The charm of travelling with caravan is that you get to have a relaxing vacation while also being able to see the whole country and discover its many amazing sites. However, in order to be able to fully grasp the beauty of a site, you need to stop for awhile and take it all in. Creating a proper camping space is an important part of the whole caravaning experience and here are a couple of suggested ways you can do so.
Stabilize Your Caravan
I’m sure you all agree that camping with a caravan would be a lot easier if there were parking spots. But unfortunately nature didn’t think that people will need flat surfaces to rest their vehicles. In the wilderness the ground is rocky and irregular and if you don’t secure your caravan properly into place, it can tip over. For that particular reason, you need to get yourself a couple of nice stable drop down legs for caravans.
They are designed to prevent the caravan from wobbling when there’s someone walking inside or from tipping over if someone leans on it. Drop down legs for caravans are a very convenient way of stabilizing your vehicle. Unlike other steadies, they can be attached to the caravan and then swung from the horizontal position they were in while travelling to the optimal vertical position or any other desired angle once parked. Before you hit the road, attach these contraptions following these instructions:
- Check the weight of your caravan and whether the drop down legs are able to support it.
- Attach the caravan to the towing car and park it on a flat surface.
- Put a jack under the corner you plan to fit the drop down leg but don’t lift the van off the ground. This is purely to stabilize the van while you’re working.
- Some brackets are meant to be welded on, while others need only to be bolted. Make sure to check the manufacturer’s instructions on this.
- Once you have secured the bracket, bolt down the leg.
- Lower the leg and and adjust it to the optimal angle and height and take the jack off. Check whether the van is stable by walking around in it.
- After doing all of this with the other legs, lift them in their initial position again before you start your journey.
When you arrive at your desired camping spot, all you have to do is adjust the position of the drop down legs to fit the structure of the ground and test.
Create a Lounge Area
Unless the weather spoils, chances are you won’t spend a lot of time inside the caravan besides sleeping. Therefore, you need to set up a nice little lounge area that you can use for cooking, having meals or simply relaxing and enjoying nature’s scenery.
You can do so by simply adding an awning to the side of your caravan. It will give you protection to hide under should the sun rays reach dangerous levels or if there’s a mild summer rain. Moreover, if you go for a full awning, not only will you increase your living space, but you’ll also add a considerable level of privacy. This type of awning can be closed down so you can shut yourself off from the surroundings. And we all know how loud and busy certain well-known camping spots in Australia can get.
Besides an awning, a lounge area will benefit from comfortable camping chairs and a foldable table. There’s nothing quite like getting to chill out with your friends or family while admiring the great Australian outdoors.
