Advice for picking up our first van (1 Viewer)

Feb 19, 2015
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We are doing the deal (private Hymer sale) in ten days time and I need to check there's nothing I've forgotten if you'd be so kind as to lend me the benefit of your wisdom as we are newbies.
We have organised road tax and insurance, getting the AA Euro kit stuff, having winter tyres and chains sorted the following week (heading off to ski shortly is the plan.) Plus our mechanic is giving the engine the once over to be sure. Ordered a mifi from Three, got all the kitchen stuff and bedding, getting picnic table and chairs, got maps, camping books, acsi card, Garmin Sat nav
As we're leaving our house too, redirection of mail, terminating sky tv, talk talk etc.cancelling house insurance.
Any glaring omissions that you can see?
 
Feb 22, 2011
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Cancelling house insurance ? You sure

Edit - read again, oh your leaving house for good ?
Lots more to do in that case
 
May 31, 2015
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Read house meters, water and leccy....

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Oct 5, 2012
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Download lots of poi's for the Garmin in case you need lidl macs for wifi or an aire/wild camp. There is a discussion of a bulk download of adam the wifi mans 2014 collection suitable for Garmin in the GPS section. Also you can (if its the right model of mifi) Order a £10 external aerial from fleabay to get a better 3/4G reception. Update the Garmin also, a big ipdate recently, good travels(y)
Garmin Poi dump link http://vandogtraveller.com/europe-poi-gpx/
 
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canopus

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Nov 27, 2010
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Travel Insurance for the both of you. Does your vehicle insurance cover all the countries you intend to visit and does it include recovery to UK form all of those countries? Three mifi is good but you may have to buy a data sim card in the country/ies you are visiting because Three won't work everywhere. This then throws up another spanner in that your mifi would need to be unlocked to accept another makers sim card. Check with www.motorhomewifi.co.uk as to which countries you'll be visiting - he will be able to advise you better. Ditch the Garmin and buy a Snooper which will better cater for the size of your van IMO.
 
Oct 5, 2012
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Travel Insurance for the both of you. Does your vehicle insurance cover all the countries you intend to visit and does it include recovery to UK form all of those countries? Three mifi is good but you may have to buy a data sim card in the country/ies you are visiting because Three won't work everywhere. This then throws up another spanner in that your mifi would need to be unlocked to accept another makers sim card. Check with www.motorhomewifi.co.uk as to which countries you'll be visiting - he will be able to advise you better. Ditch the Garmin and buy a Snooper which will better cater for the size of your van IMO.
If its a 3 mifi its unlocked as standard BUT I was told by the 3 shop it needs to be activated on a 3 data card with reception first before it will use others. Not sdure if thats true but I will follow the instructions given!
I also bought a £1 set of sim card convertors in case of any issues with the mifi and foreign telecom sim card sizes. Bit of of overkill but you never know!
 

mike mcglynn

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Jan 6, 2008
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Hi, I speak from experience walk slowly around the van and check everything very closely ,as one van I picked up had a scuffed front bumper the salesman had bumped it bringing it round the building and another van I was picking up had a round hole in the back window where a golf ball had just fired through ,:eek:kids on a field at the back of the showroom so beware and that's without even going inside it check out the roof as well :)
 
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Jac Sprat
Feb 19, 2015
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Thank you - you are such a helpful crew.
This WiFi thing sounds such a pain to organize! Why can't it be simple? I have a three contract for my smart phone if that helps at all?
Also partner has a vodaophone payg cave man old nokia phone as he can't get on with smart phones. Will that work fine abroad? We will be using mine mainly but it's for if we separate and I need to find him.
We've just got the Garmin, hundred twenty odd quid. Is Snooper so much better? Cheers for the help.

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Oct 5, 2012
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Thank you - you are such a helpful crew.
This WiFi thing sounds such a pain to organize! Why can't it be simple? I have a three contract for my smart phone if that helps at all?
Also partner has a vodaophone payg cave man old nokia phone as he can't get on with smart phones. Will that work fine abroad? We will be using mine mainly but it's for if we separate and I need to find him.
We've just got the Garmin, hundred twenty odd quid. Is Snooper so much better? Cheers for the help.
Garmin in fine for me. As with regards short distance comms buy a good 2 way radio (walkie talkie) set. Good ones say £40+ can do a couple of kilometres in the open and are fine in towns on sites shopping centres etc. (Also good for issuing reversing instructions from helper to driver!!) uk phone plans abroad to phone each other could cost a huge packet!!!!
3 Mifi should be fine as long as you activate it here. Most foreign phone shops will help out with a local sim if you take the mifi into them (y) You can use your 3 plan in certain feel at home countries as you would at home but its not designed for long stays abroad, otherwise its expensive for data.
 
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Jac Sprat
Feb 19, 2015
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Silly question.. how do we get the Garmin dump above (thanks) onto the Garmin Sat nav?
 
Nov 6, 2013
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I see no mention of beer and wine ! Come on guys, let's first concentrate on the basics ! ;)

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Update your doctor and ensure if applicable have sufficient medication to cover you.
Would also recommend you take some basics like painkillers and antacids etc as not as widely available abroad tends to only be in pharmacies not supermarkets like at home.

Lin :)
 
Mar 11, 2013
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You might like to look at the Toggle website for a SIM card with no roaming charge and free incoming calls and text.

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OP
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Jac Sprat
Feb 19, 2015
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Thanks about the doctor reminder. We need to try and get three months advance prescriptions plus extra hearing aid batteries .
I've just read the I killed my Hymer thread and had an anxiety attack about possible problems like that would basically involve us throwing in the the towel because we only have very small savings. I was looking forward to it before I read that haha
 
Oct 5, 2012
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Silly question.. how do we get the Garmin dump above (thanks) onto the Garmin Sat nav?
You need to download the Garmin poi loader Broken Link Removed. Then follow the instructions, you can put these poi's onto a memory card if you have one inserted in the Garmin to leave space for updates. These poi's will appear in the 'where to' and 'custom poi' section.
 
Oct 5, 2012
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Ayrshire
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5 years, feel free to ask me about the Carado!!
Thanks about the doctor reminder. We need to try and get three months advance prescriptions plus extra hearing aid batteries .
I've just read the I killed my Hymer thread and had an anxiety attack about possible problems like that would basically involve us throwing in the the towel because we only have very small savings. I was looking forward to it before I read that haha
I believe the recent 'lemon law' applies to private sales also to the extent that a known about major flaw not described by the seller of the vehicle can be acted upon by the purchaser legally.

Also check thoroughly underneath the vehicle for leaks and damage and rust and repairs.

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Sep 16, 2010
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If you have a Debit or Credit card, make sure you tell them your travel itinery so that if you lose your card, they will be alert to any withdrawals "off piste".. ((We have N and P))
 

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