What We’ve Learnt in Our First Weeks of Caravanning

Last Updated: June 13, 2022 . By Melissa . CARAVANNING

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In the last few weeks we have been making the transition to caravanning. We have road tested a couple of different vans so far and we already know that we love ‘van life’. So I thought I would share our thoughts with you on what we’ve learnt in our first weeks of caravanning.

LIFE IS SIMPLE

Caravanning is a much simpler way of life. We have both felt so relaxed because we haven’t felt the need to rush anywhere. Because we can free camp there is no panic about getting to the next town to find somewhere to stay for the night. On the days that we were travelling we were usually pulled up by about 3.30pm or 4.00 so plenty of time to enjoy happy hour.

our first weeks of caravanning
We love how simple life becomes in a van.

HOUSEWORK IS JUST SO EASY

We don’t own a massive house. It’s just your standard three bedroom with a small office and a lounge room and kitchen/dining room area. But there are four people living in it and there always seems to be housework that needs doing. Dishes, washing, vacuuming! It all seems to pile up!


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With just the two of us in the van it took me about half an hour to completely tidy the van, including making the bed. It was really nice to be able to ‘come home’ at the end of a day exploring to a still clean and tidy house!

our first weeks of caravanning
It is just so easy to keep a small space clean and tidy.

SMALL SPACES DON’T BOTHER US

I honestly thought that Brenden and I would be bumping into each other all the time in a small space but we weren’t. We both found it really easy to move around in the van. Some nights we sat inside to eat but we still had plenty of room to move. Even the shower didn’t bother me – I think it was probably bigger than the shower in my first flat in Sydney!


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SET UP TAKES NO TIME AT ALL

After the camper trailer, which used to take about an hour to set up, the caravan is a breeze. Once we were on site, Brenden would get the outside set up and I would do the inside.

I would open the van up, switch the fridge over from DC and open a few windows. Whilst I was doing this Brenden would un-hitch, put the legs down and connect the hose up. I would then get the chairs out and set up and pretty soon after that we would be sitting down with a beer!


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IT’S REALLY EASY TO EAT WELL

We found preparing meals really easy. Our new Weber Baby Q made it really easy to prepare meals. We both like to eat healthily most of the time and having a small-scale kitchen doesn’t mean that you have to compromise on your food.  We cooked lots of meals in it including Roast Lamb and Baked Vegies and Meatballs and Pasta. Other nights we had steak and vegies or salad. I also made our favourite ‘Eggs Depends’ to use up some leftovers.

our first weeks of caravanning
We found that it was easy to eat really well.

YOU DON’T NEED A LOT OF ‘STUFF’

I was very surprised with how few things I really needed, especially in the kitchen. I found we cooked all our meals in just one or two pans. In fact I don’t have any more kitchen stuff than what I had in our camper trailer. We kept our clothing choices simple as well. Clothes that are easy to care for, and don’t need separate washing are best. A couple of tidy outfits are nice if you like going to the local pub for a meal every now and again.

We can really see why so many people are adopting this lifestyle and it’s certainly one that we can’t wait to take on full time. We have thoroughly enjoyed our first weeks of caravanning.

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What We've Learnt in our First Weeks of Caravanning

14 thoughts on “What We’ve Learnt in Our First Weeks of Caravanning”

  1. We have a Galaxy Series 3 18 foot van easy to tow but no toilet.or shower..I’m not fussed about using a bucket toilet and showering when we are near a caravan park if we free camp for a few days. We haven’t gone longer than 5 days so far. Us it worth the extra $$ to go for the toilet and shower set up?

    Reply
    • I think it really depends on what kind of travel you are doing. As we travel full time, for us having an ensuite is an absolute must. But having said that, with the use of WikiCamps you can easily find free camp sites that have toilets, even if they are only long drops. You will often find public showers as well in some towns. Check out showgrounds as a low cost alternative to caravan parks as well.

      Reply
  2. It is like reading our own story Brenden and Melissa.
    Andrew and I left our 4 bedroom home around 10 weeks ago for permanent caravan living.
    We didn’t think that this lifestyle choice was going to be so easy or that we would become so relax borderline lazy lol.
    All the stress of picking the right caravan, tow vehicle and giving up stuff is behind us and we are finally enjoying our lives.

    Reply
    • That is just wonderful to hear Karren. It certainly is a stress free way to live. Can see why more people are doing it.

      Reply
  3. Totally agree with all your comments Melissa. The biggest challenge is choosing what to do, as there are so many options once you hit the road. We love our Baby Q Weber too, so transportable & we can cook basically anything we would cook at home. Our big tip is to get into a routine of who does what. That way nothing is forgotten. Oh, and we do a little double check before we begin travelling. Best wishes for many many fun times in your caravan

    Reply
  4. This is exactly why we want a caravan too! We’ve been camper trailering for four months and we’d decided in about the first two weeks that we’d prefer a caravan. :-O

    Reply
    • Our camper trailer was awesome when the kids were younger and we were just doing shorter trips. A caravan will make life so much easier when we hit the road full time.

      Reply
    • We have just changed over from a camper trailer to a black series 19 ft caravan, so hopefully our first trip will go well setting out on a few short trips till we get the hang of it.

      Reply

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