1st caravan

[carribine]

We are picking up our 1st caravan on Wednesday morning and going away for 3 nights that afternoon (should have picked it up on Saturday, long story). Has anyone got any hints or tips, stuff I probably don't realise I need etc?

[snake_oil]

How did you get on? Bet you have a list as long as your arm now!

[carribine]

OK, the weather was awful and there is a fault with the toilet were the electric pump continues to run even when your not pressing the button, but otherwise fine

[the tribester]

and what did the other half think?

[mikal83]

Get a motor mover fitted if there isnt one already. We loved ours. Did 3 long trips around the EU, sold it this year and now buying a converted panel van for a change. Need any tips, ask away

[snake_oil]

mikal83 said:

Get a motor mover fitted if there isnt one already. We loved ours. Did 3 long trips around the EU, sold it this year and now buying a converted panel van for a change. Need any tips, ask away

I don't think a mover is a requirement, have managed just fine for 6 years without one!

[carribine]

She liked it overall. The weather didn't help. I might get a motor mover in the future, it was not to bad getting it on to the pitch and i have an end of the row spot in storage so that isn't to bad

[mikal83]

snake_oil said:

mikal83 said:

Get a motor mover fitted if there isnt one already. We loved ours. Did 3 long trips around the EU, sold it this year and now buying a converted panel van for a change. Need any tips, ask away

I don't think a mover is a requirement, have managed just fine for 6 years without one!

ROT. Unless its a dead flat concrete/hard grass pitch, you'll never manage.

[snake_oil]

mikal83 said:

ROT. Unless its a dead flat concrete/hard grass pitch, you'll never manage.

Eh?

[Blakeatron]

snake_oil said:

Eh?

We are into our second year if caravan ownership, went away 6 times last year to various sites and not once can i think of a time when a mover would of helped!?

It is great fun watching people trying to reverse when towing though!

[snake_oil]

Blakeatron said:

It is great fun watching people trying to reverse when towing though!

That and putting awnings up!

[Origin Unknown]

Blakeatron said:

We are into our second year if caravan ownership, went away 6 times last year to various sites and not once can i think of a time when a mover would of helped!?

It is great fun watching people trying to reverse when towing though!

Likewise, we've been away to few sites now and not once would a motor mover have helped. I had a second hand MM fitted when we bought the van, I wish I hadn't bothered and I will probably take it off this year to reduce some weight.

I have no trouble reversing a 24' caravan. The tightest it's been getting on a pitch was in St. Ives. I had our VW T5 all the way up a path to the toilets and the front bumper corner in the ladies toilet door to get the swing to reverse it on the pitch

[velocemitch]

Over two periods of Caravanning stretching 10 years between them I have never found a motor mover necessary. Up until the last time I pitched ours.
We have a seasonal pitch and this year chose to put it nose in, to maximise the view, the problem was that we couldn’t then tow it onto a ramp on the left side. Q sloping van, on which I managed to break a corner steady trying to correct. We also had a leak through a sealed window, which I’m putting down to the odd angle the van was at after I broke the steady.
Our next one will have a mover, for that reason, and the fact I’m getting old and my back would also appreciate it.

Hope the OP gets on with Caravanning, it gets a lot of bad press, but it’s a great way of enjoying the countryside and getting away from the daily grind.

[snake_oil]

You tried to raise a van on the steadies... oops! Ah well I guess lesson learned!

[velocemitch]

snake_oil said:

You tried to raise a van on the steadies... oops! Ah well I guess lesson learned!

Not quite raising it, but being a bit too ambitious with the levelling!.... that’s my excuse anyway