Hi Folks I've finally arrived home with my A'van Sportliner, quite small inside but suits me fine with my towing vehicle being a suburu liberty.
I'm very excited to get going but I need to do lots of practice first as it took me well over an hour to manage to get it through the gate and parked in the front garden of my house, unfortunately my reversing skills seem to be non existant even after doing a towing course and at this point of time I'm not even quite sure if I'll be able to get it out again  but I will wait till all my neighbours aren't around and attempt a bit of manouvering.

Providing I get my van out of my gate safely I'm hoping to do a few short trips in Vic and then a  quick trip to Qld at the beginning of November and be back for xmas then a longer trip next year all going well, hopefully I'll meet some of you along the way, I'm really excited about it.

Cheers
Gillyb
 

slip down to an emty parking lot somewhere and practice the reverse technique, no one to watch or run into. Have fun
cheers
blaze

Agree with Blaze take it to a vacant parking lot (local park or shopping centre when no events/shopping in progress) and practice.   Even after many years I am still a pretty hopeless backer, some seem to find it easier than others, I know all the right moves etc but not as good as I would prefer. 

Suggest as your first "outing" you book into a caravan park not too far away for a day or two (you will arrive earlier and not be tired from too much driving etc), it will give you some practice in driving it booking into and setting up in a caravan park etc and give you a "feel" for the lifestyle.  I did this on our first trip and once inside the park you felt as though you were thousands of kms from anywhere, not 30 kms away as we were.  Most parks will also give you assistance with parking if you ask for it when you arrive.

You could consider having a reversing camera fitted to the Sportsliner to make it easier some are wireless so don't need wiring etc.

I had an A'Liner A'Van camper for 7 years and they are great fun.  I was also a member of the Australia wide A'Van Club of Australia ,HQ in Victoria, but branches in every state and rallies in any state (including National rallies) open to all members.  They are a great bunch of people, cheapest club in Oz at $20 per year, which includes newsletters, rally details and members booklet etc.  No need to go to every rally but an option if you want to in between doing your own thing.   Click on this link;

http://www.avanclubaust.org.au/ 







-- Edited by VHW on Wednesday 11th of August 2010 08:35:05 AM

Thank you for your help, I'm still trying to think of an empty parking lot, all shopping centres around here are open 7 days a week so never empty but I will find somewhere :) Great idea vhw I'm going to have a look for a park close to home and give it a try, I'll just wait until all this rain we're having in Vic at the moment goes away thanks gillyb

Hey Gilly congrats on the new van, Mate the trick is to sleep all day then go down to the lot at 2am, then there will be no one around... The local van park is also good advice, better well prcticed makes for more fun in the end. Most importantly slow and steady wins every race....n have heaps of laughs at your mistakes, makes the learning curve much easier to cope with. Cheers Grumps

If you are in na country, the local showground might be an idea, they might let you practise on the center ring.

gillyb Years ago when I tried this at a shopping centre, I attracted a large audience. Really put me off. Necer did it that way agai. Then did most of my practicing on the job. At caravan parks. Even when they had drive through sites, I always tried to back it in. Not an expert in it now, but manage to get the job done. A hint, if you'd like one. Turn the bottom of the steering wheel in the direction you want the van to go. Hope that helps. Cheers Ross

rosco wrote:

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gillyb

Years ago when I tried this at a shopping centre, I attracted a large audience. Really put me off. Necer did it that way agai.

Then did most of my practicing on the job. At caravan parks. Even when they had drive through sites, I always tried to back it in.

Not an expert in it now, but manage to get the job done.

A hint, if you'd like one. Turn the bottom of the steering wheel in the direction you want the van to go. Hope that helps.

Cheers
Ross

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Thats why the showground option is a good one because you would have some privacy, I know at Boonah showground in Qld. you would be able to do it.

 

An alternative site to practice reversing with the van is an Industrial Area , if there is one close by, on a Sunday.

even if u can find a large parking lot as in sport center or something like that i taught my girl to park and back in sport center car park when there was nothing on and it was empty and there was no one to watch so made girl feel bit at ease

A school parking area when no school could be another option.  Whatever area you choose, just make sure you have and entry and a good exit, or enough room to go out the way you came in so you don't box yourself in.........large industrial company carpark (after hours) as already suggested could also be and option.  

Take a drive around after hours looking for suitable parking areas (Council carpark?) without your van first.  Be aware of your personal safety as well in any isolated area. 

If you get approached by police or security guards in any of these areas I am sure they would be sympathetic to your "training", lol

You have my utmost admiration...good on you

Hiya Gillyb,

Congrats...........you goooooo girl.

Good luck with the practising............I'm sure you will be great at it......determination is a wonderful tait to have and you seem to have it in spades!!!.

Please fill us in on how you go

Keep Smiling

Cee

Thank you so much to everyone out there for your great suggestions and support, at the moment because of this shocking weather here in Melbourne my van is exactly where I left it when I brought it home but hopefully that will all change this weekend. I plan to have a few one night stop overs over the next few weeks to try and get the hang of it (thats presuming that I can get it out of my front gate in one piece) then I'm going to go for a 5-6 week trip up to Brissie to visit friends then back home to spend xmas with kids and grandkids (they'd never forgive me if I didn't) then next year the sky's the limit :) I hope I meet up with some of you along the way. Thanks Gill

Hi GillyB,

As a former A'Van camper trailer owner may I suggest a couple of tips.

With the fold up jockey wheel, when folded up horizontally, hook an ocky strap over the handle, over the A'frame a couple of times and bring up from the inside and hook over the axle of the jock wheel to keep both jockey wheel handle and wheel in an upwards position. This will stop them from hitting the ground when going over speed bumps, potholes, deep gutters etc as there is not a lot of clearance and will prevent damage to them or A'frame etc. 

Also, hook an ocky strap around the fold in step when retracted, they have a tendency to "jump" out going over bumps etc, giving very little clearance in the fold out position and could sustain damage also. 

A carpark would be ideal at night as you have the white lines to work within.

Thats why I am buying a campervan and not a caravan of any type.  I can back a car but not sure about anything attached to it.