Tips & Hacks – Caravan Travel Family

Caravan Tips & Hacks

Everything we wish someone had told us before our first trip — and everything we have learned since.

Join the Caravan and Motorhome Club before your first trip. The site network and technical helpline alone are worth the membership fee.
Book your first few trips on Club Campsites rather than CLs. The facilities are better and the wardens are experienced at helping new arrivals.
Practice reversing in a car park before you need to do it on site. It is a skill that takes time to develop.
The 85% rule: your caravan MTPLM should not exceed 85% of your car’s kerbweight. Stay well within this for your first trips.
Don’t over-pack for your first trip. You will quickly learn what you actually need and what stays at home.

Always ask the warden which way to face the caravan before you start manoeuvring. They know the site and the prevailing wind.
Peg out the awning as soon as you arrive, not when the weather turns. It is much harder to peg out in the rain.
Keep a doormat outside the caravan door. It makes an enormous difference to how clean the van stays.
Use a cable tidy to keep the EHU cable off the ground and away from foot traffic.
A small LED lantern hung in the awning makes a huge difference to the atmosphere in the evening.

The Great Savings Guide pays for itself. Use the discounts on days out and you will recoup the cost of Club membership in a single trip.
Shop at Aldi and Lidl for camping Specialbuys. The quality is excellent and the prices are a fraction of specialist camping retailers.
Book sites well in advance for peak season. Last-minute availability on Club Campsites in July and August is very limited.
Consider shoulder season trips — May, June, and September offer excellent weather, lower site fees, and quieter pitches.
Cook on the Cadac rather than eating out every night. A campsite paella for six costs around £15 in ingredients.

Involve the children in the planning. Letting them choose one activity per day gives them a sense of ownership and significantly reduces resistance.
Pack bikes. The single best investment for family caravanning — most sites have space to ride, and it keeps children occupied for hours.
Build in downtime. Not every day needs to be a day out. Some of our best memories are from days spent on the pitch, cycling around the site, and cooking paella.
Use visual timetables for neurodivergent children. Knowing what is happening next removes a significant source of anxiety.
The spinning chair is not optional. For sensory regulation at service stations and on site, it has been a game-changer for our family.

Check your tyre pressures before every trip — both car and caravan. Under-inflated caravan tyres are a significant safety risk.
Fit a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) to the caravan. You cannot see caravan tyre condition while driving, and a blowout at speed is extremely dangerous.
Service the caravan every year without fail. The damp check alone is worth the cost — catching ingress early prevents very expensive repairs.
Carry a spare set of caravan tyres if you tour frequently. Caravan tyre sizes are not always available at local garages.
Learn to use the motor mover before you need it. Practise on a flat surface at home, not on a sloping pitch in the rain.