Caravanning offers more than freedom. As the ideas in this column show, part of the fun is in creative problem solving. Why not send us your suggestions?

If your caravan’s drawer runners aren’t running smoothly, just take a little wax, such as Simoniz car or furniture polish, or some neutral-coloured shoe polish, and smear it along the runners. Your drawers will run smoother without staining the wood or damaging the plastic.
Robert Hunter, Perth

How many people struggle to keep their Aquaroll upright when filling it at the tap? I’d guess 99.9%. Why not take the hard work away by filling it through the hole at the side?
Stan Winfield, Hilton, Derby

A useful tip to prevent sticking box lids or doors is to smear a small amount of cooking oil around the rubber seals. This will also help to keep the seals in good condition as it will reduce wear.
Stuart Gunn via email

Whenever I go away in the caravan, I always take my cordless drill as a 'just in case' tool. This led me to thinking that if I was going to carry it then I needed to have a use for it. So, using a standard socket bit and extension arm with a rounded end to fit into the 1/2 inch drill (this can be bought from most tool suppliers), I use the drill to wind the legs up and down on the caravan, saving considerable effort.
Eric Camp Letchworth, Herts

I have a cheap and simple solution for the reader who was having difficulty getting caravan tyres inflated correctly on-site. I bought a tyre inflator that operates via my car’s cigarette lighter socket, and extended the leads to reach my caravan wheels. Because I can set the pressure on the dial, I’m always confident that the pressures on both car and caravan tyres are correct.
R Rew, Radcliffe, Manchester

Hitching up is a messy affair. 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

If you have no awning, wet, muddy wellies are a nuisance to store. Find some sturdy sticks and stick them in the ground next to the caravan door (one stick for each boot). Then, before you enter the van, 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.
Alexander Beckett, Beith, Ayrshire

When putting a new number plate onto your new van, for instance when you change your car, instead of drilling holes for all the screws, why not just use double-sided trim tape?
Michael Grange Via email

A simple way to check if your caravan’s wheel nuts have slackened, is to use a little tube of engineer’s paint to mark the wheel nuts after you have tightened them to the correct torque. With the paint I mark a line from the head of the stud onto the wheel itself. If the mark is out of alignment, then you know the studs have moved and require re-tightening, and the paint is easy to scrape off after each application.
Tony Toricelli, Bispham, Blackpool

If you don’t have too many clothes to hang in the wardrobe of your caravan, and they won’t affect the van’s weight when towing, hang them up before you leave for your holiday. They won’t get creased in transit, and you won’t have the bother of unpacking them on arrival. Steven Douglass Blyth, Northumberland Hanging around If you don’t have too many clothes to hang in the wardrobe of your caravan, and they won’t affect the van’s weight when towing, hang them up before you leave for your holiday. They won’t get creased in transit, and you won’t have the bother of unpacking them on arrival.
Steven Douglass Blyth, Northumberland

I was getting fed up with my caravan’s wheel trims falling off while on the move. I didn’t want to use the usual nylon ties to secure the trims, because they have to be cut and replaced everytime I want to check the torque on my wheel nuts. Instead, I tapped my local caravan dealer for some of that very 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

WANTED: TOURING TIPS
Do you have a great idea for getting the most out of your van? Send it to Stacie Pardoe, Practical Caravan, Broom Road, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 9BE or to stacie.pardoe@haymarket.com.