finding the right caravan for you...finding the right caravan for you so you’ve made the first...

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Finding the right caravan for you So you’ve made the first decision – to buy So you’ve made the first decision – to buy a caravan – but where do you go from a caravan – but where do you go from here? The choice is bewilderingly. Prices here? The choice is bewilderingly. Prices vary from £500 to £50,000 and you could vary from £500 to £50,000 and you could base your decision on anything, from the base your decision on anything, from the colour of the furnishing to the country of colour of the furnishing to the country of manufacture. Where should you start? And manufacture. Where should you start? And will you get a better ’van if you pay more? will you get a better ’van if you pay more? This Data Sheet offers a few pointers by helping you ask the right questions and consider your requirements before making an investment. Get more free help and advice when you join the Club . Your towing vehicle Realistically, unless you want to upgrade your car, your choice of caravan will be limited by the towing capacity of your current vehicle. As a rule of thumb, find the car’s kerbweight from the handbook, divide by 100 and multiply by 85. This ‘85 per cent recommendation’ will give you a reasonable maximum weight of caravan you can tow comfortably, and is particularly aimed at those new to towing. You’ll also need to check your car’s Towing Limit (again, see the handbook) and stay within it. Club members can use our Towing Match Service to check the suitability of the car and caravan combination. You’ll also need to check the limits of your driving licence before you take to the road with a caravan or other trailer in tow. Data Sheet 40 – driving licences (pictured right) has detailed information about the limitations of a licence. Is bigger always better? A caravan towed by a car can be up to 7m long (not including the drawbar) and 2.55m wide in the UK, but a large caravan can seem daunting when you first start towing. Apart from taking up more space on the road, it will be more affected by buffeting from side winds or passing lorries, especially on faster roads. You may want to start with a smaller caravan and upgrade as you gain confidence. Smaller caravans have other advantages too. They can be cheaper on ferries and easier to manoeuvre on narrow roads. If you really need more space, consider an awning – a tent-like structure that fits on the side of the caravan. DATA SHEET #1 Choosing a Caravan #1 Choosing a Caravan # 1

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  • F in d in g th e righ t caravan fo r youSo you ’ve m ade th e first dec ision – to bu ySo you ’ve m ade th e first dec ision – to bu y

    a caravan – bu t w h ere do you go froma caravan – bu t w h ere do you go from

    h ere? T h e ch oice is bew ilderin gly. Pricesh ere? T h e ch oice is bew ilderin gly. Prices

    vary from £ 500 to £ 50,000 an d you cou ldvary from £ 500 to £ 50,000 an d you cou ld

    base you r dec ision on an yth in g, from th ebase you r dec ision on an yth in g, from th e

    colou r of th e fu rn ish in g to th e cou n try ofcolou r of th e fu rn ish in g to th e cou n try of

    m an u factu re. W h ere sh ou ld you start? An dm an u factu re. W h ere sh ou ld you start? An d

    w ill you get a better ’van if you pay m ore? w ill you get a better ’van if you pay m ore?

    This Da ta Shee t o ffe rs a few po inte rs by he lp ing

    you a s k the right que s t ions and cons ide r your

    requ irem ents be fo re making an inve s tment . Ge t

    more fre e he lp and advice w hen you jo in the C lub .

    Y our tow ing veh ic leRea lis t ica l ly, un le s s you w ant to upgrade your ca r, your cho ice o f ca ravan

    w il l be l im ite d by the tow ing capacity o f your current veh icle . A s a ru le o f

    thumb, f ind the ca r’s ke rbw e ight from the handbook, d ivide by 100 and

    mult ip ly by 85. Th is ‘85 pe r cent re commenda t ion ’ w i l l g ive you a

    rea sonab le maximum w e ight o f ca ravan you can tow com fo rtab ly, and is

    pa rt icu la rly a im ed a t those new to tow ing. Y ou ’l l a ls o need to che ck your

    ca r’s Tow ing L im it (aga in, s e e the handbook) and s tay w ith in it . C lub

    membe rs can use our Tow ing Ma tch Se rvice to che ck the s u itab i l i ty o f the

    ca r and ca ravan combina t ion.

