Caravan holidays should help you relax, but
a simple oversight can ruin your enjoyment. That's why it is so important to be prepared for unforeseen hiccups and hurdles. When they happen, you'll be able to sort them with
a minimum of fuss.
Plan ahead
While you're loading up your van, the last thing on your mind is where the nearest A and E department will be. However,
a few minutes spent on the web before you leave will save what could turn out to be valuable time in case of a medical emergency.
Find out the locations of the hospital, emergency dentist and dispensing chemist nearest your destination. Many sites clearly post this information in reception, but small sites may not. Think of it as essential kit that adds nothing to the van's weight.
While you're online, it also makes sense to get the contact details of the sites you'll be staying at while touring and leave them with a neighbour or family member. That way if your mobile phone is switched off or, as is so often the case, signal quality on your site is rotten, someone will be able to leave a message for you at reception if there's an emergency at home.
First aid: essential DIY
Whichever aspect of safety you're looking at, the ultimate aim is to avoid hurting yourself. Sometimes though, accidents do happen and being prepared can make the difference between a minor problem and a major incident.
The first thing to check is that you have a first-aid kit in the van. Most people do have one, but quite often, they've been pillaged over the years. Open yours up and check that the basic kit is present and correct. As a minimum, you'll want a pack of plasters in various sizes, sterile dressings, adhesive surgical tape, a triangular bandage, safety pins, a couple
of crêpe bandages, a tubular bandage, sterile absorbent gauze, scissors, tweezers and Optrex or another eye-wash solution. If you have space, add latex gloves and
a pack of antiseptic wipes, which are handy for keeping things as sterile as possible. If you don't want to assemble your own kit, you can buy one ready-made. Car accessory shops, petrol stations and chemists carry them, so there is no excuse for not having one.
Getting the kit is only half the job: you've got to know how to use it, too. If you haven't got time for a first-aid course, rearrange your diary. In the meantime, pick up a manual, such as the excellent Need to Know? First Aid, available in high street bookshops for £10.
Contamination of your van's water supply is a real danger if it's not maintained correctly. This is one reason why so many people don't drink the water from their Aquaroll. The thing is, you don't really want to shower or wash up in dirty water either. The only solution is to clean the system out properly.
The most popular option has long been the use of sterilising tablets, but these may taint the water with a chlorine bite that
can put you off your digestives. Another popular method is cleaning the system with Milton disinfectant. Mix 15ml of Milton for every four litres of water and flush it through a few times. This will swill any grot from the pipes and your Aquaroll. Don't forget to rinse the whole system with fresh water to prevent any bitter taste left by the solution. An alternative is Kemdirect's Descaler/Tank
& Pipe Cleaner (£6). The manufacturer claims that this product does not affect the taste of water.
A very expensive alternative is to opt for
a posh water-filter system. The standard system on caravans is essentially a taste filter, which makes water nice to drink, but does little in terms of health and safety. More serious filter kits such as Nature Pure from General Ecology contain a biocide, which as the name suggests will kill bacteria in the water as it passes through the system. Both are a simple DIY fit, but expect to pay from £130 for the basic kit.
Fighting flames
Of all the dangers you can face, one of the most likely is fire. In the confined space of a caravan, it's easy to knock something flammable onto a lit hob. Just because you're in a caravan, you don't do everything differently: if cooking fat ignites, putting
a damp tea towel over the pan to smother the flames is still the top solution, just as it is at home.
There are a few things which you can do to ensure you're prepared. The first is to check your safety equipment. Fire extinguishers should have a date stamped on them, telling you when they need to be replaced. That's not a ploy by manufacturers to sell more units, but rather the last time that it can be guaranteed to work. Check the date on yours – if it's passed, buy a new one. You'll be glad you found out during a safety inspection than in an emergency. Prices for fire extinguishers start from £12.50 from Towsure. Each comes with
a mounting bracket to keep it secure in transit.
A fire bucket next to the
A-frame is a still a common sight on rally fields, although many inexperienced caravanners don't seem to bother. The choice is yours, but a fire bucket costs only £6 from Towsure. Another piece of fire safety equipment without a sell-by date is a fire blanket. These weigh very little and can be fitted easily to the side of a roof locker. Small fires can effectively be smothered with
a fire blanket, which is less messy than venting an extinguisher. It's best to have the choice of both.
Add a smoke alarm for even more protection. These come
as standard fit on new vans, but
if you don't have one, they
cost around £6 from
Amazing Outdoors.
Butane blues
If used and maintained correctly, your van's gas supply is very safe indeed. Still it's worth taking precautions to avert serious incidents. The following tips for safely using gas presume that appliances have been serviced in accordance with the operating instructions, and that regular inspections of the flexible gas hose and either the regulator or bottle connector have shown them to be in good condition.
With the gas on and flowing, there are a couple of simple tests you can do to ensure things are working properly. First, check the colour of the flame at the hob. The flame should be blue-coloured and even. If the burner flame is yellow or uneven, turn it off and call out an engineer to investigate. A yellow flame is particularly worrying, because it indicates
a lack of oxygen and that poisonous carbon monoxide
(CO) is being produced, rather than comparatively harmless carbon dioxide (CO2).
In modern vans, faults with space- and water-heating systems are unlikely to cause problems with CO, as the appliances are room sealed, meaning a fresh-air supply is sourced and the exhaust vented outside of the van. To be on the safe side, a CO detector is
a worthy addition to your van. Kidde produces a dual smoke-CO alarm, which will cover both eventualities. If you prefer a separate CO alarm, Woolworths sells a battery-powered model for £20. Small CO sensor pads are OK, but they must be checked to see whether they've changed colour, so they aren't the best solution.
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