What has to be checked before every departure with a caravan?

Six points in a fixed order: hitch properly engaged, breakaway cable attached, steadies and winder stowed, lights checked, roof vents and cupboard doors closed, handbrake released. The order matters more than the speed — work through it the same way every time and nothing gets missed.

How should a caravan be loaded?

Heavy over the axle, light towards the ends, and keep the noseweight within the permitted range. Weight far back or far forward in the caravan is the most common cause of snaking at higher speeds.

How old can caravan tyres be?

Caravan tyres age by standing still, not by mileage. From around six years they want checking regularly, and from ten years they want replacing — even when the tread still looks perfectly good.

Why does moisture form under a caravan mattress?

Because warm air from above meets a cold cushion and condenses there. Anti-condensation matting creates a layer of air underneath. It is the simplest measure there is against damp and mould in a caravan.

Do you need a special licence to tow a caravan?

It depends on the combined weight of car and caravan together, not on the caravan alone. Above a certain figure an ordinary car licence no longer covers the outfit and an additional category or test is required. Rules differ by country, so check the categories printed on your own licence before booking.

What gets forgotten most often for the awning?

Pegs to suit the ground, storm straps, and grease for the keder. All three only come to light while pitching, and all three decide whether the awning survives a windy night.

Send it to the app — then tick it off and keep planning

Caravan Packing List

Towing means thinking twice about everything: tow car and caravan, drawbar and steadies, noseweight and mirrors. This caravan packing list works through the departure in the right order — from the paperwork to the last check on the corner steadies.

Open in the app

130 items · 13 categories

Documents and the outfit

With a caravan there are two vehicles behind one journey. Both sets of papers belong in the tow car, not in the caravan.

Registration documents for tow car and caravanAt a roadside check it is almost always the combination that is inspected, not the single vehicle.
Driving licence covering the combinationAbove a certain combined weight an ordinary car licence is no longer enough. A glance at the categories on the licence saves an argument at the border.
Passport or national ID cardFor non-EU destinations, check the remaining validity: six months beyond your return date is a common requirement.
Noseweight and gross weights written downKeep both figures visible by the driver’s seat. At the weighbridge there is no time to go looking.
Gas system inspection up to dateMany countries require a periodic gas safety inspection, typically every two years. Check what yours and your destination require.
Green Card insurance certificateRegularly asked for outside the EU, rarely needed inside it. It costs nothing.
Toll vignettes for the outfitIn many countries a car and caravan fall into a separate, more expensive toll class than the car alone.
Breakdown cover that includes the caravanNot every recovery service will take the caravan as well. Read the policy before you go.
Camping Card or ACSI cardHalf price on many sites out of season, and it doubles as a document you can leave at reception.
Booking confirmation printedReception does not always have a signal, and the phone does not always have battery.

Hitching up and driving

The minutes before departure decide the whole leg. These items belong in a fixed order, not in your memory.

Hitch lock and keyThe lock protects the caravan when parked and stops you leaving when nobody remembers it is on.
Breakaway cableLegally required and quickly overlooked. Without it the overrun brake does nothing when it matters.
Adapter lead for the lightsSeven-pin and thirteen-pin plugs are not compatible, and the adapter is missing at exactly the wrong moment.
Lights checked before setting offTwo people, one minute — and the most common reason for a fine.
Towing mirrors for the tow carRequired as soon as the caravan is wider than the car. Without them, overtaking is guesswork.
Tyre pressures checked on both vehiclesCaravan tyres stand still most of the year and lose pressure doing it. Under-inflation is the most common cause of failure.
Tyre age checkedCaravan tyres age by standing, not by mileage. From six years they want checking, from ten they want replacing.
Overrun brake and handbrake checkedBoth belong to hitching up, and both are the first thing forgotten as you pull away.
Load secured and distributedHeavy over the axle, light towards the ends. Poor distribution is the main cause of snaking.
Everything inside stowed and latchedCupboard doors, roof vents and the fridge: whatever opens while you drive is found against the far wall.

