caravan- now what? - help please

[LadyInTheCaravan]

Here goes, we've bought a 2nd hand tourer van, sleeps 4, cooker, fridge, micro and toilet/shower, awning and outside carpet and step to get in the van.
Could you lovely MNrs help us with your top tips/ must haves/do/don'ts for what to kit it out with and generally things that we need to know please? We've got it home and are reading up on the safety aspects on how to tow/ set it up safely/ turn gas on/ off but are complete virgins and a bit overwhelmed- it's looking like a big white elephant at the moment

You might have more luck also posting on the camping board, as that's where more of the caravanners hang out. We're a year in, and have just got to the point where it feels like we know what we're doing, and don't need to buy anything else.

Did you get any gear with the caravan, apart from the awning? The caravan and motor home club do a good 'what you need' list on their website: here - we don't take everything on this but it's a useful start.

Thanks for your post, I will also get it moved

Have you got the basic stuff like pots and pans, cutlery, plates, tea towels and bedding? Some other things you could pack are games for rainy days, fold up seats for outside and wine glasses. You'll probably need a water carrier too like the aquaroll.

All depends, do you have kids, how much storage is in caravan, how long you plan to go away for, you also need to consider towing weights too. We have a small 4 berth, and 2 dds, first time we went away we took waaaay to much stuff toys wise to keep them occupied. We bought a little box set with plastic plates cups and knives and forks and stays in the caravan, does spot on for a week away. Apart from maybe a small basic tool kit for emergency and a first aid kit it's pretty much preference what you need to take

Aquaroll and wastemaster tank, you can get bags from go outdoors to put them in whilst travelling. Store them in the shower when travelling.

Get melamine dishes, very lightweight.

We've only had our caravan since the end of May (had a motor home before), and we love it. Just back from a long weekend in the Lake District.

Great ideas, dcs are 4&6, nothing extra in the van, we have sleeping bags but will need crockery etc but I was perhaps naively wondering if I just take stuff from the house, although tow weight is something I'd not thought of. Thinking of a couple of 2 week long trips/park ups over summer where we can come home if it gets too much (wimps)

Id definitely recommend this crockery: ikea - tempered glass, stacks really well, light, and can cope with falling out from the top locker in transit without breaking. Massively cheaper than similar crockery, and much more pleasant to eat from than melamine.

Towing weights depend on when you got your licence aswell. What kind of car you towing with?? Think after 2001 you can only tow as long as the whole outfit doesn't weigh more than 3.5 ton (3500kg). And yeah we just take stuff from the house aswell. Kettle toaster etc, just be careful how you pack things, nothing heavy up high, and try pack everything over the axle and so nothing moves about while your driving. First time we went away we sat and wrote a list of everything we could maybe possibly need, then ticked it of as it got packed. When we got there we realised we didn't need/use half of what we took so last time we went that list was halved. And next time probably a bit less. Also may I suggest as we did fir the first time, try somewhere close by home incase it's not to your liking. Couldn't imagine having to tow a caravan a few hours home with car full of screaming kids after a disastrous outing. Also have you tried putting an awning up before?

The main advantage of having stuff specifically for the caravan is it's quicker to get away, as well as reducing the issues around weight. Best thing to do is go away for the first time within access of home or a good camping shop, and then work out what you need as you go - people have different priorities. I think it was our third trip away by the time we felt we had it sorted. It's fab, hope you enjoy it!

Ha yes we're going to go close to home to start with, thank you for sharing everybody, I still feel daunted but also excited and that we can do it. I think it's the mechanical bits and all the buttons and getting into the routine of how to tow, pitch up and down that will only feel better once we've done it. Awning practice is also required

One of those remote parkers look cool. I saw a friend using a spirit level when setting up. Is that a thing?

Do you have fixed bed/beds? Ours have fixed twin beds and I got fitted under sheets and mattress protectors from Amazon - they're narrower than a normal single bed so fitted sheets were too wide.
We have a fold up camping table and two comfy folding chairs that go in the awning, we also have several lots of battery fairy lights that we string up in there if we're away for more than a couple of nights.
Second the melamine plates and cups, much lighter than china, and you don't mind the kids taking them outside.
We permanently leave cagoule and crocs for everyone stashed in one of the cupboards - always handy!
You'll maybe already have aquaroll for your water, and long hose and cable for when you're at a pitch with drain and electric hook up?

We did go a bit mad and bought kettle, toaster, cutlery, bedding and towels just for the caravan - so basically we just need to pack clothes and food when we're heading off, everything else is already there!
We go away regularly, sometimes just for the weekend, so whe. You don't have a lot of time to get organised for going, it's nice to know the van is already pretty much set up.
We have a little spirit level thing screwed to the floor of the van, just inside the door, so that you can see easily if you're level when you're pitching...it's a cross shape, so front to back and left to right are both there to check.
We love our caravan, and it has central heating, so we use it til nearly winter!

Thanks everyone, weve booked a pitch, I'm sure it will be fine but it seems scarier than anything I've done before, prob as we've got dcs in tow and we don't quite know what we're doing. Shall be using your tips

We are relatively new to caravanning and are now complete converts. I bought everything (kitchen related) to keep in it and keep spare hoodies/raincoats, shies toiletries and towels so that we can be ready to leave with no packing other than clothes and groceries. Definitely have a practice run(or 2) with your awning as that's been the hardest part for us to master

Memory foam topper for the bed has worked a treat for us. And those collapsible baskets you get from go outdoor have been handy for travelling food and tins. The other thing that has worked really well are the trugs- big ones for shoes by the door and small ones to take to the shower to keep everything dry. Have fun.

Thanks for advice everyone, we've just returned from first trip. We loved it and can't wait to book some more, we have the bug! The downsizing idea/keeping dry are really useful thanks