    Y ou ’l l a ls o need to che ck the l im its o f your driving l icence be fo re you take to the road w ith a

    ca ravan o r o the r t ra i le r in tow .

    Da ta Shee t 40 – driving l icence s (p ictured right ) ha s de ta i le d in fo rma t ion about the l im ita t ions o f

    a l icence .

    Is b igger a lw ays better?A ca ravan tow ed by a ca r can be up to 7m long (no t includ ing the draw ba r) and 2.55m w ide in

    the U K, but a la rge ca ravan can s eem daunt ing w hen you f irs t s ta rt tow ing. Apa rt from taking up

    more s pa ce on the road, it w i l l be more a ffe cted by buffe t ing from s ide w inds o r pa s s ing lo rrie s ,

    e spe cia l ly on fa s te r roads . Y ou may w ant to s ta rt w ith a sma lle r ca ravan and upgrade a s you

    ga in confidence .

    Sma lle r ca ravans have o the r advantage s too . They can be cheape r on fe rrie s and ea s ie r to

    manoeuvre on na rrow roads . I f you re a l ly need more s pa ce , cons ide r an aw ning – a tent -l ike

    s t ructure tha t f it s on the s ide o f the ca ravan.

    D ATA SH EET#1 C h o o sing a C arav an#1 C h o o sing a C arav an #1

  • Unpacking a fo ld ing caravan

    Y ou w il l f ind more f loo r s pa ce in a 4m-long ca ravan w ith a fu l l aw ning than a 7m van w ithout .

    The combina t ion cou ld w o rk out cheape r, e a s ie r to tow and may use le s s fue l to re a ch your

    de s t ina t ion. The aw ning is a ls o a good spa ce to put w e t clo the s and boo ts w hen the w ea the r’s

    inclement .

    W hen you ’re not on ho lidayIt ’s l ike ly you w il l ne ed to s to re your ca ravan fo r more

    o f the yea r than then t ime it ’s on a p it ch, s o w he re w il l

    you keep it w hen you ’re no t t ra ve l l ing? The re a re ’vans

    tha t can f it in a s tanda rd ga rage , know n a s fo ld ing

    ca ravans o r pop-tops . The se a ls o have a low e r pro fi le

    on the road, m aking them more s tab le and fue l-

    e ff icie nt to tow . The re a re a ls o fo ld ing campe rs .

    Mode rn fo ld ing campe rs can have s im ila r fa ci l i t ie s to

    ca ravans , includ ing w ashrooms and kit chens . They

    o ften g ive la rge l iving s pa ce w ith conven ient f ixed

    beds , but a s they have te xt i le s ide s and roo f a re le s s

    w e ll s u ite d to w inte r camping w ithout s ens ib le prepa ra t ion. Y ou can f ind out more about them in

    Da ta Shee t 2 – Choos ing a t ra i le r te nt o r fo ld ing campe r.

    I f you choose a s tanda rd ca ravan you ’l l ne ed to de cide w he the r it ’s pos s ib le to keep it a t hom e

    or i f you ’l l ne ed to pay fo r s to rage e ls ew he re .

    Is it approved?As the re ta i le r, the dea le r is re spons ib le to ensure tha t e ve ry touring ca ravan s o ld is s a fe and f it

    fo r purpose . Eve ry new ca ravan s o ld in Europe now has to be type approved, th is w as int roduced

    fo r ca ravans in 2014 fo r new mode ls , th is s e ts s t rict w e ight , d imens ion and s a fe ty regu la t ion

    requ irem ents on the manufa cture r, how eve r th is is s t i l l on ly fo cused on the road go ing e lement .

    The Na t iona l Ca ravan Counci l (NCC) approva l s cheme brings in the hab ita t ion a rea s and ca rrie s

    out che cks aga ins t B rit is h and European s tanda rds , Hea lth & Sa fe ty Exe cut ive , Gas Sa fe , F ire

    Inspe cto ra te e tc.) and it s ow n code s o f p ra ct ice to ensure they a re s a fe fo r the end use r. Mos t

    ca ravans s o ld in the U K w il l ca rry a NCC Approved badge .

