All RV Travelling Tip #6
Check that your hatches etc. are secured, especially before bumpy roads.

Make a quick inspection of your hatches and awning to make sure everything is tightly fastened and secured as part of your travel routine. Failure to do so may result in damage to your RV or dust and dirt building up in inconvenient areas.

Tip #7
Always check for leaks when reconnecting your gas bottle to your RV’s gas line.

When reconnecting your gas bottle, use a soapy water solution over the join and make sure that bubbles do not appear. If they do, it’s likely you have a leak in the join.

Tip #8
Never fill your van’s drinking water tanks with your garden hose.

Drinking water from a garden hose may be hazardous to your health. Many hoses are made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which uses lead as a stabiliser.

When water sits in a PVC hose, lead can leach into the water in concentrations that can reach 10 to 100 times over the safe lead level for drinking water!

Filling your tanks with water from your garden hose may result in toxic levels of lead in your van’s drinking water.

Tip #9
Make an itinerary.

You want to camp at the beach? You might need to reserve a space in advance. The RV population has grown so you can expect the best places to be full at the last minute, so plan your trip for best results.

It pays to check the cost of everything – particularly the cost of staying at each caravan park. Call every park before you leave to make sure it has the amenities you want. Some parks are resorts with hot tubs, showers, fitness centres and regulation-size bocce ball courts – and you’ll be paying for it.

If you’re the sort of person who sticks to a plan, leave a copy of that plan with friends or family so they’ll have a good idea of where you are if you need to be contacted.

Tip #10
Protect your home away from home – check your RV’s locks.

Even if your RV is camped in the middle of nowhere, it’s still possible for unwelcome people to be around. An opportunistic thief will find an unlocked RV too easy to pass up, especially if there’s no witnesses for miles.

Did we miss out on any tips? Share them in the comments section below!

Read the May newsletter

Read the April newsletter

Matt and Michelle Slee are getting away for 28 days to spend some quality time with their two kids (aged 4 and 16 months).

The grand plan is to grab a comfortable 2012 model Jayco Expanda (Yes, it has a shower and toilet!), a Weber Baby Q, Matt’s surfboard, buckets and spades (to build the best sandcastles ever!), some good reading material, and then set out to discover the longest, most enjoyable way to get to Byron Bay and back.

As you can imagine Matt, who is the General Manager of ACC, and Michelle who is the daughter of the founders, are both well-seasoned RV travellers. The couple have been married ten years and before the kids arrived would frequently take a Jayco camper trailer for holidays at surf spots on the Yorke Peninsula and the West Coast.

Venus Bay is a favourite location – great for surfing and fishing. Their last visit was in January, which was after a 5-year absence. Matt and Michelle realised just how much they missed Venus Bay! Also on the itinerary was a stay at Streaky Bay Caravan Park, which was just as fantastic. The confidence boost and love of holidays this experience gave the kids was just the inspiration Matt and Michelle needed to embark on a dream road trip to the East Coast of Australia.

So far only Broken Hill, Nyngan, Moree, Inverell and Suffolk Park are confirmed destinations. If you know of any places near to or on this route that Matt and Michelle could take their kids; or if you could suggest any ideas to keep young people fed and occupied please share them – they’d really appreciate it!

Post your favourite locations and things to do here.

PS. Michelle has promised to write home and scrapbook throughout their journey sharing the highlights, fun, great locations plus any hints and tips they pick up on the road.

You can follow the blog here.

The Slees selected the 18.57-6 Jayco Expanda complete with generous kitchen, double bunks, shower and toilet as the best layout to accommodate their young family.

What She Wanted
Michelle needed more floor and storage space than a camper trailer. Not only does the Expanda have more room for clothing, toys and supplies, it included luxuries such as a toilet and shower. This means any toddler ‘accidents’ could be better managed and Michelle would have privacy for herself and her young children.

The Expanda model Michelle selected came equipped with a large LCD TV, air-conditioner and robust upholstery. She wanted the kids to be comfortable and well occupied when indoors.

Preparing food for a young family is more enjoyable in a Jayco Expanda kitchen. It has generous bench space, a huge fridge and full 4 burner gas stove plus microwave oven. In the evenings, after the children have been fed and settled into their bunk beds, the kitchenette becomes a cosy place to enjoy a romantic dinner for two, or nightcap before retiring for the night.

What He Wanted

On a long trip Matt liked the advantage of towing an 18 foot van that then expanded easily to provide 20 feet of living space when on site. The Expanda sets-up in four easy steps. This is a real blessing, especially after travelling when family members can be tired and hungry.

Matt loves surfing and discovering those out-of-the way locations. The 18.57-6 Jayco Expanda is an Outback version, which gives extra ground clearance for some of Australia’s less travelled roads.

Matt and Michelle would love any hints and tips you might have or any stories from RV Life members who have set out on a trip like this themselves.

