Corner Steady Alarm fix
Every 3 days or so, you can guarantee that we are woken up in the early hours of the morning from Phantom Tracker, who notify us that the alarm is going off on the caravan. This is a great service that they provide, but when you know it’s the Corner steady triggering every recent alarm activation, you know its time to fix the fault. The corner steady sensor fits to the spindle on which you wind up or wind down when raising or lowering the legs. The sensor is in 2 parts. A magnet that is connected to the spindle and the sensor that is connected to your caravan. It’s a crude, but very...
Read MoreWhat’s in the box ?
As I write this, I cannot shake the theme tune from Blankety blank when asking myself “Whats in the box?” Anyway – enough of my current ear worms, the caravan tool box is an essential piece of kit for any serious touring holiday. But what exactly should you have in it ? I recently viewed some posts online that asked exactly this question. I decided therefore to share what we have packed in our special blue box. Its not a comprehensive tool box, but has enough bits in it to enable a quick repair, bodge or fix for when we are away. Moreover when I have some jobs that need fixing while the...
Read MoreFilling the void with a vacuum
The problem is simple, we need a vacuum for the caravan. We would like a vacuum that can run from 12 Volts or be cordless, have a good battery life and most importantly have great performance. We already own a Black & Decker car vacuum and a Beldray stick vacuum. Both of which are terrible. We asked twitter for some advice, and the comments we got back pointed towards the Dyson V6 handheld. We already own a Dyson cordless and we are not that keen on the battery life. In genuine usage at home we manage about 5 minutes, just enough time to suck up the cat litter. The power and results are...
Read MoreSpring time checks.
It’s spring which means it’s the beginning of the camping season and with the longer evenings now stretching out in front of us, why wouldn’t we want to hitch up and head off into the sunset. Before you set off, just consider this. Many caravans have been sat still over the winter months and some caravans longer than that too. It is, therefore important that we need to ensure that the ‘van is both safe and ready for us to use when we head off out into the great outdoors. If your caravan has been sat idle for a great deal of time, it is highly recommended that you get a good service to...
Read MoreIs it gin o’clock yet ?
Its important to remember that our breaks away in the ‘van are a family adventure. But both Angela & I enjoy a drink to unwind with when we are away but what is our favourite tipple ? Apart from the occasional glass of wine and fine ale we don’t actually drink that much. However, the one drink that both Angela and I enjoy is Gin with Ginger Ale. Its refreshing, its warming, its perfect for cold nights in and warm nights out. So here is the recipe. In a tall glass, place a shot or two of your favourite Gin. Our current favourite gin is Tanqueray Cut a lime into 8 segments, gently squeeze...
Read MoreToilet paper comparison
When reading the manufacturers handbook on the caravan toilet, we are strongly recommended to use quick dissolving toilet paper. This we have done since day one, but is this just a clever marketing ploy, or actually a necessity ? On a recent holiday I completed an experiment comparing quick dissolving and standard household toilet papers. This video has been well received, but has offered up further questions on what happens over a 24 hour period and the inclusion of “Aqua Blue” chemicals. I suspect a follow up video may be required. Anyway here is the video of the initial...
Read MoreSandy Balls – Easter 2016
We visited Sandy balls in the New Forest during Easter this year. It is almost exactly 12 months since our last visit here. Spending Easter away from the house is certainly a great way to unwind and with all the facilities that Sandy balls has to offer makes this a perfect spring time destination. Our trip down took longer this time, due in part to the volume of traffic and frequent breaks along the way. The trip took us 6 hours ! with mileage of only 66 miles door to door, you can see how slow it was. On arrival we were quickly shown to our pitch (In Four acres) we unpacked and set...
Read MoreTyre Pressure Calculator
For many setting the correct tyre pressures for a caravan seems to be a dark art. The tyres clearly state a maximum pressure, but what should the pressure actually be ? Some time ago I stumbled across a fantastic blog (Caravan Chronicles) post that shows how to correctly calculate the pressure. It requires some maths and understanding of what the markings mean on the tyre. I have gathered the maths together and created an easy to use calculator for anyone wanting to set the correct pressures for their caravan. So, here is what you will need to know before you start. 1. The Tyre Simply write...
Read MoreThe packing list
I recall from my younger years the house descending into panic as the caravan was packed, loaded and prepared for the holiday. Clothes, food, odds and ends lay strewn around the house while tensions grew within the family. Unlike my childhood we cannot traipse back and forth to the caravan. Back then we were able to keep the van at home, today however, we have to keep the caravan in storage 20mins away from our house. We have to ensure that we pack the caravan before we start travelling and on the day we do set off the only thing we should take to the caravan is ourselves and the fridge...
Read MoreCamping Wine Holder
Sometimes the simplest designs endure the longest and that is no exception with Wine Holders UK. Richard & Lynn have created 2 wonderfully designed, well executed and carefully constructed wine holders. These are perfectly crafted for camping, caravanning or the great outdoors in mind. Two versions are available. The 1st version is a double glass holder. it supports 2 wine glasses by gripping the stem of the glass and it is remarkably stable too. We used this version in soft muddy ground. I did expect that with both glasses full and being used frequently the spike would wobble....
Read MoreStovetop Coffee
Let’s face it, one of the most important tasks to perform in the morning is to put the kettle on for a tea or coffee. In the mornings our household is exclusively in the coffee camp and we really love our fresh coffee. I’ve wanted a stove top coffee percolator for some time, but finding one that is big enough for everyone and is suitable for use in the caravan has proven quite tricky. However I did by chance find a great coffee pot in Lakeland. It makes up to 8 cups (and these are real cups, not expresso cup sizes) and is made from stainless steal. It works like this. You fill the pot with...
Read MoreCaravan Club UK Sites
I recently reviewed some useful applications for the phones and tablets. At the time I was completely unaware that the Caravan Club had created a UK Site finder application. Thankfully a couple of posts on a Forum highlighted that the Caravan Club UK Sites app was available on both Android & Apple devices. I downloaded the app today and I thought I would share my initial thoughts with you. Look & Feel The application is really straight forward and is instantly recognisable for members who book their sites using the online facility on the Caravan Club website. Its beautifully...
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