Many people mothball their caravan for the winter, but those people are missing out on some great holidays. Modern caravans are warm and comfortable all the year round. In most countries driving conditions in the winter are rarely bad enough to make towing a caravan unsafe.

With some careful preparation you will be able enjoy your caravan all year. If you are not sure that winter caravanning is for you start with a few weekends away in locations within an hour or so of your home. Only going an hour away may seem daft, but a change really is as good as a rest.

Make sure that your caravan is in good condition for the journey by checking your tyres and lights are all in working order. If you have any water leaks or gaps around the windows get these fixed before you go. There is nothing worse than a draughty or damp caravan in the winter. In addition, get your heating serviced to make sure that it works well and is safe to use. Take plenty of gas with you, the last thing you need is the heating going off in the middle of the night.

When packing take warm clothes and include something water proof. If you get wet drying out clothes in a caravan is difficult, so make sure you pack an additional change of clothes and an extra pair of shoes.

Just in case of a winter breakdown pack a torch, a spade, an ice scrapper, de-icier, a few extra blankets and a fully charged mobile. If you have snow chains pack these along with a piece of old carpet to use in case you get stuck in snow. Check that your breakdown insurance is valid for the dates that you will be travelling on, some people only buy their caravan breakdown cover for a few weeks or months at a time.

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Taking your pets with you on holiday is generally a good idea. You do not have to worry about paying someone to look after them and a lot of pets enjoy the change of scenery.You and your pet will also benefit emotionally from not being parted.

The first thing to do is to check with the site you plan to use that your type of pet is allowed, and what the rules surrounding your type of pet are. For example, many sites welcome dogs, but they have to be kept on a lead and cannot be left on site when you are not present. It is wise to get the fact that your pet is acceptable in writing from the site.

Make sure that your pet can travel comfortably and safely with you in the car. It is not safe to let your pet travel in the caravan. Stop and exercise your pet if you are going on a long journey. It is a good idea to get a cage that fits into the boot, into which you can put your pets bed a little food and a travel water bowl. Make sure that your pet is not too hot, cold or too cramped during the journey, they need fresh air, but must not travel in a draft.

If you have a pet that you can leave in the caravan when you go out make sure that there is plenty of ventilation, caravans get much hotter than most houses. Make sure that you leave plenty of food and water and that your pet has access to their normal bed, so that they feel secure. Before you go, spend some time in the caravan with your pet, this way they will be used to the caravan and happy to go with you on holiday.

If the site allows you to tie your animal up outside use a peg and lead that is designed specifically for this purpose. You can buy them in good caravan and camping shops.

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Putting up the caravan awning causes a lot of stress and arguments for most caravanners. However, with a bit of extra preparation and organisation putting up an awning need not be stressful at all. As with most things the more often you do it, the easier it becomes. Make sure that your caravan is level and on as flat a surface as possible, before you start.

Then spray the awning channel on your caravan with a silicone lubricant. Do not use an oil based lubricant, because this will stain the awning. Next put down the groundsheet.

Lay the awning out next to the caravan. If it is dirty make sure that you lay it out on some plastic, not directly on the ground. Zip out any panels you can to make the awning lighter and easier to handle then begin feeding the awning into the channel opening. This is a 2 person job, one person should feed the awning into the channel whilst the other person pulls the awning through the channel. Some people need a small set of light steps in order to reach, so do not forget to pack them.

Take the locking pads and fix these in place on your caravan. Lay the awning frame out, on the ground, in the order that it will finally be assembled into. Next install the poles, start with the central roof pole and its leg. Then move on to each of the corners, followed by any additional poles. Install any panels that you removed earlier.

Now you can tension the awning and peg it out. Start by pegging out the two front corners. If there is a risk of high winds, then also fit the storm strap. Finally, fit the draught skirts to cover the wheel arch and along the side of the caravan. If the tension is correct you can now fit the curtains and begin to use your awning.

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The best place to find spare parts for caravans is a caravan breakers. Caravan breakers often have hard to find parts for an older caravan or you can save money by finding modern caravan parts at a breakers instead of buying them new.

Caravan breakers will usually have a good selection of used accessories and spares including bathroom and kitchen fittings, window or door fittings, lighting, electrical parts, used awnings, mirrors, cupboard doors plus much, much more. When looking for a particular part it is a question of finding the caravan breakers with the part you need in stock. Just ring a few until you find the part you need. Most caravan breakers will offer a postal service if they are not in your local area.

If you cannot get the part from a breakers try contacting the manufacturer direct. They stock a wide range of parts for their older models. Those that do not have stock themselves will give you a list of dealers for you to contact who may have the part you are looking for in their stock room.

Owners clubs are an invaluable source of information. They can often help you to locate a part for older caravans as well as newer models. Each model of caravan has various parts that always break, so the owners club is often already familiar with the problem and the part needed to fix the problem. The experience of owners club members will save you time, money and avoid frustration.

If you are looking for a caravan part or a second-hand caravan, try registering and then post a wanted advert on www.freecycle.org. Members of freecycle can post items they would like or items they wish to pass on and it’s all FREE. As a last resort you can get a bespoke part made or have an existing similar part adapted.

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