Caravanning Tips and Tricks < Aussie Caravanning Lifestyle

Washing Machine, critters and dust: So ladies and gentlemen I have succumbed, yes I am now a devotee to my little washing machine and love using it when I can. It all happened one fateful day when I entered a laundry at a Caravan Park we had arrived at and the park’s two washing machines were absolutely disgustingly dirty. It made me think that the washing would come out dirtier than before it went in.

So I went back to the van and told Graeme “Ok it’s time to use the washing machine”…..the look on Graeme’s face initially was shock, horror……..’oh no not the washing machine’!!!!!!

UPDATE: Love, love, love having the ability to wash in our own clean machine when on a site with water.

Muk Mat – These mats are absolutely brilliant. Ok so the photo is in our garage, but when we are travelling and get to those sandy, dusty and muddy places these mats have been awesome. They really do keep out a lot of dirt. Plus they feel so nice under foot. You can purchase them from mukmat.com

Dyson: On our previous trip I took along my Dyson and was so happy I did. Although I also have a broom the Dyson is the best. I can undo it so it lives under the bed.

Sirocco Fans: We installed a couple of Sirocco fans in the van before we left. Initially we weren’t that happy with them, but I quite like them. Graeme is not a ‘fan’ pardon the pun , mainly because there is no easy way to clean them once they get dirty. Anyway we had one installed around the kitchen area and then the other is on a board on the extendable TV arm in our bedroom. We don’t have a TV in the bedroom so we can turn it around to face into either the living area or bedroom….actually they both do. Graeme actually likes the Aldi fan we had on our previous trip far better and a lot less expensive.

UPDATE: Since writing this post Graeme originally found cleaning the fan to be a tedious task but thanks to an earlier tip in a comment he has found how to remove the blades, making cleaning so much easier. He removes the metal safety frame and cups his fingers behind the base of the blade’s molding and carefully slides it forward (away from the motor). He is cautious not to put pressure against any other part of the frame, as it feels like it may be fragile.

Next to the fan we also have a few stick on hooks where our keys go. Never leave them inside the door of your van as that makes it easy for unwanted hands to grab them.

Dish Washer – We are very conscious of not letting food bits and pieces go down the kitchen sink. On our last adventure we invested in a Flexi-Tub that pops into our sink and makes washing up so much easier. Wash the dishes and then throw out the dishwater on nearby plants. Win win for all.

Washing Line – I love that we have a washing line under our awning.

Coins – You can never carry enough gold coins. For those times you do want to use the caravan park washing machines or find a great road stop stall.

Fly Nets: Don’t leave home without them as doing a lap of oz you will certainly travel through areas where it as the ‘must wear’ fashion item of the day.

Fly Swot: I remember as a kid my Dad always had the old fly swot on hand when cooking….no not for us kids hahaha … well now we do too in our van. There is nothing worse than flies inside the van when we are cooking or worse spraying fly spray to kill them and contaminate the food……so the old fly swot has been an absolute gem to have on board ($2 for a pack of 2 at Woollies).

Suction Rack See the little white suction rack. That comes in very handy if you just want to hand wash some knickers and they can dry while you travel. I bought it from Aldi.

Plastic boxes and ziplock bags – Rather than have a lot of jars filled with flour and other bits and pieces, because these days they are all in reusable lock bags, I like to store them in the plastic boxes. I put a list on the outside so that I know whats in the box and that then makes it easy to find when needed. Ziplock bags are used for so many things, including left over food like spaghetti bol. Just place in the bag and flatten while letting the air out and then pop it into the freezer for another day.

Hand Sanitizer and Eucalyptus Spray – Who would have thought that this would be something we have just learnt to live with. We keep it on the step of our caravan when at a caravan park and it’s always accessible should we require it.

Candles – I love these travel tins from SweetHomeAdditions.com. The van smells wonderful and they are so easy to travel with, plus I have also found from time to time they have become a handy gift to give to another traveller who needed a lift.

Moisturised Baby Wipes: These are the best especially when you have been around a fair bit of red dirt. I use them all the time when we are free camping to wipe legs, feet hands whatever . I also keep a packet in the car (Aldi – $2 for a pack of 80)….They stay moist for a very long time and remember to only dispose of them in the rubbish and never into any sewer or septic system because they do not break down and will block the plumbing.

Saving Water While Free Camping: It’s great to be able to have a quick hot shower when you are free camping in your van. But we all know how precious water is. A lovely lady said to me to be sure to put a bucket under the shower head when you first turn it on and capture the cold water before it turns hot. That has been a great idea. I then use that water to clean down benches etc.

Auto Laptop Power Supply: We found a great little device in one of the Jaycar outlets that recharges our laptops when we are not connected to power. It allows us to convert 12V to the 19V that laptops require for normal operation. But make sure your 12V supply has the ability to recharge from an external source (example from solar or your tow vehicle while travelling).

Induction Hot Plate: Instead of using our gas while we are on a powered site in a caravan park we use an induction hot plate. It is so quick to bring the kettle to the boil. Our van has a cook top with three gas burners and a small electric hot plate. But the hot plate is quite useless for cooking with a large pan and the induction cooker is quicker than a gas burner. This then leaves our gas for when we are camping without power.

Convection Oven: I think we have only ever used the oven in the van twice. Instead our Convection Oven lives in there (the oven) while we travel. Again when we are on a powered site it lives on our table outside the van. It does a great roast and veggies and also makes our Sunday pizzas.

Mattress Protector/Topper: We found the mattress in the van to be a bit hard so we invested in a quality mattress protector/topper and it really has made a difference for a better nights sleep.

Microwave Oven: We don’t always use our microwave but it’s a great place to store our bread and sealed wraps.

Tyre Pressure Monitoring: Who has had a tyre blow on their dual axel caravan without knowing it was about to happen? We have and we ended up with a destroyed tyre. The van stayed perfectly steady and there was no indication of what was developing. Actually it was not until someone pulled up beside us and started waving that we realised something was wrong. It’s not unusual not to feel something has happened we have been told especially because the van’s electronic anti-sway system was working efficiently.

The last one for today comes from Graeme.

Don’t camp under trees they will Kill you .

They drop things like heavy branches and limbs, tree sap, bird droppings and bat crap and sometimes even possum poo. You can LIVE with each of these EXCEPT the heavy limbs, they will KILL you. So before you rush into a campsite to grab that shady spot under the spreading branches of a nice looking tree, stop and ask yourself ‘Why has nobody else grabbed this great spot’? Take a look at the tree and ask yourself….. Are there any signs of old hollows in the trunk? Are there broken or dying limbs higher up? If it is early in the camping season is there a bonus supply of firewood under the tree? Why is this great spot still vacant?

Sometimes it is a simple item that helps improve life. These are just a few of our caravan tips and tricks and if you want to ask us about anything then just make a comment below. We try our best to answer you all. Or do you have anything you would like to share.