You’ve bought the perfect caravan, learned all there is to learn about how to safely and legally tow it, and it’s almost time to hit the road!
Before you head off for your week in the British sun, you’re going to need to make sure you’ve got everything you need for a happy holiday, and that your caravan is truly set up to be the perfect home away from home.
In this blog, on day three of the Adrian Flux Caravan Week, we’ll be taking a look at how to furnish your caravan with all the essentials for the perfect trip.
Interior Decorating
Depending on how long you’re going away for, you’ll be spending quite a long time in your caravan. Just as you’d want your bricks and mortar house to be well decorated and furnished to your taste, you’ll get a lot more joy out of your caravan if you feel comfortable and at home on the road.
Most caravans come furnished, in fact you’d be advised to steer away from buying just a shell if you’re still a caravan novice, but you don’t have to settle for whatever the manufacturer supplied.
Reupholstering furniture, changing curtains, painting cupboards and even changing the flooring are all simple, if possibly expensive, ways of giving your caravan its own unique look, and making it somewhere you relish spending time.
After-market furniture, cupboards, beds and kitchen utilities are also available, which can help you to tailor your caravan to meet your needs and tastes. You’ll also be able to adapt your caravan for any disabilities that your group might have, from ramps and handrails to accessible showers and toilets.
The Essentials
Bucket and spade? Check! iPad? Check! Knives and forks? Ah…
When you’re shopping for caravan accessories and utilities, or packing your bags for the summer holidays, it can be all too easy to forget to pack the essentials.
It’s surprisingly common for people to arrive at their destination only to find out that all they’ve packed is clothes and toiletries, forgetting the essentials of caravan living – especially for those people setting out on their first caravan holiday.
Far from the comforts of hotel life, when you embark on a caravan holiday you need to make sure you bring absolutely everything you need, from cutlery and cleaning 
products to spare light bulbs and a car maintenance kit.
One of the best ways of making sure you’ve packed everything you need, is to make and follow a checklist. There are some available online, such as this one from the Caravan Club, but it’s easy to make your own too.
Just go ‘room to room’ through your caravan making a list of everything you think you’ll need. Go through the caravan a few times, and get someone else to help too, to make sure you get down everything you think you might need.
If, even after all of that, you still find you’ve forgotten things (it’s inevitable, trust us) you should be able to pick things up at local shops, so it won’t be the end of the world.
The Luxuries
With the essentials packed away, it’s time to turn your attention to things a little more fun. TVs, iPads, sound systems, games consoles and all the gadgets that make modern life what it is can be packed away in even the smallest of caravans.
With luxury items you’re limited by two things; money and power. The first is obvious; only take what you can actually afford and don’t take so much that you become a big target for thieves.
The second, power, can be a big problem – especially when most of our modern luxuries require a decent mains supply and an Internet connection. What you can power will depend on where you’re staying; one campsite’s facilities might fuel your cutting-edge home cinema system, whilst another’s could struggle to power your toaster.
Not only will you need to think about power needs, but also just how much you actually need them – there’s no point packing in the tech if you’ll spend all your days on the beach, and you’ll only be making yourself a target for would-be thieves on the campsite if all your gadgets are left unattended throughout the day.
If you’re keen to stay at the forefront of modern caravan technology, check out the interactive guide that we’ve put together covering some of the most futuristic gadgets you can get your hands on today:
Come back tomorrow for day four of the Adrian Flux Caravan Week, when we’ll be looking at tips for finding the best campsite for your holiday.