So you’ve finally got yourself a campervan and you’re excited to get out on some adventures; I don’t blame you, we were exactly the same! But if you do anything before heading out it’s learn from our mistakes. We’ve had our van for a few years now and they range from the unexpected to the downright stupid. Most of the articles I’ve read focus on the mistakes associated to campervan builds, but what happens when you’ve built the perfect van and now you need to take it on your first trip – here’s a few tips to watch out for.
I’ll update this page as we undoubtedly encounter more so keep checking back for mistakes and how to avoid them!
Top Campervan/Motorhome beginner mistakes
Upgrade Your Pop-Top Straps
This one had the most potential to be catastrophic. This means it should be number one on your list of camper mistakes not to make. We were driving down the motorway near Glasgow on our way up to Loch Lomond. It was windy, the road was bumpy, I was driving about 60MPH and WHACK the roof pops open. The van swerved, I slowed down. I was convinced there would be thousands of pounds worth of damage but luckily when we pulled over there wasn’t anything major. It could have been much worse.
I’m not sure whether i had properly attached the straps, i had been showing people the previous night how easy the roof would be to open and close. But I wouldn’t be taking any chances again, and neither should you.
Do yourself a favour and get some ratchet straps similar to those pictured below. The straps are inexpensive and generally rated to over 2 tonnes. I use them in conjunction with the original straps doubled over and tied. Word of warning however, ratchet straps produce significant amounts of force, so don’t over-tighten and pull your fixings out.
Setting your alarm off whilst inside
The very first trip we took was to a quiet little campsite in the Peak District. After a great night we happily pulled down the bed, fit the sheets, got under the duvet and used the key to lock all of the doors. You’re probably reading this thinking ‘that will activate the motion alarm’ and you’re right, but we didn’t think about that after a few too many beers. Lo and behold we set off the very loud car alarm minutes later waking up half of the campsite. The funny part about this mistake, was we heard 2 more alarms go off soon after coming from the 2 other new van owners we spoke to earlier in the evening.
If you have a VW Transporter, you have 4 ways of locking your van without setting off the motion alarm:
- Manually pressing the two in the front, one on the side and one on the rear doors.
- Using the electric door lock in front of your drivers side window switches.
- Pressing the alarm deactivation button on your drivers side B pillar.
- A single press of the lock button on your remote engages the deadlock and alarm. A quick double press locks the doors without the motion alarm.
Don’t Melt Your Table
This one took us longer to find out and only applies if you have both a grill unit and sliding table in your campervan. On our most recent trip into Scotland, we were determined to cook proper, full meals in the van as the weather wouldn’t allow a BBQ. As a result of this we had the grill on for longer than the usual 10 minutes for bacon in the morning. I hadn’t considered that the thin metal tube which the table slides on would be able to hold enough heat to melt the plastic fittings on the table, but it did. As it was the first evening of a week long trip and the table wouldn’t disconnect from the rail, I had to saw off part of the clip as shown in the picture.
Always slide your table all the way over to the fridge or remove it all together when you are using the grill to avoid deforming the plastic on the underside of the table.
Always Have Access to Your Food Cupboard
This probably isn’t one of the ‘biggest mistakes you can make in a campervan’ but its worth a mention nevertheless. When we planned where everything would go – the cupboards under the grill seemed like the ideal place for food storage. The issue is, once you pull down the rock ‘n’ roll bed you can no longer access your snacks. It’s not the end of the world, but when you’re half way through a movie in bed and you can’t get to any of the food, it feels like a big mistake. Either keep a supply elsewhere or use one of the unobstructed cupboards.
Avoid Condensation When Sleeping in Your Campervan
If you take your van out in winter, one of the biggest issues you will encounter is condensation. The issue is; you and the surrounding air is nice and warm inside and significantly colder outside. This temperature differential causes the moisture in the air to condense onto the cold inside of your windows. Not only is this annoying when you want to set off early in the morning, the water can be absorbed by your curtains and bring on mould/damp.
Your best bet aside from manually removing the moisture is airflow. A little bit of ventilation in your campervan goes a long way to cycle the moisture you’re producing from breathing outside. The best way to do this is to leave the front windows cracked open about an inch before you go to sleep. If you have wind deflectors, all the better as these will stop rain getting inside during the night. It goes without saying, only leave windows open in a trustworthy place for safety.
Always Walk Around the Van Before Setting Off
Always walk around your van or motorhome before setting off from a campsite. This has been a ritual ever since I saw someone pull away with their electric hook up (EHU) still attached. It was heartbreaking to watch but the damage was already done before i could shout out to him. Before setting off, you should always check for:
- EHU is disconnected.
- There is no fabric trapped between your pop top and van body.
- Levelling blocks have been removed.
- Water cap is secured.
- The awning is fully retracted.
