Caravanning Now

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Useful Stuff to know.

Lurk and learn. [Kevin Clayton]

Look around the site and watch what others caravanners' do, to pick up tips and ask direct questions use the news group 'uk.rec.caravanning' and the various web forums. As in life don't take anything as fact unless you've checked it independently elsewhere.

Join one of the clubs. [Kevin Clayton]

The Caravan Club or the Camping and Caravanning Club, because their sites are cheaper if you do and they both maintain large lists of CL's and CS's (small sites for a limited number of vans, normally in the midst of the country, but often with minimum facilities) which are useful. (See this links page for addresses and web pages).

Plan ahead. [Kevin Clayton]

Be prepared to book your sites well in advance in the summer. Caravanning is becoming very popular and we've found that we have been disappointed a few times even booking a month to six weeks ahead.

Preparing for the winter [Richard Cole]

When you put away your van for the winter, there are a few things that you will need to do. See the FAQ on over wintering for some general advice.

Preparing for the summer. [Richard Cole]

You will need to do some preparation of the caravan before taking it out for the first time each year.
If the caravan is due a service then book it in early, the companies that do caravan servicing can be booked up for months ahead, especially in the spring.
Check through the van for the caravanners' enemy - damp. Small damp test meters can be bought in places like B&Q and Homebase, but you may need to modify the cheap meters so that they test the wood behind the hard surface covering.
The water system will need to be flushed through with a something like Milton, to remove any build up of algae and bacteria while the caravan was left standing.
Check your awning is complete, mould free and that you didn't leave too many pegs at the last place it was erected.

These pages define the way we, the authors, (2 experienced and 1 relative newbie at the time of writing) do things and of course it will differ from the way others may do them. Use this pages only as a guide and don't think of them as hard and fast rules.

The most important thing is common sense and enjoy it, that's what you bought the caravan for.

If you can get hold of a friend who has some towing experience, it would be a great idea to get him or her to show you the ropes on your caravan.

One more little tip from John White.

"A friend and myself often move around a large antenna mounted on a huge trailer.
We are both Radio Hams and use our radios when we are manoeuvring in tight spaces (save all that shouting and arm waving). There are available some little hand held radios that need no licence and cost about £25 pounds that are ideal for this purpose (also good to give to the kids save you shouting at them to come in for supper)."
[Search the Maplins web site for these - Richard]

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