It can be very annoying having to wait for the mirror in my Sterling Eccles Elite Wayfarer to demist before I can shave – especially if I'm in a rush. But I've found a neat little trick that means you can shave straight after your shower. First cover the mirror in shaving foam, wipe it off and then polish it before you take your shower: you'll have a clear mirror all the way through. But don't just keep this tip for the caravan: it works just as well at home.
Justin Anthony-Wright
Leicester

Recently in your magazine there has been mention of modern shower cubicles, and how if you drop the soap there isn't enough room to pick it up. When our friends bought a caravan with the ‘beam me up Scotty' type of cubicle, I presented them with a block of soap with a hole drilled through the middle. I had threaded a length of nylon guy rope through the hole and tied it in a loop. This meant that it could be fastened round the shower hose and easily retrieved if dropped. It's a really useful idea that we have been using for years.
John Glassey
Bignall End, Stoke-on-Trent

I used to extract stubborn awning pegs by using another awning peg – but these are easily damaged. So instead I bought a small crowbar from B&Q to lever them out with. It cost about £4, and makes a a really easy job of it.
George Irvine
Farnborough, Hampshire

This is a two-in-one tip – not only will it give you more storage but it will also help to keep you cool. When you're staying on a site that offers electric hook-up, add to your fridge space by using a 12A plug-in coolbox with an adaptor so that it works from the three-pin plug in the van. It will free up more space in your fridge, and can be left on during the day and overnight. If the leads are long enough to allow the box to be kept in the awning, the fan from the coolbox will circulate air in the awning to keep it cool during warm weather. Blackspur sell an adaptor for about £10.
Mark Pearson
Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough

Here's a way of helping out the emergency services. When your caravan is in storage, be it at home or on a secure site, remove any gas canisters from the van, then place a sign in the window stating: ‘In the event of fire, note that no gas canisters are stored on or near this caravan.' This will allow the emergency services to deal with the fire more quickly, since they will be able to approach the caravan to put the flames out, rather than having to keep a safe distance in case of exploding gas canisters.
Greg Tyler
Crawley, West Sussex

We bought a second-hand caravan and found that it was plastered with stickers from other people's travels. I tried picking at them and scrubbing at them, but I was worried about damaging the van's bodywork. Someone suggested that I use a hairdryer to melt them off, but I have since found that the simplest solution is to pour boiling water over the stickers. This melts the adhesive and they peel away with ease.
Luke Peters
Worthing, West Sussex

This is my solution for removing minor scratches from windows. First of all wash the windows and then dry them. Next, take a clean (preferably new) lint-free cloth and apply some cutting polish such as T-cut or Autoglym and rub the window in circles, applying firm pressure. Once the scratches have disappeared, dust off the residue and apply a polish such as Turtle Wax. I've been using this method for six years on my Roxite windows. They still remain clear and look as good as new.
Tim Nelmes
Coventry, West Midlands

I often look at new caravans and think that the manufacturers could make better used of the space – especially in long cupboards. In my caravan I have got around this problem by fitting wire racks inside my cupboard doors to act as bottle holders.
Roy Pearce
Swindon, Wiltshire

I love French baguettes, but their odd shape can make them tricky to store. When we were on holiday in France this year, we made the most of the upper lockers in our caravan, which don't have dividers. This gives us a long storage area that's perfect for stashing French sticks. We put them in a bag first to stop the crumbs getting everywhere.
Dawn Price
Horsham, West Sussex