Biggest caravan rookie mistakes
Don't let your next caravan trip end in tears by ignoring these 10 vital tasksI’ve been camping in one form or another – tent, camper trailer, pop-top and now caravan – for most of my life and I still make some rookie mistakes when I head off on holiday after some time at home.
The problem in these travel-limited COVID times is that you get out of the routine of checking everything before you set up camp or set off each morning and it takes a few days before it all becomes second nature again.
I discovered how ‘rusty’ I had become on a recent intra-Queensland trip to the Daintree (towing a Sunseeker Marvel Sport caravan with a Toyota Fortuner), and it reminded me of the simple mistakes that many less proficient caravanners make every day, not to mention the many 'newbies' having their first caravan or camper trailer experience these days.
Not preparing your van before a trip
Most caravans ‘hibernate’ in carports or sheds if they are lucky, or more often in paddock, when not on duty. And everything deteriorates with lack of use.
If your van is stored in the open, you can safeguard your investment with a weatherproof cover or, at worst, a large tarpaulin of the type you can find at a large hardware store. Don’t forget to cover the tyres, as the sun’s rays will perish them.
Giving it a good polish first – particularly for fibreglass caravans – will further protect its bodywork, as these polishes ward off harmful UV rays.
The first duty after uncovering your van or trailer is to relocate the ants, spiders and other ‘guests’ that have called it ‘home’ in the intervening months.
Then it’s time to lubricate things, like corner drop-jacks, the coupling, etc. I prefer silicone spray, as it doesn’t leave a greasy residue that attracts dust. It also works well to lubricate folding chairs, tables, foot-steps and chainsaws.
Then look at the tyres, wheel-bearings and brakes. Unless you’ve parked your caravan on ‘blocks’, its tyres may have gone flat and perhaps may even have sidewall cracks. Like car tyres, caravan tyres should be replaced every five or six years. Few are.
Talking of tyres, make sure they are set at the right pressures. Around 40-45 psi is about right for bitumen touring, about 32psi on unsealed roads, 18psi on sand. Too low when travelling too fast causes overheating and can lead to carcase failure.
If your van or trailer hasn’t been used for some time, it’s a good idea to check the brakes and re-pack the wheel bearings. Unless you are mechanically minded, this should best be left to a caravan service or repair specialist and will set you back about $300. It’s well worth it for your peace of mind and safety.
I always flush out the water tanks too after finding unidentified objects coming out of my sink tap. Things grow and multiply in stagnant water.
And if your caravan has been stored for some time, there’s a good chance its battery is flat.
An Anderson plug connection to your tow car will top up a battery’s charge when travelling, but it won’t bring a dead flat battery back to life.
If you can, connect your caravan to a trickle charger when stored. Many caravans left in paddocks use a small 60W or 80W solar panel chained to the draw bar to keep the battery charged.
Not paying attention when hitching up
Hitching up and getting your caravan or camper ready for towing each travelling day is a critical task when your brain is cold. In my experience, the responsibility is best left with one person. Some couples split the duties between inside and outside, but I prefer to have the final overview, as two pairs of eyes are better than one.
Mistakes I have made in the past include not locking the DO-35 coupling properly onto its pin. This occurred when I pressed the coupling’s locking button while the jockey wheel still carried some drawbar weight. The coupling looked locked, but it hadn’t actually engaged the groove of the pin, so it popped off (at low speed) on the first corrugation.
No damage done except to my pride and now I always ensure the full weight of the drawbar is on the pin or ball before I lock it on. That’s the other thing – remember to lock the coupling on!
Don’t assume if your trailer’s lights worked one day that they will the next. Things work loose, bulbs fail and it only takes a brief indicator/brake light check to put your mind at rest.
At the same time, your walk-around should include a visual check that your four corner stays are wound up, your TV antenna is down, all windows are shut and your step is retracted. On my recent trip I left a roof hatch up and sucked in dust on an unmade section of road, while another time I left the TV antenna up until an excited fellow caravanner alerted me.
Inside, ensuring that all drawers are shut and locked is part of the routine, as is securing the fridge and sliding ensuite doors and ensuring the TV is off its wall bracket and lying safely face-down on the bed or lounge seat.
And, if you have a pop-top caravan, don’t forget the corner latches. I once caused alarm on a freeway when my roof rose unexpectedly at 80km/h.
Again, best to have someone responsible for all these. A list can help if you are travelling infrequently.
Forgetting to pack a few basic tools
I always carry a snatch strap, a basic tool-kit, a puncture repair kit, some sturdy rope and a few spare bulbs, fuses and a roll of gaffer tape.