  • C heck whether a fix ed bed layo u ts u its yo u

    F inding the righ t caravanO ne o f the be s t p la ce s to s ta rt looking fo r a ca ravan is us ing the a s s e ts the C lub provide s

    to it s mem be rs . Th is may be the C lub magaz ine e ve ry month o r the te s t a rch ive page .

    Ano the r grea t too l is the Tow ing Ma tch Se rvice w he re you can compa re a s e le ct ion o f

    ca ravans to your tow ca r and f i l te r the re su lt s by la yout (> 2017), make , yea r and numbe r o f

    be rths us ing the MO MS too l (Mult i O ut f it Ma tch ing Se rvice ) w ith in the Tow sa fe w ebs ite .

    The C lub a ls o produce s it s O w ne r Sa t is fa ct ion Survey re su lt s e ve ry yea r us ing your fe edback,

    typ ica l que s t ions a re re la ted to cus tome r s e rvice by dea le r and manufa cture r, de s ign, e a se

    o f us e , type s o f fau lt s , re pa irs and qua l ity.

    O the r s ource s o f us e fu l in fo rma t ion a re make r and dea le r w ebs ite s , the ca ravan spe cia l is t

    p re s s and s pe cia l is t w ebs ite s s uch a s Ca ravanfinde r.

    A w o rd o f caut ion, the re a re a numbe r o f bogus w ebs ite s a round tha t o ffe rs ca ravans and

    moto rhomes a t ba rga in price s , they no rma l ins is t you pay up front . W e a re aw a re o f peop le

    be ing duped by the se s cammers and lo s ing the ir money. Do ba s ic che cks and vis it the

    dea le r be fo re pa rt ing w ith any money, and if i t s e ems too good to be t rue , it p robab ly is .

    Hiring a ca ra va n

    It is pos s ib le to h ire a ca ravan be fo re inve s t ing in your ow n. Look in one o f the ca ravan

    magaz ine s a t the new sagent o r on l ine – but be aw a re th is is no t a cheap opt ion and you ’l l s t i l l

    ne ed an appropria te tow ca r and the co rre ct d riving l icence .

    H ow m any people w ill s leep inside?The s iz e and w e ight o f a ’van is no ind ica t ion o f the numbe r

    o f peop le w ho can s le ep ins ide . Many coup le s choose to

    t rave l in a luxurious tw o-be rth w ith a kit chen and w ashroom

    to riva l those a t home .

    Some grandpa rents cons ide r buying a ca ravan w ith four

    be rths o r more , ant icipa t ing ho l idays w ith the grandch i ld ren.

    How eve r, it is w o rth th inking about a tw o-be rth ’van w ith an

    aw ning o r pup tent (a sma ll s epa ra te un it to p it ch next to

    the ca ravan) fo r fam ily ho l idays . Th is w i l l g ive you more room

    to prepa re food fo r e ve ryone and is l ike ly to be more

    com fo rtab le w hen you t rave l a lone .

    As w e l l a s the numbe r o f s le epe rs , look a t the s iz e o f the

    beds . Some doub le beds can be a s na rrow a s 1.2m (4ft ) and

    a re o ften too s ho rt fo r those ove r 1.8m (6ft ) ta l l .

    Many current ca ravan mode ls have f ixed beds , w hich canno t

    be conve rted to s ea ts during the day. Th is means you don ’t

    need to conve rt s e a t ing to beds a t n ight and they w il l have a prope r ma t t re s s . O n the o the r hand

    they take up a lo t o f s pa ce fo r dayt ime l iving . I f you de cide on a f ixed-bed un it w ith a doub le

    bed, che ck bo th o ccupants can ge t out com fo rtab ly w ithout w aking the o the r and make sure any

  • Th is layo u t can s o met imes g ive two s ing lebeds o r o ne do ub le

    cut o ff co rne rs w on’t make the bed too na rrow fo r com fo rt .

    O cca s iona l ly you may f ind beds de s igna ted a s ‘fo r ch i ld ren ’. Th is may no t re la te to the ir s t rength,

    it m ay be be cause the nea re s t f ire e xit may be too sma ll fo r an adu lt to e s cape in an eme rgency.

