towing a caravan into glastonbury

[hulk mike]

OK,

after many years of camping, and missing out on tickets in both the original and resale last time, I've decided that should i manage to get tickets next week, I'm going to buy a cheap caravan and stay in the caravan/camper field.

only thing that worries me, is that my car is a normal hatchback, (no 4WD) what is the terrain in the camper field like? i dont want to get stuck! are there many big hills that i'd need to drag the caravan up over grass? i know there is the much fabelled "hill of doom" to walk up, which doesn't bother me in the slightest to get up on my own steam, i just want to give my pug the best possible chance of getting out without digging itself into a pit! (I'm fitting a towbar to it and haven't towed before)

its been to several glastos already, but never with the burden of a caravan before........

[powerp]

If its muddy, you will get stuck. If its not you wont.

[grumpyhack]

The thing to remember is that it's recommended that your caravan should weigh 85% or less of your car's kerbweight.

See explanation here http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/helpandadvice/technicalhelp/towing/matching-car-and-caravan/

So if you've got a normal hatchback you need to consider the weight of any caravan you buy. My first caravan was a Lunar - a company who specialise in relatively lightweight caravans.

I had a Honda Accord Estate 2.4 petrol and it towed both the Lunar and my current caravan, a very much heavier Coachman Amara 520/4, with no problems.

But having said that, I've just changed my car to an Audi Quattro Allroad, specifically to have a good 4WD towing capability.

I was possibly lucky in that I never had to tow in very muddy conditions - the CV East fields at Glasto were all pretty flat and had good steel decking down on the access roads. However, sod's law, I could end up doing a few very muddy fests where the infrastructure isn't as well prepared as Glasto.

The problem with front wheel drive is that usually a caravan increases the weight on the back of the car, if anything lightening the load on the front wheels. So if they're the driving wheels and you are going uphill on mud or loose gravel you could have difficulties. At least that was my thinking in going for the Audi.

If you are getting a towbar fitted make sure you also have 'twin electrics' - that's one socket that works the indicators and rear lights on the caravan and the second socket is to charge your leisure battery in the caravan. At Glasto and most festivals you won't have electric hook-ups (something usually only found at touring caravan sites) so you will be dependent on the caravan's 12 volt leisure battery for all interior lighting and possibly a water pump.

Having taken the caravan plunge a couple of years ago I'm a total convert and I'd never go back to tenting. However there are a few other things to consider with a caravan, the most important being a full sized awning to give you a decent social area and possibly overflow sleeping accommodation.

Edited September 29, 2014 by grumpyhack

[hulk mike]

brilliant stuff Many thanks GH,

had seen the 85% rule already, was planning to get a very basic older van (80's/early 90's) as these apparently tend to be lighter (and cheaper!) so should be fine, according the the datasheet, my car "should" be able to deal with 1200KG but i'd be wanting to be at least a good few hundred kg's below that limit just to be sure

wasn't sure what each of the electric plugs did, so now I know! will be sure to get a twin fitted

[carlosj]

Course it'll be dry, but I'd suggest those plastic sheets that go under wheels to give grip, too, for the car on Monday, but the tracks are fine when you get going.

[grumpyhack]

If you are buying an old van beware of damp - the caravan killer. If you think about chipboard; when it gets wet it looses all its strength and when it dries out it just becomes brittle. Large amounts of caravans are constructed from varieties of chipboard so if it's damp or has been damp in the past beware.

You may also want to have a gas leak check done.

Assuming you are going to get into caravanning it might be worth spending a few more quid to get something that will last more than one Glasto.

The other thing to consider is where you are going to store it between festivals. If you've got space on your premises great. If not you may have to find a secure storage site. Mine is stored at a site near the Severn Bridge and storage costs me £220 a year.

The other thing to check is the type of tow hitch you have on the caravan to ensure your tow bar on the car is compatible. Although tow balls tend to be a standard size I have an Alko stabilising tow hitch on my caravan that hangs a bit further forward beyond the tow ball and could foul the back bumper. So I have to have a tow ball on a slightly longer neck.

Caravan-bating can become as obsessive as Glastobating.

[hulk mike]

I'm finding that - in fact my other half is getting sick of the C word already!

Though I then remind her that it means she won't be stuck in a little tent or have to carry anything all, and she usually lets me continue!

Fortunately storage isn't an issue as we have a drive down the side of the house that's easily long enough to leave a van behind my car

Anyway, I'll really start annoying her once I've secured the tickets on Sunday......

[Pear_Cider]

I did the same as Grumpyhack...rented, begged and borrowed for a few years but then last year decided to buy a cheap one. My plan was to buy it, use it for Glasto, then sell it on. It was just the job for the festival...dry, warm and clean. It has hot and cold running water, shower, toilet and a fridge to keep the beers cold. There's no way I'm selling it now!! I was very lucky though, I paid a grand to make sure that it was a reasonable one so that I could sell it on, but it was so good that we decided to keep it! Even my missus (a non-glasto-goer and previous despiser of caravans) has fallen in love with it! We just had a weekend away in it and she's already talking about buying stuff for it and even upgrading to a newer one in the future

As far as getting stuck goes, I always camp in the East CV fields and never have a problem with my ordinary 2WD saloon car (Audi A4). Only time I recall it being a struggle to get out was in 2007 when it was particularly wet and muddy.

Go for it mate...you'll never look back!!

[carlosj]

Agreed on damp, a long pipe box cover got damp and blew before getting mouldy, water got under a cover when I washed the roof so I was lucky to notice and fix it, sealant and new wood. There's a thread somewhere here on kit to pack, but keep it light. My cocktail cabinet is in old fruit juice bottles next to the leisure battery. LED lights will prolong the battery, although they're pricy.

[grumpyhack]

A couple of small things but can be useful. I have a safe in my caravan with a lock. It is in obscure place under one of the beds so intruders would have no chance while I'm asleep. The keys are hidden in another part of the caravan so they'd have to be doubly lucky while I'm out. A safe is a useful place to store cash/credit cards and anything else you may not want found. Only cost a few quid and you can fit them yourself very easily to any caravan by bolting them through the floor.

The other thing to remember at Glasto is the 'no glass' rule. We don't take any and decant stuff into plastic containers. But on arrival the enthusiastic stewards might want to do a quick check. So we greet them with a cheery "No Glass on board" and they've always accepted that reassurance.