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Haven caravan holiday - what do I need to take?

98 replies

BloodyDetails · 31/08/2021 18:45

The website says the caravans have kitchen equipment but does anyone know what sort and how much? Ie do they have sharp knives and a cheese grater? Are the pans usually vile non stick or ok quality? They say bedding is provided but am I best off taking a duvet and sleeping bags for the kids in case it's chilly or is the bedding nice and warm?

I've never been to a caravan park before, can you tell Blush

OP posts:
FrownedUpon · 31/08/2021 21:53

Slippers or flip flops. The floor in ours was really sticky.

ChequerBoard · 31/08/2021 22:02

I used to do reception duty at a Haven holiday park in my Uni holidays (long long time ago). If you do have an issue with your van, please do go and tell reception. be polite but be very clear and specific about the problem and what you want them to do to put it right.

If you want to move to another van, say so outright. If they are fully booked it may not be possible and therefore think through what will make things OK - additional cleaning, replacement bedding, new set of pans etc.

Not saying this to worry you - all will most likely be fine. But in a busy season like this, there may be things that need fixing and if so you need to speak up because the reception team will have heard it all before and can do things about it.

Hope you have a really lovely time Thanks

offyougotwantychops · 31/08/2021 22:18

I always take a kitchen 'tool' box (camping, caravanning, or self catering) because over the years I've learned I can't do without these few essentials: wooden spoon, potato peeler, sharp parring knife, cheese grater, small wooden chopping board, mixing bowl (which has many uses!). Small bottle washing up liquid, scrubbing brush and tea towel.
Have a fabulous holidaySmile

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H1978 · 31/08/2021 22:26

We took our cordless dyson. It was a godsend. We were on grass and it rained a couple of days so it was great to vacuum all the grass up without trampling it all over the caravan.

Pre prep as much food as possible so you’ve less to do there. The cookers are not as powerful as we’re used to. I like to take my George Foreman grill as it’s more efficient.

You’ll have a great time and it’s worth the experience. We’ve been going for years and have got one booked over October half term.

wonderstuff · 31/08/2021 22:32

We have had great holidays on two different Haven sites and always found caravan spotless on arrival. Hope you have a lovely time.

The only thing that I find a challenge is the bloody arcades that my kids are obsessed by.

katienana · 31/08/2021 22:41

I'm also an owner at Haven but I don't rent out. I have stayed as a guest and our caravan was lovely and clean. I'm actually in bed in my van now and don't need any extra heating in the bedroom so you will be fine! Even the more basic vans have little air blowers attached to the wardrobe in the bedrooms (they aren't great but do take the edge off) and the gas fire in the lounge does warm up v quickly.
If you have anything like a slow cooker or air fryer it would be handy to take as the gas ovens can take a while in my experience. Agree with all the practical stuff, take loads of towels, washing up liquid, foil, condiments etc but basic kitchen equipment is provided. I hope you have a lovely time. I really recommend the ranger activities the staff are great and the activities are really fun. The art studio is good too.

Quaggars · 31/08/2021 22:50

The pans are usually good, I wouldn't bother taking any of my own.

Definitely take

  • tea towels
  • washing up liquid (because if you forget they'll cost a near fortune in the campsite shop!)
Quaggars · 31/08/2021 22:52

Oh and I wouldn't rely on the wifi - all the Havens I've been too (been to loads!) the wifi is absolutely shocking or non existent (sometimes OK in the main entertainment complex but you've usually no chance of connecting in the park itself/caravans!

redfairy · 31/08/2021 23:19

I like to take my own tin opener S I struggle sometimes with the basic ones provided. I also take my own mug as I like a huge cuppa.

nonotmenotI · 31/08/2021 23:22

Get an Iceland/Asda/Tesco delivery for your food and anything else you need.

Hellotoallmyfans · 31/08/2021 23:23

I'm not sure if someone has already mentioned this but I'd take a small lamp if you have the room. There are never any lamps, only harsh overhead lighting and it's horrible when you want to read of an evening in bed or just have some low level lighting. That's my tip!

Maryann1975 · 31/08/2021 23:24

We have stayed at a few haven sites and they are fine. We normally go for a mid price van (I think). Definitely not top end. The beds are made up on arrival. My dc struggled with the bedding this year. The duvets were too big for the bed and the covers were to short to fit the whole duvet in. My friend stayed at a different haven and had the same issue. If this is likely to cause your dc an issue, it might be worth taking them a sleeping bag (My autistic child had a massive issue with the bedding not fitting the bed properly).

