Top tips for protecting yourself on your caravan holiday

If you love caravan holidays, at home or abroad, then you will probably look forward to them as departure time approaches.

Whether you are renting a caravan or touring in your own, sooner or later it might be prudent to think a little bit about your personal safety and that of your caravan and belongings.

Here are a few tips that you may find useful:

• do not take high-value items with you on a caravan holiday (laptops, expensive jewellery etc) unless absolutely necessary;
• some caravan sites may have 24x7 onsite supervision and security – potentially a very real deterrent to thieves and vandals;
• if you are travelling abroad, make sure you understand local health care arrangements and that you are appropriately covered (and have insurance where appropriate);
• make sure you fully understand the caravan’s heating and cooking equipment before trying to use it for the first time. If it is a rented caravan, make sure the renter confirms that such systems have been recently serviced and maintained. If it is your caravan, make sure that you have done likewise.
• if you are travelling in more remote locations with your tourer or motorhome, avoid leaving it parked up in an isolated spot while you go elsewhere – even if it has security devices such as wheel clamps and hitchlocks etc;
• if you are touring abroad, take the time and trouble to research the road laws of the countries you will be passing through and do not take the chance of upsetting the local police by breaking the laws – remember that in law, ignorance is rarely an acceptable defence;
• find the best caravan insurance suitable for your needs if the caravan is yours (although what is best for someone else may not be best for you so again, take the time to research that carefully). Remember if going abroad, to check that your insurance is adequate for your journey.
• if the caravan is not yours, try to make sure that the holiday company or renters have adequate third party liability insurance in case of accidents etc;
• be careful with dogs – few things may be quite so controversial and incident-causing on a camp site as a misbehaving dog, so if you have any doubts about yours, (aggression, overnight barking etc) leave it behind in kennels;
• lock up, a final and obvious point but if you are away from your caravan, make sure it is fully locked-up and secure – even if it is very hot weather. An open window may prove a magnet to thieves!