Here are some helpful hints
from and for Caravanners.

 It's an eclectic mix collected from various locations including the Internet, provided in no particular order, so take it or leave it :-)

• Read the flaming manual!
• Don't give up, keep practising.
• When buying a van first know the capacity of the towing vehicle. Check with local distributor.
• Ensure you have a suitable jack for lifting your caravan (turn all gas off before jacking).
• Paint hammer handle and annex pegs with fluro paint. They are easier to see in long grass or at night.
• Keep a spanner handy to disconnect the battery in case of a short circuit.
• Your first aid kit should be well stocked for all seasons and easily accessible. In some areas it is a long distance between chemist shops.
• Make sure everyone travelling with you knows how to operate the fire extinguisher.
• If a gas bottle catches fire, do not try to extinguish. Hose the bottle to keep it cool until it burns itself out.
• When using gas stoves & ovens in a van make sure there is a window open and adequate fresh air circulating.
• Do not use heating appliances which rely on combustion when your van is sealed up with no adequate fresh air circulation
• Use a mineral water bottle to prevent people cutting their feet on sharp metal awning pegs. Cut the top off a bottle, about 10cm to 15cm down and dispose of the bottom. Thread the guy rope through the top of the plastic bottle, replace the rope and place the bottle over the peg, pushing it down to cover the peg. This prevents nasty cuts.
• Always turn gas off at the bottle before entering a service station.
• Never store a cylinder of gas on its side.
• Be prepared - make sure your vehicle is in top condition before you set out
• Carry sufficient food and water, a first aid kit, a comprehensive tool kit and a spare tyre (or two)
• If you break down, always stay with your vehicle and conserve food and water
• Drive to suit the road conditions - if towing do not exceed 90 kilometres per hour
• Watch out for stray animals on roads, especially at dawn and dusk
• Never drive tired - fatigue kills
• Watch out for road trains - they can reach over 50 metres long
• Slow down in dusty conditions where visibility is poor, stay left and never overtake
• Slow down at all creek crossings and waterways
• Limit the use of fire and be aware of fire bans
• Only build fires in the pits provided and take care to completely extinguish the flame with water when finished
• Retread tyres should not be used.
• Don't use candles in your caravan - it's much safer to have a torch handy. Make sure you have spare batteries or even better - a dynamo (or wind-up) torch.
• Be careful when driving in poor conditions or in high winds, as their impacts are magnified when towing a caravan.
• Where possible, pull over regularly to allow following vehicles to overtake.
• Be sure you fit rear vision mirrors which allow you to see down the side of your van.
• It is wise to know the height of your caravan, as some bridges in the country are low.
• Make a note of your caravan height (in both feet and inches and metres) and stick it to your dashboard.
• When leaving any camp site, check after moving that nothing has been left  behind.
• Keep a bottle of antiseptic with your laundry detergent. Clean the inside of washing machine and tubs before and after use.
• Metal against metal cause black friction marks. To avoid this pack saucepans, etc. separately in old pillow cases or plastic bags.
• Insert paper plates between saucepans and frypans.
• When travelling place folded towels or cushions on top of your crockery or anything in your overhead lockers it will prevent things moving around or bouncing out.
• Try to limit the quantity of souvenirs you collect, as these will add to the weight of your caravan for the home trip.
• Post souvenirs home. Less weight to carry and it's like Christmas on your return opening the "presents".
• If you have your choice of where to park overnight, try to keep fridge vents away from the hot sun or use a "fridge awning".
• Whenever you stop along the road for a tea break, both driver and passenger should have a walk around your van and car. Mainly an inspection tour, but the exercise will do you good.
• Keep a watch on the following traffic and be courteous to other road users.
• If you have a CB radio, tune to the truckies' channel and talk to them, and help them to pass. You will get a "thanks mate" and feel good.
• If you are travelling with friends in another van, keep at least 200 metres apart so that faster traffic can pass safely.
• Channel 18 is the normal CB channel for Caravanners
• Keep all CB talk to a minimum.
• Brakes, bearing and tyres should be thoroughly checked at least once a year or 10,000Km.