    W hen you ’ve de cided on a ca ravan, it ’s w o rth te s t ing the beds fo r com fo rt and e a se o f making

    up. Cush ions s haped fo r dayt ime s it t ing can be a nu is ance w hen re -a rrang ing fo r the n ight i f , fo r

    e xample , you need to move the knee ro l ls from the cent re to the edge o f the bed to avo id lumps

    in the m idd le . The qua l ity o f the cush ions can make o r b re ak a good n ight ’s s le ep . A s imp le

    so lut ion m aybe the add it ion o f a bed toppe r to improve com fo rt .

    I f you a re t rave l l ing w ith ch i ld ren, cons ide r a doub le -d ine t te ca ravan w he re tw o s ea t ing a rea s

    conve rt in to beds . Th is g ive s the youngs te rs s omew he re s epa ra te to p la y o r us e the ir e le ct ron ic

    gadge ts . A la yout w ith a cent ra l kit chen, w hich is good fo r s tab i l i ty on the road, g ive s younge r

    membe rs o f the fam ily s ome space o f the ir ow n and avo ids the need fo r them to w a lk pa s t the

    che f in the kit chen too o ften.

    D on ’t forget

    A ca ravan is a road-go ing veh icle s o it mus t be in a

    roadw orthy cond it ion e ve ry t ime you take it out and

    mus t no t be ove rloaded.

    A ca ravan shou ld be s e rviced e ve ry yea r. I f i t is no t

    looked a fte r p rope rly the runn ing gea r, ga s s ys tems

    and e le ct rics may s ta rt to de te rio ra te . See Da ta

    Shee t 10 - Se rvicing

    An annua l s e rvice is usua l ly a cond it ion o f the

    w a rranty on new ca ravans .

    Che ck the s e rvice w indow in the handbook to ensure

    you m a inta in your w a rranty, it s no rma lly a cond it ion

    o f the w a rranty to have an approved s e rvice e ithe r

    from your s upp lying dea le r o r AW S membe r.

    Furthe r in fo rm a t ion about keep ing your ca ravan in

    good cond it ion is g iven in Da ta Shee t 21 – Tow ing -

    Sa fe fo r the road

    S ecurity and insuranceAdd ing a tow ba r to a ca r is cla s s ed a s a mod if ica t ion tha t mus t be de cla red to the ca r’s

    insurance provide r. I f you use The Camping and Ca ravanning C lub ’s C lub Ca re insurance provide r

    you w il l a utoma t ica l ly be cove red, but o the r companie s m ight no t cove r tow ing a t a l l o r may

    make an add it iona l cha rge . Y our ca r’s insurance w il l then cove r any th ird pa rty damage w hile you

    a re tow ing, but you w il l p robab ly w ant s epa ra te ca ravan insurance to cove r the ca ravan it s e lf

    aga ins t dam age , f ire and the ft .

  • The te rms and cond it ions o f your po l icy is l ike ly to requ ire you to f it s e curity device s and impose

    m in imum se curity re qu irements . Y ou ’l l f ind more in fo rma t ion on th is in Da ta Shee t 14 – Ca ravan

    se curity.

    K eeping c leanA la rge end-w ashroom may look love ly in the s how room , but i f you

    on ly us e s ite s w ith good fa ci l i t ie s , you may pre fe r to us e the

    ca ravan spa ce fo r s ome th ing e ls e . O n the o the r hand, the re a re

    many love ly camps ite s w ith ba s ic fa ci l i t ie s . I f you a re l ike ly to

    enjoy the ‘aw ay from it a l l ’ na ture o f a f ive -van Ce rt i f ica ted Site o r

    the com panionsh ip o f ra l l ie s o r mee ts (o ften l is te d w ith an ‘ow n

    san e s s ’ o r ‘ow n s an ita t ion e s s ent ia l ’ re s t rict ion) you may w ant a

    good show e r room . Don ’t fo rge t , you w il l ne ed to t ranspo rt any

    w a te r you use to and from your ca ravan.

    A coup le o f o the r th ings to cons ide r: Can e ve ryone (e spe cia l ly

    ch i ld ren) ge t to the to i le t in the n ight w ithout w aking e ve ryone

    e ls e ? O r on a more fundamenta l le ve l, is the re room to use the

    to i le t and show e r? Some w ashrooms a re s imp ly too sma ll fo r s ome campe rs .

