What’s the weather like out there? To quote the late, great comedian Robin Williams in Good Morning Vietnam, “It’s hot. Damn hot! Real hot!” Regardless of where you live in Australia, if you hit the roads in the summertime, it doesn’t take long for the temperature to rise.
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Most of us are familiar with the original “Slip, Slop, Slap” SunSmart Campaign which was one of the most successful health campaigns in Australian history, with the mantra still uttered today. But we’d like to contribute our own sun-smart philosophy, aimed at keeping cool at camp this summer. We call it our iHEAL approach; insulation, hydration, evaporation, aeration, location.

Preparing for nature’s extremes should start before you decide what caravan or camper trailer to purchase. Think of your age, that of your kids, and how much heat (and cold) you’re prepared to tolerate when you head outdoors.

Many caravans are constructed with double fibreglass insulated bodies and pop-top roofs. Fibreglass and other insulators will do a lot to moderate temperature variations in your van.
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If you’re sleeping under canvas, consider adding a tropical roof to your camper. The additional layer of material will create an air gap, which will allow heat to be absorbed by the air underneath and escape before reaching your living space. Alternatively, suspend a high quality space blanket from the internal framework above your bed space. This lining will create a reflective barrier, deflecting the heat that is beating down on the roof of your camper.

When the weather’s hot, you start losing body fluid at a far greater rate than in cooler conditions. Children in particular don’t always respond to the early signs of thirst. If your kids are starting to get cranky, lethargic, have a headache or seem to have developed the attention span of a goldfish, you’re probably seeing signs of dehydration.

Ensuring you and your family stay cool and hydrated on the road is a lot easier these days with the advent of in-cabin fridges. Ours is a 10.5L capacity fridge that, while small, is a great back up/overflow fridge that sits on the back seat, safely seat-belted via the lap-strap. Filled with fluids and whole fruit, it’s a great way to ensure that everyone arrives at camp with a full tank.

Turn your cabin fridge onto “freezer” setting and you open up a whole new range of hydration options. Electrolyte ice blocks and jellies are the perfect way to combat dehydration and the kids will love them. The products include water, glucose and electrolytes, which are essential to rapid rehydration.
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Use the same space to freeze the “ice core” that is inbuilt into some water bottles. These types of bottles are a great way to keep your drinks cool for longer once you move away from the vehicle.

There are plenty of simple water evaporation techniques that will soon bring the heat down. For example, when you’re planning for a hot day, chuck a damp sheet in the fridge or freezer in the morning. Drape the sheet over yourself like a blanket when the heat gets too much. The breeze passing through the material will help keep your body temperature down and give you excellent relief from the heat. A similar idea is to pop a hot water bottle in the fridge and create a bed-friendly “cold-sac” to help keep you cool at night.
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If you want a bit more technology to help the evaporative process, you might want to think about purchasing a travel-size evaporative cooler. Ours is less than 25cm high and wide and weighs just 1.5kg, so it’s a simple fix. We took it to the Red Centre during 40°C conditions, and our then two-year old enjoyed the experience.

When you’re hot, passing air across the beads of sweat on your skin naturally cools you down. So, when you set up camp on a hot day, open the side windows of your caravan for cross ventilation.

Also consider using fans to increase aeration when the wind drops. These days, 12V electric fans are an easy and inexpensive addition to your rig. Fans will increase circulation and are most effective when they are boosting the breeze in the prevailing wind direction.
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When things get really warm, you might want to consider getting the kids off the floor/mattress and into the air. Set them up on a simple stretcher or rig up a hammock. Both techniques will increase airflow and help cool them down. In the middle of the day, string a damp hammock between trees to make a cool hangout zone – pun fully intended!

Your choice of campsite may be the simplest and most effective way of keeping everybody cool and happy on a trip away. Don’t just rely on your awning for shade. Did you know natural shade is cooler than artificial shade by up to seven degrees? That’s because living material — such as trees — absorb the sun’s heat and utilise the energy for photosynthesis, transpire and thus provide a natural cooling effect. By contrast, your awning will actually absorb the sun’s energy and radiate it as heat. Obviously, the lighter the colour of the awning, the less radiant heat the material absorbs.

