Hi,
We have just ordered a 2018 Triton 430 GT with double dining option.
We are completely new to this and it all came around almost on a whim so we will no doubt be asking lots of potentially obvious questions. (I suspect that I'm going to spend hours trawling old threads now).
Since the delivery lead time is currently 9 months we will have plenty time to prepare. Biggest worry right now is learning to tow as I haven't towed anything since I worked on a friends farm as a teenager 30+ years ago but I suspect that a tanker full of cow poo with a John Deere won't be bearing much relation to this! The OH has never towed at all. Reversing will be such fun!
We are hoping that the Eriba club will be like the MG club where we have made lots of good friends over the years (unfortunately none of our MGs will be able to pull a van but on occasion may come along too). We are hoping to use it fairly locally most weekends at first then venture further afield, ultimately intending to spend a fair amount of time on the continent with early retirement starting to look a possibility.
So please throw as much hints tips and advice at us as you like. It's all going to help.

Cheers
Al

Quote: Bailey2agd wrote in post #1

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So please throw as much hints tips and advice at us as you like. It's all going to help.

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Hi Al and welcome to Eribaship.
I reckon that, like you, a lot of us had our first foray into towing when collecting our first Eriba. Hopefully like the rest of us it will come as a pleasantly easy learning curve.
Coincidentally my only towing prior to collecting our first Eriba, also a 430, was a tractor and trailer.



TonyP

Hi and After doing all the aforementioned suggestions just enjoy your Triton.
Tom & Margaret

We had never towed a caravan before picking our first Eriba up and driving it home 250 miles. Provided it's properly loaded it's a doddle.
Tell a lie, I also towed a trailer with a tractor when I was 16 (not on the road obviously). Oddly I could reverse the trailer through a farm gate, can't reverse the Eriba (awaits howls from other forum members), we just unhitch and manouevre by hand.
However you do it, enjoy your Eriba.

from us and our 20 year old Triton. We can't reverse either but it's a skill I'm determined to master next year lol

Lots of advice already but feel free to ask questions we are a friendly bunch Would recommend a motor mover if you have not ordered with Eriba as they are worth their weight in gold. We very rarely reverse onto a pitch, just unhook and drive van into position. Makes hitching up a doddle too and so cool !

Quote: Julie Grafo wrote in post #7

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Oddly I could reverse the trailer through a farm gate, can't reverse the Eriba (awaits howls from other forum members), we just unhitch and manouevre by hand.
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Quote: eribaMotters wrote in post #11

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Just think how accurate HGV drivers are at reversing.

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Hi All,

Here are some videos to help with your first tow...

New to Towing videos

I taught some lorry drivers who told me that it's much harder to reverse with our vans than their lorries which comforted me greatly.lol

Welcome to this brilliant forum.

I can see that you already have loads of great advice. We were in your place 18 months ago and the forum members offered really useful things. Even though I would do most if not all of the towing we both booked onto a Caravan Club weekend towing experience a few months before the van was due to be delivered. It wasn't cheap but it was brilliant. We learnt with loads of other novices and over the day and a half we developed a really supportive atmosphere, so making mistakes was part of the learning.

After collecting the van and arriving on site for night my first reversing onto the pitch wasn't ace but one of the C & CC wardens helped out., and I remembered the basics.

However I also took advice from the forum and got a motor mover fitted. This is a godsend, especially for getting it back in place on the drive at home. I would definitely advise you to get one.

But even then the Eribas are so small & light that you can move them by hand. We had an issue with our motor mover not working properly on Crystal Palace site, and within a minute a couple of other caravanners came over and we moved it into place despite a small slope.

The beauty of the forum is you can ask daft questions and someone will give you the reply you need to solve your problem..

I hope the anticipation builds up for you as the time for delivery of your Eriba comes closer. You will have the time of your lives. MikeT