Essential list for the newbie (1 Viewer)

Anthony496

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Jul 18, 2015
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Hi guys

We take delivery of our new MH next month and we are beginning to look at the kit we will need for our first night away with the kids...

What do you recommend .. bare in mind that we have absolutely nothing so far.

Thanks
Anthony
 

CWH

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Hi Anthony,
For a start, water pipes/hoses, in and out - fresh water, grey water. Tap connectors. Bucket.
Presumably you have a hook-up cable with the MH.
Bedding. Food.
Most of all, Spirit of adventure and fun!
 
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Deleted member 29692

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Beer. Lots of it.

That way you won't care if you've forgotten anything vital like the hosepipe or the hookup lead or the kids.

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PP Bear

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Hi Anthony.....I'd defo say the wife, she's kind of essential (y)

Best idea is to stay in the motorhome on the drive. Lots do it and you'll know exactly what you'll need, or go local :)

But to name a few:

Ramps
Power cable
Grey waste drain
Food standard hose
Gas cylinders if not fitted
Usual towels, tea towels and bedding
Cleaning kit (wash liquid etc)
Torch
Toiletries
Wine
Beer
Tea, coffee etc
 
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Deleted member 29692

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No unless you can get your dealer to throw one in you won't get a hook up cable. It's no big deal though, you can buy the bits to make your own for less than 20 quid. Same with the hose pipe. You've got loads of options for getting fresh water into your van. You need to ignore all of our opinions and find what works for you. If you get bored of beer and like a drop of wine don't forget a corkscrew ( @JJ Post #6)
For the rest of it as long as you have gas don't worry too much. As long as you don't go too far for your first trip there's not very much you can't do without for a couple of nights.

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Anthony496

Anthony496

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Jul 18, 2015
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I'm a newbie
Hi Anthony.....I'd defo say the wife, she's kind of essential (y)

Best idea is to stay in the motorhome on the drive. Lots do it and you'll know exactly what you'll need, or go local :)

But to name a few:

Ramps
Power cable
Grey waste drain
Food standard hose
Gas cylinders if not fitted
Usual towels, tea towels and bedding
Cleaning kit (wash liquid etc)
Torch
Toiletries
Wine
Beer
Tea, coffee etc

Thanks for taking the time to compile that list for us

We are indeed looking at staying local .. Kingsbury water park CCC is about 20 mins from us so that will be our first stay. Went for a quick look around there this weekend took the kids, they didn't want to come home!! lovely staff and facilities to say we are excited is an understatement !
 
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Anthony496

Anthony496

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Jul 18, 2015
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I'm a newbie
No unless you can get your dealer to throw one in you won't get a hook up cable. It's no big deal though, you can buy the bits to make your own for less than 20 quid. Same with the hose pipe. You've got loads of options for getting fresh water into your van. You need to ignore all of our opinions and find what works for you. If you get bored of beer and like a drop of wine don't forget a corkscrew ( @JJ Post #6)
For the rest of it as long as you have gas don't worry too much. As long as you don't go too far for your first trip there's not very much you can't do without for a couple of nights.

I did say to the wife tonight when having my second gin and tonic that I should really drink a good red ... It's supposed to be good for you lol

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Deleted member 29692

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I did say to the wife tonight when having my second gin and tonic that I should really drink a good red ... It's supposed to be good for you lol

Absolutely. If you venture across the water drink the local wine over the local beer. If you're staying in this country then I find a good Rioja complements sitting outside your van of an evening (y)
 
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Anthony496

Anthony496

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Gaffa tape, WD40 and a lump hammer.

There's not an engineering task anywhere that can't be accomplished with that tool kit :D

Lol indeed ! Having owned a few boats in the past and being an engineer by trade I know this statement to be 100% true!

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Anthony496

Anthony496

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Absolutely. If you venture across the water drink the local wine over the local beer. If you're staying in this country then I find a good Rioja complements sitting outside your van of an evening (y)

Lol yes we will be getting over to France as soon as we can! I have heard nothing but good things about French parks and aires !
 
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Deleted member 29692

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As a good starting point..

10m fresh water hose ?
5m grey water?
20m electric hook up?

I wouldn't bother with a grey hose. The majority of places you will stay at in this country will either have a drive over point or you will be on grass so you can just dump it on the ground. Carry a bucket for the odd other times if you really feel the need. If it's getting that desperate I just find a quiet lay-by and dump it there.

A kettle is obviously another essential.

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TheBig1

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many many years! since I was a kid
outside chairs to make the most of the good weather. and the user manuals in case you cant get internet to ask questions
 
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Anthony496

Anthony496

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Outside chairs!

Now there's another mine field !

Thanks nicknic I'll bail out of the grey water hose until I venture into Europe then.

Do people use beaded hose/ garden hose or those ones that fold flat?


Thanks again
 
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CWH

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on grass so you can just dump it on the ground
... and the people following you onto that pitch will just LOVE you for that! (soggy, smelly ... it is, after all, your WASTE water). I wouldn't want it on a pitch I'm going to use; I wouldn't do it. Maybe I'm the odd one here?
I know some CL's are happy for you to dump the grey water in the hedge, which would require a bucket or hose, but still potential for an unpleasant smell.

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Outside chairs!

Now there's another mine field !

Thanks nicknic I'll bail out of the grey water hose until I venture into Europe then.

Do people use beaded hose/ garden hose or those ones that fold flat?


Thanks again

You definitely don't need a grey hose in Europe. Or anywhere.