The best thing we did this year, which we have never done before is to order a click and collect Tesco slot for when we got there. Dh left me in the van to unpack and went to collect the shopping. I don’t know why we haven’t done it before! (But be warned, the fridges generally aren’t massive, so don’t plan on storing too much cold stuff). We had three pans, a couple of Pyrex type pie dishes, a plastic colander, a baking tray and a measuring jug. Cheese grater (although I had taken my box grater, which I find easier than the flat ones), veg peeler, scissors, a couple of knives (but not very sharp ones). I can’t remember what else.
I had taken sharp knives, scissors, tea towels (more than you think you need) oven gloves, ice cube tray, dish cloths, anti bac spray/wipes, plastic tubs for fridge storage, sandwich bags, tin foil, couple of pint glasses and my gin glass, chopping boards, Bottle opener/corkscrew, reusable straws (my dc can not stand using paper ones when we have drinks out), insulated mugs so you can take a hot chocolate out with you to have on the beach/up the mountain, carrier bags (if you don’t want to have to buy more), dirty washing bags, bin bags, kitchen roll, tissues, toilet rolls (we had two toilets, but only one toilet roll, washing up liquids, scourers. I took bleach to clean the toilet with.
A bath mat. Pegs. We had a Clothes drying Rack to hang out of the window, but things would have blown off if I hadn’t pegged them down. Hand towels. Coat hangers (no drawers and hardly any hangers, so we had to leave pretty much everything in the suitacases, Which wasn’t ideal.
I never thought to take the Hoover, we didn’t have one in the van and I wish I had been able to clean the floors as they got a bit grim halfway through the week.

We had no storage in our bathroom, I was glad I had put all the bathroom stuff in a plastic crate that I could leave in the hallway just out side the bathroom door.

I appreciate a lot of my list is unessential, but it Is stuff that would have made my life harder if I didn’t have.

Maryann1975 · 31/08/2021 23:26

I forgot one thing, a torch. Our electrics all blew (dc had an issue with the kettle) and we were left with no power for a couple of hours, although we had a torch on our phones, it’s quite difficult to go for a wee by phone light).

Nat6999 · 01/09/2021 02:17

If you are having anything more than the basic caravan they are usually better equipped, I always took my halogen oven, easier than mucking up the caravan oven, a couple of sharp kitchen knives, our sleeping bags & one pillow each, I'm autistic & don't like sleeping in strange bedding, your Sky viewing card if the caravan has Sky or your firestick type device, some bin bags, beach/bath towels & tea towels, salt/pepper/vinegar/olive oil, a dishcloth, washing up liquid, toilet rolls (the cheap basic ones as anything else blocks the drains)

Quaggars · 01/09/2021 02:27

I'm just here now to goggle at people taking their own halogen ovens, cordless dysons, and wotnot in the car with them
I mean, we're all on to ram the suitcases in the boot and the bag full of foods such as I'm not leaving without my teabags and the kids want their mini boxes of holiday cereal Grin

1forAll74 · 01/09/2021 04:23

Stress medication, for taking far too many things,and filling your car up with oven gloves, and sanitiser, hot water bottles and ten boxes of wipes. don't forget the salt and pepper though.

littlebird17 · 01/09/2021 10:58

Garlic crusher and a robot hoover?! 😂

OP take a cheese grater if your child needs it. Other than that the basics they have you will make do with.

Take washing up liquid, sponge/cloth and tea towel as there probably won't be a dishwasher and those things are mostly never provided.
Bedding is usually okay.

Comedycook · 01/09/2021 11:09

I always took my halogen oven, easier than mucking up the caravan oven

Seems a bit like overkill to me. Surely you don't clean the caravan oven before you leave?

Begsy · 01/09/2021 11:34

Wine!! 🍷🤣😂

JenniferAllisonPhillipaSue · 01/09/2021 13:27

We do Havens with Family Fund too, OP. We have our "holiday box" which gets full of all the extras we take just in case they are missing/useless in the van, which includes lots of the items listed by other people above ^^ so I won't repeat them. We find it's worth paying (out of the grant) for a towel bale as it means you'll have more with your own swimming towels as well. The bedding has always been good for us.

One thing we did when our autistic son was younger was to ask Maintenance to remove the metal bedframes from his bedroom and he'd sleep on the stack of two mattresses on the floor. It meant there was more room in his bedroom for his toys, but also stopped him from bouncing on the beds (he could bounce on the mattresses but they were lower) or crawling under the frames and banging his head.

Take duck/duct tape, you never know when you might need it! Oh and scissors. For some reason, we never seem to have scissors in the caravans we're allocated ...

Nat6999 · 01/09/2021 13:59

Comedycook no it isn't overkill, I rarely use my own oven at home, just my halogen, it makes the best bacon & toasted sandwiches I have ever tasted, ideal for on holiday. I cook most meat in it & it takes 2 minutes to wash out as I line the base with foil & kitchen roll to catch any fat & juice.

Authenticcelestialmusic · 01/09/2021 14:11

We had a booking at Haven last year and their handling of Covid cancellations last year was far better than other holiday companies who took so long to action any refunds. I booked again for this year (and will book again next year) just because I thought they handled Covid well.

I took tea towels. Bin bags. Towels. Cleaning cloths/dish cloth/sponges. Tupperware (sarnies on route and for days out). Insulated travel mug. Cafetière or aeropress to save me buying Costa coffees!
We book prestige or premier and have never been cold. Tv fine. Never used the WiFi.
I think the kitchen equipment is fine (I camp too and it’s luxurious in comparison). The hairdryer is fine apparently.

therebeccariots · 01/09/2021 20:50

@littlebird17

Garlic crusher and a robot hoover?! 😂

OP take a cheese grater if your child needs it. Other than that the basics they have you will make do with.

Take washing up liquid, sponge/cloth and tea towel as there probably won't be a dishwasher and those things are mostly never provided.
Bedding is usually okay.

Do I sound too middle class? 😂 My fingers stank of garlic as I had to hand slice it, put me right of my chateau neuf du pape and organic pate!
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