    U K or E uropean specification considerationsThe camping hab it s on ma in land Europe a re more s u ite d tow a rds us ing the fu l ly e qu ipped on-s ite

    fa ci l i t ie s . Many U K-sourced ca ravans a re fu l ly f i t te d in compa ris on and can e a s i ly ope ra te aw ay

    from such fa ci l i t ie s .

    U K spe cif ica t ion NCC approved ca ravans from Europe a re l ike ly to be f it te d out s im ila r to o the r

    U K ba sed manufa cture s . Some cont inenta l ca ravans w il l no t ca rry th is approva l, th is is n ’t

    ne ce s sa ri ly a prob lem but you w il l ne ed to make your ow n che cks on the de s ign and bu i ld qua l ity

    o f the ca ravan and be sure it confo rms to U K regu la t ion 's . A s w ith any veh icle you take onto the

    U K roads you w il l be pe rs ona l ly re spons ib le fo r it be ing roadw orthy.

    Mos t cont inenta l ca ravans have the ir doo rs on the ‘w rong ’ s ide , w hich can make a d iffe rence

    w hen p it ch ing , o the r d iffe rence s cou ld include :

    No t l ike ly to have a gri l l a nd s ome don ’t have an oven

    No t having a fu l ly e qu ipped w ashroom

    Norma lly need ma ins e le ct ricity to funct ion s o no t s u ite d fo r camping w ithout hook-up, may

    no t have a ba t te ry o r cha rge r, jus t a t rans fo rme r fo r 12v s ys tems

    Gene ra l ly l ighte r g iving you more payload capacity.

    C aravan m anufactu resAdria , w w w .adria -mob il.com/uk, 01787 888980

    A irs t re am , w w w .adventure lv.com/, 01539 624141

    Ba ile y, w w w .ba i le yo fbris to l.co .uk, 0117 966 5967

  • S o me caravans are very well equ ippedins ide

    S o me caravans have a mo re bas ic kitchen

    Bue rs tne r, w w w .bue rs tne r.com

    Coachm an, w w w .coachman.co .uk, 01482 839737

    De th le ffs , w w w .de th le ffs .de /en/

    E ldd is (Buccanee r, Compas s , E ldd is & Xp lo re ), w w w .e ldd is .co .uk, 01207 699 000

    Fifth W hee l, w w w .fi fthw hee lco .com , 01745 583000

    Freedom , w w w .fre edomca ravans .com , 01785 222488

    Gobur (fo ld ing ca ravans ), w w w .goburca ravans .co .uk, 01263 860031

    Hobby, w w w .hobbyca ravansuk.co .uk, 01773 853900

    Hyme r (Eriba ca ravans ), w w w .e riba .com/en/mode ls /ca ravans /

    Knaus , w w w .knaus .de

    LMC, w w w .lmc-ca ravan.de

    Luna r, w w w .luna rca ravans .com

    Ste rckem an, w w w .s te rckeman-ca ravans .co .uk

    Sw ift Group (Sw ift , Sprite and Ste rl ing ca ravans ), w w w .sw iftg roup.co .uk

    Vanm as te r, w w w .vanmas te rca ravans .co .uk, 01942 212194

    P le a se no te th is is no t an e xhaus t ive l is t , and inclus ion on the se page s doe s no t cons t itute

    endo rs em ent by The Camping and Ca ravanning C lub .

    E ating inMany new ca ravans include a s ubs tant ia l cooke r w ith a la rge oven a longs ide a m icrow ave oven.

    Th is a l l a dds to the w e ight o f the un it and may be unne ce s sa ry i f you e xpe ct to e a t out re gu la rly

    o r a re used to tent camping w ith jus t a coup le o f ga s burne rs . I f you p lan to pay fo r a p it ch w ith

    an e le ct ric hook-up, a m icrow ave is pe rfe ct fo r s upe rma rke t re ady-mea ls .

    I f, how eve r, you intend to cook in your ca ravan regu la rly, look to s e e i f the re ’s e nough w orking

    surfa ce to prepa re and s e rve your food. In o lde r ca ravans it ’s a ls o w o rth che cking to s e e w he the r

    a w o rk a rea fo lds out to b lo ck your e s cape route in an eme rgency.

