just joined

[lizziebythebeach]

Hi everyone! I have JUST joined this amazing club/site. I am a solo Romahomer as have just had to stop caravanning. Am not at all sure that I can reverse this beautiful Romahome but can go forward very well!!

I imagine that if I practise it will be ?perfect. Have been to an amazing number of carparks so far but not had the courage to reverse park (which the dealer said was the ONLY way to do it).

I have a long suffering Border Collie called Emily who so far have not said a lot. Still time will tell. She loved the 'van!

Any tips please about driving 'Rodney' backwards???

Love this site, will be visiting frequently when not driving around the local car parks with a confused Collie! Lizzie

[Graham]

Hi Lizzie (and Emily)

Its lovely to have you join us, thanks for the kind comments about the site.

Regarding reversing your van, we found that after practice it got easier, just remember to use wing mirrors they are invaluable with vans because the view from the rear mirror is so restrictive. Also bear in mind you are longer than you feel, its a temptation when parking next to other vehicles to line the front up with the car next to you and if its a mini your in trouble.

Hope you have many great outings in your new van.

Graham

[jayjay]

Hello Lizzie! And Welcome! I'm also a novice first-time solo romahomer - with a deerhound-type lurcher named Merlyn! (she doesn't think much of my driving either!)

I got a lot more confident about reversing after I bought some extension mirrors (I have the rock-steady brand, about £15) they enable me to see what's behind me and with being a bit higher up, I found they worked a treat! The standard wing mirrors were hopeless for me, maybe b/c I'm short, and I can't see doodly through the dashboard mirror.

Another thing I did when I first bought the van was (and this may sound silly & girly to other readers, but never mind) to measure the length and width of my car, then the length and width of my van... It turned out that my car is slightly bigger than my van (!!!!) , so I know I can reverse, manoever, etc, pretty much as I do in my car, if a little more slowly as it's 3-4 times higher. If yours is bigger, make a mental/visual note of how many inches/feet bigger and then you can visualise the space it takes up - I find that makes it loads easier!

It's only practice - remember how hard it was to reverse your car when you first had it?

Having said that, I will not reverse park between two cars unless I have absolutely GOT TO - and that's in the car - I'd never attempt it in the vanny! ;D ;D

[jayjay]

Just another thought - why do you have to reverse park it on a car park anyway - just b/c a dealer says that's the only way does not necessarily make it so.

It has always made more sense to me to drive forwards into a small parking space, then reverse out backwards into a big space. I just leave the wheels at the angle I drove in at (i.e., don't straighten them up) and then I can just go out the same way I went in without any probs.

[Pauline]

Hi Lizzie

So lovely that you joined us, looking forward to chatting with you and hearing how that reversing is going!

[viv]

Hi there, I have to do a 3 point turn in my drive so I can reverse up the side of the house as it is easier to empty and load up when we use the van, this has helped me to manage the reverse parking. However I always look for a drive in/out spot in car parks even if it is at the back of the car park as it is much easier to just drive through so to speak!!!

[lizziebythebeach]

Hi everyone - sorry for the delay in replying to your very helpful comments on 'reverse parking' . As JayJay rightly said 'why do you have to?' I am feeling SO much more confident now that I know some of you out there have had similar difficulties but overcome them. You are a great bunch of people.

I have been on a few day trips but yet to do an overnighter in the Forest cos Emily (the confused Border Collile) has had kennel cough (I reckon she confused Rodney the R.H for a ................)
I will set sail very soon though as the weather is still mild.

One of the sites I will try to get to is Devises cos you can walk off site without 'decamping' each time.

I will keep in touch with you all, thanks again.

[lizziebythebeach]

graham said:

Hi Lizzie (and Emily)

Its lovely to have you join us, thanks for the kind comments about the site.

Regarding reversing your van, we found that after practice it got easier, just remember to use wing mirrors they are invaluable with vans because the view from the rear mirror is so restrictive. Also bear in mind you are longer than you feel, its a temptation when parking next to other vehicles to line the front up with the car next to you and if its a mini your in trouble.

Hope you have many great outings in your new van.

Graham

[effiemac]

I found that a second rear view mirror helped which only shows the wee back window. And yes, I agree with your dealer that reversing is the only safe way. When you reverse in, you know the way is clear and you drive out in the same knowledge. If you drive in and reverse out, you are so much more restricted.
It gets so much easier with practice. I reversed into all spaces when I got my first van to force myself to practice and can do so now better than friends with big estate cars and 4x4 types.
If you are still tentative, you might want to consider reversing sensors as a retrofit?
You're probably much better than you think you are....
Effie

[lizziehill]

Another Lizzie - hello

Reversing does get easier. I enlisted the help of a friend to walk round the van slowly while I was in the driving seat, to see just how much I could see with the wing mirrors & where the blind spots were.

Quite often, I err on the side of caution, parking, getting out, then realising I still have a foot or two left to spare!

Enjoy the van!

Lizzie