What to Do If Your Caravan Trip Goes Wrong

In a perfect world, your caravan trip will go swimmingly. You’ll get to the location, you’ll get set up really quickly and the weather will be an absolute dream. Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world.

For some people, these imperfections and challenges are part of the charm of caravaning or camping. After all, if you want a luxury holiday, you’ll get a hotel with a pool. However, some problems can ruin a caravan trip if you let them.

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Planning For the Worst

As mentioned before, your attitude can be part of the problem or it can be the solution. The fact is that, if you expect perfection in this world, you’re going to be disappointed. So expect things to go wrong and be pleasantly surprised when they don’t.

Everyone should have a first aid kit, spare water, a torch, and some blankets in their car. It’s safe just to leave this stuff in there so that you are always ready for something to go wrong. This little bit of preparation makes problems much easier to handle.

Think about what could go wrong before you go and, instead of just dismissing it or fruitlessly worrying about it, think about solutions. Pack slightly heavy, especially if you’re transporting everything in the car anyway.

A Flat Tyre or Breakdown

One of the most annoying things that can happen is that your car or caravan breaks down before you even get to your location. 

Depending on the breakdown, this might be a major problem or a minor hiccup. For example, if you lose a tyre, you might be able to patch it yourself or limp to a garage. Or, if this isn’t possible, you can use a mobile tyre fitting service that gets you up and running while you’re on the road.

If it’s a more serious breakdown, a roadside breakdown service can get you to safety. If the problem is your car, you might be able to use another car and simply delay your trip by a few hours.

Bad Weather

If you’re in Britain, you should expect bad weather. But it can be miserable when you’re in a caravan for a week and you feel as though you can’t leave.

Again, preparation can help. Bring a heater that’s safe to use inside, as well as activities that you can do while it’s raining. Some bad weather can pass by. If it looks as though the rain is there to stay, look for indoor activities that you can drive to, so you can at least enjoy the area.

Knowing When to Quit

While there’s a lot you can do to fix a bad situation, there’s no point in continuing a holiday if everything has gone wrong and, more importantly, everyone is miserable. In this situation, it might be better to try another week.

The good news is that you should at least get a good story about such a disastrous holiday, which should provide a laugh in the future.