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Caravan packing hacks – Tips to make your next caravan holiday easier

Jen Adams | January 27, 2016 | 3:49 am | 13 Comments

Caravanning is one of my favorite forms of travel. I will never forget when we did the ‘big lap’ of Australia in our ‘pop-up’ campervan – we often commented about how we never wanted the adventure to end. I loved how, after a day exploring the outback, we would set up our cosy home-away-from-home and have everything we needed. I never took those luxuries for granted (especially my coffee machine in the middle of the desert), and typing this from my home office makes me long for that trip…I’m sure you know the feeling!

caravan packing hacks
But it doesn’t matter if you are travelling all the way around Australia or just heading down the road for a much-loved great Australian break – let’s face it, the ‘packing part’ can be overwhelming.

caravan packing hacks
Whether you are new to caravanning or an old hand, I think we all need a few fresh ideas every now and then to make getting away that bit easier each time. As we all know, the less hassle the getaway, the more inclined we are to travel.

Here are my basic caravan packing hacks for your next break…

1. LISTS and more lists

We have our trusty list on the wall of our back shed that we use every time we head away with our pop-up. We add to it whenever we come up with a new idea to make our adventures even more enjoyable.

caravan packing hacks

2. Have a set of everything for your caravan, so only food and clothes need packing each time

This applies to kitchen utensils and equipment, cleaning supplies, bedding, towels, a first aid kit, games, and camping furniture/equipment. Remember to clean it all when you get back from each trip so it is waiting and ready to go on your next one.

3. Keep a full set of toiletries stored in the van

Never run out of anything on the road, including toilet paper!

4. Have a dirty clothes bag that can go from van to house or van to laundromat

It always makes caravanning trips that much easier when clean clothes are separated from dirty clothes.

5. Always ensure the van is thoroughly cleaned upon your return and ready to go for the next trip

The last thing you want to do is spend a day cleaning your van when you are trying to go away on holiday.

caravan packing hacks

6. T
ake all of your herbs and spices in little Tic Tac containers

They take up much less room than regular spice jars, and you can keep them in the caravan for future trips.

7. Buy a hanging shoe rack

Use it in your van for storing all kinds of things, such as cleaning rags, barbecue tools, sauces, bug spray, etc.

8. Pack baking paper

Use it on the camp stove and barbecue to ensure cleaning up is a breeze.

caravan packing hacks

9. Finally, here are some tips to ensure your caravan holiday is a successful one each time:

  • Keep a well-equipped tool box, including a mallet, screwdrivers, spanners, fuses, etc.
  • Keep a good quality hose bag for sullage and a drinking water hose.
  • Always have citronella burners or candles on hand.
  • Have cleaning cloths available to clean dirty gear, such as hoses, before packing.
  • Ensure your fridge is stored with the door locked in the open position to allow air in and to stop mould between trips.
  • Carry LED head torches for setting up camp in the dark.
  • Carry two small walkie talkies, which are great to assist with reversing the van into a tight spot.
caravan packing hacks
I would love to hear your packing hacks. Have you any gems that I have missed? Please leave your comments below.

About Jen Adams

Places We Go is Jen's dream come true. As the founder, she simply wanted to 'share the world with the world'. With the tag line “It’s not just the places we go, but the people we meet that capture our heart” Jen knows that it's always the locals that bring our travels alive.

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Comments

  1. Elaine Beveridge says

    January 30, 2016 at 10:22 am

    Any tips you haven’t heard Greg Herbert ?

    Reply
    • Greg Herbert says

      January 30, 2016 at 10:18 pm

      Got most of them covered. We don’t take herbs and spices so no need for tictacs!

      Reply
    • Dianne Kaye Trimper says

      January 31, 2016 at 3:12 am

      Where are you off to for Easter Greg – or is it too close to baby time! This is a great post!!

      Reply
    • Greg Herbert says

      January 31, 2016 at 7:00 am

      Too close – finished with the van until after baby arrives.

      Reply
  2. Steve Mason says

    January 30, 2016 at 10:38 am

    Soon to buy a caravan for Jade. An old one for her to design and me to help her renovate.
    These tips are golden.
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Places We Go says

      January 31, 2016 at 8:55 am

      You are welcome
      Steve!! Love it out on the road it’s just the best – Jen ??

      Reply
    • Steve Mason says

      January 31, 2016 at 9:08 am

      Genuinely some great ideas here I wouldn’t have considered.
      Can’t wait. This time next year, open road!!

      Reply
  3. Deb says

    February 6, 2016 at 3:38 pm

    Great Tips! Thank you. Here are a couple have picked up along the way.
    1. Always have a packet of fly-wire repairer. Small pieces of adhesive fly-wire, easily attached with a hair dryer to any small tear or split. Available from hardware stores
    2. Spare cupboard door handle. Nothing worse than weeks of have a cupboard door catch broken and contents \’flying\’ out each time you travel, or loosing

    Reply
    • Emma De Fry says

      February 16, 2016 at 5:21 am

      Great tips Deb! We didn’t think of those 🙂

      Reply
  4. Louise says

    February 21, 2016 at 4:22 pm

    We are new to travel after just retiring 6 months ago. Not sure where to head for first. Any ideas on a short trip first?

    Reply
  5. Lillian Schaeffer says

    April 2, 2016 at 8:49 am

    These are some great tips, and I appreciate your advice to create a packing list to make your caravan trip easier. My husband and I recently purchased a caravan, and we want to take our family on a trip this summer. I want to make sure we have everything we need, so we’ll definitely compile a packing list that we can use in the future as well. Thanks for the great post!

    Reply
  6. Jasmine Milne says

    July 28, 2016 at 2:58 pm

    Dear Jen & Clint, Congratulations and welcome to your new baby boy … how wonderful! We watch plenty of travel shows – we are very part-time caravanners (sadly still working FT!). We enjoy Places We Go more than ANY of the other travel shows … we can feel Jen and Clint’s passion for the ‘Places you go to’.

    Thanks for sharing your experiences.

    Kind Regards
    Jasmine

    Reply
  7. Lock N Store says

    July 19, 2018 at 11:59 am

    Hi, thanks for this amazing post! My parents recently purchased a caravan, and we want to take our family on a trip this summer. I want to make sure we have everything we need, so we’ll definitely compile a packing list that we can use in the future as well. Thanks for sharing this, it has been a great help!

    Reply
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