Setting up on the pitch

The second half of the job starts once the manoeuvring is done. With this lot to hand you are set up in a quarter of an hour.

Levelling rampsTwo are enough: because you can drive up each one by a different amount, they level side-to-side and front-to-back at once.
Chocks for securingNot the same as levelling ramps. These stop the caravan rolling once the handbrake alone is not enough.
Winder for the corner steadiesThe one item without which the caravan literally does not stand up.
Steady pads or firm boardsOn grass and sand the steadies sink in. A pad under each one prevents it.
Spirit levelA caravan off level is obvious the moment you lie down, and the fridge works less well.
Motor mover or jockey wheelThe last metre is done by hand, and on a slope that is the hardest one.
Gloves for manoeuvringThe drawbar and steadies are dirty, cold, and in summer hot.
Jack and the right wheel braceThe car’s own jack usually does not fit the caravan.
Chocks or wedges for a slopeOn sloping pitches only the handbrake and a chock together will hold it.
Torch for setting up in the darkArriving after sunset is normal, not the exception.
Pitch number and barrier code written downThe code is on a slip of paper at reception, which closes in the evening.

Awning

The awning doubles your living space and is at the same time the part most often packed incomplete.

Awning or sun canopyPut it up once before the trip and count the parts: otherwise exactly one pole is missing when you arrive.
Poles complete and labelledLabelled poles shorten the second pitching noticeably.
Pegs for soft and hard groundGravel needs different pegs from grass, and a set of those is rarely on board.
Storm straps and guy linesWhen the wind gets up, the guying decides whether the awning stays standing.
Awning carpetSome sites allow only breathable types, because the grass beneath dies otherwise.
Awning rail and keder greasedA dry keder jams and tears out as you pull it through.
Awning lightWithout a light of its own the awning is just a dark porch after dark.
Windbreak or side panelOn open pitches more use than any extra jacket.
Repair kit and duct tapeA tear in the fabric grows overnight in wind.

Electrics and gas

Two systems almost everything depends on, and both like to fail when there is no dealer anywhere near.

CEE hook-up cable, 25 metresThe bollard is rarely on your pitch. Twenty-five metres is the practical minimum.
CEE to domestic plug adapterOlder sites still have no CEE bollards. Without an adapter the hook-up stays unused.
Extension lead and multi-way socketThe socket inside the caravan is almost never where you need to charge something.
Cable reel fully unwoundCoiled and under load, a reel gets hot. That is the most common cable fire on a campsite.
Spare fusesA blown fuse takes out the fridge or the water pump.
Gas bottle level checkedGas always runs out mid-meal, never while packing. Weighing beats guessing.
Second gas bottle in reserveWith the heating running in spring and autumn, a bottle lasts far less time than you plan for.
Gas hose and regulator inspectedGas hoses carry a printed expiry date and are the most common reason an inspection fails.
Country adapters for gasThe connection is different again in Italy, France and Spain.
Gas bottle spannerWithout it you cannot change a bottle, and it likes to stay at home in the toolbox.

Water and waste

The routine that sets the rhythm of the trip. Store fresh water kit and waste kit strictly apart.

Fresh water container on wheelsOn a caravan the water supply usually sits outside. A rolling container saves several trips a day.
Submersible pump with its leadIf it fails there is no water inside at all. A spare pump is small and cheap.
Fresh water hose with adaptersFood-grade, and stored separately. Tap threads differ from country to country.
Waste water containerGrey water must never go on the grass. A wheeled container is compulsory on most sites.
Toilet chemicals or a biological alternativeSome sites ban chemical additives outright.
Fast-dissolving toilet paperOrdinary paper blocks the cassette and turns emptying into a mess.
Disposable gloves for emptyingThe one item on this list whose absence you notice immediately and vividly.
Water filter or purificationMains quality varies in southern Europe, and the tank sits still for days in the warmth.