• When travelling in hot weather, prepare lunch at breakfast      time, and then you need only open the fridge once in the heat of the day.
• A 35mm film container is just the right size for $2, $1, 20 and 10 cent coins. Keep these in the car for parking meters and phone calls.
• (alternate) use them as herb/spice holders (wash first)
• Use plastic ice cream containers to pack loose items in.
• Do not mark your toilet bag etc. with your home address. Instead put your name, car and van registration.
• It is great for your hair to shampoo in the water from a running stream, but take the water in a dish and throw all soapy water on the land. Fish, platypus and all their friends will thank you.
• When going on a day tour, by boat, rail etc. leave your car locked with your van and use tourist pick up bus or local transport for safety reasons.
• Keep a note of all interesting events, mentioned in the media, to assist in your future trips.
• "Do Not Enter" signs mean just that
• ALWAYS leave gates as you find them.
• Sleeping bags are becoming popular. Their synthetic fibres      allow easy washing and quick drying. Turn the sleeping bags in-side out      each morning to air.
• Don't take much in the sewing basket. One reel of clear poly cotton will mend all coloured garments.
• To save gas only fill the kettle with the minimum required water.
• Three gas burners and an electric element is the best mix.  It means you can use the park's power when you are not free camping.
• If you are visiting a point of interest in your travels and the weather is not good, buy post cards of the area - you may never visit here again.
• Don't throw away all those little bags of silica gel from new shoes and handbags. Put them in your caravan fridge when it is not being used to soak up moisture and prevent mould.
• Square/rectangular containers fit better into drawers and cupboards
• Delicate wine glasses don't travel well. But they can be carried safely if turned upside down and placed into expanded polystyrene stubby holders/coolers.
• Make sure that you do not camp or fish without first obtaining permission from the owner.
• Use bulldog clips to seal potato chip packets, milk cartons, etc as these will move around whilst the caravan is in transit
• Use metal hangers for your clothes and bend the top of the hangers around the wardrobe pole to stop them falling off while travelling. (alternative below)
• To stop clothes hangers falling off, use a piece of foam pipe insulation (it is designed to just snap around the pipe, and has a split down one side). Secure this over the rail with the split at the bottom, cut slots into the top edge, then hook the hangers over the top into the slots and they are kept tightly in place the whole journey.
• When using a caravan airer which you hang out of a caravan window, put some foam insulation pipe on the airer sides which rest on the caravan (same stuff as tip above). They may need to be taped on. This way your airer will not dent your caravan sides.
• Attach a tag to the cylinder in use before disconnecting the regulator prior to travelling. That way you will always re-connect to the correct cylinder and eliminate the risk for having 2 nearly empty cylinders at the start of your holiday.
• Make sure you always unwind your electric cable fully to prevent it overheating.
• To keep the midges at bay, hang chamomile tea bags from each of the windows on the outside. You'll be amazed, it really works.
• No room for ice and lemon in the freezer for your G n' T? Slice lemons and freeze individually. Cold and tasty!
• Many people have discovered the nuisance of losing the plug to their caravan sink, solve this by attaching a small chain from the plug to the sink
• Vans don't normally have the advantage of a 'U' shaped water seal under the sink as is usual in domestic kitchens and bathrooms, accordingly, it is a good idea each night, to pour a small amount of disinfectant down the sink and leave the plug in to prevent the disinfectant evaporating, this will help to prevent bacteria colonizing in the van drainage system.
• Choose easily laundered clothes where possible, drip-dry rather than items that need ironing.
• To line up the ball and hitch, get in the car and put a small mark on the lower rear window. Line these up with two small dots on the front of the caravan. Now when you reverse line up the marks and the ball fits under the hitch without the need for pulling or pushing.
• To stop the toilet roll unwinding while you're in transit just squash it so that it is not round, or put a rubber band around it, and it can't go anywhere
• When using a caravan cover, protect your windows by cutting up some old cotton sheets the same size as the frames. Open each window and tuck the sheets into the top corners, then close. The sheeting will hang over the glass and protect it from any wear and tear caused by the cover.
• For security buy a motorcycle lock and chain and fit it to another of your caravan's wheels: it's also easy to carry with you in the car.
