Caravanning errors you must avoid

First-timer or veteran, we’re all prone to make the odd mistake setting up on site, says Peter Rosenthal. Here’s how to avoid them

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YOUR CARAVAN is nothing like your car, where the most complicated bit of kit you have to navigate is usually going to be the multimedia system.

In a caravan, you have the kitchen, the washroom, the lounge and the dining area to figure out, complete with plumbing systems, secondary heaters, ovens and all manner of electricals. The presence of all these complexities brings with it plenty of opportunity for error.

But don’t worry, that’s what we’re here for – to steer you through all these bits of kit, so you know exactly what you’re doing. Or at least how to fool most casual observers you encounter on a campsite!

Electrickery

The thing that causes most difficulty on site is very often the leisure battery. Modern caravans rely on 12V DC from the leisure battery to power almost every item of equipment inside them. Your lights, taps, heating, fridge and oven all need an electrical supply to function, and the battery is a finite source of energy.

When you plug into a mains hook-up, you might think you’re out of the woods, but this all depends on your energy use.

If your caravan has a (say) 20A charger, but you are running a microwave off an inverter (which can easily draw 120A), you can see that you’re draining your battery six times faster than you’re replenishing it. So it will go flat.

If your leisure battery goes flat, your habitation appliances will misbehave. Think of it like a human who has had a few too many in the campsite bar! Everything will work a little wonkily and data imparted by the control panel might not be as accurate as usual.