hi... i am going caravaning for the first time in a few weeks. and have know idea how to set the van up once i've parked it..eg.. legs down then unhitch or unhitch legs down a bit or not. ect. ???.
what i would like to know is your precedure on the order of setting up everything when you first park up. (if you dont mind)...thanks
Hi, you need to unhitch first, make sure you apply the brake on the van before unhitching and unplug the sockets and unhook the breakaway cable.
Then use the jockey wheel to level your van front to rear (you might need levellers to go under the wheel to level side to side, they look like giant wedges). Once the van is level you can wind down the steadies, note these should not be used to level or jack up the van, they are only there to provide stability, don't enter the van till they are down.
When you connect the electric, plug into the van first, then fully unwind the lead and plug into the hook up point. If using gas remove the vent cover on the side of the van, Then connect our water and waste hogs, top up the loo tank etc. Then put the kettle on....
You should work out how the heating, electrics and water systems work on your van before you leave if possible.
I'm sure I've missed a few bits but I'm newish to all this too. Others will be along to correct or add to the above.
The awning is the real killer ( divorce in a bag....)
I wouldn't unhitch until you have checked the van is level side to side, we've done this before then had to rehitch to pull it onto a chock. (Unless you have a motor mover to put it on the chock)
Once we've got ours level we have our own "jobs", Hubby does the outside stuff like plugging in, fitting locks, fetching/connecting water, filling toilet and I do the indoor stuff like put the food/clothes away, tune in the telly and generally set it up inside.
If you are putting an awning up it really helps to lay the poles out first on the floor in the place where you will use each one so you aren't having to scrabble around underneath the material.
Also don't switch the water heater on until you have connected the water and make sure you know where you fuse box is in case you trip anything, ours was buried under a mountain of clothes at the back of the wardrobe and took us ages to find the first time we tripped it.
Once level take the handbrake off. Leaving it on can cause the brake drums to stick in place.
When you have connected the water switch pump on and wait for hot tank to fill. Then test the taps starting with the one furthest from the pump...probably the shower. This lets the air out of the system.
Don't forget when connecting to EHU turn off your main control board in the van. Switch it back on once the EHU is connected to the van. Connect van first so that you are not carrying a live cable to the van.
Phil
------------- If you're not on a fell your wasting your feet and for 2014 it's.......Feb Castleton Mar North Yors Moors; Apr Sutton on Sea; May Thirsk; Jun Clapham/Riverside (Lakes); July Wharfedale; August Crakehall; Sept Knaresborough; Oct Wirral Park/Clitheroe
As this is a new to you caravan and I am sure you will have had it serviced by the seller. look at sterilizing the water system before you brew up. This isn't included in a service.
------------- Yesterday is already a dream and tomorrow is only a vision, but today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope.
I went on a CC course before we set off. I learnt a lot from that course, not only how to manouevre but everything else involved with caravanning. That was 3 years ago and I still do some really silly things sometimes. The thing is DON'T RUSH!! That's when mistakes happen, in my experience anyway.
amazing looking at what people have written and how things are forgotten in the process go through the routine at home before you leave you will familiarise yourself in the process do it a few times just to gain confidence ignore the neighbours if they are like mine just do it it is for your own good in the end an then!!!! the awning always the cabaret on site if you have a lawn to the side of the drive - put the awning up a few times I do that with any new one i have bought it is so easy to make a mistake label things if you have to
good luck it can only go wrong - no major damage unless you get in the van before the legs are down , you touch a live lead you spill water over yourself
asking folk to list setting up / preparing to set off is like asking a child to list how to make a cup of tea wonderful answers are the usual result try it sometime not easy
WOW. .sod that i am getting a tent, haha. (only a joke)
thanks for all the info. at least i now think i know what i am doing. i would love to practice all this on my drive before i go BUT (thats a big but by the way)
i live in devon. i pick my caravan up in lancashire in a few weeks. then tow it to a site near blackpool for two days. then tow it back to devon. i think its called in at the deep end. if anyone see's me on my first trip please feel free to role around the floor in fits of laughter..at my attempts.
when setting though i found the most important thing is not to rush, stop have a think about what you've doen and what you want to do next, i dont know why but i was always in a rush to set up and forget to do things. last time i forgot to level the caravan before un hitching, its hard work then.
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Topic: life`s a pitch