• If you have to use ramps to level the van from side to side its a good idea to pull it up the ramps rather than back it up as if the van settles on its brakes when the ball is released then its less likely to roll forward into the back of your car.
• Have a piece of string or rope attached to each chock. This will ensure you are able to remove it without getting your hands too near the moving wheel.
• When storing the awning put tumble dryer sheets in the awning bag which helps to keep the awning smelling fresh when not in use.
• Soap on a rope is good in small shower cubicles (some cubicles are so small you can't bend over)
• Knock four cricket stumps into the ground outside the door, and you've got the perfect place to store upturned boots at the end of a rainy day.
• If the stumps start to split nail a bottle top onto the top (drink the beer first J )
• A tip for securing hoses after use is to purchase some Velcro straps (at least two for each hose) and secure them around the hoses.  You can screw a U bracket in the boot of your caravan or hatch to neatly hang them on, or use the flat hoses.
• Criss-cross the chains and use "D" shackles to connect them to the secure points on the towbar
• Clean your awning or annex with fresh water and a soft brush. Never use detergents or soaps
• When using an awning, take it down the evening before you leave the site. Even on a summer's morning there is a risk of early morning damp, which can damage the awning fabric if it is packed away before it is thoroughly dry
• If you store your caravan away from home it is recommended that you should remove the leisure battery and store it in a dry place.
• If the shower tray doesn't drain properly, a small adjustment to the levelling of the caravan usually cures the problem!
• Take advantage of the scenic routes and avoid town/city bypasses when available. The extra travelling time will be rewarded by local flavour.
• Before your next trip, get some Mr Sheen furniture polish & spray the front of the van & car. When you get to your destination a quick wipe with a dry cloth & all the bugs come off.
• Lack of sink plugs in Caravan parks?Cut a 75mm circle out of some old car tubes and just place that over the plug hole, store in your wash bag
• Square chlorine buckets (with sealing lid) make good storage or washing containers.
• Cut the tip off a spare leg winder handle, shape the end and use it with cordless drill to wind legs in and out
• Make sure you take some photos of your caravan, in particular any distinctive  features it has. You can then use these photos to help you (and the police) identify your caravan should it be stolen.
• A KPMG study reveals that a fuel price rise of 20c, may only add around 2% to your touring holiday cost. Caravan holidays continue to be the best value holiday options for Australians!
• To avoid losing your digital camera, write your mobile phone number and email address on a sheet of paper and take a picture. You can then (hopefully) be contacted by a person who's looked through the pictures for clues.
• Stop your tow mirror scuffing door paint by using one of those seat belt woolly things that wrap around the seat belts. They do get dirty after a bit but are easy to take off and wash
• Uneven temperatures within the fridge? Buy an AIR WICK, MOBIL AIR (around $8). This has a small fan in it, use it in your house or van until the scent has gone, remove the batteries, wash it thoroughly, let it dry, replace the batteries, then use it in your fridge to circulate the air
• Solar battery chargers save heaps of money (for AA and similar size batteries). Sit on the dashboard while driving.
• Washing tip. use wool wash, 1 cap full per bucket of washing and you don't need to rinse
• If you belong to a car recovery scheme check that they will recover your caravan if it breaks down (or loses a wheel, for example). Many will only recover a caravan as part of recovering a broken down car, and some may not recover a caravan at all
• Add "pockets" to the curtains at the bed head to stick all those little bits in, and a couple of larger ones that will hold magazines.
• Keep a "good" old air cleaner element, so you can do a quick swap if you need to travel on dusty roads. Keep the clean one for the bitumen
• Turn your air filter a 1/4 to 1/2 turn every 5,000km
• Allow plenty of room when cornering in a petrol station (and check the height before entering).
• A head torch is useful if you need to change a wheel at night. The latest LED versions are cheap, incredibly bright and very efficient when it comes to batteries.
• Strengthen the rail mounts and fit a centre support if practical.
• If you are in a tight position and wish to manually manoeuvre a double axle trailer, it will be easier, if you raise the front axle off the ground by using the jockey wheel.
