Top tips to ensure a safe caravanning experience
Australia’s great outdoors offers a paradise for caravanners and other vehicle-based campers, with diverse and beautiful landscapes ranging from bush and beach to backroads and lush farmland. But exploring these areas is much more rewarding when you have safe camping practices up your sleeve.
Safety when camping, whether you’re in a caravan park, national park or a great camping area off the beaten track, goes hand in hand with a successful and therefore enjoyable trip.
Despite what we might wish, caravan and camping holidays are not devoid of hazards, danger, risks and — sad to say — crime. While Australia is a fabulous place to explore with a van in tow, it’s not always a cinch to find a safe and secure (or even legal) place to park for the night. And safe campsite practices sometimes get left by the wayside after a few trips without any issues.
Prioritising safety with careful planning and solid preparation is the key to ensuring safe experiences and creating forever memories.
Give yourself the safety of time
Planning and preparation
My most important tip when it comes to camping safety is to arrive at your campsite safely in the first place. If your journey starts to unravel on the highways and byways before you even arrive at camp, then it's odds-on that it will fall apart at the seams before you even get to enjoy your first night sleeping under the stars.
The best way to start your trip safely is to not be rushed for time by planning your trip at least a few days in advance (if not more). Some popular locations fill up quick, and you’ll need to book months in advance. Do your research on the locations before you commit to staying in them and map out your routes and overnight stays ahead of time to ensure you’ve always got a place to rest and don’t overstretch yourself on long trips.
Researching your locations is also a good way to ensure you’re always camping somewhere you’ll feel safe and secure. Some places have a deserved reputation for theft and are to be avoided.
While you’re planning, it’s worth double-checking your insurance policy to ensure that your caravan or RV is covered for every possible scenario around weather damage, natural disaster, fire, theft and personal liability.
Planning and preparation will ensure you arrive at camp safely
When to travel
If, like me, you’re on the other side of 50, reading road signs at night can be a bit challenging due to contrast sensitivity and increased glare sensitivity, which can make reflective road signs seem as though someone has popped a safety flare. So, play it safe and limit your night driving. Your eyes will thank you for sticking to driving during the daytime, and so will your tow vehicle (and van). And where possible, avoid driving at dawn and dusk, when the roos and other animals tend to be out and about. Arriving at camp before last light also means you’ll have plenty of time to set up camp.
Keep communication devices handy
Remote bush camping offers freedom, however with that freedom can come the risks of being so isolated — such as potentially being hours away from emergency services. If travelling in remote areas, we recommend following safety precautions and carrying a satellite phone, and/or personal locator beacon (PLB). The Garmin inReach Mini 2 compact and lightweight satellite connector ticks a lot of safety boxes, with interactive SOS alerts, location tracking, digital compass, satellite network communication (two-way messaging) and updates on weather conditions. And no matter where you’re travelling, it’s always a good idea to have a UHF radio or two to communicate with other drivers and anyone you’re camping with.
To find out more about ways you can stay connected when travelling in remote areas, check out this article by Ian Bellert.
UHF radios are handy for safe reversing into camp (Image John Hughes)
Find your safe place
Choosing where to camp
While tempting, in much of Australia you can’t just pull over by the roadside or park in a beachside car park and sleep there for the night. Most areas will have strict laws about this, so be sure to do your research and abide by all rules and regulations. There are plenty of great free (or low cost) and legal campsites (some restricted to 24–48hr stays) where you can enjoy a budget-friendly trip.
If you’re travelling solo or with young kids, caravan parks may be a more appealing option, not only because of the many amenities on offer, but because they tick a lot of safety and security boxes, including park employees, fenced boundaries and CCTV.
Caravan parks can be appealing to solo travellers and those with young kids due to their facilities and security measures
When it comes to choosing the spot to park your van, be selective about the area and consider your surroundings, particularly when bush camping. Avoid flood-prone areas, give overhanging tree limbs a wide berth and remember that long grass isn’t just a fire hazard … it can be Shangri-La for snakes, too. Don’t set up camp under eucalyptus trees, especially river red gum, spotted gum or lemon-scented gum. These species are notorious for their dead or decaying branches dropping suddenly, earning them the cautionary name ‘widow makers’. Try to find a flat spot free of hurdles for van stability and to avoid any unnecessary trip hazards when stepping out of the van, particularly at night.
Protecting your valuables
Always make sure your belongings are secure, no matter where you camp. While caravan parks will have CCTV cameras and roaming security, you should still follow safe camping practices. If you can’t afford to lose an item of gear, don’t leave it under the awning or in a visible spot in your car.
Bush or coastal camping can be great but follow safe campsite practices to keep yourself and your belongings safe
If you head out for a bushwalk or will be out of visual sight of your van and car, lock them. Every time. This includes toolboxes and external lockers, and it’s also a good idea to secure valuable large items such as solar panels, generators and external fridges with locked chains, or better still, stow them in your van.
Don’t forget to protect the van itself. Lock up your hitch or, when possible, block access to the drawbar by parking your vehicle in front of it. Better still, remain hitched.
When camping in a remote area and heading out on a day trip, give your campsite the appearance of being occupied by leaving your radio on.