  • A few extras

    Ca ravan ca rpe ts may look good in the s how room , but w i l l they do s o a fte r a w eekend on a

    muddy s ite o r an a fte rnoon on the beach? Removab le ca rpe ts may be the be s t o f bo th w o rlds

    o r you cou ld be paying fo r a ca rpe t to keep in the lo ft .

    Che ck the s to rage in the ca ravan. W il l the cupboa rds be s uff icie nt and w il l they s tay clo s ed on

    the road?

    W here to buy a caravan

    The ea s ie s t w ay to buy a ca ravan is to go to a reputab le , lo ca l dea le r. A good dea le rsh ip is l ike ly

    to have a w e l l-s to cked a cce s so ry s hop, s e rvicing fa ci l i t ie s and a s e le ct ion o f new and used

    toure rs on d is p la y. Any ca ravan you buy shou ld be g iven a ma intenance che ck and fu l l s e rvice ,

    includ ing a damp che ck.

    A dea le r’s us ed ca ravan price s may be h ighe r than if you buy priva te ly from an adve rt in a lo ca l

    new spape r, ca ravan magaz ine o r on l ine , but you shou ld ge t a w a rranty and e xt ra le ga l

    s a fegua rds . The re a re a ls o o cca s iona l, ded ica ted ca ravan auct ions , w hich you can t ra ck dow n on

    the inte rne t .

  • The be s t w ay to s e e a w ide s e le ct ion o f new ca ravans is to a t tend a s how . The b igge s t a re a t

    EventC ity in Manche s te r in Janua ry, G la sgow ’s Sco t t is h Exh ib it ion and Confe rence Cent re in e a rly

    Februa ry and the Na t iona l Exh ib it ion Cent re in B irm ingham in Februa ry and O ctobe r.

    Ca ravan m anufa cture s s e l l a s ign if icant p ropo rt ion o f the ir ca ravans a t the se s how s and you can

    o ften nego t ia te a good dea l. The s tands a re gene ra l ly s ta ffe d by s a le speop le from dea le rsh ips

    a cros s the count ry. Y ou ’l l ne ed to co l le ct your ca ravan from the dea le r w ho s e l ls it , s o f ind out

    w he re it is ba sed be fo re you s ign on the do t ted l ine .

    I f the dea le rsh ip is a long w ay from home , che ck w he the r you can use a lo ca l dea le r i f you need

    to have the ca ravan f ixed unde r w a rranty o r fo r s e rvicing . Some t imes you may be requ ired to

    take the ’van ba ck to it s o rig ina l dea le r fo r it s annua l s e rvice to comply w ith the w a rranty

    cond it ions . Th is can be bo th t ime consum ing and cos t ly in fue l.

    U sed caravansCa ravanning re a l ly took o ff in the 1960s , s o the re a re many pre -ow ned ca ravans a round.

    U sed ca ravans can cos t a s l i t t le a s £500, but mos t dea le rs w i l l on ly s upp ly more e xpens ive

    mode ls .

    Ca ravans bu i lt be fo re 1990 tended to be s imp le r and l ighte r. Y ou a re le s s l ike ly to f ind ho t

    w a te r, an oven o r ma ins e le ct ricity conne ct ions .

    If a 20- o r 30-yea r-o ld ca ravan ha s been ca red fo r and regu la rly s e rviced , it s hou ld s t i l l be

    pe rfe ct ly us ab le today.

    If pos s ib le , ta ke s omeone w ho know s w ha t they a re looking fo r w hen you go to buy.

    U sed ca ravans may be s o ld comple te w ith an aw ning and o the r us e fu l a cce s so rie s , but

    important th ings s uch a s a handbook o r e qu ipment manua ls may have go t lo s t .

