My 'new' caravan arrives tomorrow! Does anyone want to help plan it?

[KatyMac]

Straight to the workshop 😔

But that gives me time to plan it's inside

It is dual purpose, shop and living for marketa and festivals

So I need to keep the weight down to allow for stock but I'm a bit disabled so I need to think about ease of use as well as storage - so it'll be no problem sorting it all out 🙄

I'm prioritising these jobs first:

1. Check everything
2. Seal or replace the roof vent
3. Fix puncture/check ages of tyres (3)
4. Fix lighting
5. Fix battery/inverters/sockets/Hook up
6. Lock on the door

And I need to start thinking about my bed - maybe a murphy bed or something that folds up? Any ideas

My brother suggested a bench to sleep on with a section that lifts up for a small toilet.....hopefully at the foot end of my bed and only for emergencies!

So excited!

Nice idea - currently i'm using 2 removals wardrobe boxes on their side in the car

& I thought I'd take them when I go to collect it so there is some weight to help with towing

The sign might work - does anyone know if they stay firmly fixed when you are driving?

Or maybe have the logo on the van and a cover for when we stop?

I know a lot of businesses use them like taxis, driving instructors, take away drivers etc. around here and I have to say I don’t think I’ve ever seen one on the side of the road ever 🤷‍♀️ and I’m a non driver who trundles around the city in a wheelchair.

Residential caravan sites will be wary of anything unusual that may suggest you aren’t a standard holiday maker.

Caravan bodies are lightweight so I’m not sure there will be enough metal for a magnetised sign to stick.
You do not want to risk anything coming loose off the van whilst towing.
You may be able to hang something from your awning rail or side window

What about pop up signs.

There is a art to loading your caravan to ensure is is stable while towing. You need to have heavy stuff over the axle and low down and you need to avoid too much weight at the front or at the back.

www.hortoncommon.co.uk/how-to-load-up-and-pack-your-caravan/

Police and VOSA can stop you and fine you if your caravan isn’t safe. It may also invalidate your insurance. It’s also super scary seeing someone with an unsafe caravan bouncing round behind them.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.practicalcaravan.com/advice/how-you-load-your-caravan-matters-not-just-how-much%3famp

Yes we have vetoed hanging rails during journeys laying the boxes down on the floor seems the best idea

But I was told towing empty was a bad idea

I think I want the sign when I'm driving so havibga cover when I arrive is possibly better

The engineer is putting large magnets in the walls - it's just for us to decide whether the logo is on the sheet or the caravan

I am towing less than 50% of my kerbweight when fully loaded

The heavy things are going in the car - sewing machine/gazebo - so mainly clothes and mannequins in the caravan, with no kitchen or bathroom and only one 600 wide bed I'm being careful

Woo-hoo I have managed after about 8 weeks to book some driving lessons!!

Woohooooo!!!

So I have the fabric to make an awning but I don't know how - need poles
A hook up lead - I'd like solar panels....Next year
A step (might I need 2?)
Fabric for curtains and cushions- need to get some stuffing
Small gas ring & replacement cannisters
Washing up bowl

Need to look for pans/crockery/cutlery when I go to my mums house later in the week

Got a mattress and some blankets so I need to find a sheet and some pillows and some towels/teatowels

Got to but a small unplugged loo

I have a license plate/lighting rails/flooring

Was looking for poles in Google ( other search engines are available) as I was thinking you would need poles with spikes on top with an eyelet in your awning. The spike goes through the eyelet and then you would need a rope from the spike at an angle to be fixed in to the ground. I wasn’t sure how it would fix to the caravan but while tootling around on the internet I found these guys, don’t know if they would be helpful to you.

tentawningclinic.co.uk/kyle/index.php?route=product/category&path=70

For cushions what you need is cushion pads available from most sewing places, craft shops, haberdashery shops, Dunelm type shops, Wilko, B and M type places, Amazon etc.

I found these poles on Facebook for £5 so I might get them?

And I can put holes in the fabric i have - with my eyelet machine

I'll need to buy second hand foam but I have plenty of fabric 😉

Forgot to attach the photo

Good find!

Got what you mean by seat cushions now. I found foam on FB Marketplace once so it’s worth it to keep trawling. We also have a local FB camping and caravan sale page so it might be worth looking for one in your area.

Katy, so odd, I was thinking of you earlier & just came on to see how you were doing and your thread was at the top of active!

What a horrible thing to happen with the first van. I hope you follow it up & get a refund!!

Have you got any events booked in?

Loads about 15 booked so far I think and I've done about 6!!

DD's film/Arts Council Show is about to be released - so no-one wants to talk about my caravan at home!

Nope 26 booked and I have done 6 and I am looking at one just north of whitby if I can work out help with driving

Picked up second hand foam from facebook marketplace this morning and I have enough to do 2 projects in the house too

Wayhey!!!! Your on a roll. You gotta love the Marketplace.

And I went to the camping shop and bought the awning stuff new

I try to be careful but some stuff has to be new

You’re doing pretty well with your finds though. I picked up a chemical toilet off my local FB camping and caravanning page for a fiver the other day. You gotta love Marketplace.

Oh! and I’ve just twigged your colours Doh!! Sorry I was a bit slow there. Probably put purple on the bottom though I’m not a 100% on that, I keep flip flopping #helpful 😆

Hmm not doing very well with work atm....but I made this

Sort of full on historical cottage core - nit what I intended when I started tbh...but it goes that way sometimes!

Oooohh! I like that! That’s the nature of sewing sometimes though you start off with an idea for one thing and end up with something else. Do you have a FB page/website/Etsy page at all.

I’m working on this at the moment.

Nice I am a but scared of bags tbh but I want to make a pouch from some very soft leather I have