• Seek permission and obtain permits (if required) before entering private property and leave gates as you find them
• Bury human waste if there are no toilet facilities and take all rubbish with you
• Camp in designated areas only
• Get into the habit of testing your water pump each time you pack your van.
• Front Boots on caravans and camper trailers are NOT water and dust proof.
• Check the weather report for the area where you will be camping. Nobody wants to spend a week in the rain. If you get caught in a thunderstorm, don't take shelter under a tree. Your car is a safer place.
• Pay particular attention when accelerating and braking, especially when approaching corners.
• Wear shoes or sandals at all times. There are many things you don't want to step on or in.
• As reversing with a caravan is difficult, where possible drive out forward from a parking spot. When practicing reversing, ensure it is done in a safe environment and have someone to guide you.
• Leave your itinerary with a friend or relative - include your car license number, where you plan to be, when you plan to return, and a mobile phone number if you have one.
• Practice setting up in your backyard/driveway before you leave. Not only will that save time, but also you'll find out if any parts are missing or if the tent/caravan is damaged.
• Hire a caravan before you buy.  You might not like the lifestyle, or you may get ideas for the one you buy.
• Happy hours are where you pick up ideas and tips for the van and local sight seeing attractions.
• Reversing cameras are great!
• If possible, put heavier items in the car and larger lighter items in the trailer.
• Non-slip matting in cupboards and drawers is worth every cent
• The easiest way to prevent your coat hangers falling off the rail while travelling is to have the hooks facing towards you.
• We carry a long and a short water hose: they click together with a joiner to make an extra long hose if required. After use, we drain out the water and join the ends of each hose together with the same joiner to stop leakage in the boot.
• Cut wine cask boxes in half and put your glassware (spices etc) in them, in the cupboard, stops breaking and is tidy as well as an excuse to drink wine. Also good to keep books in, inside your locker.
• If you use HTB grease on your towball and load distributing hitch, its good for the bearings.
• A copy of the van wiring diagram is handy to have
• To clean out water containers and tanks before your trip, add bicarb soda to water in the tank and go for a drive. Drain and refill with fresh water. You’ll appreciate the taste.
• This tip is for if you have a flat tyre, but you can’t get the jack under it as you are on soft ground etc….  Put the spare tyre down in front of the flat tyre and slowly drive onto it.  This will lift the enough to get the jack under.  Jack it up and pull the spare tyre out, ready to change the flat.
• Did you know that Colgate toothpaste makes an excellent salve for burns
• Diesel engines buy a pack of camphor tablets at the chemist approx $4 & when refuelling cut one in pieces small enough to tip into the fuel tank spout the fill up. This cleans the injectors & is an old truckers trick.
• A ‘tired’ fridge door seal can allow the escape of cool air. Tip: Sometimes the life of a seal can be extended by the use of a hairdryer and your fingers to gently reshape it.
• A toothbrush is the best tool for many caravan cleaning jobs both inside and out!
• Sometimes your spices and cooking ingredients can take up too much room in your RV kitchen. Especially when you know you won’t need them in large amounts. Use old Tic-Tac boxes to keep your spices compact and neat. This also works for other powders you may use in small quantities such as baking powder or bicarbonate soda.
• Some caravans now have all the locks keyed alike. If buying a new van, ask if this feature can be provided
• Getting tired of counting chain links every time you hook up your weight distribution hitch bars? Just colour code the link you normally use.
• If you are travelling, especially in the cold night deserts where the temperature can drop below freezing, the last thing you want is skin stuck to cold metal in the morning. Make a cover for the jockey wheel handle from a piece of old washing machine hose. You can usually find old washing machines on nature strips ready for hard rubbish collection. Just go and knock on the door and ask if you can take the hoses.
• When you are around the camp fire at night do you get cold from the cool air coming from under your seat or from behind? Our hint is to get an old fry pan (usually for a few dollars from your friendly Op Shop) with a handle and fill it with a shovel full of hot coals and place it under your seat. This will give you about 20 minutes of blissful heat raising under you and up your back, heaven. When it cools just return the ashes to the fire (recycling?) and load up for another 'hot seat' experience. And no the seat will not catch fire as long as you use a moderate amount of hot coals.