Thanks for having me.

Hi Everyone,
I am new around here (and to caravanning), so I thought it polite to introduce myself before jumping in and exploring the forum. Though not quite grey (getting there very quickly) and hardly nomadic, I can't think of any better people to learn about caravanning from, so here I am.
I put a deposit on my first caravan last week and will pick her up tomorrow. I have done a lot of camping but no caravanning so am a bit nervous.
I have bought a classic 1974 Viscount van that has been renovated inside, and that I adore.
I am really looking forward to getting out and about in the van, if only for a weekend here and there. I am also looking forward to learning from this forum. If you have any advice for a complete novice feel free to share.

welcome channi just ask away what ever you want and i am sure someone on here can help myself and my wife are part time nomads but when we catch up on the appointments we plan on being on the road quite a bit we also have an older van that we have updated with solar and added a hot water system etc so we are set up to free camp when on the road atr the moment we are based at longwood victoria but have already put pen to paper and setting out where we are heading to and which way we are going even though we wont stick to the roads we have set but we intend to see a lot of places we havent seen already

roy and mia (spalas)

welcome channi. Spalas is correct in advising you to just ask. Remember the only silly question is the one you didn't ask. There are many hints and as you wade through the forum you will probably find many of your answers anyway.
Some quick hints.
Travel light and only take what you need. One way is to get some sticky dots and put them on everything you take. As you use an item remove the dot. When you arrive home anything with a dot still on it you didn't need.

Have you done any towing before? If not there are some good towing courses around the country that can save you much pain and embarrassment while travelling, especially when backing into a parking spot.
(the other nomads won't like me telling you that because it is very entertaining watching a novice park the van)

Make a check list of everything you have to do when packing the van to move on so you don't end up with windows still open, power cord or hose still connected etc. put the list by the door and check everything before moving.

Any way that's just a few hints there are many, so just ask and we will all do our best to help you.

Phil

Thank you for the welcome. I picked her up today and I am so happy. She is much cuter than I recalled and Mr Channi, who had not seen her yet, also loves her. Which is a bonus because he is a fussy bugger.
She has a hot water system but no water tank so i would love some advice on how to install a tank underneath.
The towing went well. We did get a nest of ants pour out of the wall so I am keen to get some tips on how to clear them out. We also forgot to fill up the fuel before we picked her up so we jumped straight in the deep end and had to go through the servo which was a bit scary but was easy in the end.
Thank you for the tips. That is exactly the kind of info I was looking for. I guess you will all get a good laugh out of me at the parks because I just spent all of my money on the van so won't be doing a course for sometime LOL. As long as it is all in good fun and not malicious I am happy for folks to have a laugh at my expense..
I just have to pick our first park. I was thinking Lake Moogera (I think I spelt I wrong).

channi you should be able to get the water tank and fittings from a caravan place and ants i had a few around and put a bug bomb in the van and havent seen any since


roy and mia (spalas)

Hi Channi,

You bought a good old van that has been around for a long time for good reason, they were built properly. Do your checklist as advised, make sure your drawbar is secured correctly to your tow ball and your tyres are alright and poke along steady. I tow at about 90kph anyway, steady and good for my fuel consumption. I also always reverse over my right shoulder because I can see where the drivers side wheel of my van is at all times. I would start with gumtree or somewhere similar for a 70-80 litre tank. Ants pouring out sounds like a nest. See if you can unscrew a section and dose them with ant killer such as Chemtec from the hardware. I've heard if ants eat cornflour they cark it too. Where are you starting from?

Smed