With the summer holiday season on the horizon, here are ten simple but effective tips to make your caravan break go smoothly, safely and just that little bit easier.

Before you leave

1.Save for space - Collect all free sample sachets of shampoo, conditioner and shower gel. These take up far less space than large bottles and are perfect to take on holiday, leaving you more room for other essentials.

2.Never forget – Make a laminated checklist of everything that you need to take with you. This allows you to mark off items with a whiteboard pen when you have packed them into your caravan. You can then rub off the pen when the list is complete and use the checklist again next year.

3.Pack safely – When loading up your caravan make sure you put all heavy items directly over the axle. Placing heavy items at the back of the caravan could cause your van to pitch back and forth. Also, be sure not to put any heavy items into cupboards – store them on the floor to maintain control of your caravan.

4.No flies on you – If you are sick of spending hours picking the squashed flies from your caravan’s front window, then give this tip a go. Before you set off, cover your front window with cling film (attached with masking tape.) Then, when you arrive on site, simply peel off the cling film along with all the creepy crawlies you have picked up on the journey.

On site

5.Give it some welly – Wellington boots are vital on any wet weather holiday. A good tip for keeping them dry and ready to use is to store them on two sticks stuck into the ground by the door to your van or awning. Cricket stumps work well for this, search through your children’s junk in the shed to track some down.

6.Stamp out stubbing – To prevent people from stubbing their toes on exposed metal stakes, such as the ones used for awnings, purchase some cheap brightly coloured armbands. When inflated they fit snugly over the protruding stakes and provide a brightly coloured warning of danger and also a cushioned impact for anyone who still manages to trip over them.

7.Slip and slide – Ever sat down to your morning cereal and ended up with half of it in your lap because you’re pitched on a slope? A cheap and easy way to solve this problem is to buy a roll of non-slip matting (you can find it in most caravan shops for just a few pounds) and cut it into small squares to put under plates, glasses and cups. Problem solved!

Leaving the site & your journey home

8.Stuck in the mud – If you are staying in a particularly muddy site and your caravan has sunk into the ground, try hitching up your car at a 45-degree angle to the van. This means that when you pull off the car will not be pulling the full weight of the van from the start – it will just be turning slightly so the car has more chance of getting a good initial grip.

9.Get hooked – If you ever need to reverse your car to couple on your own, try this clever tip. Before you start, place a pole, such as one from a windbreak, vertically against the tow hook and then put a piece of tape on your back window to indicate the central position of the tow ball. Now all you need do is look in your rear-view mirror while reversing and line up the pole and the tape.

10.Drive safe – An important tip for any journey - if you are carrying a heavy load in your caravan you should be aware that the time it takes to accelerate and stop will change and need to be adapted to. Watch your speed carefully and leave ample room between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you.

So follow these top tips on your next caravan holiday and you will be sure of a great time. Happy holidays.