Inventory Advice (1 Viewer)

[mwark]

Hello,

So, the big euro-trip is getting closer. The van has been purchased, the insurance sorted. Drove it back home in London peak hour traffic (it's a LHD) so that was an experience. We were thrilled and so excited for the trip now.

I'm a chronic micro optimiser. It's a flaw. But hey ho. So, I've been reading and reading on what we need to take. Seen all the threads on this forum. We've purchased a lot of the stuff but have a few items left. Of these, can anyone recommend (amazon or other links) :

Collapsable bucket
Watering can
Clothes line
Bungee cords
Foldable cool box (for day trips on our bikes)
Kettle (electric or stove top?)
Dust pan - We just bought the regular small handheld dustpan and brush, is this fine (bending down all the time)?
Quick drying towels (how many of these are useful?)

We haven't bought crockery and cutlery yet. Will probably just take some of it from home, but anything I should particularly look out for here? How do I secure this in the cupboards and how to stop it rattling?

I bought the Cadac Safari Chef BBQ () - What accessories do I need to connect this up to our external gas point? Do I need a second regulator? Is it better to just buy the small separate gas bottles with regulator for convenience sake?

Thanks!

 

[cruiser]

some good tips on here. I have learnt some thing today. and we all hope you have a great time. thank you.

 

[Ockerron]

I've just ordered a rotary clothes airer from Home Bargains. Normally about £25 but theirs are £14.99.

http://www.homebargains.co.uk/search.aspx?searchterms=Rotary
Also take masses of tea towels to stop rattles! We also have a Tupperware tub filled with a variety of medicines for all occasions. Saves a panic if you get an upset tummy or the like.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[mwark]

Would this be suitable to connect the cadac to the gas outlet?

Broken Link Removed

Edit: Still concerned I also need a regulator. See images, the external hose does not go through the internal regulator.

 

[Shrimp]

Crocs, invaluable for diving in/out of the van to the showers etc.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

Would this be suitable to connect the cadac to the gas outlet?

Broken Link Removed

Edit: Still concerned I also need a regulator. See images, the external hose does not go through the internal regulator.

You need to know the make of your gas point and get a connector to suit. They are all different. The hose in your eBay link looks like it has the male part of a generic through coupler on it so probably not suitable.

Can't comment on the need for a regulator as it's hard to tell for sure from your pics.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[mwark]

You need to know the make of your gas point and get a connector to suit. They are all different. The hose in your eBay link looks like it has the male part of a generic through coupler on it so probably not suitable.

Can't comment on the need for a regulator as it's hard to tell for sure from your pics.

Thank you. Is there any way to tell what make it is from this image?

 

[Deleted member 29692]

Thank you. Is there any way to tell what make it is from this image?
http://i.imgur.com/NJpadnO.jpg

Not by me. Are you sure that's meant to be for an BBQ connection? They are usually quick release, not screw threaded.

 

[mwark]

Not by me. Are you sure that's meant to be for an BBQ connection? They are usually quick release, not screw threaded.

As a novice, it's hard for me to know. I thought the seller said it was an outlet but now I'm thinking possibly it's the inlet to refill the gas bottles?

Perhaps the internal one was the outlet, it looks more like a quick release:

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[trophychap]

This is Sedge not Pete.

Judging by the state of that gas point I have to say, it does look a bit elderly. Which is not to say it doesn't still work - but if it's connected to the bottle with normal plastic gas hose - it only lasts 5 years-ish at best - so frankly you need to make sure it's all 100% ok before you start using it.

We've been going camping one way and another for yonks and one year tent camping in the Brenne - the camping fridge seemed to be absolutely eating Camping Gaz. Odd we thought .... Far from odd - the whole pipe was porous - and when we considered it, we realised it must be years and years old. Fortunately we had a 'kitchen gazebo' set up on that holiday - otherwise who knows what trouble we could have got into with the fridge inside a tent?

 

[Deleted member 29692]

That looks more like it but why would you fit a BBQ point inside?

 

[mwark]

That looks more like it but why would you fit a BBQ point inside?

*shrug*

It's an Adria Twin SP 2011 model. Perhaps there are other owners around who could comment. I've tried briefly digging around on the net, I'll do some more searching.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[GeebeeJaybee]

Instead of funnels for water etc... which we found to be a right faff as the funnel had to be held in place, we bought a cheap 15l water carrier which has a tap on it and collapses down. We attached a 200mm (8 inch ish) piece of normal hose to the tap with a jubilee clip (why are they called jubilee clips? does the queen have them?) instead of messing with funnels when we can't use the hose to fill up. The piece of hose is attached so doesn't need a spare hand meaning both are fee to hold up the water.

 

[Langtoftlad]

My funnel is held up by a piece of string !
15l is 15kg, depending on where your filler is, that's like holding a medium sized suitcase.
So far, in my vast experience [14 nights ] I've not used the hose, just the watering can.

 

[GeriatricWanderer]

I've done a few trips of that length.
As stated by a few others, wherever you go, there will be shops.