You can post your ideas or stories here.

Join the Slee family’s adventure by clicking here.

Tip #1
If you haven’t tried your new or pre-loved RV, go on a “shakedown” trip first.

Australian Caravan Co knows the importance taking your new RV or pre–loved RV on a short “Shakedown” trip before hitting the road on your first long–distance trip. That’s why we offer a discount Shakedown trip package with our new and most pre–loved RV’s. It’s better to be familiar with your new RV and find anything you’d like adjusted before you have travelled a long distance from home. A “Shakedown” trip will prepare you for enjoyable and hassle–free camping.

ACC provides Club Members a “Shakedown Trip Voucher” with any RV purchased. It’s ideal for your first trip – and you’ll get a discount on your accommodation.

Tip #2
Make sure your RV is insured.

To really enjoy your holiday, you need peace of mind that you’ll be covered in case of any accident that may occur during your adventures. Look for insurance packages that include specialised RV roadside assistance.

Tip #3
Always inspect your tyres and wheel nuts before each trip.

Inspecting your tyres can help you find punctures or other visible signs of damage that could mean replacements are required. A tyre’s tread directly affects how it grips the road, so it’s important to keep watching for signs of uneven wear. Look for high or low areas, or unusually smooth patches. It’s also important to regularly check the tension on your RV’s wheel nuts, especially on new vans. We recommend you inspect every 100 kms for the first 1,000 kms.


Tip #4
Before a trip, make sure to test your electric brakes.

To be on the safe side, test out your trailer’s electric brakes before your holiday, especially if your trailer has been idle for over a year.

Raise the wheels with a jack so you can turn the wheels by hand. Pull the switch that activates your emergency break-away brake system and try to turn the wheels. If all the wheels are locked (brakes fully engaged), the brakes are working properly. An alternative is to pull the switch that activates your emergency break-away brake system and attempt to pull the trailer with your towing vehicle.

If one or more wheel still turns freely, you have a problem that needs to be fixed before you hit the road.

Tip #5
Be prepared with a “Just-For-The-RV” First-Aid Kit.

Take the time to think about where you are headed for your next holiday and if your family’s emergency first-aid kit is up to the task.

• Do any members of your family have specific medical issues – will they need prescriptions or items such as an asthma inhaler?
• Are you travelling to a remote location – how near are the emergency services? What if you need to deal with an emergency on your own before help arrives?
• Tropical issues – assess the chances of being exposed to bugs and bites, mosquitoes, snakes or fever.
• Camping or hiking trips can result in small cuts and bruises or small burns.
• Will you need a portable Travel First Aid Kit? You may need to multipurpose your kit for hiking, barbecues, picnics or down at the beach.
• Make sure you can easily access your kit and identify the exact contents at any time – first aid kits newly bought often vary in their capability.

Keep watching RV Life for more of Andy’s hints & tips and see Andy in action on ACC’s You-Tube Channel

If you have any hints & tips you’d like to share you can post them here.

Read the March newsletter

You need to season your camp oven before using it for the first time. If you then follow a few simple guidelines you’ll preserve your oven and make sure food doesn’t get stuck when you make a meal.

Cast Iron

A new cast iron oven comes with a protective coating to prevent it rusting. Hot soapy water and a stiff brush or scourer is the best way to remove it. When it’s clean, dry it thoroughly.

Next, wipe your oven inside and out with a good vegetable oil and heat it until it’s good and hot. You can do this on a fire, a BBQ or use your oven at home – it doesn’t matter. What counts is that the oven gets hot enough so that the oil can penetrate deep into the surface of the cast iron. Do this for around 60 minutes at a temperature of at least 260 degrees C (550 degrees F). Then let everything cool down and repeat the whole procedure one more time.

Once you’ve done this, hey presto! Your cast iron oven is now ready for action.

Spun Steel

Spun steel ovens take a little more work, but it’s still really simple.

Place about a teaspoon of oil in the camp oven and heat it in the oven until it gets hot. Wipe the hot oil over the inside of the camp oven as well as the lid. The paper towel will become black as the protective coating is removed – and doesn’t end up in your food! Allow the oven to cool then repeat the process. Keep going until there is no black residue on the paper towel.

Keeping Your Camp Oven Looking Good and Working Well

The secrets are;

1. keep it clean,
2. don’t scratch it (if you can help it) and
3. keep it oiled.

OK, here are some finer pointers:

A well-oiled oven shouldn’t get food stuck to the inside when you cook. But let’s just say it happens; don’t panic and scrape it clean or use a harsh abrasive. This will only invite more hassle. Simply pour some water into the oven and put it back on the heat. This process should lift anything that gets stuck.

When you’ve got your oven properly cleaned and dried wipe it over with oil again. Then give it some more heat to get that vegetable oil deep into the metal. If you make this a habit your oven should last you a lifetime.

Happy cooking!

Read the February Edition 2 newsletter