All of us remember our first caravan holiday and, we all made rookie mistakes
Now make a rookie mistake at a deserted free camp and no one else is the wiser but do it at a crowded caravan park and suddenly you’re the centre of attention, with every man and his dog offering you all sorts of free advice and opinions.
So let’s go over the very basics of caravan park survival.
What to take
Before you even leave home, there are a few items that you will need to set your van up.
1. 15 Amp Caravan Extension Cord. Grab one from the local hardware store, preferably around 10m to 15m in length (while you’re there grab 2). You will need this to connect your van to the 240-volt mains outlet at your site.
2. Food grade water hoses with fittings. Your site will, in most cases, have access to a potable water outlet that you can connect to your caravan. Don’t use regular garden hoses as these will give your water a plastic taste. They are usually blue in colour. You will also need a selection of connections to hook up your van to the tap outlet. Brass fittings as these tend to last longer and are less prone to leaking.
3. Grey water drain hose. Your van will, no doubt, have at least one greywater outlet and, direct this wastewater away from your neighbour’s site, or you’ll be in for an unpleasant holiday. Washing machine diverter hoses are the best. Make sure that it actually fits your grey outlet before you head off on holiday.
4. Wheel Chocks. When you park your van at the site allocated to you, there’s every chance the site won’t be level. You will have a handbrake on your caravan but it’s best not to rely on these completely.
5. Levelling Ramps. Your allocated site may be unlevel from left to right. A good set of level ramps is a simple way to ensure your van is aligned properly for a comfortable night’s sleep and to make sure your fridge is level and running properly. Use a small spirit level positioned on the floor as your guide. Use extreme caution when driving your van onto these ramps and ensure anyone guiding you is clear of them before moving your van.
Requesting a site
When you arrive at the caravan park and head up to the office, the park manager will likely ask you a series of questions to determine which site they will put you on.
1. Length of your van. Make sure you know this including the length of the drawbar as that is what the vast majority of park managers will expect, and they will allocate a site accordingly. If you tell them your van’s internal length only, you may end up with a much smaller site than you actually need.
2. Let them know you’re a newbie: Do not hide the fact you’re new to this and request a site with easy access like a drive-through site or one that has a wide entry with plenty of room to swing into.
3. Special needs: If you’ve got an injury or one of you has a disability, ensure you let the park manager know. They may be able to give you a site close to the amenities block or on a site with a slab. Equally, if you’re travelling with young children, you may want to be placed in an area with other families close by. If you want to use the camp kitchen, it would be good to have a site close to it so you don’t have far to carry your food and utensils. At the end of the day, if you don’t ask you won’t get it. The worst they can say is no.
Reversing your site
Practice before your head off.
1. Use a Guide. Don’t rely on your judgement as the driver alone. There is no way you can see every possible aspect of your van from the driver’s seat. You also have to watch the movement of the tow vehicle as well as the caravan, particularly the front end. I can’t stress this enough. It’s easy to lose focus on the front of the tow vehicle and turn into a tree or other obstacle.
2. Use your arms to point in the direction you want the van to go. Keep hand signals simple and easy to understand and agree on them beforehand.
3. Remember if the driver can’t see you, he or she can’t see where you’re directing them to go.
4. Remember to look up. Look out for the clearance between the van and overhanging branches, lights, power lines or other obstructions. Remember the top of the air-conditioning unit will sit about half a metre above the roofline of the van. Also, consider where your TV antenna is likely to rise when set up.
Leaving the site
1. Make a checklist of all the things you need to do before you drive off. Include things like ensuring you have disconnected all your service connections, lowered and stowed your TV antenna, removed your wheel chocks and repacked your levelling ramps, shut all the vents and hatches, and check the trailer connections and tow hitch are secure. Check all trailer lights are working.
2. Plan your departure. Before you drive off your site, just take the time to have a look at the way out and make sure you will be able to drive your rig out safely.
Random Thoughts
- Arrival time, don’t arrive and badger the previous occupants off their pitch
- If you’re leaving early, keep noise to a minimum, and don’t chat loudly to each other – noise carries at that time of day
- Try not to block the park access roads with your vehicle, and be prepared to move it if asked
- Be friendly to your new neighbours and maybe work out your set-up’s extremities such as your awning or slide-out so you don’t end up on top of each other
- The laundry can be fraught with tension and some people lose it if you empty their machine, or touch their clothes. Dog blankets in the park machines tend to upset some people so check before using the machine to wash them
- Hogging one tap as your personal water source is a no-no, there is a good chance it might need to be shared
- Clean up after yourself in camp kitchens, it is surprising people forget to do this
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help from your neighbours before you get yourself into a muddle
Destinations