Don't get stuck in a caravan routine rut
What happens when you swap jobs with the other half at caravan pack-up time?It’s no secret that caravanning and camping involves a little ‘work’ to both set-up and pack-up your camp site.
Being on the road full-time means we’ve fallen into somewhat of a routine; not so much ‘his’ and ‘hers’, more ‘yours’ and ‘mine’. For example – my hubby Justin makes barista-style coffees. Does he enjoy it being ‘his’ job? Probably not! But he makes a better coffee than me so that’s the default most days.
But I could be more grateful! So in an attempt to gain a better appreciation of the jobs our other half does (and have a bit of a laugh), we decided to do a switcheroo on pack-up day...
First up for me... awning. Now I realise I should know how to do this. No excuses. Great time to learn what that hooky stick does...
Inside, I’ll need to make the coffees. Meanwhile, Justin’s got the jobs of bed making, washing up and packing away the coffee machine. Hang on, what's he doing staring at the mirror and brushing his hair. What a waste of time!
Back outside, in no particular order, I proceed to disconnect water, waste and power, put away the stabiliser legs and level the suspension... But first I need to go hang out in the ablution block** for half an hour or so...
Lastly, there's hook-up. This one I’ve done before – always handy to be a joint effort (plus an extra set of eyes to double-check all the important towing safety stuff).
A few jokes there but this was a great activity. Never hurts to know what the other half is up to should something come up (say, one party under the weather after a few night-before campfire brews) so we can keep going and stay on schedule.
**One key note here is there’s no toilet to empty in our van. We have a compost toilet that doesn’t require regular emptying at the dump point as we leave the park. But once a month, that poo compartment's all Justin's...
If you're after some more serious tips on packing up, pre-trip checklists, etc, click on the links below:
Biggest caravan rookie mistakes
Ultimate caravan towing guide
Ultimate caravan buying guide
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