If you’re new to caravanning, or it’s been some time since your last trip, the process of hitching-up and heading for your favourite site can seem daunting. In reality, it’s straightforward and once you’ve escaped to your favourite destination a few times, you’ll be caravanning like a pro.
Learning how to load a caravan for the first time can seem daunting, but it's a straightforward process. Packing a caravan correctly will help ensure a safe and enjoyable towing experience as part of your caravan holiday. In this guide we cover how to properly load a caravan safely and easily.
Setting your caravan's noseweight after loading is crucial as it plays a significant part in ensuring you have a well-balanced and stable outfit. Noseweight is the weight or downward force from the caravan’s hitch to the tow car’s tow ball, and, thankfully, it’s a quick and easy thing to check.
With an array of levers and cables, hitching a caravan to a car may seem tricky, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Following the correct procedure makes it incredibly easy, and before you know it, you’ll have coupled car and caravan ready for your holiday.
In the previous beginner’s guide pages above, we’ve discussed how to load your caravan, how to set the noseweight, and how to hitch your caravan to your car. As you’re ready to head toward your favourite site, you may find the tips and information provided in this section helpful.
You've checked in at reception and manoeuvred your caravan onto the pitch, but what's next? Levelling a caravan makes for a comfortable holiday, allows the sinks and shower to drain properly, and helps the appliances to function correctly. Here's how to deal with uneven ground.
Have you arrived at your favourite campsite, pitched the caravan, and wondered how the caravan connects to the 230v mains hook-up? Or, if you’ve booked a pitch without electricity, how does the 12v system work with the leisure battery when going off-grid? The information in this section will help you to understand the electrical system.
Caravan gas - Butane or propane? Deciding which type of gas to use in your caravan can be confusing, as can the procedure to follow when changing a gas cylinder. In this section we'll discuss the type of gas to use when caravanning, the basic steps you should take before travelling, and how to swap an empty gas bottle.
How do caravan water systems work? Filling your caravan’s water system from an Aquaroll is a straightforward process when tackled in the correct order. It allows you to use the taps, shower, and hot water from your Truma or ALDE hot water tank. I’m sure most caravanners have made a faux pas after arriving on site (I have!). So here’s how to avoid unnecessary trips to the water-filling point.
You have arrived on site, pitched up and set up. Now it's time to get your caravan toasty. Follow these simple steps for either the Truma or Alde control panel - your Bailey caravan will be fitted with one or the other. Then once you're done, you can relax with a cup of tea and enjoy the cosy environment of your Bailey caravan.
How does a caravan toilet work? The leisure vehicle loo, or Thetford toilet, is an essential element. Emptying a caravan cassette toilet is often feared by folks who may be unsure of the disposal procedure or how to prepare it for use. However, there is nothing to fear once you get the hang of this. Follow the steps in this section and you’ll soon be dealing with the chemical toilet like a professional.
Leisure vehicle fridge-freezers are clever devices that can cool their contents with various power sources, but how does a caravan fridge work? The fridge in your caravan is designed to operate on three different power modes – 230 volt, 12 volt, and gas. Follow the information in this section to find out more.
How does a caravan oven, hob and grill work? Cooking equipment has come a long way since Bailey produced their first caravan in 1948. Today, cooking a roast dinner for the family is as easy as doing so at home, but should caravan cookery be new to you, here's how they work.
Finding a digital TV signal on your first caravanning trip can be tricky, but it’s straightforward once you know how. Follow this guide, and you’ll be watching TV in no time. We’ll use the Status 570 antenna system as an example, although the principle is broadly similar for most aerials.
Caravan security devices are designed to make the life of a would-be thief much more challenging and give added peace of mind to caravan owners. Some caravans come with security devices fitted as standard, such as wheel locks, tracker systems and PIR alarms. But how do you fit a wheel lock? And how do tracking systems and PIR alarms work?
Each UK caravan has a data plate attached, which contains a myriad of important information. If you are nearing the upper levels of your payload, it may be possible to increase it. In this guide, we’ll discuss MROs, MTPLMs, and payloads, including how to check if your caravan is eligible for a payload upgrade.
A glossary of leisure vehicle terms to help you understand some of the words and terms used in the leisure vehicle industry. From MTPLM to Noseweight, check the terms that might be new to you on this page. Or hover over underlined words throughout the website to find out what they mean.
