Essential Pre-holiday Checks for your Touring Caravan

With half term approaching, here are some essential pre-holiday checks for your touring caravans. They can make the difference between setting off feeling organised, and spending the first morning of your break wondering whether that slightly odd noise from the caravan wheel was there before.

Half-term touring can also mean busy roads, changeable weather and campsites filling quickly. A little preparation before you hitch up may save quite a lot of inconvenience later.

Give the caravan a proper walk-round

If your caravan has been standing for a while, it can be worth resisting the temptation simply to hitch up and go.

A few basics to check include:

  • Tyres: check pressures against the manufacturer’s recommendations and look carefully for cracks, cuts, bulges or other deterioration, including on the inner sidewalls. The legal minimum tread depth is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre and around its circumference. The Caravan and Motorhome Club has a useful guide to caravan tyres and wheels.
  • Wheel nuts: make sure they are tightened to the manufacturer’s specified torque.
  • Lights: test indicators, brake lights, sidelights and number-plate lights.
  • Brakes: check that the caravan braking system is working correctly.
  • Hitch and towbar: look for obvious wear or damage and make sure the caravan is securely coupled.
  • Breakaway cable: check its condition and that it is attached correctly.
  • Towing mirrors: make sure you have an adequate view behind the caravan. They are a legal requirement where your normal mirrors do not provide this.
  • Number plate: it should match the towing vehicle.

The Government’s caravan and trailer safety checklist is a particularly useful final reference before travelling.

Check what is happening inside your caravan

The journey may be smooth for you, but anything loose inside your caravan is about to experience several hours of corners, braking and potholes.

Before leaving, check that:

  • cupboards, drawers and internal doors are secure
  • heavy items are stored low down, preferably close to the axle
  • windows and rooflights are closed and secured
  • external lockers are locked
  • the TV and other loose equipment cannot move
  • gas is turned off at the cylinder
  • the mains hook-up cable is disconnected and stored
  • steadies and the jockey wheel are raised and secured.

Weight matters too. Your caravan must not be overloaded and the load should be evenly distributed. GOV.UK provides current guidance on towing weights and dimensions.

Check your caravan insurance

A touring caravan can represent a substantial investment, quite apart from everything you take away inside it. Before setting off, make sure that your policy is current and that the level of cover still suits the caravan and the way you use it.

Our touring caravan insurance includes a range of cover options designed specifically for touring caravan owners, including cover for risks such as fire and theft, with options relating to contents, awnings and new-for-old or market-value cover depending on the policy.

You can also check the latest touring caravan policy documents before travelling if you are unsure exactly what your policy includes.

Don’t forget to check the tow car

A healthy caravan attached to an unhappy tow car does not make for much of a holiday.

Before a longer journey, it’s important to check:

  • tyre condition and pressures
  • oil and coolant
  • screenwash
  • lights and wipers
  • fuel or battery charge
  • the condition of the towbar and electrical connection.

Towing places additional demands on a car, particularly when accelerating, braking and climbing hills, so any warning light or developing mechanical problem is worth investigating before you leave.

Plan the journey for a caravan, not just a car

Your usual satnav route may not necessarily be the route you would choose while towing. Narrow lanes, low bridges, steep gradients and awkward town centres can all turn a clever shortcut into something rather less clever.

It can help to:

  • check the campsite’s recommended approach route
  • look at planned roadworks and closures
  • allow for slower journey times
  • identify suitable fuel and rest stops
  • avoid particularly awkward roads where there is a sensible alternative.

For travel on motorways and major A-roads in England, National Highways live travel information can help you check incidents, closures and planned roadworks before departure.

The Caravan and Motorhome Club and Camping and Caravanning Club also provide extensive practical towing information and checklists.

Have a plan for problems on the road

Nobody wants to begin a half-term holiday by thinking about breakdowns, but ten minutes spent preparing for one can be reassuring.

Keep somewhere accessible:

  • breakdown assistance details
  • caravan insurance details and claims number
  • campsite telephone number
  • torch
  • warning triangle, where appropriate
  • first-aid kit
  • phone charger or power bank
  • warm and waterproof clothing
  • drinking water.

One particularly important check is whether your breakdown policy will recover both the tow car and caravan. Recovery services do not necessarily include a trailer or caravan automatically.

The final five-minute check

Just before pulling away: Hitch secure? Breakaway cable attached? Lights working? Handbrake released? Jockey wheel up? Mirrors correctly positioned? Doors, windows and rooflights secure?

Then, after around 20 minutes on the road, the Caravan and Motorhome Club suggests another quick walk-round to make sure everything remains secure.

Half term is supposed to be a relaxing break. A few checks before you leave may help make sure that is exactly what it becomes. Happy touring!

Please note that all insurance cover is subject to acceptance of terms and conditions.

This is a marketing article from Park Home Assist, multi award-winning providers of park home insurance, mobile home insurance, insurance for static caravans,  insurance for holiday homes and holiday lodges, as well as boat insurance and touring caravan insurance. If you have any questions about your insurance, then please call our office on 01604 946 796 and one of our insurance advisers will be happy to help.

Published – 9/10/26