New to this

Hi Dean and welcome to caravanning and CT.

The first question is - have you bought your van yet? Many dealers will offer "starter packages" with all the basic equipment you're likely to need. Even if you've bought privately it might still be worth heading down to your local dealer to ask about this. Rather than buying absolutely everything that you think you might like (as opposed to need) start with just the basics and then get extra stuff as and when you realise it's needed. 

That all sounds a bit vague I'm afraid but different folk will have different ideas about what is needed - hope it helps a bit.

Keep asking on CT where you'll get lots of answers, some useful, some less so! We're all here to help. And enjoy your new found hobby.

Welcome, Ourgetaway, Is it a caravan or a Motorhome that you have or are getting as what you will need will differ whichever you have/get.

Agree with moulesy about starter packs and asking for specific advice on here.

Welcome to CT, OGA.

You've been given good advice above. A lot of people buy far more gear than they need so it pays to start with just the minimum and see how you get on.

Thank you for the quick reply and hello.no we haven't bought yet but don't think it will be long as the wife has shown me lots of ads this week haha.i think it me over thinking mainly as I'm reading up on how to get started and the list of things I'm needing seems to be adding up.at the moment I'm looking for things from tow bar and fitting centres near me to storage (As we have no drive to put it on).but thanks again and we can't wait to get started .

A caravan is what we looking into and thank you for all the replies.nice to know helps here when I need.

Ask away.

As has been said, you'll probably find several bits included with your van and often dealers are happy to throw in bits and pieces as part of the deal so I wouldn’t start buying yet.

Dean - just one really important point before you do buy. Make sure your tow car and any potential caravan are a suitable match. You can use the club's matching service to check this.

https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/advice-and-training/guide-to-buying-hiring-vehicles/match-your-car-and-caravan/

We used lots of stuff from the house in the van initially, so use what you have and if you decide you really do need it in the van, get new stuff in the house.  Much better than always moving stuff between house and van, and also better than buying stuff that you might not need.

What you will need are a water carrier (Aquarolls are good) and a waste carrier (Wastemaster will last forever).  Possibly a mains kit if you use serviced pitches,and some waste hose.

Step, EHU cable and water pump should come with the van.

You will need a battery and some type of gas bottle, these may come with the van if you buy second hand.

Bedding........you need to decide between sheet and duvet or sleeping bag.  If making up the beds every night, you may find sleeping bags or Duvalays easier.  We found a good compromise was a thin duvet in a cover instead of a sheet to lie on, and regular duvet over.  We keep dedicated bedding and  pillows for the van.  a couple of fleece blankets for colder nights are a good addition, as are throws or washable seat covers.

We use decent pots, from Ikea, in the van, cheap camping ones let food burn too easily.  Dishes should be lightweight, again Ikea has suitable stuff, and much cheaper than the special caravan stuff.  Likewise utensils and cutlery.

Get a low amps kettle, or one you use on the gas hob,and if you wish, a low amp toaster too.  Cheap ones are fine, ours are 20+ years old now.

And invest in a small fan heater for emergency use, stuff in the van can go wrong!

If you end up with a submersible pump, carry a spare.  Also spare bulbs, and a decent tool kit.

Wooden blocks for levelling, wheel locks and a hitch lock if required by your insurance..

Make sure that the battery is one specific to a leisure vehicle, suggest a 110 or 120AH heavy duty one. You can get a low amp kettle and toaster from the likes of Aldi/Lidl or Argos...don't purchase one from your caravan store as they cost at least twice as much. If you intend going out in the van in the winter you should get propane (red bottle) rather than butane gas (blue bottle) as it freezes at a much lower temperature.

It may be worth exploring the use of refillable gas bottles if you are just starting out. A bit more expensive initially but will save a lot on the cost of gas over a prolonged period.