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Common caravanning mistakes

Finding your feet as a new caravanner might sometimes mean learning from your mistakes - but it's always better to be able to learn from someone else's.

We asked a group of experienced caravanners to share the mistakes and misconceptions that plagued them when they were just starting out. Below is a list of the more common errors, and what you can do to avoid them:

• One of the biggest mistakes people make when buying a caravan is to disregard the importance of their tow car. Ensuring caravan and car are a good match is essential - both in terms of safety and staying on the right side of the law.

• Remember to lock the fridge door before setting off, and check cupboards and wardrobes to see that they are properly shut before driving off. Also check that your windows and rooflights are locked shut. Taking this approach ensures that when you park up, everything will be in the same place it was left - and your caravan won't be filled with rain water and leaves.

• Try to see the journey as part of the holiday adventure - don't rush it. Journeys that normally take a couple of hours in the car will naturally take a little longer when you're towing a caravan, but even by the time you have pitched, lit the bbq and opened your first bottle of wine, your package holiday counterparts are only just reaching the front of the airport check-in desk.

• When unhitching your caravan from your car, remember to put the caravan handbrake on first. For more details on hitching and unhitching your vehicles, visit the Camping and Caravanning Club's FAQ service.

• If you have an awning, practice putting it up somewhere quiet before you go away. When you get to your holiday site, you'll want to be able to put it up quickly and simply - without getting flustered and frustrated.

• Don't detach your caravan from your car until you've levelled the van on your pitch. You may need to raise one wheel onto a levelling block, and the process is much easier when car and van are still attached.

• Don't forget to take enough gas - you don't want to run out on the first morning - order refills online.