Fresh Water Carrier
This essential piece of equipment provides the fresh water supply to your caravan. There are various types on the market from simple jerry cans to rolling containers. Bear in mind that water weighs quite a lot, so can be a tough trip back from the water point!
We Bought: FL Hitchman ‘Aquaroll’
Submersible Water Pump
If your caravan doesn’t have an internal water pump, then you will require an external submersible pump in order to deliver the water to the caravan. The Lunar Clubman are fitted with a Truma Ultraflow system, which requires an external submersible pump, this is provided with the caravan so nothing extra to purchase here!
We Bought: (came with caravan)
Water Filling Tube
Useful in order to get the water from the standpipe into the water carrier without splashing too much! A length of food grade pipe with suitable tap connection end.
We Bought: (came with Aquaroll)
Update: We bought a couple of lengths of food grade pipe and fitted one with an elastic band hook end and another with a BSP tap attachement. Between the two, they fit all kinds of stand pipes without the need to keep hold of the pipe making life that little bit easier (and dryer!).Waste Water Carrier
The companion to your fresh water carrier! The job of the waste water carrier as it’s name implies, is to store and transport the dirty/used water from your caravan. Again this job is made easier by the fact that there are carriers available with wheels, making for an easy tug across the campsite. Some designs also allow for a toilet cassette to be stored on it during transport, so that only 1 trip to the disposal point is required instead of 2!
We Bought: FL Hitchman ‘Wastemaster’
Waste Outlet Pipe
Caravans are typically fitted with two waste outlets. These outlets are typically designed to take convoluted 28.5mm waste pipe. So it is necessary to make a suitable section of pipe which feeds the two outlets and merges into one section of pipe that can fit into the waste carrier. You can either make one yourself, or buy one from the likes of eBay which come pre-made for a few pounds.
We Bought: RapiDrain Caravan Waste Pipe for Aquaroll Wastemaster, Waste Hog
Flush Water Carrier
In order to fill the toilet flush tank, you’ll need a water carrier with a spout. The filling point is on the outside of the caravan and is quite simply a hole into which you need to pour the water. The capacity of the flush tank is typically about 8 litres, so any water carrier of about 10 litres in capacity with spout will be ideal.
We Bought: Halfords 10L Jerrycan without Tap
Toilet Fluids
For the toilet, chemicals need to be added to both the flush and waste tanks. There are various brands available and indeed some chemicals which can be used for both tanks rather than requiring separate ones. However, having no experience in the matter we decided to stick with Thetford’s own products. For the toilet tissue, it is important to use a type which breaks down easily. Again Thetford make their own or some cheaper supermarket brands are said to work equally as well.
We Bought:
Thetford Aqua-Kem Pink (Flush Tank)
Thetford Aqua-Kem Blue (Waste Tank)
Thetford Cassette Tank Cleaner (Waste Tank Cleaner)
Thetford Seal Lubricant (Waste Tank Maintenance)
Thetford Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Thetford Aqua Soft Toilet Tissue
Caravan Step
Essential to get in and out of your caravan without ‘climbing’.
We Bought: Royal Deluxe Double Caravan Entrance Step
Corner Steady Winder
Essential to get your steadies up and down! A drill can be used with the appropriate adaptor, but a manual winder seems an essential tool to keep in the locker!
We Bought: (came with caravan)
Mains EHU Cable
To run your caravan off the site’s electric supply you’ll need a cable. Typically 25m in length and coloured orange, so that is is easily seen against the grass. Running from the site’s electricity supply will allow you to run your water pumps, heating, fridge and all other electric supplies, as well as topping your leisure battery up at the same time!
We Bought: (came with caravan)
Leisure Battery
In order to run the 12v systems in your caravan, you’ll need to install a leisure battery. A leisure battery is similar to a car battery, but differs in operational use. A leisure battery delivers electricity at a smaller rate and over a greater duration of time than a car battery. There are various sizes available measured in Ah (ampere hours). This tells you how many Amps the battery can deliver per hour. Typical values for leisure batteries run between 85Ah to 110Ah. The larger the Ah, the more electricity the battery can hold. Some caravan battery lockers can only fit certain sizes of batteries, so check before purchasing the largest one you can!
We Bought: Numax CXV30HMF Sealed Leisure Battery 113Ah
Gas Bottle
Most caravans have appliances which can run from either gas or electricity. When you are on site and hooked up to the site’s electricity point, you will generally run your appliances from the electric mode, as basically it’s costing you nothing! If you aren’t on EHU however, you’ll need to run the appliances from gas. Your front gas locker will have space for 2 gas bottles. There are various types of gas and bottles, the most popular now being the ‘light’ bottles which are available from Calor and BP. Gas type can either be Butane or Propane. The main difference is that butane doesn’t work in temperatures approaching zero, so if you intend doing some winter caravanning, go for Propane.
We Bought: BP Gas Light 5kg x 2
Pigtails
In order to connect the gas bottles up to the caravan’s regulator, you’ll need one or two pigtails. Pigtails can either be rubber hose or stainless steel. There has been much talk in the caravan world about regulator failure, with nobody knowing the exact cause behind it. Speculation points the finger possibly at rubber hose pigtails, letting an oily residue enter the regulator and clogging it up, therefore stainless steel pigtails are the way to go. Others say stainless steel pigtails do not prevent the problem and that the hose regarless of its construction should be be positioned so that it heads upwards on approach to the regulator, so that no substances can run freely into the regulator. Whatever the cause, it seems sensible to go for stainless steel and adopt the method of correctly angling the hose.
We Bought: Gaslow 0.75m 21.8LH HP Hose – Stainless Steel
Gas Bottle Adaptor
In order to connect the pigtail hose to the gas bottle you’ll need an adaptor. Pretty straight forward, just make sure the adaptor fits the gas bottle you have chosen and is fitted with the correct size outlet for your pigtail. Note that you don’t need a regulator for the gas bottle, as you might do when running camping equipment from the gas bottle, but just an adaptor, as the caravan has its own regulator to which the pigtail attaches.
We Bought: Gaslow 27mm LeCube Clip-on Adaptor / 21.8LH
Nose Weight Gauge
It is important to check the nose weight of your caravan when fully laden, to ensure that it is heavy enough to aid in a stable tow but also that it is not too heavy for the car tow bar or the caravan chassis itself. Whilst this can be done with a stick and a set of bathroom scales, I feel the convenience of having a dedicated gauge stored in the caravan accessible at all times far preferable.
We Bought: Milenco Nose Weight Gauge
Driving Mirrors
If your caravan is wider than your car, it is a legal requirement that you fit additional mirrors on both sides. If the car is registered new on or after 2010, then the mirrors must also be e-marked. There are various types of mirrors available for towing, some are the ‘suck and see’ variety, whereby the additional mirror fixes onto the existing mirror by way of a suction cup. Other types include the strap system, where the additional mirrors are ‘strapped’ onto the existing mirrors. An alternative to both of these methods is the clamp system, whereby the additional mirrors ‘clamps’ onto the existing mirror. This system tends to reduce vibration in the additional mirrors, which is a good thing. Also, being easy to fit, makes setting up for towing just that bit easier! One other thing to note is that the mirrors are generally available with both flat and convex options. Generally a flat mirror is always used on the driver’s side, whereas on the passenger side, some people prefer a convex mirror in order to gain a better (but more distorted) view, whilst others prefer a flat mirror here as well, in order to judge distances better.
We Bought: Milenco Grand Flat Aero Towing Mirrors