Kitchen in the caravan

Little space, little water, and everything moves while you drive. The kit follows from that.

Stackable pansDetachable handles save more space than it sounds.
Plates and mugsMelamine or enamel rather than ceramic: it survives the first sharp bend.
Cutlery and one sharp knifeOne good knife replaces three bad ones.
Chopping board across the sinkIt doubles the worktop, which is too small in every caravan.
Tin opener, corkscrew, peelerThe three small things reliably missing on the road.
Fridge pre-cooledAn absorption fridge needs hours. Connect to hook-up the evening before and only load it once it is cold.
Cool box for the arrival-day shopHalf the first day goes by before the fridge is down to temperature.
Non-slip matting for cupboardsIt stops the rattling that grates on the nerves on every leg.
Storage boxes with lidsAnything sealed attracts no ants and does not slide about as you drive.
Washing-up bowl and liquidThe bowl saves water, because you are not rinsing under a running tap.
Kitchen roll and dishclothOn the road, kitchen roll is napkin, cloth and coaster at once.
Bin bags and separate wasteMany sites separate strictly and check.

Food and staples

The stores that let you cook on arrival evening without hunting for a supermarket first.

Pasta, rice or couscousLong-lasting, small to pack, and ready in ten minutes.
Passata and tinned vegetablesThat becomes a meal with no refrigeration at all.
Oil, vinegar, salt, pepperThe basics that rescue any dish.
Spices in small tinsFull jars are dead weight. Small tins make the difference.
Coffee, tea, sugarOften expensive locally, and rarely in the sort you are used to.
Long-life milkSurvives heat and travel, and rescues the first breakfast.
Muesli or porridge oatsBreakfast with no refrigeration and no shopping trip on the first morning.
Tins for the emergency eveningFor the night when everything is shut or the weather keeps everyone inside.

Living and sleeping

Seating area by day, bed by night. Whatever makes that switch quick belongs on board.

Bedding and pillowsFitted sheets cut to size are worth it: caravan mattresses are rarely a standard measurement.
Warm blanket in reserveFor nights colder than planned, and for guests.
Mattress topperThe standard cushions are built for daytime, not for fourteen nights.
Anti-condensation matting under the mattressWithout air beneath it, moisture forms, and that is the most common source of damp in a caravan.
Towels and beach towelsKept apart, shower from beach, or everything is damp by the third day.
Blackout blinds or thermal matsFitted outside they keep the heat out; fitted inside the windows mist up less.
Mosquito net or fly screenBy lakes and in southern Europe, the difference between sleeping and lying awake.
Coat hangersThe wardrobe is narrow. Hangers stop the pile of clothes building on the bench seat.
Earplugs and eye maskPitches are often closer to roads than the photograph suggests.
Heating tested before the tripHeating that fails on the first cold evening ruins the whole week.

Clothing

Pack by layers, not by occasions. The caravan wardrobe forces you to choose anyway.

Spare underwear and socksDays away divided by two, plus two. There is always somewhere to wash.
T-shirts and long-sleeved topsThe base layer everything else builds on.
Jumper or fleeceThe mid layer that makes the evening in the awning bearable.
Waterproof jacket and trousersOn the coast and in the mountains the weather turns faster than the forecast.
Warm jacket for eveningsEven at the height of summer it cools sharply after sunset.
Long trousers and shortsFor walks, cool evenings, and places with a dress code.
Sturdy shoes and light shoesOne pair for walking, one for comfort.
Flip-flops for the shower blockShared showers are the one place they are genuinely necessary.
Swimwear and a towelMany sites have a pool or a lake, even a long way from the sea.
Hat and sunglassesBy water and in the mountains the sun is stronger than in daily life.

Washing and medicines

In a caravan the bathroom is small and the water limited. Small sizes are not thrift here — they are necessity.

