The Berg family have been caravanning for nearly 10 years now and have had some pretty cool adventures! Along the way they've picked up some really great tips that they'd love to share to help take your caravanning to the next level. In this video, The Berg family focus on packing the van, which is one of the most important things when you're going on a trip. Check out our main takeaways below!
Tips for packing the van
Pack light, and pack right!
Packing right, and packing light is one of the most important things to consider when heading away on a trip. Try your best to refine your packing right down to only taking what you need and will use. For the Berg family who are always in the water and surfing, packing enough towels and wetsuits is super important. Putting together a list is always a great way to make sure you're packing the right things!
Have clothes that stay in the van
Having 'van clothes' that stay in the caravan is a great tip and is of the most important things the Bergs have learned over the years! Having gear for the van allows you to shop separately for your home, and your home away from home so that you're not doubling up or even worse, missing the essentials you need to unwind on your holiday.
Prepare meals in advance
Thinking about your food situation in advance is crucial, and preparing some meals before you go is a top-notch idea. Not only will this allow you to unwind and relax as soon as you hit the campsite, but popping food in containers before you leave will ensure you're not bringing unnecessary rubbish into the land you're going to. Pop a meal or two in a fridge and you'll be good as gold.
Weight Distribution
Wes puts it perfectly - "the most important thing that you're going to consider on your trip besides cold beer and having the kids fed, is your weight distribution." This isn't only important for yourself legally, but for the safety of family and others on the road.
Calculate your weights
The first step of managing your weight distribution is calculating your weight so that you know how much you can pack into your van otherwise known as your payload. There are a few terms that are important to know including:
- Aggregate Trailer Mass (ATM)
- Tare Weight: The weight of the vehicle (car or van) fully unloaded
- Gross motor vehicle mass (GVM)
To calculate our payload, we need to take away our tare weight from the vehicle masses and that's going to give us our payloads.
Therefore, GVM minus Tare Weight = Payload
A hot tip from the Bergs is to pack as much as you can into your car, because your car will generally have more payload.
Distribute Heavy Items over the Axels and down low
What the Berg family like to do is really load up the car. All of the chairs, tables, and bulky items are best thrown into the back of the Ute. Accessories like roof racks and bike racks are great for surfboards, bikes, and other big bulky items.
If unsure, always check your trailer plates
If you're not sure about your weights, check your trailer plates. All caravans and campers have these and it's a great reference point for you to figure out how much weight you can take.
Packing and planning is key to any caravanning trip. If you want to learn more, check out the video above