Getting your caravan ready quickly and safely

    Whether you're heading to the next campsite, continuing your tour, or travelling home: preparing and dismantling a caravan is a bit more involved than it is with a motorhome. It helps to know the right steps and – ideally – have a checklist. We'll give you tips on what matters most.

    Tow vehicle

    Before setting off, you need to check your tow vehicle. In addition to the regular inspection of the MOT sticker, you should pay particular attention to the following points before longer journeys:

    • Are the tyre tread, surface and pressure in order?
    • Is there still enough engine oil?
    • Do the headlights, indicators and taillights work?
    • Are the windscreen wiper blades intact?
    • Are high-visibility vests, emergency hammer, and first aid kit easily accessible?
    • Are the vehicle and insurance documents on board (for trips abroad, remember the “green card”)?

    Caravan – inside and out

    Before you set off for another campsite or head home, there are a few things you need to tick off inside and outside the caravan. Flying drawers, broken bottles, or torn-off rooflights are annoying – and completely avoidable!

    Interior

    The interior of the caravan should be checked with particular care, as neglect here can quickly lead to significant damage. Add these points to your checklist:

    • Lock drawers and storage compartments
      To prevent anything from breaking off, rattling, or falling out during the journey, first close the rooflights and windows, then lock the drawers and storage compartments.
    • Close toilet flap
      In the bathroom, make sure not only the cupboard doors but also the toilet flap are closed and the lid is down. Otherwise, you might be in for an unpleasant surprise!
    • Secure partition walls and heavy items
      Stow or strap down heavy and loose objects, as well as containers with liquids, and secure any partition walls and doors that may be present.
    • Switch the fridge over
      The fridge should be switched from gas or mains electricity to the car battery so that food does not spoil during longer journeys.

    Exterior

    There are also a few points to go through one by one here:

    • Turn off the gas
      Close the valve on the gas bottle, let gas escape from the pipes, and then, as an extra precaution, also close the shut-off valves inside the caravan.
    • Retract the awning
      As odd as it may sound, there are cases where campers have started their return journey absent-mindedly and dragged their awning along with them. An expensive mistake!
    • Remove or fold down satellite dish and aerials
      To avoid a UFO alert on the dual carriageway, remove satellite dishes, aerials and any other movable parts, and retract permanently installed ones.
    • Switch off interior lights
      Not a safety-relevant point, but even though caravan interior lighting usually uses very little electricity, there is no need for it to draw power from the car battery while stationary.
    • Disconnect the mains supply
      Before moving the caravan to hitch it to the tow vehicle, the mains cable should be removed and stowed away – so that it is not left behind at the pitch.
    • Wind up the steadies
      Now a bit of muscle power is required: The caravan steadies must be wound up. If this is too much effort, you can in fact improvise a "DIY automatic winder" using a cordless screwdriver or drill and the appropriate attachment.
    • Pack away levelling boards or chocks
      They have proved useful during stationary periods, but are often forgotten at departure: levelling ramps or boards that prevent the caravan from sinking or tilting. Please don't leave them behind at the pitch!
    • Hitch up the caravan
      Take extra care with this step! Especially if you are new to caravanning, take your time and check the correct positioning of your stabiliser coupling. The friction linings should also be checked and replaced regularly.
    • Disengage the manoeuvring system and remove fuse
      Before the caravan is moved by external force, the manoeuvring system must always be disengaged from the wheel and returned to its original position. Otherwise, the system could suffer serious damage. Also, remember to disconnect the fuse in the interior and switch off the remote control.
    • Raise and secure the jockey wheel
      Once the caravan is hitched, the jockey wheel has done its job and can be secured. Make sure it is raised completely and the locking screw is tight – but do not overtighten it!
    • Attach the breakaway cable
      The breakaway cable must be attached to a solid part of the tow vehicle (eyelet, slotted holes, etc.), otherwise you could be fined heavily. Tip: Regardless of legal requirements, it is always advisable to follow this procedure for safety reasons – no one wants to lose their caravan while travelling!
    • Connect the car cable
      So that the caravan lights work and the fridge is supplied with electricity while travelling, the 13-pin cable must be connected to the socket on the tow vehicle.
    • Check the lights
      Once the caravan is connected to the tow vehicle, the taillights, indicators, hazard lights and brake lights must be tested. It’s easiest done in pairs – one sits in the driver’s seat of the tow vehicle, the other stands at the rear of the caravan and gives a signal when everything is working.
    • Empty and stow the waste water container safely
      Top up fresh water: If you’ll need water on your journey, refill a small amount now. But beware: do not exceed the maximum permitted payload and permissible gross weight, otherwise you could run into trouble during a spot check or driving licence inspection!
    • Lock doors, locker flaps and drawbar box
      The caravan entrance door and various lockers should not just be closed, but also locked with a key. This will help prevent anything from flying open, tearing off, or the contents of storage spaces spilling onto the road during the journey.
    • Pick up the step
      From time to time you’ll spot them – lonely and abandoned on empty pitches: the famous grey steps that are supplied with the caravan and normally accompany us for half a camper’s lifetime. Since getting in and out is rather awkward without them, make sure to pack them before setting off!
    • Release the caravan handbrake
      Who hasn't done it: You’ve closed and packed everything carefully, you’re ready to go in the car, let off the clutch – then there’s a jerk, a slight squeak, and the caravan wobbles. The handbrake is still on! Not a big problem, but annoying. That’s why it’s best to add it to your checklist.
    • Final check of the pitch
      And that’s nearly everything! Just one final walk around the pitch to make sure there are no adapters, dog bowls, shower flip-flops or other forgotten items left lying around, then you can finally set off!
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