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Hi all

After years of tents and folding campers we have finally got our first caravan.

After hours of walking around Highbridge caravans at the weekend we decided on a lovely 2004 Elddis Odyssey 482 2 berth caravan and now have to wait until 1st May to collect it.

I will no doubt have alot of questions to ask so i ll be making full use of the forums for tips and advice from all you pros!!

Hopefully some of you have managed to get away and enjoy the lovely weather at the moment, i just hope it lasts a few more weeks!!

All the best

Congratulations on your new caravan and enjoy your first trip when you go.

Dave & Kath,

Good choice of van, we have an Elddis, after are 2 years TT, we have never looked back, have many nights in comfort away.

Good luck

Shirley

Thank you both

We are really looking forward to our first trip away, we have booked Hurn Lane in Burnham On Sea because it is nice and close to Highbridge caravans and we thought it would give us a chance to get fimiliar with the caravan not far from home.

I ll be glad when the first time towing will be done, any tips on reversing the caravan will be appreciated!!

All the best

Mmm Hours going around Highbridge... now that must have been fun. Hard work deciding on the right van for what you want out of caravanning isn't it? Well, that's the hard bit over so now you can start to enjoy caravanning and what better way than by going backwards in a straight line? Maybe going backwards round a corner.

In a strightline........RELAX

Driving mirrors (I've tried a few and Millenco are the best IMO - at least they stay in the same place and don't move up and down with the vibration of the van!!!). Adjust till you can see the end of the van in the mirrors (assumning van and car are stright!). Looking in each mirror you should have no more than half of the mirror covered by the van and the outer half of the mirror showing the rest of the scenery behind you. Reverse and each time more of the van appears in a mirror turn your steering wheel towards that mirror until only half the mirror is showing the van again. The longer each mirror only has half of it covered with the van the strighter the line you take going backwards. 

Round a corner...... RELAX

Point and pull. Both hands on the steering wheel. Which way do you want the back of the van to turn? Right? If you point to the right (with your right hand) that leaves your left hand on the wheel. Pull down with that hand. That turns your wheel left and the back of the van will go right.

Turning onto a pitch at 90 degrees.......RELAX

Go past about five or six foot (the right distance takes practice as all vans are different dimensions). Get the passenger out to stand at the edge of the pitch to signal when you are the right distance past it. You point right as that is where you want the back end to go so pull down on the steering wheel one full turn left. Slowly straight back (don't turn steering wheel) until the car and van are at an angle. Not too much of an angle. Probably having moved back about 5-10 feet. Turn steering wheel one full turn to right so that your wheels are back square. Reverse slowly and although your car will be going straight back the back of the van will continue to turn right onto the pitch

Watch the wheels of the van on your side and the back of the van.

Back of the van - to see that it is going where you want it to go and not hitting anything. (Passenger should be watching the back anyway)

Wheels, - as eventually those wheels will stop turning, even though you are still reversing. What is happening now is that the van wheels on your side are at the centre of a circle and the wheels on the other side are on the outside of the circle and are turning a lot to get round that circle. Hope you follow.  If you continue with your turn, the wheels on the far side will be pushing the van to the right so much that the wheels on your side will start to go forward.  Try to picture it and if you can't try it with the kids toy car using one wheel as the fulcrum point. Anyway at this point you need to start squaring up as your van is turning in too much of a circle to the right. Point left as you want the back of the van to go left to square up. So pull down on the steering wheel with your right hand and turn it to full lock right. Slowly back and the van starts swinging to the left. When you are parrallel to the pitch edge swing steering wheel over to the left and then watch your caravan mirrors - not the car mirrors. You need to go back slowly turning the steering wheel to the mirror that shows more of the van. If necessary shunt forward to square your car to the pitch and then slowly back getting half of each mirror showing the van.

