your fellow members won't want to see anyone struggle!
Except perhaps when you're trying to put an awning for the first time.
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I read Micky's post and my thoughts were about the same...
Mind you, Carol and I did help a family figure out how to put up their awning a couple of years ago and the next day they came around with a bottle of wine for us. That was a really nice gesture......
David
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Thank you ever so much for your reassurances. You have helped immensely. The caravan is now safely tucked away in front of the house. An excellent handover from the dealer also helped. It was a bit bouncy whilst towing but having read up about it it seems this could be because it was empty and the nose weight wasn’t checked. Going to spend the next few days reading all the literature and preparing for our first trip.
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Hope you've got some security measures in place as, when the car is out, the van appears to be very vulnerable.
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Have done the same myself David, helping an inexperience caravanner to erect his awning on Plymouth Sound site.
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Depending on your taste and intentions, it might be worth trying the first trip without an awning, to simplify the number of learning curves happening at once.
I realise there are passionate advocates of awning always, and awning never, so I fear to tread here (!) but life is perfectly possible without one, and maybe it'll be more enjoyable relaxing with just the van to set up, at least for the first outing.
Have fun
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We are off on our first outing next week and we did intend to try erecting the awning however, after reading the instructions, we have thought better of it. Unless off course the sun is shining and we have been located in a quiet secluded area were no one can see us.
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Good thinking, Mick, and good luck.
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Hello
We have only been caravaning for just under a year. We knew absolutely nothing. Once you have completed a few trips it does become so much easier.
The best advice I was given is "take your time"
To answer some of the points you raise
Gas bottle we have on 6kg bottle it has lasted us 50 nights away, used for boiling a kettle 4 or 5 times a day and cooking one meal a day
You can connect the water direct to the aquaroll but this pitch will cost more it is known as service pitch--the kit to connect it consists of a "cistern like float/valve and hose" costs about £40
The electric hook up is required for any 240v socket to work in the caravan
Put the handbrake on and keep the jockey wheel down when pitched and chock the wheel, also put your security equipment on, hitch lock etc as the insurance company may require this
You have probably already worked all of this out for yourselves by now, but good luck to you
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