Wash bag that hangs upThe shower block rarely has a shelf, but almost always has a hook.
Toothbrush and toothpasteSmall tube: the large one fits no onboard bathroom.
Biodegradable shower gel and shampooOn many sites it goes straight into the grey water.
Deodorant, hairbrush, shaving kitSmall sizes, because storage in the bathroom is the scarcest space on board.
High-factor sun creamBy water and in the mountains, your usual factor is not enough.
Insect repellentBy lakes and rivers in the evening, indispensable.
Wet wipesThey replace the shower when the tank runs low.
First-aid kit, expiry date checkedOut-of-date contents count as a defect at a roadside check.
Plasters, blister plasters, antiseptic creamThe three most-used items in any travel medicine kit.
Painkillers and something for diarrhoeaAbroad these are pharmacy-only, and only during opening hours.
Tick remover and tweezersIn wooded and grassy country this is standard, not an extra.
Personal medication in its original packagingWith the leaflet, so that nobody abroad has to guess at the active ingredient.

Tools and breakdown kit

You reach for all of this in the same moment, usually in the dark. That is why it belongs together in one place.

Tool set and duct tapeTogether they solve more problems on the road than any other single item.
Spare wheel and the right braceMany caravans carry one, but not every brace fits both vehicles.
Compressor or puncture repair kitWithout a spare wheel it is the only way to get moving again.
Jump leadsAfter days standing, the tow car’s starter battery is the most likely thing to fail.
Spare bulbs and fusesRequired by law in several countries, and a failed rear light on the caravan is a favourite reason to stop you.
Head torchIt leaves both hands free, and that is exactly what hitching up in the dark needs.
Cable ties and wireThey hold everything together until a workshop can do it properly.
Silicone spray and greaseFor the keder, the steadies and the locks that seize while standing.
Multi-tool or pocket knifeStore it in the vehicle rather than carrying it on you.
Spare keys kept separatelySeparately means with another person, not in the same vehicle.

Outside and downtime

Everything that happens in front of the caravan, and everything that rescues a wet day.

Camping table and chairsSitting outside is half the reason for the trip.
Washing line and pegsSaves coins at the dryer and gets swimwear dry overnight.
Doormat at the doorThe cheapest measure there is against sand in the bed.
Barbecue with charcoal or gas cartridgesOpen fires are banned in many places; a gas barbecue is permitted almost everywhere.
Outside light or string lightsIt marks the guy lines that somebody would otherwise trip over at night.
Bikes and locksThe pitch is rarely where you want to eat in the evening.
A pack of cards or dice gameSmall, needs no power, and works for any number of people.
Book or e-readerAn e-reader lasts weeks without a socket.
BinocularsFor wildlife, for views, and for checking a pitch before you reverse onto it.
Notebook and penFor pitch codes, directions, and everything the battery will not stretch to.

Common questions

What has to be checked before every departure with a caravan?: Six points in a fixed order: hitch properly engaged, breakaway cable attached, steadies and winder stowed, lights checked, roof vents and cupboard doors closed, handbrake released. The order matters more than the speed — work through it the same way every time and nothing gets missed.
How should a caravan be loaded?: Heavy over the axle, light towards the ends, and keep the noseweight within the permitted range. Weight far back or far forward in the caravan is the most common cause of snaking at higher speeds.
How old can caravan tyres be?: Caravan tyres age by standing still, not by mileage. From around six years they want checking regularly, and from ten years they want replacing — even when the tread still looks perfectly good.
Why does moisture form under a caravan mattress?: Because warm air from above meets a cold cushion and condenses there. Anti-condensation matting creates a layer of air underneath. It is the simplest measure there is against damp and mould in a caravan.
Do you need a special licence to tow a caravan?: It depends on the combined weight of car and caravan together, not on the caravan alone. Above a certain figure an ordinary car licence no longer covers the outfit and an additional category or test is required. Rules differ by country, so check the categories printed on your own licence before booking.
What gets forgotten most often for the awning?: Pegs to suit the ground, storm straps, and grease for the keder. All three only come to light while pitching, and all three decide whether the awning survives a windy night.

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