Whether you’re embarking on a journey through the beautiful Macleay Valley or seeking outdoor adventures right across Australia, these caravan hacks, tips, and must-haves will help you make the most of your experience. Get ready to explore in comfort and style with these ideas.
Make it feel like home
The ways in which you can make your van life as comfortable as your home life are limited only by your imagination. Just because you are out on the road, doesn’t mean your accommodation can’t be cosy and comfortable. Try these caravan tips:
- Warm lighting creates a cosy and inviting atmosphere. Switch your lighting from cool to warm tones to make your caravan feel more like your home away from home.
- Add a touch of style with a hanging macrame fruit basket that will also keep your fruit from spilling while travelling.
- If you are sharing your caravan with kids, installing a roller blind at the end of the master bed can give you some privacy, while doubling as a projector screen for entertainment on those rainy days.
- Install small wall-mounted fans for air circulation without sacrificing precious floor space.
- Keep your cupboards cool by lining them with insulation, such as cheap car visors, to protect your food and belongings from the inevitable Australian heat.
- Downloading apps can help you make the most of your camping experience. Take a look at our helpful camping apps list.
Keeping clean and organised
A happy camper is an organised camper. Whether you have an itemised caravan checklist or you just throw a few things in the van as you leave, having a place for everything will keep you organised and give you more time to make the most of your outdoor adventures. Have you tried these hacks for your caravan?
- Add pull out drawers to cupboard spaces to help you easily see everything you’ve stored inside.
- Decant kitchen items such as spices to reusable zip lock bags to save space and weight.
- Use clear containers in high spaces so you can see what you have stored inside.
- A bike basket is perfect for keeping items off the floor. A clever hack is to take your toiletries to the showers in a bike basket and hang it over the shower door. It will keep everything dry and you won’t accidentally leave your shampoo behind.
- An extendable cleaning brush will always come in handy, whether that’s for cleaning the high sides of your caravan, or helping guide the top of your marquee cover over the frame.
- A great caravan hack is to use everyday storage items to keep your van neat and tidy. Think about using a tackle box to store small items such as hair ties and accessories, or using office file holders, desk trays and caddies to organise and store items.
- Colour code and organise your keys. A cheap and easy way to do this is place a coloured paint dot on the key and a dot of the same colour on the matching lock. Alternatively use a wall mounted key-tag organiser for easy access.
- The sand, dirt and dust brought back to the van can be endless. Having a wall-mounted hand held vacuum will save you space, time and frustration.
- Repurpose a hanging shoe bag to keep smaller items you need for getting ready, such as sunscreen, hair brushes and bug spray, close to hand.
- Always pack some double sided velcro tape, cable ties, bulldog clips and duct tape. These can be used to solve a myriad of challenges, from securing loose items to cord management and hanging lights.
Maximise space and storage
Before you head out on the open road, make sure you’ve considered all the ways you could maximise the space available in your van using some of these caravan tips:
- Maximise space with collapsible products.
- Install plenty of hooks for hanging items and keeping things off the floor.
- Optimise storage with clear, stackable storage tubs.
- Use magnetic strips for easy access to metal items.
- Consider nesting bowls and measuring spoons to save space in the kitchen.
- Don’t forget ceiling space and unused areas; they can be valuable storage spots.
- Avoid over-packing by staying organised and mindful of your caravan’s limitations.
Put these caravanning hacks into action
The best way to work out for yourself which hacks are must-haves and which ones are not, is to test them out. Book your next adventure and start to explore our local area, staying in the comfort of your cleverly hacked caravan.
