A Comprehensive Guide to Packing Your Caravan Safely
Many new owners think packing their caravan is as simple as throwing everything in, shutting the door and hitting the road. However, a properly packed caravan is essential not only for easy living on your holiday but for safe towing during your journey there.
In this article, we’ll offer some caravan packing tips to help you on your way and even provide you with our ultimate caravan packing list to ensure you have everything you need before you set off.
Caravan Towing Weights – Understanding Your Limits
Part of the appeal of caravanning is that it offers a simpler way of life, but that doesn’t mean you can’t fall into the same traps as at home – including becoming burdened with things. Although you won’t have spare bedrooms, hall cupboards and garages to fill with possessions, it’s too easy for a caravan to become cluttered and, more importantly, overloaded.
Therefore, it is essential to be aware of your caravan’s weight limits to avoid exceeding them. We’ve written a guide on caravan towing weights and the different terminologies you’ll need to know, but for now, the most important weights to know are your caravan’s aggregate trailer mass (ATM) and payload.
The ATM is the maximum allowable weight of the caravan itself and everything inside it, while your payload is how much you can load into it: things like clothes, cooking utensils, tools and toys. Exceeding your ATM is illegal and means your vehicle is overweight.
How to Pack Your Caravan
An improperly packed caravan can be difficult to tow and lose control more easily, presenting a risk to yourself and other road users. When packing your caravan, you should pack the heaviest items, such as cookware and crockery, near the floor and above the axles, where most of the caravan’s weight is carried.
Your next heaviest items should be split between the front and the rear of the caravan, low down, while things like clothes can be stored in overhead cupboards. Remember to secure whatever you store and ensure all your drawers and cupboard doors are latching properly – you don’t want to get to your destination and find your belongings strewn across your caravan.
Space-Saving Tips
Space is at a premium in every caravan, even the largest models in the Regent range, so it’s a good idea to do whatever you can to maximise yours. Although it may seem unnecessary, small things like rolling your towels instead of folding them can help you fit more in than you thought possible.
Starting with the obvious, anything that can be stacked should be, including pots, pans, plates and bowls. If you’re worried about chipping your crockery, you can buy felt or cloth pads to layer between them or do the same thing with tea towels and napkins – and if you’re really looking to save space, you can always swap out porcelain crockery for collapsible, camping-style bowls and plates.
Instead of storing cleaning products loosely under the bathroom vanity or kitchen sink, keep them in a caddy or plastic box, as it will keep them secure and take up far less space than having half a dozen different bottles sitting around.
In a similar fashion, plastic tubs will help you organise your under-bed storage space and make the most of every possible centimetre – a neater and more efficient solution than just throwing everything under there.
The Ultimate Caravan Packing List
Now that you know how to pack your caravan safely and make the most of the available space, it’s time to start ticking things off your list.
Kitchen
- Cookware
- Utensils
- Crockery
- Cutlery
- Kettle
- Dishwashing detergent
- Tea towels
- Chopping boards
- Spices
- Fruit & vegetables
Bathroom
- Soap
- Towels
- Toilet paper
- Shampoo & conditioner
- Toothpaste
- Toothbrushes
- Deodorant
- Hairbrush
Cleaning Supplies
- Toilet cleaner
- Dustpan and brush
- All-purpose cleaner
- Laundry liquid
- Pegs
- Laundry basket
Clothes
- T-shirts
- Shorts
- Jeans
- Sweatshirts
- Jacket
- Thongs
- Running shoes
- Hat
- Sunglasses
- Socks
- Underwear
Bedding
- Sheets
- Pillowcases
- Duvet
- Duvet cover
- Spare blanket
Miscellaneous
- Board games
- Torch
- Books/e-reader
- Sports equipment
- Batteries
- Extension cords
- First aid kit
- Insect repellent
- Tool kit
Hopefully you now know how to pack your caravan safely and in a way that will make your trip more enjoyable. For more information on owning and operating your Regent caravan, as well as guides that make caravanning easy, head to our Tips & Advice section today.