please research how to load a caravan properly as it could cause sever towing problems if it is packed wrongly
you will need to know your cars allowed down load on the tow ball, commonly known as the noseweight,& do not exceed it.
make sure your caravans MTPLM (maximum allowed loaded weight of van) does not exceed the kerbweight of the car ( preferably no more than 85-90%)
NEVER use the steady's to attempt to level the caravan.
Never attempt to jack up the caravan using a jack under the chassis rail always under the axle or use the jacking points IF they are fitted .
sorry to be a downer But if you are new to towing & caravanning it could save your life, & save you damaging your new van, & save you from possible sever loss of money
TD
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If your van is 2007 it could have its original tyers, check to see how old they are and if they are the originals they could be up to 8 years old, change them.
the last thing you want in your first caravan is a flat tyre
have a look at them for the dates on the side of the tyre
something like this.
And to answer your question take as little as possible because most of the junk we take just gets in the way.
Wow - great advice thanks. I'll spend some time researching tow weights and loading etc. There is a lot more to know about than I thought.
We will be taking 2 kids and 1 dog - I'll be putting in the bare essentials to start with I think, pretty much what we would use for camping, minus the tent, to see how we get on.
We will have our 1st run in October half term, which will probably be wet and cold but it's the ony chance we will have to use it this year.
We went out with ours last weekend for our first trip in a caravan and found we were short of a few odds and ends but nothing serious, one thing i did find out is how fast the wife can empty the fresh water drum while having a shower, she thinks she's using the one at home. Just get the safety things right, towing, towing weights, tyres, lights etc, nothing else rearly matters, safety first.