A caravan can transform your vehicle into an all-inclusive traveling experience. If you’re on the market for a caravan for your next road trip, you want to ensure your caravan sales experience is a success.

During the purchasing process and after you invest in your new ride, don’t become a victim to these common caravan problems. Identifying these problems and ways to avoid them is the key to a successful trip every time you hit the open road.

1. Choosing the Wrong Caravan Size for Your Vehicle

Caravans are designed to be towed by your vehicle. Purchasing a caravan without considering your current vehicle is a major oversight that can cause problems long before you hit the road. Fortunately, this problem is easily avoidable when you consider the size of the caravan and your vehicle’s towing capacity. Before you begin the caravan sales process, determine your car’s towing capacity. Depending on your vehicle type and size, its towing capacity will vary and, thus, will become the first criterion to consider as you search for a caravan. You can instantly exclude any caravan that doesn’t match up with the towing capacity, unless you want to be on the market for a new car as well. Purchasing without this important consideration in mind can be problematic, but with the right research, you can purchase an appropriately sized caravan for your car’s needs.

2. Overlooking Key Features to Suit Your Lifestyle

Every caravan is different, coming with a variety of features and caravan parts that are designed to suit different users’ needs. Some offer more basic accommodations, while others offer a more luxurious space equipped with top-of-the-line technology. Choosing a caravan without carefully looking at its features is another misstep when you’re shopping for the perfect vehicle for your needs. Selecting a caravan because the price is right without considering its features and size may leave you with a caravan that isn’t designed for your unique needs.

Again, this pitfall is easy to avoid if you do your research. A caravan is a major purchase, so stay away from impulse buys because you’re offered a low interest rate or reasonable price. Before you hit the lot to go caravan shopping, make a list of the features you need and the features you want. Prioritize them, identifying the must-haves versus the would-likes. As you look at caravans, nix any that don’t include those must-haves. Guided by a thoughtful shopping process, you’ll be able to narrow down the field and identify the right caravan for you.

3. Not Knowing Your Limits on the Open Road

Once you’ve selected the right caravan, you’ve survived a problematic purchase. Now, you have to handle the caravan with care to avoid other pitfalls of caravan ownership. As you adjust to driving your vehicle with a caravan in tow, you’re at risk of experiencing a few problems. First, you need to get used to the limits that the caravan places on your travels. Before you hit the road, check out your route to ensure there aren’t any low-lying overpasses or bridges that could be problematic. After all, you want to ensure your caravan can successfully navigate your chosen roads. Next, consider your caravan and your campsite. Some campsites have restrictions on the size of the vehicle for each space. Some allow certain types of recreational vehicles and not others. Rather than pulling into a campsite that can’t accommodate your new caravan, double check any rules the campsite may have before you go. You’ll be able to avoid any issues during your trip with some quick research.

4. Properly Preparing Your Caravan for the Road

After spending time at your campsite, you’re ready to continue your journey. Before you go, you need to ensure that your caravan is secured for a safe trip. Failing to complete these important steps can result in many problems. You might have unsecured items rolling around in the caravan’s interior, resulting in a mess once you arrive at your next destination. An open window or loose door could blow open once you pick up speed. Likewise, an unsecured awning or line that isn’t unhooked and stored properly can also result in problems.

Fortunately, these problems can be avoided by properly packing your caravan before you depart. Make a checklist of items to complete to secure your caravan. Check the interior and ensure any loose items are properly secured and stowed. Make sure the awning is down and closed, windows and doors are shut, and any lines are unhooked and stored. These simple steps can halt any issues before they start.

5. Improperly Loading Your Caravan

You know that securing and storing your belongings in the caravan are important steps, but you might not know that they need to be packed up in a certain way. Your heaviest items should be placed low in the campervan over an axle when possible. Whether that’s your suitcase or hiking gear, these heavy items should be positioned well. If they aren’t, you might experience instability while driving, which can be challenging or even downright dangerous. So, pack heavy items carefully above the axle to maximize stability on your road trip.

Investing in a caravan can be exciting, giving you the opportunity to travel freely around the country. However, you might face some issues with your caravan, whether that’s with caravan sales or caravan travel. By avoiding these common pitfalls, you can ensure that every road trip is a successful one.