Looking back on my experiences I would say that the most useful/important/things I took, or bought en-route:
(in no particular sequence)
A well stocked medicine box.
Loads of kitchen rolls.
An assortment of shoes.
2 days emergency dry goods meals.
A carton of steri milk.

And of course, my trusty Garmin.

At the end of your trip, make a note of all the necessary things you took with you and never used - leave them at home next time - except the medicine box.

Just go and enjoy.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[GeebeeJaybee]

My funnel is held up by a piece of string !
15l is 15kg, depending on where your filler is, that's like holding a medium sized suitcase.
So far, in my vast experience [14 nights ] I've not used the hose, just the watering can.

Theres a knack to it if it's too heavy....... don't fill it all the way! surprisingly lighter half full - maybe even half the weight!

 

[Langtoftlad]

...why are they called jubilee clips? does the queen have them?...

It's the brand name, it's become so generic like "to hoover" when using a Dyson
More than you could ever want to know about Jubilee Clips
Wikipedia

 

[mwark]

So much useful advice here, appreciated! I wasn't lazy though, I did read back on the old threads and that's where most of my inventory came from before posting this. I was looking more for specific recommendations for some missing items but I think I have almost everything sorted now. A friend lent me his fold up camping table. I visited a caravan accessories store today and picked up a bullfinch 6087 connector
Broken Link Removed
Bought 5m of gas hose and rigged it up to the cadac. Tested it out and all working off the LPG system now and reaches the side of the van by the kitchen, no problem. Also picked up the water tap adapters from the same store and a couple of other bits.

I have almost everything suggested on this thread, just need to go through the medical aid box to make sure it's complete. Bought some non perishable food supplies (tins for emergencies as suggested).

Still todo:
Bike straps - We have two bikes to mount on the rear bike rack
Chain / lock - Want to minimise expense here. Hard to pay £70 for a lock from Halfords on a budget. Suggestions welcome.

On that note, the bike rack at the back means our vehicle goes beyond 6m in length. Does this impact ferrys, tolls, etc?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[GeebeeJaybee]

On that note, the bike rack at the back means our vehicle goes beyond 6m in length. Does this impact ferrys, tolls, etc?

When we booked our tunnel crossing for this Saturday we put in the length of the MH at 6.5m and then ticked the box for rear mounted bike carrier. They don't charge more - I think they just need to know. We probably won't have bikes on the carrier as they will be in the garage but ticking the box give us the option.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

Hello,

ollapsable bucket
Watering can
Clothes line
Bungee cords
Foldable cool box (for day trips on our bikes)
Kettle (electric or stove top?)
Dust pan - We just bought the regular small handheld dustpan and brush, is this fine (bending down all the time)?
Quick drying towels (how many of these are useful?)

We haven't bought crockery and cutlery yet. Will probably just take some of it from home, but anything I should particularly look out for here? How do I secure this in the cupboards and how to stop it rattling?


Thanks!

have a walk around a B & M bargains store ,they have lots of collapsible goodies , clothes lines and racks etc

 

[Eeyore]

...the bike rack at the back means our vehicle goes beyond 6m in length. Does this impact ferrys, tolls, etc?

I got a quote on the Newhaven - Dieppe ferry yesterday and this asks for your length, if you have a cycle rack on the back and then, if yes, how much extra length you estimate this adds. I did not do a " with and without" price comparison so don' t know if they want to know for reasons other than charging.

We have never had reason to think it matters when paying road tolls, in any European country.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Deleted member 29692]

Chain / lock - Want to minimise expense here. Hard to pay £70 for a lock from Halfords on a budget. Suggestions welcome.

If this is for your bikes you very much get what you pay for. The cheaper it is the cheaper it will be to defeat. It really depends how much your bikes are worth. If you've got a 5 grand carbon road bike then £250 on a proper Abus lock isn't really that much to pay. If your bike isn't worth that much then obviously you won't want to spend it on the lock.

Really down to you but personally I wouldn't risk a cheapy lock.

 

[Eeyore]

Really down to you but personally I wouldn't risk a cheapy lock.

We had both our bikes stolen in Spain earlier this year, both locked together and to a tree which was between them. There were 4 cycle locks, not the cheapest but not professional standard, on them but the thief ( later caught ) removed them very quickly we think. One thing we now think more about is where exactly we put the locks on the bikes. The saddle and saddle post was removed on one which must have enabled the security chain to slide off without even being unlocked.

Our bikes are old and battered but, when you are miles away from the van and there is no alternative transport back to it, they are very valuable possessions indeed !

 

[GeebeeJaybee]

My hubby has decent bikes, couple of thousand each at least and even in our garage they are locked to each other and to plates anchored to the floor with large heavy duty chains. We bought our mh with garage so we dont need to put them on a carrier, it was our priority when choosing layout.

Whatever you get always chain bikes through the frame and through the wheels if they are decent wheels (not the forks or just the wheels). Glyn removes his seat post too as it is and expensive dropper post on his main mountain bike.