Little tips and hacks every caravanner should know

Caravan holidays are a rite of passage for almost every Australian family. From days spent in seaside caravan parks to road trips across state borders, everyone has a camping story and their own ‘tips and tricks’ that they swear make their experience better.

Here are a few hacks and tips that will hopefully make your next trip a little easier!

Make the most of your caravan storage

To ensure you’re getting the most out of your caravan storage make use of things like packing cubes, hanging shoe racks, and stackable storage boxes. Hanging shoe racks can be used in the wardrobe for any clothes that don’t really need hanging and packing cubes are also great to keep each person’s clothes together. Finally, if you don’t have a lot of pantry space you can use stackable storage boxes. Another handy hack is to pop any spices into labelled zip lock bags, as they are a lot less bulky than spice jars.

Pack kitchen appliances that have multiple uses

Appliances like the humble toasted sandwich maker can be a life saver when on the road. Not only for toasted sandwiches, it can be used to make pancakes or cook up bacon and eggs when it’s too cold and rainy to head outside to the BBQ.

Have a dedicated ‘caravan set’ for all your essentials

By having a spare set of all your essentials already in the van, you can easily hit the road at short notice. This includes everything from thongs and bathers, to towels, toiletries and electronics. It also means you’re less likely to forget anything for your trip.

Get a good night’s sleep with block out curtains

There is nothing worse than being woken up at the crack of dawn while camping by light streaming into the van. While this is a great way to get an early start to the day, sometimes you need a sleep-in past sunrise. Get around this by making block out blinds for your van. Simply use curtains from stores like Spotlight, Target or Kmart and cut to size. Block out blinds are also perfect for any kids that need to nap during the day or when someone in the family needs a quiet and dark space to rest.

Light it up

We all know the challenge of going to the toilet in the middle of the night and hitting everything in the way because you can’t find the torch. A handy hack is to use sensor lights in positions around your caravan and campsite so you can easily find your way out. If you’re looking for a little campsite ambience, pop your head torch or LED light behind a large plastic bottle filled with water (old milk bottles are perfect). It will create a nice glow without a harsh streamlined light. For kids, glow sticks are a good (and fun!) way to provide some light at night-time.