New to caravaning
11 replies
Tinwheeler replied on 26/07/2021 16:11
replied on 26/07/2021 16:12
anddogscometoo replied on 30/07/2021 18:42
Posted on 26/07/2021 15:55 by ScreenName7D280D9D5AHello I’m Laura and my husband is Richard. We have taken early retirement and have decided to buy a caravan. But there is so much to it, I’m feeling overwhelmed 🙈have I done the right thing? Lol
Posted on 30/07/2021 18:42
We are new to Caravanning this year and felt the same as you! We thought we would never get to grips with it all but after a couple of trips away we have a routine going and can honestly say it's the best thing we ever did! We have had a couple of little hiccups but have found everyone on the sites to be so helpful and always willing to give advice or a helping hand! Google, this site and you tube are full of helpful tips and you will soon be more confident. Just wish we could afford to retire as work gets in the way of our Caravanning 🤣🤣
eribaMotters replied on 30/07/2021 20:34
Posted on 30/07/2021 20:34
Laura,
go to as many dealers as you can to look at new and used vans and find a layout that suits you. I would advise buying something used from a dealer for some piece of mind that you think fits your needs and run it for a couple of years. Buy as little contents as possible run light and acquire things as you need them. After a couple of years you will know if caravanning is the thing for you. If it is then buy something newer that exactly meets the needs you will have identified. Yes you might loose a few thousand on the move but this is a lot less than if you had jumped in feet first on something very new and shiny. This loss will pail into insignificance 5 or so years down the line when you are enjoying what should be a perfect match van.
Best of luck - Colin
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DSB replied on 03/08/2021 10:15
Posted on 03/08/2021 10:15
Hi Laura. Welcome to Club Together and to the Caravan & Motorhome Club. Look forward to reading how you get on with it all. I'm sure folk will be only to happy to offer advice here on Club Together - just find the section that matches best with your questions and fire away.
David
geoffeales replied on 03/08/2021 15:04
Posted on 03/08/2021 15:04
hi Laura and Richard and welcome to the club! Totally agree with Colin above, take time to find the right van/layout that suits you and your tow-car. Keep equipment to the basics for starters like gas, water containers (fresh and waste) and chemicals for the loo. Pots & pans etc. can be borrowed from home. Perhaps the best extra for us was the portable barbeque. The rest will come as you go along. We wish you many happy years of camping.
replied on 03/08/2021 15:18
DSB replied on 03/08/2021 15:33
Posted on 03/08/2021 15:18 byI agree we all have so much kit we bought that seemed like a good idea at the time now cluttering up the shed or loft but I would strongly warn against "borrowing from the house" any longer than absolutely necessary its absolutely guaranteed you will forget things. We were down to borrowing nothing but the tea pot and even after many years doing this still went to France without it.
Posted on 03/08/2021 15:33
We also don't 'borrow' from the house, but we do keep quite a bit of equipment at home as we vary what we take according to length of visit and time of year However, I am one of these folk who make copious lists (to the point of being OCD about it), so we don't forget things... 😃😃 I can't tell you exactly how many teabags we have left in the packet, but I do know there will always be another packet to open when the last teabag gets used! 😃😃
David
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replied on 03/08/2021 15:44
Posted on 03/08/2021 15:33 by DSBWe also don't 'borrow' from the house, but we do keep quite a bit of equipment at home as we vary what we take according to length of visit and time of year However, I am one of these folk who make copious lists (to the point of being OCD about it), so we don't forget things... 😃😃 I can't tell you exactly how many teabags we have left in the packet, but I do know there will always be another packet to open when the last teabag gets used! 😃😃
David
ABM replied on 03/08/2021 17:33
Posted on 03/08/2021 17:33
Welcome to the Fun Factory, Laura & Richard, I hope you have oodles of fun & enjoyment in your nice new " Retirement Home " . At the risk of me being ostracised might I just say one thing :- There's nothing wrong with Borrowing from Home to start with !! For lots of Items I recommend doing just that until you learn what you actually do need !
If your 'van is coming from a dealer then quite a bit of stuff, water containers - E H U cable etc should really be part of the package, then take a couple of week-ends away but close enough to home that anything you actually do need can be obtained smartish. Please Remember that many { ?? Most ?? } of us have a shed / garage / spare room full of all the stuff that we truly really honestly thought we would need. Then when we found we didn't need it we could not find anybody to take it off our hands either . After 20 or so years you can have great fun discussing with other 'vanners which items really are the daftest things we have bought { Been there, done that, got the t--shirt & badge , honest }
Have Fun !!
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