You can usually get help if you wait long enough, but they mightn’t have these useful things.
Not carrying a satellite phone in remote areas
Of course it's sensible to carry a sat-phone if you are travelling alone into remote areas, and it’s usually cheaper to rent than buy one.
The budget alternative is to phone someone when you can and let them know where you’ll be in a few days’ time. Then call them again once you’re there.
Not packing properly and ensuring a balanced rig
The aim here is to keep your caravan largely level without exceeding the manufacturers’ permitted tow ball loading. A small front load bias can aid stability, but not too much on a tandem caravan, as you will be taking weight off its rear tyres.
A mobile weighing service like Weightcheck will come to you to ensure your van/camper and tow car is within safe, legal weight limits.
A properly installed weight distribution hitch can help level the load, but it’s a good idea to load the trailer properly to start with.
If you’ve ever sat on a see-saw, you’ll know that you can keep it level by concentrating the weight in the centre, above the pivot point (axles).
This is the principle on which most caravans are laid out and you’ll notice that heavier items like fridges are usually in different places depending on whether the van has a front or rear entry door. So store lighter things like clothes at the van’s extremities.
Adding a heavy generator, a nest of bikes or an outboard motor to the rear bumper can set up a pendulum effect which will lead to caravan sway at speeds, or in cross winds when overtaking.
Not learning how to reverse a trailer
It’s amazing how many caravanners can’t reverse. Fortunately most of the larger tourist parks have experienced people who can and will put your van safely on site without embarrassing you in front of your smug neighbours.
Most State caravanning authorities can recommend a caravan towing school that will teach you and your partner/co-driver this counter-intuitive black art.
Alternatively you could buy a new Land Rover or Volkswagen Touarag to use their trailer reversing apps. But the easiest and cheapest way is to buy or borrow a few traffic cones and head for an obstacle-free car park one weekend and teach yourself.
One thing to remember is that not all caravans can be jack-knifed safely and if you have extra stuff on your A-frame, like s stone-shield or a bike rack, it may come into contact with your car on full lock.
Not carrying extra fuel
Once I’m towing I hate stopping (ask my wife!), so it’s inevitable that I misjudge the distance between fuel stations from time to time, particularly on the low-trafficked back roads that I prefer.
The solution is to take a spare fuel jerrycan and to fill it early in the trip.
As it’s not safe to carry it inside your tow vehicle, investigate ways to attach a jerrycan holder to your A-frame or, if there is no other choice, to the van's rear bumper.
Not choosing a campsite carefully
In most caravan parks you don’t have a choice. You park where you are told. And in these COVID times be grateful if you can get in at all!
However, in a free-camp or unpowered area of a regular park, you often do have choices.
A few things to note:
- In hot weather, presenting your door-side to the setting sun can be challenging if you want to sit outside
- If you can, avoid hot sun on the panel behind your fridge
- Parking under large trees that tend to shed their branches (or coconuts) is not a good idea. Then again, bird droppings make a mess of your awning
- If you're relying on your solar panels to put power back into your battery, or batteries, then a very shady location is counterproductive and you’ll run out of power
- Scout the ground for ant nests etc and keep above the high tide line
- Tempting as it might be, don’t use the cooktop’s gas jets or oven to heat the van on chilly nights. If you are on a powered site a cheap bulk store $35 fan heater is the cheapest solution; if not, bite the bullet and fit a gas- or diesel-powered space heater.
Leaving your waste behind
It sounds logical, but take your waste with you. There’s nothing more disappointing on a beautiful bush site than to find toilet paper and other rubbish in the surrounding shrubbery.
With more and more council shires now installing ‘Dump Points’ for toilet waste, there is really no excuse. Remember, boy scouts take a shovel and a box of matches with them; the former to dig and cover up a hole and the latter to burn the paper.
If your caravan doesn’t have a grey water tank, you can buy aftermarket ones fitted with wheels and a handle. Or use a bucket or a plastic jerrycan.
Solid waste should be bundled and then disposed of in the camp rubbish bin, or the next time you fill up.
Not knowing your caravan’s limits
If you want to get your caravan back home in one piece, follow these tips:
- Don't head down a narrow track to an idyllic free-camp unless you have a plan to get out
- Don't cross a dry river bed without checking you have the ground clearance to get up the opposing bank
- Make sure you look up when driving on overgrown tracks to avoid snagging awnings, etc
- Realise the limitations of your van when manoeuvring to ensure you don’t gouge its side on a tree (a walk-through first is a great idea)
- Walk through river crossings first (unless you're in croc territory!) to ensure your van doesn’t drop into a hole and get stuck
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