As we approach a warmer part of the year, many of you will undoubtedly be planning your first caravanning break of the year. Here at Lifesure, we believe that as with anything, preparation is the key to a successful & safe caravanning trip. Most caravan owners in the UK only use their caravan’s during the warmer months, so their pride & joy will spend much of the winter stood still. Prior to your first tow of the year it’s worth taking the time to perform a few simple checks to ensure your towing experience is as safe as possible.

Caravan check list

Make sure your caravan or trailer is properly serviced and fit to be on the road. This is especially important if it’s been left standing for most of the year.

Before you depart on your journey, you are advised to check the following:

1. Make sure that all your caravan signalling lights are work correctly when your cupeled to your towing vehicle (especially if you’ve changed vehicles since you last took your caravan out on the road). During the trip recheck as the coupling might have deteriorated.
2. Check all your wheel nuts are tightened to the manufactures recommended specification.
3. Ensure all tyre pressure’s are correct, you should also ensure that the tyres are in good condition (they can quickly deteriorate if not properly maintained or left static for long periods of time).
4. Recheck the caravan tyre pressure during the trip to ensure they are in good order.
5. Also check that your towing vehicle tyres are pressurised to the level recommended in your owners handbook.
6. When you first start towing the caravan undertake one or two test stops to check your brakes are working properly. During the trip check that the brakes and the bearings are not overheating (you can compare them to your car brakes).
7. Take time to ensure the coupling is securely hitched, use the jockey wheel to raise the towing vehicle by approximately an inch to ensure the coupling is correct.
8. Remove or swivel the jockey wheel and lock into it’s traveling position and then check the coupling is level and at the correct height.
9. If your caravan has a coupling with internal friction pads, then ensure the towball is clean, dry and free of grease. The coupling connection should be checked after the first 5 miles and then at subsequent stops.
10. Check safety chains are in good condition and correctly connected. Recheck the safety chain during the trip.
11. Check the hand brake of the caravan has released correctly following a long stand.
12. Check that the roll out awning is locked in the traveling position.
13. Check all exterior and interior lights are working, you don’t want to arrive on a site at night to find out your lights have an issue!
14. Ensure gas cylinders are correctly secured and turned off before travelling, and that your load is correctly secured.
15. Carbon Monoxide safety checks of propane burning appliances, Yellow flames with coach heaters, stoves, ovens, and water heaters usually indicate a lack of oxygen. If you have a carbon monoxide detector then put fresh batteries in for the start of the season.
16. Check all windows and roof lights are closed and secure.

This list is not intended to be exhaustive, if you think the list could be improved please contact us and suggest your improvement.

Check your Insurance documents

Take the time to go over your insurance documents; ensuring your policy is still adequate & up to date. It’s surprising how many people forget to renew/ update their caravan insurance after a long winter. Here at Lifesure, we offer:

• Up to 40% Discount!
• Use by family and friends (age 30 or older), provided no hiring charges are made.
• 180 days European cover. as standard!
• Caravan repatriation from EU countries, as standard!
• Legal Plus provides a hire caravan (up to 14 days) if your caravan is unusable following an accident.

We’d be delighted to provide you with a free quotation & see how much we could save you this summer.