After every reverse move finish by edging slightly forward. When reversing, the car is going backwards pushing the van so the van is trying to go forward. Move forward and you drag the van which is trying to go backward. Trust me. Having moved forwards, when you take the hitch off the van is still in backwards mode so should edge back as the hitch comes up. If the van is still in forward mode (because you finished reversing and didn't go forward) then, when you take the hitch off, it jumps forward and hits your car. Oops bump scratch!

Doddle....well after some practice but thats the basic principle.

The alternative is to just get out unhitch and use the motor mover. Not as satisfying though.

Level side to side with the van still attached to the car. Move van onto a leveller with motor mover and the leveller acts as a resister such that the other wheel moves more freely and swings the van around. Move the van forward onto leveller with the car pulling it and both wheels move together and the van remains square when mounting the leveller.

We generally have the van door open with a spirit level on the floor and the wife gives the thumbs up when it shows we are level. She sticks the chock in as I jump out to apply hand brake. Unhitch and then level front to back using jockey wheel. Legs down and handbrake off. Job done. Kettle on whilst we get the rest sorted. 

Hope this theory helps. Find some wasteland or an old aerodrome (Dunkeswell o nthe Taunto to Honiton Road is not far from you is it? Mind you that sharp left turn up that hill may not be the sort of place to take your van - you probably know where I mean) and practice practice practice

Phil

Congratulations on your new van!

We're still newbies (only done 5 trips) & still have loads to learn but we're enjoying every minute of it.

Don't worry too much about towing - going forwards & round corners is easy as long as you remember you have a van on the back.  We're rubbish at reversing but we've given a few campsite wardens a good laugh while we've been trying!  You'll find wardens very helpful when it comes to getting on your pitch & with a 2 berth you can always resort to pushing & pulling manually if needs be!

Think we'll be printing the advice above out & taking it with us next time we go out.

Enjoy your 1st trip of many!

You must be well chuffed to have bought your caravan & I hope you enjoy it. As far as towing is concerned. My advise is to tow it at a speed where you feel comfortable & you're confident that you are in control. When I took my class one back in the 70s, the instructor told me to always make sure I can stop the lorry doing what it's doing & make it do something else. If the answer is yes, I'll know I'm in control. I've always remembered his words no matter how big or small the vehicle I'm driving.

Don't worry about those following you, none of them were born able to tow & they have a number of options if they don't want to follow you. The safe arrival of those with you is your priority. Reversing will come naturally given time so you don't want burying in advice on this one. Enjoy your van & take care

BB

"Think we'll be printing the advice above out & taking it with us next time we go out."

Remember that the wife at the back just gives hand signals, no words needed and Hubby in car does not rant. Or vice versa. Makes for a calm weekend.

May sound silly but agree the hand signals. What is a stunningly obvious signal for the little lady at the back can be interpreted so differently from behind the wheel. "Stop" is both palms of the hand facing forward at chest height. I have seen one lady slap both hands onto the back of the car to try and stop it as Hubby carried on reversing...Bang. I have seen palm of one hand facing Hubby (stop) whilst other hand waves him back!! Another  one..Hubby shouts "Is it Ok" and wife holds out both hands at each side of the body, palms facing the heavens, and shrugs shoulders. I think that was "I couldn't care less". You have to work as a team

Reversing to hitch up

Lady (lets assume Hubby is driving), stands right next to and on the right of the hitch (as you look towards the car). Left hand in front of face palm facing to right and back of hand to left. All lady sees is her first finger. The hand should be directly over the hitch. That way Hubby knows exactly where hitch is and should be getting middle of rear window in line with the hand. Lady uses other hand to guide in waving her right hand towards herself. Both palms out to stop. Lady looks at Tow Ball and hitch and decides that car needs to go right or left to get hitch over tow ball.

If car needs to go right.....

Right hand in front of face with palm facing left and back of hand right. Right hand directly over hitch. Hubby should be getting middle of rear window in line with the hand. Using left hand touch top of left forefinger to palm of right hand so that you are pointing to the right. Hubby turns to right.  So Hubby as soon as the lady starts to move the hand you are aiming at you know that a new signal is about to come. Get ready to stop. Always give the stop signal before you change the signal

If car needs to go left - Reverse of the above. 