We've had a flat hose pipe and I have to say never again. After it couldn't stand up to the water pressure of the service point in Chamonix I dissected it for repair and found that they are really thin and basically crap. We're now using a food grade standard hosepipe on a drum. I would recommend carrying an alternative method for getting fresh water into your van as well. For us that's an Aquaroll and a 12v submersible pump but we have the garage space for it and we use a lot of water. You will get a whole load of other solutions suggested. Find the one that suits you best, nobody is particularly right or wrong.
 
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Peter Ashcroft

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We are pretty new to it also, here is a list of some of the things we bought

Plastic plates, bowls etc and plastic cutlery , I can't stand rattles!!! and these seem to rattle less.
Cooking utensils and pans
Tin opener!
chopping board
collapsable washing up bowl & Bucket
Small Fire Extinguisher
Small combined smoke and carbon monoxide alarm
First aid kit
Levelling ramps
bedding
Toilet roll & Kitchen roll
Washing up liquid
gas bottles
we got 2 10m ehu cables rather than a 20m, 10m is usually enough and easier to manage, and if we ever need a 20m we will connect them.
hose pipe and some hose lock connectors, bought a good adapter off eBay that replaces the filler cap and you connect to that.
iboost motorhome wifi
charging cables for phones/ipads
Towels (we forgot these on our first trip!)
Outdoor chairs
Picnic blanket
sun cream for kids (again forgot on our first trip and we did have some sun!)
Chemicals for toilet.


On our first trip we went food shopping and got some food in for our trip, amazing how much of the basics we forgot, for example... Butter or spread, oil to cook with, salt & pepper, tomato Ketchup! the kind of things you just take for granted at home as they are always in the cupboard!

I stay in hotels a lot for work so now I just collect sachets of everything I can while out and about, condiments, tea coffee, and then we just keep them in the Van.

Hope you have fun!!

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Deleted member 29692

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... and the people following you onto that pitch will just LOVE you for that! (soggy, smelly ... it is, after all, your WASTE water). I wouldn't want it on a pitch I'm going to use; I wouldn't do it. Maybe I'm the odd one here?
I know some CL's are happy for you to dump the grey water in the hedge, which would require a bucket or hose, but still potential for an unpleasant smell.

It's my soapy water. Whenever we've done it before, usually a music festivals, by the time I've driven off a bit and jumped out to check that I haven't left chairs, cables or kids behind there's no sign of the water at all. Definitely no smells.

I could name two very popular UK sites, both have which have been mentioned today in threads, that actually tell you to dump your grey on the grass as they have nowhere else to take it.
 
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CWH

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Probably I am the odd one then! o_O (Wouldn't be the first time ;) )
 
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The stupid stupid girl in the office at Shell Island told me to drive down the road with my tap open and dump it on the road.

I swear that is true.

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Anthony496

Anthony496

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Jul 18, 2015
131
175
West Midlands
Funster No
37,203
MH
Coach built
Exp
I'm a newbie
We are pretty new to it also, here is a list of some of the things we bought

Plastic plates, bowls etc and plastic cutlery , I can't stand rattles!!! and these seem to rattle less.
Cooking utensils and pans
Tin opener!
chopping board
collapsable washing up bowl & Bucket
Small Fire Extinguisher
Small combined smoke and carbon monoxide alarm
First aid kit
Levelling ramps
bedding
Toilet roll & Kitchen roll
Washing up liquid
gas bottles
we got 2 10m ehu cables rather than a 20m, 10m is usually enough and easier to manage, and if we ever need a 20m we will connect them.
hose pipe and some hose lock connectors, bought a good adapter off eBay that replaces the filler cap and you connect to that.
iboost motorhome wifi
charging cables for phones/ipads
Towels (we forgot these on our first trip!)
Outdoor chairs
Picnic blanket
sun cream for kids (again forgot on our first trip and we did have some sun!)
Chemicals for toilet.


On our first trip we went food shopping and got some food in for our trip, amazing how much of the basics we forgot, for example... Butter or spread, oil to cook with, salt & pepper, tomato Ketchup! the kind of things you just take for granted at home as they are always in the cupboard!

I stay in hotels a lot for work so now I just collect sachets of everything I can while out and about, condiments, tea coffee, and then we just keep them in the Van.

Hope you have fun!!

Thank you so much for taking the time to write the list up, it's all noted and much appreciated!

Also like the idea of the 2 x 10m hook!

I have lots of food grade braded hose from work I can use.

We have a standard digital aerial fitted by the dealer along with an 18" avtex TV DVD ..will this be good enough or will we need a Sat dome in the UK?
 
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Anthony496

Anthony496

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Jul 18, 2015
131
175
West Midlands
Funster No
37,203
MH
Coach built
Exp
I'm a newbie
The stupid stupid girl in the office at Shell Island told me to drive down the road with my tap open and dump it on the road.

I swear that is true.
My brother recently hired a motorhome and they told him the same !

He bought a New Knous i700 LEG on Sunday following the best holiday he and his family have ever had. This motorhome malarkey is contagious
 
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Deleted member 29692

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We have a standard digital aerial fitted by the dealer along with an 18" avtex TV DVD ..will this be good enough or will we need a Sat dome in the UK?

You will be fine to receive Freeview.

If you decide to take your Sky box from home with you you will need a dish but other than that, no.

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Deleted member 29692

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My brother recently hired a motorhome and they told him the same !

There are lots of people on here that think Shell Island is some kind of Valhalla. Personally I think it's OK but no more than that and it's definitely hugely over priced.
 
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