Start up kit

Welcome to the club. 

I'd recommend that you don't buy things like bedding, crockery, pots and pans, etc., from a dealer as they'll be far more expensive.  Many supermarkets, for example, now sell lightweight unbreakable tableware and places like Dunelms have decent quality bedding at reasonable prices.

Manage with things from home initially and see how you go on before buying too much.  We all have garages or attics full of things we thought we couldn't live without.

Fellow campers on sites will usually be happy to chat, offer help and advice and show you 'handy gadgets' or bargain equipment they've found.

If you can, video the handover as you'll never remember everything.

Enjoy.

If they are a decent dealer and there was no PX then I would have expected them to throw in a basic start up kit as part of the deali.ie.  Gas cylinder /water/waste containers and maybe a leisure battery do not stock up with things you like the look of just most of us have done that and have a room at home full of not needed after all, 

Agree with above. Try and get as much out of dealer free as you can, good ones will come up with something. After that, move away from dealers for everything else. Aldi (yep....ALDI) do some cracking caravan equipment, and it’s on sale at the moment. Toilet fluid and rinse, caravan cleaner, folding buckets and wash up bowl should you need one. They do steps as well, but I would swerve these, only item we have bought that didn’t live up to expectations. If you have a fixed bed, don’t go for “special bedding” dunelm or other places just as good. 

Wastemaster, Aquaroll, robust step, try and get free or heavily discounted from dealer, know what they are going for online, and if dealer doesn’t deliver, buy them elsewhere cheaper. Don’t be fooled by Club Shop as well, it’s just another supplier wearing a cloak. Price of some items are vastly inflated. Any nice melamine dinner plates, mugs will do, others swear by Corelle but that’s up to you. Kettles can be a dilemma, if you plan to use CLs, (Certificated Location Sites) a Lower wattage one might be useful, or even consider a gas top kettle. TV? You can get expensive ones, but a cheap small TV/DVD combo from Tesco etc..... might be all you need.

Entirely your choice what you choose, but most vanners end up with a lot of stuff that looked a good idea, but ends up seldom getting used.😁

Here’s some of Aldi’s latest kit

https://www.aldi.co.uk/c/specialbuys/motor-and-travel/caravanning

If you use the shop at the dealership remember to show your CAMC membership card as there are usually discounts with the card or at least ask for a discount as a new customer.

Make sure you have the manuals to hand, you won't remember all the things you are told on handover.

I would forget the noseweight gauge. A short length of 75mm square timber and your bathroom scales will work just as well. After a few times of loading and knowing where to put stuff, you will be able to get your desired weight almost blindfold. You have your bathroom scales just as a check before you leave home.

Club Shop Aquaroll, £54 with discount

Aldi Aquaroll £40 

I've just had a smile as I have a little notebook where I've listed places we've stayed at over the years. At the beginning is a list of purchases I thought we'd need, it's quite ambitious and some of it has now gone by the board! But basically it's deciding how many people you want to cater for in the van, just two of you or maybe more and building up a kit that mimics home on a small scale. By catering I don't mean slaving over the cooker I mean general things like how much cutlery, how many plates. Essentials like bottle and tin openers, torches, fresh water container, brush and dust pan. The list can expand or not depending on your own needs but a list will be needed according to your own plans for using the van.  High end luxury or fairly basic and remember the weight of everything, it all adds up! 

I have an inventory in my caravan folder Brue.  It has been amended quite a lot over the years as things have been taken off or added to the van.  As you say, there's only two of us now so we only carry two place settings/bedding/table linen/towels etc., for the two of us. 

The television very rarely comes now but we always have games, books,magazines, knitting (not hubby).

We found a nifty little low wattage electric griddle which is big enough for a full English breakfast or two steaks and mushrooms/tomatoes etc. 

We very rarely bother with the awning these days either as it's one more thing to carry and another job to do.

 Thank you everyone for your advice. Take it slow and think carefully before we buy seems to be the general consensus. As we will be staying with family we can use their kit if need be.