1st Nov 2010

So the day finally arrived,off we trots to Louth a drive of some 65 miles,after a breakfast stop we arrived around dinner time.
Completed all the paperwork and were then shown around the caravan,the electrics,water,toilet,heating....everything ....god knows how we will remember all this.Then it was time to hook up for the first time.All lights checked ,mirrors on ready for the off.
God its big ........Had to negotiate a quite narrow driveway(well narrow for the first time tower)out of the yard,then it was onto the road ....here we go.
Felt quite good ...but must have smoked 10 fags in the first mile.After about 7 or 8 miles we decided to stop and rechecked everything again.
How different the countryside looks at a sedate 50 mph....we eventually reached the M180 and were whizzing along at 60 and even passed a couple of lorries !!!
Oh god junction 3 M18 looming..........reversing exercise coming up.

It turned out surprisingly easy having to do only one shuffle but to be fair there was only a caravan on one side so the gap was quite big but the lessons paid off.

The probs began when we came to unhitch it .........
Lifted the locking bit of the tow bar,started to wind the jockey wheel,hold it says Martine the whole car is lifting up.Cant be i says I've unhooked it,wind it down and starts again ....same thing happens,so I'm thinking perhaps it needs winding up some more to get it off the tow bar.But the jockey wheel is at a unnatural angle ......hmmm something wrong here....try the handle again...it came off in a flash the car bounced down the caravan up ....but it was off.
it appears you have to life up the handle to about 80 deg then sort of slide it forward and it just plops off ,,,oh well know better next time.
Right now to fit the hitch lock .Retrieved it from the locker at the front of the van and split it.looks pretty straight forward to lock on.Push down the handle  and ........this is like pushing against a wall ....wont budge ....now what.....keep pushing I'm sure this was never mentioned in the show round...keep trying ..god my arms are aching ...this is never right.Couplands had said any problems to give then a ring....its starting to get dark so we had better try them,the chap on the phone said he was sure we had to lift up the arm for it to disengage....this surly cant be right it weighs a ton ..(i.m trying to lift up the whole van)......give the phone to Martine and use both hands.....he's consulting with the workshop....loads of swearing from me .....sweat rolling down the side of my head...he's back on the phone .....there should be a ball to put into hitch part ....A ball ????....there's no ball whats he on about .......more pushing against the arm ....more sweat ....more swearing .....sod this need a minute.....resting against the van ...sweat rolling off my head ....looks inside the locker,whats this?......a ball with a square piece on a sort of handle.Is this it ? i push it into the hole and the handle just flops down on its own .......we fall about laughing...what a nightmare,i spent a bout an hour pushing against the hitch and it went down on its own !!!We thank Couplands for their and apologise for the language and hang up.
Now for the next obstacle ...fitting the wheel clamp.This looks like it could be a Chinese puzzle.....but hey presto it basically falls into place on its own.
right lets get home ...everything locked alarm on ....check everything again and we're away...arms aching head drying .......