When you choose to stay at a caravan park, itâs possible that you like to have some say on the site you are given. Or perhaps youâre the type who simply accepts the site youâre offered, only to later find out that itâs next door to the site from hell.
Here are a few tips to help you get the best caravan park site for your set-up. After all, youâre on holidays and we all want the best site money can buyâŠ
CARAVAN PARK LOCATION
When planning to stay at a caravan park for several days in an unfamiliar town, check the location of the park beforehand using Google Maps.
This will allow you to see the parkâs exact location in relation to busy roads, as well as its proximity to shops and other facilities, and whether its location backs onto a railway line or school. Using this type of approach will put you on the front foot for making the correct decision, especially when there are multiple caravan parks in the town to choose from.
SITE PLAN
Itâs becoming increasingly common that the larger holiday park chains provide a park site plan on their website. Take advantage of these as they will help with your site planning when looking at longer caravan park stays.
Where site plans arenât provided online, call the caravan park and request one to be emailed to you. Having a site plan will help you determine proximities to facilities, such as the amenities block, camp kitchen, playgrounds and major thoroughfares.
Depending on your circumstances, you may like to be close to all of these or kept well away. While you may not be lucky enough to get your first site pick, selecting a few potential sites may reward you with one of your choices.
WALK THE PROPOSED SITE
Wherever possible, donât pay for a site without first inspecting it. It is possible that the site you are being offered will be too tight to get onto, or its location within the park is less than desirable.
When walking the site, check its suitability for your setup. Will it fit, can you fully open your awning, and whatâs the proximity to power poles, water and sullage?
Try to gain a general âfeelâ of the place, including who you will be parked next to. This technique works well when you arrive at a caravan park having undertaken no prior research.
DRIVE-THROUGH SITES
When you are only staying in a caravan park overnight, you might feel that there is little point in unhitching. On these occasions, request a drive-through site, if one is available.
Not all parks offer these types of sites, but itâs worth explaining your needs when booking, as they might be able to accommodate your request by giving you two sites back to back if theyâre not busy. Alternatively, the park manager might help out by simply placing you on a larger site.
Knowing how long your tow vehicle and RV setup is will put you in the box seat when making requests such as these.
SUMMNG UP
So the next time youâre looking at staying at a caravan park, it really comes down to a little planning to get the best out of your stay. Taking some time to research where youâd like to stay in advance could very well be the difference between a caravan park stay being memorable for all the right or wrong reasons.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Max Taylor
Max Taylor has been caravanning since he was a kid and was the editor of some of Australia’s most well-known RV publications for almost 10 years.
