Newbies after some advice
Hi all,
We hope everyone is doing ok during this difficult time. We are new to the caravan ownership and have just purchased our first one from a close friend.
We have both passed our test to tow, and are keen to get out exploring with our 9 year old son when the government advice allows.
We live in Guildford, Surrey and are keen to take a couple of shorter trips to get used to driving with the caravan and the setting up process etc. We have always camped out, particularly in the New Forest, so are keen to explore some new areas within a two hour drive of Guildford to build our confidence. If anyone has any recommendations that would be great.
Also if anyone has any top tips on things they wish they had known when they started out we would be keen to hear them.
Thank you everyone, and we would look forward to getting out in good time to enjoy our new family purchase.
Matt
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First couple of trips should be very close to home, preferably. This will give you easy access to all those items you have A) forgotten to bring
Forgotten to buy and C ) remembered to buy + pack and which should have been consigned to the garage / skip / daydreams !!
Having been campers you will be well aware that 85.3765 % of stuff advertised for caravan/motorhome users should stay just that --> adverts !!
Please let us know how you get on and how a 9 year old responds to being saddled with a couple of first timers
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Welcome, MHKH.
You could do worse than try the club's Henley Four Oaks site for a first outing where you should find wardens and fellow members willing to give help and advice if needed - within the scope of social distancing, of course.
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Back in the 80's when our children were young we had caravans and the children loved it.They were never short of advice when the towing got tough but were also very useful for fetching and carrying when on site.
I can't mention any sites specifically, because like you I am new to the club (again) but I would have thought that a short trip west down the A3 or A30 will bring many campsites into the frame for you.
Good luck with your exploits.
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Morn Hill, Winchester or Rookesbury Park near Fareham are well within your driving parameters, both with interesting stuff within easy reach. Goodness only knows when you'll be able to sample such places.
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Welcome to the forum and the world of caravanning MHKH.
We are at the opposite end of the great adventure having sold our caravan at the end of last year.
2 hours from Guildford may be pushing it a bit but how about the club site at Longleat? Ideal with a 9 year old I'd have thought and you'll get plenty of support and advice from fellow members on site.
Good luck!
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After all this lockdown why not head to the seaside and Brighton. Not far from you. If not Brighton then maybe the site at Littlehampton. I've been to the first but not the second, although I did once have a girlfriend from Littlehampton ( hence not been back).
Advice? Make a list of all the things you need to have with you. Like electric cable, water barrel, waste pipes, gas etc. etc. We've forgotten so many things over the years and still do even after 30+years. Don't panic if the reversing doesn't go to plan first time, or second time, or .... Use the motor mover instead.
It's going to be a bit difficult at first as normally I've found members quite happy to show you what to do but in this climate they may be more reticent. Ask anyway and they can always shout the instructions.
Above all else don't forget the corkscrew. Hope you enjoy it when you can start.
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"Above all else don't forget the corkscrew."
Apart from Ros's Prosecco, I can't remember the last time I bought a bottle of wine with a cork in it!!
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There were just two things on our first ever trip that could have gone better:-
We went to a nearby caravan club site and I could not get mains power into the caravan, it had been all working OK at home, I tried different different hook up posts before going to see if could borrow a cable from the site warden. "Have you rotated the plug to turn the power on?" No I b****y hadn't!. In all my industrial career I had never before come across a Blue (yellow) plug that needed rotating to connect. I would also remark that not one of the gawking neighbours offered any assistance so I realised from that point I was on my own.
We had a new awning and I did not realise that it would come with all the tube fittings and screws in bags, check your new awning and pre- assemble all the tubes at home.
Apart from that and the puncture on the way home it all went well, it really is amazing that we are still caravaning seven years later.
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We are still relatively new to caravanning, this is our second year. The best piece of advice I can give is to make up an idiot's guide (in my case a complete idiot's guide). We have it in a file and includes, in order, hitching up, arriving, leaving and shutting down the van. We go through everything on the list each time and double check. It's very easy to become complacent and forget to do something!
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Hi Matt,
My main advice would be to take your time and enjoy it. Your first few times setting up are a learning curve but work out who does what, including having specific roles for your son, and you'll soon develop a set up routine between the 3 of you.
Hopefully fellow Club members will assist you if it looks like you're having difficulty, they usually do. I well recall the kind chap who came out to help me push our van into the correct place on our first pitch when it became obvious that my attempt at reversing into place wasn't cutting it!
You'll make mistakes and do daft things; bank them as stories to tell when you're helping out other first timers in a few years time.
Here's mine: 'How helpful' I thought on my first trip, 'the Club have attached a length of hosepipe onto the tap to assist the filing of my aqua roll and left it dangling into an admittedly unnecessarily large white, inverted pyramid sink, to collect the drips. We were onto our second cup of tea before I realised I'd filled up the fresh water container at the toilet waste point. Still, you live and learn and I've never done that again!
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We have been caravanning for many, many years and the advice I would give beginers is for your first trip stay very local and test everything. If you have an awning, put it up. If all goes wrong or, more likely, you forget anything it is not the end of the world. We have a list of everything we take, or can envisage taking, and check it off before each holiday; for example, the list includes wellies but we would not take them if going to the med in summer, nevertheless, they get thought about. My wife has to take pills and yes she has forgotten them, so they are on the list in capitals! Once forgot the pull handle for the aquaroll and we were on a 6 week holiday in southern Europe so we actually see the items and not just assume
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On a serious note. If you have a spare bedroom or office space, put everything you are going to take in one place. Tick once off your list, then twice when loaded. I usually do one special internet’ shop for food etc and load it straight in the Moho when it arrives. It might work out a bit more expensive given you probably have bits in the house you could use but I find it is a catch all (apart from non available things)/
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We have been caravanning since 1986, and even today, we like most others make a list . to do this i use checklist in colornote on my Android phone, then check them off one by one, i also put location of keep so i know if in caravan or garage etc. other apps i use are "spirit level" and Antenna Aligner, it can save time locating the nearest TV broadcast mast. upon arrival we go to the Information place and take a picture of the local services, these usually have Doctors/Vets/ other important places like PUBS.... err i mean restaurants, all these should be open i think by 4th July in these covid times it's not certain. there is also lots of local leaflets, for walks and zoos, and things to do in the local vicinity.
We have always found that caravanners are generally helpful, I just bought a new caravan in November 2019, havent managed to go anywhere with it yet. I also got a new car on march 1st, just before lockdown. So We are itching to get out and we have treamble valley booked for 20 days in july, its a long haul 380 miles usually takes about 8 hours. I hope you enjoy the first trip out and soon you will find confidence with towing, take your time and get used to how it feels, check your tyres for heat when you stop for fuel and refreshments and you should be ok. BTW use a decent satnav the caravan club give a discount on the Avtex Tourer 2 it won't send you down a narrow road in cornwall, or under a low bridge like the regular ones and has the last mile to CC sites as well as preloaded all club sites
hoe some of this helps you.
Regs:Andy
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