take wine, and all your supplies so that you are not 'nipping' to the shop when you could be enjoying your new van.
take some lightweight steps for the awning.
wet wipes. extra tea towels for cleaning spills up, drying pots etc and also for wiping down the awning on packing away.
memory foam mattress (b and m discount shops sell these)
and all the gorgeous 'luxury' items that you wouldnt normally put in a tent, like matching bedding, perfume (if female or whatever lol) fluffy cushions, luxury toilet rolls (you're on holiday) and gorgeous shower gels.
just completely enjoy being in your holiday home on wheels.
my hubby would say windbreakers for privacy, a lump hammer and the ipod for his favourite music. He asked me to add that he always checks the tyre pressure on car and van before towing and to take it easy and let the 'dog wag the tail' as opposed to the other way around. i think he means dont overload your van so that your car and you stay in control at all times.
Weights, bulbs, tyre pressures & balance are the main things for your hubby.
Give everything a once over the day before going away; if its supposed to work, switch it, check it etc., including van tyres (inc spare), brakes and grease the corner steadies.
If the van has sat for a while, or unsure, maybe flush the water through with some Puriclean & then Bicarb to get rid of tastes & smells.
I have a list that I use as a check off for loading & also before setting off; has served me well for years.
Plenty of DVDs, games & wine; no matter where you go, guaranteed to have a good time.
After that, sit back & enjoy...
------------- Regards
Chris
Caravanning for 22 years
1997 Toyota Land Cruiser 3.0TD & 2004 Avondale Mayfair 510-5L
Previous towcars:
2002 Nissan Primera - sold
2002 Ford Galaxy - Died & scrapped. Good riddance.
1998 BMW 525TDS SE - PEx
1998 VW Passat SE - Crashed into & scrapped
1997 Peugeot 406 GLX - PEx
Dont be in a rush to do anything.........driving, setting up, packing up. Take your time and consider it all part of the holiday. Setting up is always nicer with a beer in hand........... the first thing my hubby does is open a beer.
Ave a great time, try not to get stressed.....take your time and dont worry about it. If you have a problem dont be afraid to ask your neighbour, we have all been there and folks are usually happy to help. Benjoy!?,
Some good advice above. Drive safely. If you have not towed a caravan before my best advice is to leave plenty stopping space between you and the vehicle in front and drive slowly downhill. If you brake sharply on a downhill you could jack-knife. Drive slowly towards roundabouts etc so you don't need to brake sharply. Take it easy until you get used to towing speeds and enjoy the scenery you didn't notice before.
Fred.
I'm new to towing but OH is old hat. A piece of advice he gave me, when I was anxious about being too close on the passenger side was to simply use the middle white line as a guide to keep inside of on a straight run and take it steady, don't worry about the cars behind you and don't feel rushed.
Make a list of all the things you forgot or found you needed before going home, so you remember them next time.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Just bought our first caravan!!