    Fo r m ore de ta i l on w ha t to look fo r w hen buying s e cond-hand, s e e Da ta Shee t 6 – Choos ing a

    used ca ravan

    A dditional in form ation

    Y ou may f ind the fo l low ing Da ta Shee ts us e fu l a s they re la te d ire ct ly to ca ravanning:

    13 W inte r ca re fo r your ca ravan

    15 Tyre s and tyre ca re

    20 Ma tch ing ca r and ca ravan

    23 Choos ing a tow ca r – w hich fue l?

    24 Choos ing a tow ca r – auto t ransm is s ion?

    32 Ga s fo r ca ravans and moto rhomes

    34 Fre e ene rgy includ ing s o la r pow e r

    51 Choos ing a ca ravan moto r move r

    The se a re on l ine a t w w w . myccc.co .uk/da ta shee ts

  • A Mano euvring C o urs e in the W es tMid lands

    A h itch s tab ilis er

    Learn ing to towTow ing a ca ravan can be come s e cond na ture qu ite

    qu ickly. A good dea le r w i l l le t you t ry tow ing

    be fo re you com m it yours e lf.

    How eve r, to incre a se your confidence , you can

    a t tend a cours e to gu ide you through load ing ,

    h it ch ing , tow ing and manoeuvring s a fe ly.

    The Cam ping and Ca ravanning C lub runs

    Manoeuvring Cours e s a t d iffe rent venue s

    throughout the yea r.

    Y ou can f ind out more on l ine a t w w w .myccc.co .uk/cours e s o r by ca l l ing 024 7647 5442 fo r

    more de ta i ls .

    A dd in the extrasThe re is an eno rm ous va rie ty o f a cce s so rie s you can buy fo r

    your new ca ravan. Some th ings a re e s s ent ia l, s uch a s fre sh

    and w as te w a te r conta ine rs , and a numbe r p la te fo r the re a r

    o f the ca ravan to m a tch your ca r and e xtens ion m irro rs ,

    w hich a re a le ga l re qu irement fo r the ma jo rity o f ca r and

    ca ravan com bina t ions . Y ou w il l p robab ly a ls o w ant a 12V

    le is ure ba t te ry, bedd ing (duve ts o r s le ep ing bags ), a s pa re

    se t o f cut le ry, cro cke ry, ke t t le and a t le a s t one s e curity

    device .

    It is a ls o w is e to t ra ve l w ith a ba s ic too lkit , a s pa re w hee l

    and ja ck fo r the ca ravan.

    Many ca ravanne r's l ike to us e a s tab i l is e r a s an a id to s a fe tow ing and mos t ca ravans have

    mechanica l o r e le ct ron ic s tab i l is e rs f it te d from the fa cto ry the se days . I f yours doe sn ’t , you can

    fit be tw een your tow ba r and the ca ravan. Mo re de ta i l on s tab i l is e rs can be found in Da ta Shee t

    22 – Stab i l is e rs .

    Preparing your carTo tow your ca ravan you w il l ne ed a tow ba r and the re le vant e le ct rics f it te d to your ca r. O n ca rs

    s o ld s ince Septembe r 1998, a tow ba r w il l ne ed to be Type Approved, to EC D ire ct ive EC/94/20.

    It is impo rtant to choose a qua l i f ie d f it te r, e spe cia l ly on new e r veh icle s w ith comple x l ight ing

    circu it s and s tab i l i ty s ys tems , w hich may need to be reprogrammed to re cogn is e a t ra i le r. The

    Na t iona l T ra i le r and Tow ing As socia t ion (nt ta .co .uk) ove rs ee s an a ccred ita t ion s cheme fo r tow ba r

    f it te rs – look fo r the Q ua l ity Se cured Accred ite d (Q SA) Tow ba r Cent re logo . See a ls o o ffe rs from

    W it te r Tow ba rs w ith in the Tow ing Ma tch Se rvice too l - Tow sa fe .

  • A nd finally…Choos ing a ca ravan can be e xcit ing and a l i t t le daunt ing , e spe cia l ly i f you a re pa rt ing w ith a lo t

    o f money. But you don ’t need to ge t it e xa ct ly right f irs t t ime . Enjoy your un it fo r a w hile and

    remembe r, the re is a s t rong ma rke t fo r us ed un it s , s o you can a lw ays s e l l up la te r and s ta rt

    aga in.

    If you have fe edback on our new fo rma t Da ta shee t , p le a se le t us know , us ing our s ho rt Feedback

    Fo rm .

  • W eb :W eb : The Camping and Ca ravanning C lub ,

    Greenf ie lds House , W estw ood W ay , Covent ry CV4 8JH

    Tel:Te l: 024 7647 5442

    C o ntactsC o ntacts