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welcome ,,lots here.

http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/articles/

As far as packing is concerned, put all the clothes you've decided to take on the bed, and then put half of them back in the wardrobe (and you'll still have too many). 

Get a whole selection of caravan books and games, and leave them in - so that you don't have to remember them each time.  Start a caravan 'food box' and buy something to put in it regularly, so that you don't have to do a special shop when you're going off with the van.  Leave a whole range staple foods and tinned things in the van (but make sure that things like pasta and rice are in sealed tupperware containers so you're not attracting mice).

Pack bedding near to the bed you're going to use it on - nothing worse than having to run up and down the van when you come home late and have to start making beds up - and when you're children are older and no longer want to come with you get a fixed bed so you can leave it up all day and just fall into it, blissfully, at the end of a perfect caravanning day!

The first time you use it EVERYTHING will be in the wrong place - but eventually you find the right places for everything - and where it suits you to pack things.  I don't think anyone can help with that because it's such a personal thing.  Don't forget, though, that in a caravan it's important to put things back exactly where you got them from!  If your OH is anything like mine he just opens the nearest locker - and that will do - so he can never find anything.  I refuse to help him look now, and just leave him to it.  One day he'll realise that if you put it back where you got it from you can find it again next time (and we've only had this van for eight years!!!!)

Quote: Originally posted by canvasquivers on 12/2/2009

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when your out in the van watch others, again you can learn so much by sitting back in a chair, relaxing and watching.

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That is true.

food, I just eat the same stuff as I do at home, just having to cook on gas as opposed to leccy means you have to watch it more as the gas is hotter, just plan ahead with what food you need for each day in theory you will come home with an empty fridge and almost empty cupboards

clothes, being a former camper I only carry what i will wear, so fresh undies for each day, spare pair of jeans, pijamas, and dependent on length of time away one or 2 t-shirts. usually carry a fleece and always carry full waterproofs as kneeling on wet grass to drop the legs ruins your jeans

carry a small toolkit with some commonly used sockets, screwdrivers, knife, cable ties and gaffer tape along with some spares like fuses. being a new van you should be okay

as for packing the van, i,agine you are cooking a meal and you want everything at hand, do a trial run and work it that way. ditto for sleeping kit and clothes

Hi

We use to have Conway trailer tents and a folding camper then changed to a caravan a few years ago.

If we are going away for a while we do a ready meals / fresh / wine - grocery shop online (Tesco) they will deliver to most sites and in the past have delivered to the awning!!. This saves on fuel and two hours or so shopping. We also put some basics in the van just in case there is any delay in delivery.

We have a complete set of bedding and toiletries so we dont have to load the van up everytime we go away.

I always check the noseweight of my caravan before setting off as it only takes a few minutes and gives peace of mind.

We have a large lightweight tarp (13 quid) from Travis Perkins that i put down so i can lay the porch awning on it - especially this time of year and comes in useful in emergencies. If the site requires breathable ground sheets then it can be removed / packed away easily and if dirty can be hosed down etc.. at home.

As above we have games in the van, sometimes we buy used DVDs, that we have not seen,  from charity shops, as they are cheap and we can return them when we have watched / finished with them.

Whilst camping we usually eat most things that we have at home - just seem to wash it down with more wine!!!    

To keep gas costs down we usually try and cook on electric if we have EHU

Oh yes and as my 14 year old daughter will not go anywhere without her laptop then we have USB style pay as you go mobile broadband via Vodaphone as it seemed a pretty good deal for camping use only and at the moment seems cheaper than campsite broadband costs. Some sites (Sandy Balls - New Forest) have free wifi though.

and....... all the charges for phones, laptops, Nintendo DS etc........and when we started we said we would never have TV, Laptops, DS's  - funny how things change over the years!!!

Hope this helps for now

Andy

We are coming to the end of our 1st year of caravaning and I have to say it is the best thing we have ever done. We absolutely love it. Even went out in the van the week before all the snow and got home hours before all the snow had settled. It was fab with the caravan being so much more warm and cosy than I thought it would. We are off again in 2 weeks and are booked up pretty much once a month for the next 6 months.

As others have said it i all trial and error. We took wayyyyyyy too much on our first few trips but think we now have the right amount of everything.

Rather than take things that I use regularly at home I have doubled up on a lot of things so they can be left in the caravan that way you don't forget. The only things we remove in the winter time is the food bedding and clothing. Summer time it stays in there ready for the next trip ... which is never very far away.

This site has been a fountain of helpful information and friendly people. Keep logging in and just read as much as you can. You will be surprised at how much you pick up.

Best of luck and enjoy it all.

I agree with the suggestion of a couple of weekends close to home then you can pop home to get whatever you've forgotten but make a list so you don't forget it n ext time.  We  stopped 10mins from home several times , it worked wonders.  Good luck

Thank you all so much. We pick the caravan up in a week and hope to get 4 days away shortly after to learn as much as we can. We also hope to get a few more nights away before our 2wks in Vendee.

Oh I have to say the holiday cost us £40 more than it was going to with the folding camper. Sorry but I had to share that as we were convinced it would be at least a few hundred more!

This site is fantastic for getting hints and tips and meeting the most helpful people that all live for the same bug we've caught!

heavy stuff ove rthe wheels

talk yourself through a typical day that helps

tin openenr bottle opener cloth and tea towel

waterproof overcoat and wellies for water collection rainy day

books and mags

write a list you can keep and use agin

i have plenty of duvets like being on  top and under them cosy

fan heater

first aid

clogs are good

dog chain if you ahve one