For extra protection, there are many kinds of security devices you can add to your caravanning setup. John Ford recently installed a WiTi Anti-Theft Kit to his van, and it’s worth checking out for extra peace of mind when travelling. Click here to check out the first part of his WiTi review.
Essential gear
Some essential items that are good to have packed in your vehicle and van are a head torch with spare batteries, waterproof matches, insect repellent, sunscreen, mozzie coils, medications, a well-stocked first aid kit and snake bite kit, fire extinguisher/s, plenty of water supply, reliable maps, non-perishable food, basic tools and replacement parts to suit your vehicle and van, emergency blanket, fire blanket and communication/navigation devices.
TIEGEAR’s guy ropes are reflective making them less of a tripping hazard
While not essential, per se, it’s also a good idea to have a quality camp chair that won’t collapse on you (a bruised tailbone isn't fun), reflective guy ropes to avoid a common tripping hazard (the TIEGEAR guy ropes are a good option) as well as secure your awning against strong winds, and a portable step to safely reach anything up high. Also, a mat or tarp to use as a floor or sun barrier for your awning can make for a safer outdoor living area (CGear has quite a unique solution).
Safe camp practices
Fire safety
Fire safety is an important part of camping. Check the fire danger ratings before you head off on your trip and follow fire regulations in the state or territory you’re travelling in. When lighting campfires, never leave it unattended.
If in a national park or bush campground, always have at least 10L of water ready nearby for extinguishing the fire (use non-potable water if you can so that you aren’t dwindling your supply of drinking water). Use the water, not sand or dirt which can insulate hot coals, to extinguish the fire and make sure it is completely out before leaving camp or going to sleep. Ash and coals can hold heat for long periods, so be diligent. If you’re staying in a caravan park there will be plenty of water available — make sure you check where the nearest supply is.
Have plenty of water on hand for extinguishing your campfire
Use common sense when building fires as well. Make sure you clear the ground of leaves and sticks and don’t set up a campfire or fire pit near low hanging branches. Be sure to sit at a safe distance from the fire, and if you’re sitting 4m away from it and are feeling that your buns are a little too-well toasted in your comfy camping chair, the fire is probably too big. If you’re travelling with kids, make sure you set the ground rules about behaviour around the fire. Roasting marshmallows might be fun, but it can make small campers a bit too complacent around the hot flames and coals.
It’s also important to have all the appropriate fire safety gear when camping. Caravans and motorhomes are required to have fire extinguishers installed, but it may be worth having a second, smaller one handy in your vehicle. Don’t forget to get it serviced as required. Caravan parks will have fire extinguishers, fire blankets and hose reels in the case of emergencies, but it’s best to always have the basics packed so you’re not caught unprepared.
Make sure your van’s fire extinguisher has been serviced
Gas appliances
Gas can be quite handy when travelling, and many vans will rely on gas for their cooking and heating. Regular maintenance and checks are important to ensure that any gas appliances and gas bottles are working properly, are in good condition, properly ventilated and restrained securely.
It’s a good idea to get into the habit of turning the gas off and tucking the cables away when not in use so that you don’t forget and drive away with the gas still connected.
Electrics
Caravans and camping setups are becoming increasingly more tech-savvy, but it’s important to perform regular checks to ensure all accessories, cables and leads are in good condition. Uncoil extension leads completely before plugging them for a thorough check.
For connecting to mains power, your extension lead should be rated to 15A, which is the ‘standard’ output at most caravans in Australia to meet the power supply needs of your caravan’s 16A residual current device (RCD). If you have a 10A extension lead, the RCD will do its job and trip, breaking the circuit and preventing overload or worse. Do not connect a power board or double adaptor at the electrical service pillar at your campsite, and for each power inlet socket on your van, use a separate lead. Electrical cord ‘spiders’ are potentially more dangerous than real spiders.
If you need to connect your 15A caravan or RV to a 10A domestic power source, we recommend sourcing a power adapter such as the Ampfibian RV-Plus for a safe connection.
Use an Ampfibian to connect your 15A van to 10A domestic power
Don’t run your extension leads through common walkways (for yourself and neighbouring campers) or across any vehicle access roads, as this can cause a trip hazard and damage to your leads.
Fire ignition sources aren’t limited to naked flames or smoking. Static electricity and incorrectly stored lithium batteries are potential ignition sources that can quickly create a thermal runway. A lithium battery fire is hard to extinguish and produces lethal toxic smoke. Rules about lithium batteries being stored in external or non-habitable areas have applied since November 2023.
Final top tips
Ever since my first road trip and offroad camping adventure in my first 4WD, a 1964 Jeep CJ5, I’ve loved vehicle-based camping (solo or with company), especially a well-planned, well-prepared one, when any thoughts of adhering to a schedule can be left behind in my tyre tracks.
There’s something cathartic and exhilarating about nothing but kilometre after kilometre of dead straight bitumen, telegraph poles and the occasional roadhouse marooned in the middle of nowhere. Add some red dirt, blue water or golden sand to the challenges and rewards of camping, and you’ve got a cocktail of landscapes, soul searching, renewal and freedom.
But only if you and yours are safe and secure.
Keeping your car and van hitched up is one way to protect your van
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