What Do I Need To Start Caravanning?

Towing License?

First things first, you’ll need to check when you passed your driving test. If it was before 1 January 1997 you’ll be able to tow. If it was after that date, you’ll only be able to drive a vehicle up to 3500kg and a trailer (caravan) up to 750kg behind it. So, if you want to tow a heavier caravan you’ll need to pass an additional test. For more information, head over to the Camping & Caravanning Club information page.

Towbar

Choose the right towbar for your car. To do this, check manufacturer’s websites (Witter, Westfaila, AL-KO) to find one suitable for you.

Caravan Hitch Lock

Security

There are various devices on the market which can help to protect your caravan.

• Hitch lock
• Wheel clamp
• Alarm
• Tracker
• CRiS

Check out this useful guide to Caravan Security Devices for more information.

Insurance

Your car insurance will usually provide third party cover for towing your caravan, so would cover any damage to other cars if you had an accident. However, you would have to pay for any damage to your caravan, so make sure it’s protected against accidents, breakdown and theft with adequate insurance.

Caravan Awning

Awning

Extend your living space with a caravan awning. Our guide to caravan awnings may help you choose.

Motor mover

Caravan motor movers allow you to easily manoeuvre your caravan into position whether that be into a driveway, storage or touring pitch, or even hitching up. This guide gives more information.

Water Carrier

You’ll need to have a container suitable for collecting water to bring back to your caravan. An Aquaroll is a great option which can be rolled along the ground.

Caravan Water Container 

Water Pump

Connect your Aquaroll to your caravan taps with a waterpump. Popular brands are Whale and Truma.

Waste Water Container

Waste water, or ‘grey’ water needs to be collected by a waste water container, which plugs into your caravan waste drain points. Wastemaster is a popular brand.

Leisure Battery

Whilst most campsites will provide EHU (electric hook up), it’s still useful to invest in a leisure battery so you can power your fridge, heater and lights. There are several types of leisure battery, and all have their pros and cons, so make sure you do your research before you purchase. This guide to leisure batteries is very useful.

Gas Bottle

Power your fridge, heating, gas cooker and shower with gas. Bottles are typically butane or propane and come in 6kg or 7kg bottles. Butane gas is ideal for the summer months, but for winter, propane is better as it’s unlikely to freeze in cold weather.

Electric Hook Up Mains Lead

Mains Lead

To connect to an EHU, you’ll need a mains lead which costs around £50. Make sure it has an IP44 rating which indicates the level of protection given to sockets from water penetration.

Step

Don’t forget to pack some portable steps to make getting in and out of your caravan a whole lot easier.

Corner Steady Jack

When you pitch up you’ll need to lower your corner steadies. Wind them down with a corner steady jack.

Toilet Chemicals

Reduce unpleasant smells, break down all the nasty stuff, and keep your toilet working effectively with toilet chemicals. Pink chemicals are added to the fresh water tank to keep the flush clean and provide a nice aroma. Blue or green chemicals are put into the waste tank and break down waste matter.

Towing Mirrors

Caravan Towing Mirrors

If you’re towing a vehicle wider than your car, you’ll need towing mirrors. You can buy stick on towing mirrors, strap on towing mirrors or bracket style towing mirrors. Prices range from around £15 to about £150.

Are Caravan Covers a Good Idea?

As the touring season draws to a close, you may want to start thinking about storing your caravan for the winter.

Is a caravan cover necessary? 

Do the pros outweigh the cons?

A caravan cover will protect your tourer from rain, dirt, tree sap and UV fading, and even scrapes to the bodywork. However, some would say that they also cause damp and are a hassle to fit.

A caravan cover will need to be breathable in order to allow moisture and condensation to escape from the inside, and water-proof to protect your caravan from the elements. Covers which are only water resistant may let water through in heavy rain.

How to Choose the Correct Cover

If you do decide to get a caravan cover, size is everything. Measure the length of your caravan body (parallel to the ground) from front to back, including the gas locker but not the A-frame.

Ready-made covers, or universal covers, as they are sometimes called, come in a range of sizes, and will secured by way of a strap underneath and an elasticated skirt. If your caravan is between sizes, go for the smaller option, as the excess material in the larger size will prove difficult to secure and may tear in windy weather.

Semi-tailored covers are designed for specific makes of caravan so should take into account variations in profile design. However, they’re unlikely to align perfectly with doorways allow for roof lights.

An alternative option is to go for a made-to-measure cover. A tailor made caravan cover will fit your caravan exactly and allow for aerials, doorways and flues. Companies such as Pro-tec Covers and Specialised Covers offer this service.

How much do caravan covers cost?

Ready-made covers range from as little as £70 to around £100, whilst bespoke caravan covers start at around £300. Whilst they are considerably more expensive, tailor made covers are generally easier to fit, can be customised, and will be made from higher quality material allowing a greater degree of breathability, water resistance and durability.

Caravan Cover Care

• Always clean your caravan before fitting a cover, as this may cause scratching. 
• Caravan covers can be washed using warm water and soft sponges. Detergents could impair the breathability of the fabric.
• If your caravan is going to be in storage for a long period of time (over the winter) remember to check both your caravan and your cover regularly.

  

The Bottom Line

We think caravan covers are well worth considering, and you should spend as much as you can afford. If you’ve bought a brand new caravan, it makes sense to pay a reasonable amount on a cover to make sure your tourer stays in pristine condition.

Why do caravans snake?

….and how to avoid it.

Caravan snaking happens when a tow car and caravan become out of sync with each other and veer side to side. This usually happens as a result of a sudden swerve, crosswinds or high speeds, though can also happen when a tyre blows or if the caravan is loaded incorrectly.

Snaking is relatively uncommon thankfully, but can cause serious accidents and major disruption to other road users.

Good towing practice is the first step to prevent snaking, and this begins even before you start the engine. Correctly loading your caravan is vital as one which is unevenly loaded is far more likely to sway. Make certain that the nose of the caravan isn’t overloaded.

Next, make sure your tyre pressures on both your tow car and caravan are at the right pressure. Check out our post on Caravan Tyres for more information about caravan loading.

Snaking can sometimes happen if a caravan is travelling at a high speed and is passed by a larger vehicle like a lorry causing crosswinds. Towing mirrors are therefore essential in alerting a driver to approaching vehicles so that they can slow down.

When it comes to speed, always tow within the legal limit. Don’t feel you need to reach the limit, and take into account weather conditions like rain or high winds.

Anti-snaking stabilisers are available, often attracting a discount on your caravan insurance if you use one. These devices automatically apply the caravan brakes if a snaking movement is detected and cost in the region of around £200.