So invest a bit of time in choosing the right campsite. If you set yourself up in the shade of a tree with prevailing crosswinds, you can almost guarantee you’ll have a happier holiday experience from the get-go.
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Also, consider options for “mobile shade”. We have camp chairs that come complete with shade via a simple, flip-up canopy that creates instant sun relief, wherever you are.

​Source: Without a Hitch

Being on a caravan holiday with the kids can be wonderful and exhausting at the same time.

When you’re in a confined space for an extended period however, it’s sometimes hard to keep the little ones happy – and if they’re not, you won’t be.
Here are a few ideas for things to do during the holidays, plus some tips for keeping little ones entertained on the road.
Plan ahead
The secret to successful holiday activities is to be prepared.

• Record yourself reading storybooks to keep everyone amused on long drives.
• Pack glue, string, paper, colouring-in books, cardboard, pencils and scissors. They don’t take up much room and can be used to create, record, build or scrapbook.
• Plastic, stackable storage boxes are your friends: use them for storing stationery, toys, shoes, clothes and treasures.
• Carry play equipment that’s versatile, inflatable or stackable, such as ropes (for knotting, swinging, tug of war), totem tennis and a glow-stick ring toss.

Include the kids in the planning, and if you intend to ban electronic devices when camping, let them know in advance.
On the road

• Keep songbooks, audio books and CDs handy for singalongs.
• Be prepared to play endless rounds of I Spy, Road Bingo and round robin storytelling.
• Have some movies or episodes of the kids’ favourite television shows loaded onto an iPad or tablet to keep them occupied during longer journeys – this will give you a guaranteed length of time before boredom and arguments set in.

At the campground
When you first arrive at a new park, go for a walk, check out the features and make sure the kids know how to find their way around. Set up the awning or awning to work as a spare room, and throw down matting to keep sand, dirt and water at bay.

• Take time each evening to plan the next day’s activities together.
• Read Australian children’s books, such as Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, and go looking for the characters.
• Grab some bedding and sleep outdoors.
• On rainy days, take an excursion outside and have the kids collect random items of interest: shells, stones, leaves, seaweed, driftwood. These can be used in artwork, to tell a story, or as props for a play.

The easiest way to ensure everyone enjoys the confined space of the caravan is to spend as much time as possible in the great outdoors. After all, you’re on holidays! Relax, enjoy the different rhythms and routine, and don’t be afraid to try something completely different.

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The Outback is synonymous with adventure and who better to experience it with, other than your family and friends.

There’s nothing like hitting the red dirt and travelling for hours without seeing another car. Nothing compares to setting up your rig in the middle of nowhere, far away from the hustle and bustle of the city, to spend the night under the stars. For kids, there’s no better playground than what nature has provided to stimulate the imagination. Who needs fancy electronic gadgets when you are treated to sensational sunrises and sunsets – free of charge?  

Our three kids have seen every corner of their spectacular homeland but nothing inspires more than the far-away, often hard-to-access spots that make up the outback. There’s nothing more exciting to a child than exploring new places or seeing animals that other kids only read about in books. This is the school of the road and one thing’s for sure, it’s anything but boring. 

Once you’ve experienced the outback you’ll keep on going back for more – at least we do. From the awe-inspiring beehive domes in the Bungle Bungles to the fascinating copper-coloured hills of the Painted Desert, from the majestic gorges in Carnarvon Gorge NP to the World Heritage-listed rainforests along the Bloomfield Track, the outback is full of surprises, waiting to be discovered.

Australia’s interior has also been the centre stage for countless stories of pioneers who made a living in the most challenging and extreme conditions – this is history coming alive in a way that kids will remember.

You will undoubtedly come across wildlife – some poisonous – so this is the time to educate your kids. Snakes are common and must be treated with respect but there’s no need to terrify your children. Our kids know these reptiles are dangerous and will move away when they spot one. We’ve taught the kids not to play in tall grass or near stacks of firewood and they automatically keep an eye out when bush walking.

From our personal experience, kids as young as three years of age are able to go on walks while the younger ones can bump along on mum or dad’s back in a special hiking backpack. A Baby Bjӧrn Miracle baby carrier has been designed to carry your little one for expended periods of time so you don’t have to miss out on seeing the most spectacular sites.