Once the right/left move gets tow ball more or less centre with hitch both palms out to stop and then its back to one hand over hitch and the other waving car back. Repeat as necessary.

I have a Caravan Club Badge in the middle of my rear window with the CC on the flag right in the middle of the rear window so that if the little finger of my wife's guiding hand is between the two C's I know I am going right under the hitch. The width of my car fits between the two side lights at the base of the front of the caravan. So, looking in the driving mirror I square up the car between those two lights to start. I know then that I am about right for the hitch. So worth a good look at your van in the driving mirror to pick out two points at each side of the van you can position between.

When the car gets about a foot off the hitch - palms out to stop. Lady moves out from A frame (saves being squashed). Indicate with the forefinger of each hand the distance the car needs to travel to get under hitch. Then hand up again palm and back facing to sides and other hand waving in. Change to the "go to the right" or "go to the left" position as appropriate giving the stop signal before each change of signal. Palms up to stop when about 6 inches off. Indicate with thumb and forefinger the distance to go. Repeat etc and the tow ball will eventually come right under the hitch...palms out to stop, drop jockey wheel, clamp shuts... jobs a good 'un. Wind down jockey wheel slightly and that lifts the A frame and the car -just to see if the car lifts so you know it has locked on. Lift up Jockey wheel and lock it in place, brake cable on, electrics hooked up.

Hitch slips onto tow ball better if the handbrake is off. Careful in wind

Check lights - side then full. With full lights on check brakes (that way you know the brake lights work with other lights.) Keep brake and other lights on and test indicators. Lady at back gives thumbs up for each set of lights. If she knows the order she knows what to look for.

Mirrors on, check around the van, Check locks and ask.."have we forgotten anything?" Handbrake? ..........and off you go.

Only takes a couple of practices. Try at home or at the van storage depot (no one watching) if you have the space. Once you have done it a few times your confidence is raised and then its like falling off a bike.

Enjoy

Phil

Thanks all

Feels like being part of a big family

We ll let you know how we fair on our first trip away

Thanks again

Hi dave & kath,

we are tenters (reason = Space for 2 v.young kids) Hope you enjoy your new van and your 1st trip away.

Amy

I expect you'll come back on and say you drove all the way there backwards!!!!

Phil

Quote: Originally posted by Dave + Kath on 09/4/2010

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Hi all

After years of tents and folding campers we have finally got our first caravan.

After hours of walking around Highbridge caravans at the weekend we decided on a lovely 2004 Elddis Odyssey 482 2 berth caravan and now have to wait until 1st May to collect it.

I will no doubt have alot of questions to ask so i ll be making full use of the forums for tips and advice from all you pros!!

Hopefully some of you have managed to get away and enjoy the lovely weather at the moment, i just hope it lasts a few more weeks!!

All the best

 

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Hi Dave & Kath

Congratulations on your new van!

Are you members of the Caravan Club? I thought you might be as you have chosen to book Hurn Lane.  If you are, you might not realise that Highbridge Caravans will give you a discount in their accessory shop (excluding awnings!) if you show your membership card.  They also give the same discount on accessories if you buy a van from them - although I am not entirely sure if that's only for new vans, or not.

We were down at Highbridge this weekend, dropping off our Challenger as a part-ex.  We had a quick look at our new Sterling which was there with our name on it!  Next weekend, we are going back to collect the new van, after Highbridge have swapped the motor mover over.

We did our very first tow from Bradley Stoke to Burnham on Sea a few years ago and I can recall how scary it was!  We took our first van to Home Farm, which is just a couple of miles down the road from Highbridge - and which we knew had a nice easy wide entrance for our first attempt!  I thought we would never get used to the feel of the van on the back of the car, but we did get over our white knuckles after a couple of trips.

Let's hope you have a great Summer with your Elddis.  Happy Caravanning!