Take a wheel brace to check wheelnuts before you move it & a tyre pump & pressure gauge or stop at first services to check tyre pressures. Also numberplate & double sided tape to stick it on & rag & meths to clean surface first to ensure it stays stuck.
I assume your towball is compatible? If caravan has Alko stabiliser hitch then you need extended Al-ko type flange ball or swan neck towbar. Also you will need compatible caravan plug & car sockets, ie 7pin or 13pin &/or adaptors if required.
If tyres are over 5yrs old then best to replace asap regardless of wear but you have to hope they will get you home.
Towing mirrors? Practise fitting them before you go to get the van, they're fiddly to fit the first time especially if you have an audience.
Also check that you are getting everything you think you are getting in the deal, nothing worse than getting home and finding the oven shelves are missing because they have been removed for cleaning.
Quote: Originally posted by Opensauce on 25/1/2016
If tyres are over 5yrs old then best to replace asap regardless of wear but you have to hope they will get you home.
Can be a bit confusing this... according to the NCC approved workshop scheme it's 7 years.
It clearly states this on there annual service check list.
Those of us that know about tyres will inspect them carefully all over several times a year. After a few yrs we may find cracks in tread or worse, cracks in the sidewall, we can then make a decision based on our knowledge.
For example, my caravan tyres are now 5yrs old & I find cracks in the tread so I will change them before I use caravan this yr. If there had been no cracks then I would have done another yr with them. I keep tyres covered & I jack up caravan & spin wheels once a mnth throughout winter.
So no confusion, purely a knowledge based decision.
For the rest, the good advice is to change at 5yrs.
I had tyres start cracking on my 3rd service, after having 1 blow out on my 1st caravan i'd recomend that they are changed at 5 years regardless of condition
The first thing you will need is a spare car rear number plate to put on the back of the van, and some means of attaching it!!!!!
When we bought our present van a couple of years ago, we didn't know how long it had been lying in the storage yard, where we bought it from.
So we had it checked over by a Mobile Caravan Engineer.
It was as well we did, because the shock absorber in the caravan hitch was shot to hell and that would have been a fault that I would not have picked up, even although we have towed for many years.
Everything else was okay, although he advised us to get new tyres, and the engineer ordered and fitted a new shock absorber before we towed it home.
I had never towed such a large caravan before and so that first journey was a bit hairy, but just the knowledge that I had had it checked out by a professional gave me a lot of confidence.
Tyres also deteriorate from the inside and they can also crack from new as such if not used maintained and stored correctly the markings on the side walls will tell you the age of them. For additional safety there is a device called tyron band I used to have these fitted to my caravan fortunately I didn't need them, they stop the tyre falling inside the rim in the event of a puncture and this stabilizes the caravan cost im not sure now but about £250 should cover it I think
------------- its our imperfections that makes us perfect
If it doesn't come with a water and a waste carrier you will need to get those. You don't need to spend a fortune on them. Keep an eye on sales pages (especially Facebook local camping ones) and you can often pick them up really cheap. Get them now before the season kicks off and prices start to rise. Or just buy the best ones you can afford from a camping shop if they are needed. You may find you need some pipe to run from the caravan to the waster container if you don't have one. Hopefully there is a pump if there is no water container.
As for everything else inside, just use what you had for camping. You will find it is all still useful. Including tables and chairs which you can use in an awning.
If this is your 1st time towing, just remember, take your time, give yourself plenty of room, and if you are like me remember to BREATH! lol I held my breath all the way round the 1st roundabout, and I wasn't even driving!!
Thank you very much everyone. I've done everything above and am clear for takeoff tomorrow. Fairly nervous shot handing over big wad of cash to relative stranger and more nervous about towing the thing home but will just take my time and try to remember to breathe. So excited and will have so many million more questions.
Anyone know a good place to get some lunch with room to park with the van near Carlisle?
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: Joining the gang at last
