With autumn right around the corner, you might have a family getaway or two on your mind before winter sets in. Before you set off for your next adventure in your family friendly 4 berth caravan, how about spending a little time prepping and getting it ready to make sure you’re all set and ready to have a great time?
Prepping your 4 berth caravan
Prepping your 4 berth caravan and getting it ready to hit the road may take a teeny bit of effort and time, but that saves you a lot of potential hassle of having the batteries die, the refrigerator fail or worse, having a tyre problem in the middle of nowhere.
The interior
First and foremost, get the interior of the caravan right. Your pre-trip preparation can go a long way in helping you have a great time afterwards.
● Make sure you plug in the fridge a day before the actual trip, particularly if you’re using the caravan after a few months, just to allow it to start cooling well again.
● Check all the latches indoors, the cupboards and make sure they’re well lubricated and secure.
● Clean the water tank thoroughly. Get water purifying tablets
● Freeze some ice blocks a day before you leave for the trip.
● Clean the indoor area of the caravan of any dust or webs.
● Clean the linen, if needed.
● Make sure the gas bottles are full.
● Get your compact inverter and solar chargers inside.
The exterior
● Do a quick inspection of all the tyres, both the inner and outer walls for pressure.
● Check the condition of your hitch and rattle the wheels to check if the bearings are just right.
● Give the wirings a good check, and double check the brakes too.
● Inspect your battery and see if it needs to be charged, or replaced.
● Open the exterior up to check for any possible infestations, and if needed, use pesticide sprays to get rid of them.
It also makes sense to go for a short test drive before the actual trip, just to make sure everything is right and you can go ahead with your getaway!
Finally, depending on your personal choices and preferences, you can create a checklist of items you need to carry along with on the trip, and have most of them loaded in at least the night before the trip, so that all you need to do the next day is grab your essentials, double check and get going.
Where to go
Your caravan is all prepared so where do you fancy going?
If you are staying in the UK, the Scotland Highlands is meant to be incredible in the Autumn for seeing the herds of deer and stags.
The Isles of Scilly host Walk Scilly Long weekend between 10-14th October, giving you the opportunity to see fields of budding scented narcissi, stunning sunsets and a dazzling array of birds and wildlife with expert guides.
Go cider making on 5th or 6th of October in Devon at Killertons estate. Have fun picking up apples in the orchard with rangers at Killerton which are then used to make their own cider. Learn about the history of the estate and the traditional 19th-century press to make cider.
The North Yorkshire coast is meant to be incredible scenery and you may also be lucky enough to spot a dolphin or two!
The West Lodge Rural Centre in Northamptonshire has a Halloween festival on where you can have a tour of a witches house, pick and carve a pumpkin, go on a spooky tractor ride and watch a panto style ghost story.
There are plenty of things to do in Belfast. Foodie events are topping the menu during autumn in Belfast! Take a bite of the city’s food scene with special food tours, distillery visits and banquets. One thing on most people’s Ireland bucket list is to explore the Home of Thrones. The popular TV series Game of Thrones was filmed in Belfast and across Northern Ireland. Get the full experience and see the filming locations with a guided tour.
If you are looking for things to do in Dublin, you have a lot of choices. One of the only countries in the world to have a bank holiday for Hallowe’en, Samhain (its original Gaelic name) is celebrated with music, dance and fancy-dress parades. The last Monday of October marks the end of the summer harvest season and incorporates the pagan festival of the dead so expect to see a grand parade with a ghostly theme. It’s also the same day as the Dublin Marathon through the city centre. The Dublin theatre festival begins late September. The Dublin Fringe Festival in September sees a melange of contemporary high-octane performing arts, from risqué circus in makeshift arenas to escapology in public squares.
