Caravan holidays advice

The recent financial crisis slowed down the rate of growth of the caravan and camping industry. But the economy is showing signs of recovery and yes we are out there buying vans again. This is due to us baby boomers wanting to get going on our road trips around our fantastic country.

The most popular van size is between 3.35m and 7.31m. Smaller vans can be cramped for more than one person and large vans are a towing nightmare. Pop ups are good for storing in your carport or garage. Our van is not a pop up and does not store well at our home so we store it at Stansbury council park. We pay a yearly amount and when we want to go and stay we just ring and they bring it out to the site and we just arrive and only have to put up the annexe. Easy and free of the hassle of towing.

Tips: * Only travel on roads suitable to caravans.

* Check before you go by contacting relevant organisations to see what road conditions are like.

* Be careful of aquaplaning in wet conditions (tyres are separated from the road surface by a layer of water and can result in loss of directional control or braking).

* Before departure give friends a copy of your itinerary.

* Allow time to get to your destination.

* Rest every two hours for about 15 minutes.

* Carry a very detailed up to date road map.

* Have the van serviced and make sure the registration is up to date.

* Take supplies of enough water, food and fuel in case of emergencies.

* Join the National 4WD Radio network for reliable communication>

* Have an up to date first aide kit and if possible do a basic first aide course.

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