If you're going away and the weather turns nasty, the site will turn muddy and wellies are a ‘must'. But if you haven't got an awning with you you'll have to stumble over wet, muddy, wellies inside the caravan door. To avoid this, get hold of some sturdy sticks from a nearby wood and stick them in the ground next to the caravan door (one stick for each boot). Then, before you enter the caravan, take off your boots, turn them upside down and place them over the sticks. It'll keep them out of the way, and keep the insides dry, too.
Alexander Beckett, Beith, Ayrshire

It's always a problem where to dry bath towels when you return to the van from your morning shower. If you haven't already got a drying rack, there are usually few places to put items such as big towels. But because there are always at least two doors inside the caravan (your wardrobe door and your washroom door) you can trap one corner of the towel inside the hinge side of the door, and fold the other corner into the other side (so that it doesn't fall out when you close the door). Your towel should then hang quite satisfactorily. Just take it down when you come back at the end of the day and you should find that it's nice and dry. The only thing to make sure of is that if the door is above a heater, you don't leave the heater on when you leave the caravan.
David Reece, Pontypridd

I was getting fed up with my caravan's wheel trims falling off while on the move. I didn't want to use nylon ties, which are the standard way of securing wheel trims, because it would be a real pest cutting the ties and replacing them every trip when I wanted to check the torque on my wheel nuts. Instead, I tapped my local caravan dealer for some of that incredibly sticky mastic they use from a roll, and applied a few short lengths of it to the edge of my trims. They are a bit awkward to remove but it's a lot better than losing the wheel trims and I can still access the wheel nuts.
Ian Ferguson, Everton

When you're storing your caravan out of season, avoid the risks of condensation by opening your bed-box lids – if you have slats, it won't matter – then prop your cushions up vertically so that there's plenty of airflow around the bed boxes, and especially around the cushions. Even better, if you can remove the cushions and take them home with you, do so. It will keep them dry and act as a security measure, too: a potential thief will see that there's no upholstery inside and so the van will be less valuable to him. Finally, always remember to leave your fridge door open, too, to prevent a build-up of mould.
Sylvia Pratt, Walthamstow

If you use an Al-Ko hitch-head stabiliser and your towball has become dirty, or covered in grease, just rub on some neat Fairy Liquid. As Fairy is more concentrated than most other washing-up liquids, it makes a first-rate degreaser. Afterwards, make sure you clean it all off and thoroughly dry the towball.
Peter Parson, Bristol

If you're heating a pan of milk or water, say, and you're likely to be using the grill for a while at the same time, simply leave the pan over the vent in the centre of your cooker between the burners. It will take some time but eventually it will heat the water and save gas. Even if you have to use a burner for a short time afterwards, you'll still save a significant amount of gas.
Brigitte Sweeney, Jesmond, Newcastle

If you're leaving a muddy pitch – or in winter, a frozen one – bring the clutch up carefully with the car in second gear (provided it has the ability to pull off in that gear). This will ensure that the wheels turn more slowly and are less likely to slip, so giving you more traction. This way, you will also be the site warden's best friend, as you will be less likely to dig two deep trenches in his site with your car's wheels.
Ewan Mackintosh, Camelon, Falkirk

Hitching up is a messy affair – and not everyone carries gloves with them. I carry a box of moist hand wipes at the front of my car boot, so once I have hitched up, I just wipe the grease from my hands on one of these handy towels.
John Boyd, Welwyn Garden City

When you make a trip to the disposal point to empty your Thetford, take a throw-away polythene apron with you and put it on before you empty the tank. It prevents your clothing getting splashed by unpleasant liquids, or becoming stained by the chemical fluid. But if you want to be environmentally conscious, don't use disposable aprons. Instead, buy a thick cotton one or use an old apron just for this job.
Neil Stephen, Claygate