Hello. Sorry to be a little frank but after my wife losing 4 members of her family in a horrific event in 2020, I am hoping the Eriba folk could take a little pressure off me please with some advice.
I am trying to turn our lives around and after the life changing events of last year I am trying to give my wife something to look forward to and focus on.
After a load of looking and research, I have decided to go for a Eriba troll 540. Going to buy from a dealer in Poole.

The problem is I haven’t got a clue about caravanning, campsites etc etc and tbh I am not being lazy but befuddled where to turn to for advice. Therefore if you have some spare time and don’t minding giving me some advice, from someone who has been through the mill I would be extremely helpful! Sorry this is a heavy post on what I presume is a lovely site but I don’t want you to think I am a lazy sod and cannot be bothered to research!
So if you are still awake here goes and again, thank you.
We only intend to stay at campsites

Options for this 540?
Anti-skid system £880 as never towed before is this a good idea?
So confused about the heating - is it just gas or I see I can get warm airblower…does that blow hot air around from gas or is it a electric heater that then gives the heat…this sounds good if electric as campsites have electricity and this would make sense no?

Electric water boiler (in lieu of using gas)

30l or 40 l water tank

Buy the winter canvas from supplier

Can you get a tv fitted and best way to do it?
Speakers for music

Campsites
Presume you always get electricity for plug in?
Best way to book them?

Anyone ever been to France or Spain with one?
ANYTHING YOU WOULD NOT BUY AND REGRETTED 🤦🏻‍♂️

ANYTHING YOU BOUGHT AND NOT REGRETTED 😬

First advice is try and buy your van from the nearest dealer possible. Trailing back hundreds of miles for after sales can get to be a pain.

The anti-skid system is AlKo ATC and on vans that tow as well as Eriba Tourings do, it's not really necessary. On a bigger heavier van probably worthwhile. Just ensure you load sensibly.

The standard space heating is a gas Truma unit which can be specified with an additional Ultraheat 240V electric element as a cost option. As standard the heat just comes out of the grilles on the unit. You can spec a fan that blows warm air via trunking to each end of the van.

Both the Ultraheat and the 5 litre mains electric Truma Therme boiler are bargains as factory fit options. If you try having them fitted afterwards the units themselves cost almost as much as Hymer charge for factory fit and there'll be a fitting charge on top. The 5 litre boiler is fine for most purposes and at a third the price of the 10 litre gas and electric one very worthwhile. The gas/electric is really only useful if you do a lot of stays without an electric hook up. It obviously supplies double the amount of hot water but an Eriba washroom isn't really built for long, slow showers.

Onboard water tanks are optional and use up storage space. An external aquaroll type tank means you just have to fill it, rather than then having to fill the onboard tank too.

If by 'winter cover' you mean the normal caravan cover you should shop around as there are specialist businesses who make to fit individual models.

We never both with TV so can't advise though the van will be pre wired for an aerial

Radio/speakers are probably best loose and perched wherever you feel best. Time for a nostalgic looking Roberts in an appropriate colour.

There's an enormous array of campsites from farmers fields with no facilities to enormous places with onsite entertainment and indoor pools and all points in between. Use UKCS to find sites and join the CMC or C&CC for useful advice and guidance in their handbooks and discounted pitch fees at their sites, plus other services like insurance, ferry booking etc.

Not been outside the UK for the last 15 years.

Keep purchases to the minimum so you don't buy stuff you don't need.

I'm so sorry to hear about the terrible time you and your wife have had.
I won't think of giving advice about your van - many experts on this site and I'm not one of them..... but we live in Brittany and if you'd like to test the waters over here not too far from a ferry port, then come over. We can hold your hand, so as to speak! Lovely campsite with the best sea views where we live. Binic, Côtes d'Armor, Brittany. Have a google and you'll see.
https://youtu.be/c3WhwXdfcTA

Sorry for your bad year but to the forum I'm sure folk on here will soon help you out.

Tom and Margaret

Thank you all for the tips so far….this was exactly the kind of stuff I needed to know and I am incredibly grateful. I showed my wife as well and she was blown away!

Anything else you can think of as and when, would be superb.

If anyone has experience of getting a tv and what aerial to get that would be great as well, but only if you have the time.

Again apologises for the “dramatic” bit of this post but you guys have and are helping me out big time….I have little left in the capacity for stress..

My thoughts are with you as well, Marcel. Many people here will be more experienced than I on some of your questions. I think if I had any advice it would be not to buy too much 'stuff' that you think you are going to need, but go away locally a few times and get a feel for what you actually need. I also have a 540 and think them the perfect layout. We make the double bed up and leave it like that when we are travelling, eating at the front dinette if the weather is less than clement, and outside if pleasant. And a trip to France or Spain is perfectly viable.Islay's suggestion of Binic gets a big thumbs up from me... As Colin said earlier, get the biggest axle load capacity you can. It is surprising how some of the 'extras' you are talking about add weight to the van and consume the load capacity. Again, as Colin suggests, a Motor Mover is transformational in my opinion and one thing you would never regret..

Hope that helps..

Hugh

It's a little out of date now and written tongue in cheek but these blogs might help you http://eribaliving.blogspot.com/2011/10/eriba-living.html

Welcome Marcel everyone is going to be slightly different with their personnel choices.

Hot water I use a 3.5L Thermal kettle:
https://www.scottsofstow.co.uk/neostar-p...-and-dispenser/
I use the internal 12L water canisters that are supplied

Ariel I use:
https://www.towsure.com/image-630-digita...n-tv-aerial-kit

TV:
I use an Aldi 12v, they reguarly appear
https://www.aldi.co.uk/full-hd-21-5-inch...703026339375800

Heating:
As well as the gas fire I have the 3 stage ultraheat element with no blown air.

You wont need the anti skid system its total over kill for such a small caravan, it will come with an anti sway alko hitch which is more than sufficient.

Radio:
I have a modern Roberts radio Rambler, this sits on top of the wardrobe and I can stream my personnel music and it has an alarm clock built in.

Awning:

Se how you go on at first without one, the Kampa Pop air pro is populer with Eriba owners, I have one as well
https://www.norwichcamping.co.uk/shop/pr...ning-2020-9046/

Sunshade:
For short visits the Isabella shadow is great bit of kit and easy to put up.

https://www.isabella.net/uk/sun-canopies/details/shadow-360

Booking sites:
I use predominatly the caravan club as MRs Poptop is a bit picky with the ablutions, they are easy to book on the web and you dont have to pay up front. You can cancel if you give 3 days notice before going without any penalties
https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/membership...cB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Marcel, the combined suggestions and advice above are invaluable. We are lucky to have such experience and knowledge available and in such a friendly and open way.
It’s all good stuff ….apart from the onboard water tank!😊
If you have to bring water to the Eriba why not just store it outside and feed it in through the commonly used drop in pump.

Yann got a TV and it's a true pain in the toot. So, we watch French TV in the French TV app - no use for you whatsoever LOL
English TV, I watch TVMucho on the computer and Netflix. I always download a selection of films / series in case of pants internet connection.