Nervous newbie with many questions

I'll try and give you quick answers to each of your questions Mick.

 1.  2 gas bottles are usual, so that once one is empty you can then swap onto the second so not be without gas. Then get a refill as soon as practical. Suggest Red Propane bottles especially if you intend cold weather caravanning.

2. Yes you can. We don't so not familiar with what's actually required but others will be able to advise.

3. Connect supplied pump to van and insert other end into aqua roll. Switch pump on from control panel, open a tap and wait till water flows out of it, close tap and the pump will switch off. Tap now activates the pump. The dealer will show you how the heating system works, as there are a few different ways depending on the make of your van, I always drain off our water tank before moving to another site but others don't.

4 Yes. 

5 Fridge will only work off 12 volts when the van's connected to the car and the engine is running, provided of course that you have switched it to 12 v from mains while on site and connected to EHU. Do not try and run it on gas while towing but it will work on gas when on site.

6, Blue toilet fluid into Cassette and add 2 ltrs water, Pink into cistern and then fill up with water by hand, usually using a watering can. We don't empty cistern before moving. Thetford state that one should clean out the cistern yearly using an appropriate product.

7 I use ramps and either reverse/drive onto one, or use the motor mover.

8 Yes use a chock.

9 Not necessary to chock wheel normally.

10 Apply handbrake as soon as you are on pitch and before unhitching from the car. If you are then going to use your mover don't forget to take the brake off before trying to move the van!!

11 Yes we do, although others don't.

12 Yes.

13 We carry ours inside the van, but other put then on the front locker, and yet others put them in the car.

14 See ET's post

15. We don't, but do connect up for a day before setting off to ensure that the battery is fully charged, so that we can use our mover to get the van out onto the road.

Hope this helps and don't hesitate to come back with more questions or if any of the answers need clarifying.  Welcome & Enjoy your caravanning.

You have answered a lot of your own questions yourself Mick ..... so it;s in there somewhere 

Hitch up & go .... just use a little common sense as you go, take you time & you'll be OK. If you ask, others will help .... if  you don't, others can be a little reticent sometimes in offering help.

When all else fails .... read the manual 😊 (or search YouTube )

Thank you for your replies and advice, I was a bit apprehensive about coming back on here to read the replies but to receive such helpful advice is extremely heartening.

I will certainly seek out the Swift Caravan set of videos, I have seen quite a few homemade youtube videos showing different ways of pitching/levelling which maybe is leading to my confusion. As a few of you mention, a lot of it will be intuition and common sense and after a few goes we will find our own way of doing things.

I will look into the towing courses offered by the club, I must admit the towing side of things was my biggest worry until we went to the NEC and I did one of the towing instruction sessions. I was pleasantly surprised by the ease of which I found it (the instructor was great) and now I am not too concerned. At the moment!

We have booked out first visit to a site about 20 miles away. We have already done a dry run to check out accessibility and ease of access.

I do realise a lot of the caravan specific questions will be answered in the manuals, I guess I’m just being a bit impatient in wanting to know how everything works. The last time I was in a caravan was in 1974 when we got water by pressing on a rubber button on the floor with our foot.

In answer to EasyT’s specific questions. We are towing it to our house from the dealer (about 8 miles). We decided against a motor mover initially (for budget reasons and the fact it’s a small caravan) but as it will be quite a tight fit into our drive, and the alternative is reversing it in, we have now decided to go ahead with one. We have our fingers crossed that the dealer can fit one before Thursday!

The spec of the caravan shows a noseweight of 75kg but as it’s the same of the car then aiming for 65kg sounds like good advice (I have purchased a noseweight gauge).

The car is a Qashaqi. The dealer entered the reg number and the caravan model into a computer system and produced a printed report of all the various weights and limits.

Good tip re the levelling boards too

Once again, thank you for your help and advice, I can’t wait to get it home and start sussing everything out. You have also made me feel more confident knowing so many people are willing to help complete novices.

We picked up our first caravan a few weeks ago. We tow with a Qashqai 1.6dci xtronic. No problem towing.

I did a lot of research on here and other caravan user sites. I also watched many youtube videos and took notes. I have made a written idiot's (in my case a marvo the non-memory man complete idiot) guide to help. It includes, loading, noseweight, hooking up, setting off, uncoupling, pitching, setting up and the reverse. My wife goes through the list as I am carrying out each task. After we have finished we go through the list again just to make sure we haven't forgotten anything (like turning on/off mover switch, lowering TV ariel  or leaving caravan handbrake on when trying to move with mover)  

It works well for us and I would recommend doing something similar. I'm presently doing one for putting up the awning until I'm happy with doing it without one.

Hi Mick.  There were two ways of responding to your original post.  The long version and the short version.  As many have already helped with your questions,  I'll go for the short version.......

Welcome to Club Together and to the wonderful world of caravanning....  😀

David

Hello, and welcome.  Attending one of the club’s practical caravanning courses is a must.  On YouTube, I like the vlogs made by The Trudgians.  Lots of good info on their channel.  The handbook is an essential read and, maybe, film some bits of the handover when you pick up your van from the dealer.  I still have to refer to the handbook on occasions, and we’ve had caravans since 2011.  Good luck, and enjoy 😊 

Hi Mick. Yes you certainly have many questions. That’s good and don’t feel embarrassed- we were all there once. I’ll advise on two! 

There are refillable gas cylinders now- Safefill, Gaslow etc. They allow you to purchase much cheaper gas - take a look at them. Otherwise it’s two Calor cylinders and lots and lots of rental charges unless you are always plugged up to EHU. 

The other thing I would suggest is rather than ramps- take a look at the Lock ‘n’ Level blow up leveller. - brilliant and easy to use. 

Hi Mick, welcome to the Club and Club Together and congratulations on buying your first caravan. 

I'm so pleased you've had some great advice from other members. It's also worth having a look at our Advice for beginners and consider going on a Club Caravan Course as these get excellent reviews from new members and will give you some confidence when towing your caravan and pitching up. 

Hi Mick, don't forget that once onsite you will be surrounded by fellow members (including wardens) who were once in your position. We are generally a helpful lot and more than willing to help. Not all of us would be happy to interfere but once approached would relish the chance to help a 'newbie' so don't hesitate to ask for advice or assistance on here on whilst on site. 

Your fellow members won't want to see anyone struggle!

Your fellow members won't want to see anyone struggle!

Except perhaps when you're trying to put an awning for the first time.