Some of our favourite outback destinations include the Flinders Ranges, Arkaroola, the Bungle Bungles, the Gibb River Road and the Savannah Way. Places like Normanton, Karumba and Lawn Hill NP are not to be missed. There’s plenty more to see but you’ll just have to go and hit the red dirt yourself – you will not be disappointed.

Article courtesy of Caravan World

Do you know the rules of the road? Learn how to navigate the complicated world of caravan courtesy from right of way to overtaking.

Travelling the Newell and New England highways, chasing the feeble sun north in our Colorado 7/New Age Oz Classic combo has made me realise how unaware some caravanners are when it comes to road courtesy. Sure, we are all cruising at 90-95km/h these days, but the B-doubles are all sitting on the 110km/h limit. So caravans are, collectively, the slowest things on the road. We all need to be nice to the road transport professionals who bring us our daily bread and all that stuff made in China.

So here's a quick course in caravanning courtesy that will earn you points with your truckin’ mates…

ROAD RULES

1. Right of wayThe heavier, slower vehicle has right of way on a one-lane bridge/entry to a steep hill because (a) it will lose all of its hard-won momentum if forced to stop, and (b) being bigger than you it will hurt you more if there is a collision! As the bigger, heavier vehicle is often you and your rig, let's hope that other road users read this too.

2. You go firstThe accepted signal to let someone know that you will let them in to a traffic queue is a long flash (1-2 seconds) on your high beam. Yes, I know it's illegal to use high beam in built -up areas in some states, but good manners count for something, surely. Anyway, if you're towing it's going to take you longer to get up to speed, so what's another car or truck in the queue anyway? You're on holidays – relax!

3. Let them passYou know from your car driving days what it's like to sit behind a slower vehicle for kilometre after kilometre, fuming and wanting to pass. Well, that's how 90 per cent of other road users – particularly truckies, for whom time is money – feel about you and your home away from home.

So you need to let them know it's safe and convenient for them to pass you, but how? Here some people get confused. The fail-safe system is a few flashes on your left indicator – not a lot as they might think you're simply turning left or stopping. But only do this if the road is clear for long enough for a slow-accelerating large vehicle (like your rig) to pass safely. 
If necessary, slow down slightly to ensure the move is made safety – you're not racing and if they have caught up to you, they are faster.

4. Pull in nowThen, after the rear of their rig is a good distance clear of the front of yours, give a longish (two-second) flash to signal that it's safe for them to pull in. In return, you'll get a left-right 'thank you' from the grateful truckie. Your reward. This human interaction will make you feel good!

5. OvertakingIf you want to overtake someone, flashing your lights or putting them on high beam is the same as using capitals in a text message – it’s shouting. Better to put on your right-hand indicator and pull out enough to ensure they see it. Nine times out of 10 they will get the polite hint and move over when they get the chance.

6. Planning to stop soonIf you are planning to stop soon for (a) a toilet break, (b) a break from your partner, or (c) lunch, then you need to let all of those fuming people following know so they don't involuntarily join you for company.

This is where the long, continuous left-hand indicator comes in, accompanied by a few periodic touches (not jabs) on the brake pedal to let them know you're serious.

So have you been paying attention? I hope so, because the next lights you see flashing might be mine!

Article courtesy of Caravan World

One of the most exciting ways to see Australia is by touring with a caravan, camper or pop top in tow. Not only is this an affordable holiday, it gives you the freedom to travel at your own pace to destinations of your choice.

But towing a caravan is not as simple as attaching a towbar to your vehicle and hitching up. There are a number of considerations that must be made.

“Towing adds another dimension to your driving,” said Bruce Hill, experienced caravanner and Prestige Jayco Geelong’s customer handover advisor. “There are a number of considerations a driver must make when towing.”

According to Bruce, you should address the following points before setting off:

• The vehicle’s towing capacity
• The type of towbar required and the maximum load capacity of the coupling
• The type of trailer you’re towing and whether it complies with the Australian regulations
• Any additional equipment required to increase the trailer’s towing stability
• Whether the caravan is correctly loaded
• How towing can affect your driving
• Safety checks to make before and during your trip
• Caravan insurance

To guide you through this process, Caravan Industry Victoria has produced a free National Vehicle Towing Guide, which is a great starting point for the towing beginner. For a copy of the National Vehicle Towing Guide, call Caravan Industry Victoria on 03 9329 5311 or visit www.towingguide.com.au.