The Essential Guide To Caravan Park Etiquette

Lockdown has changed many of our long-term travel habits. Our recent survey revealed staycations are becoming VERY popular - 46% of Brits are planning a staycation this year and 36% said they’ll book an annual UK trip in future.

More people want to experience the charming British coast and countryside, which means caravan parks are getting busier. And, for many people, being in a caravan park is a new and unfamiliar experience.

If you’re a caravanning novice, we’ve put together some useful information on how best to conduct yourself and be a good neighbour to your fellow caravanners. From keeping it tidy to keeping the noise down, we’re here to help you scrub up on your caravan park etiquette.

Check what you can take beforehand

Read up on what you can and can’t take before you arrive. It's surprising how many people bring forbidden items along, such as BBQ’s. Even dogs arrive at parks with a strict no-pet policy! To avoid making a scene or being sent away with your tail between your legs, check beforehand.

Pack the essentials

Do some research to determine what essentials your chosen caravan park provides and what you need to take for yourself. Turning up unprepared, realising the local shop’s closed and having to ask to borrow a long list of items from your neighbour doesn’t create the best first impression.

Introduce yourself

It makes for a much more pleasant stay when you know who your neighbour is. So, introduce yourself, smile, wave and be friendly! Perhaps you’ll get into riveting conversation and decide to have a drink or dinner together. You never know, you might keep in touch too.

Drive safely

You should only drive in the caravan park when you’re arriving or leaving. It's frowned upon to drive around the park to travel from A to B, because it disturbs people, creates unnecessary danger and if everyone did it, it would be chaotic.

When you drive in the park, make sure you stick to the speed limit and pay attention – there’s probably kids, cyclists, walkers and dogs around.

Park your car in the right space

It can be confusing to know where to park your car on a caravan site when you’re a newcomer. You don’t want to appear rude or rub someone up the wrong way by parking in the wrong place. Plus, it’s important to park in the right place for safety purposes.

Unfortunately, there’s not one rule for all caravan parks. That said, the general consensus is that you should park in order of car –caravan-awning. This keeps enough space between you and your neighbours.

However, the park you’re visiting will provide a plan of how and where to park, so make sure to check that.

Stick to your pitch

It’s standard caravan park etiquette to not walk across someone else’s pitch. You wouldn’t walk through someone’s garden at home, so why would you at a caravan park? It's deemed intrusive and rude.

It might be a big park and take you a while to get from A to B, but saving time is no excuse. Therefore, you should stay on the roads and paths (unless you’re very desperate to use the toilet, in which case your neighbours might forgive you).

Make sure your property is within your boundary and not encroaching onto the pitch next door.

Keep things tidy

It’s everyone's responsibility to ensure the caravan park is clean and tidy.  Nobody wants to go on holiday and sit next to a pile of rubbish, so keep your pitch and surrounding area litter-free. Rubbish not only makes your own pitch look messy, it blows around the campsite and could endanger local wildlife.

Before you dispose of your household waste in the bins, make sure it's securely wrapped so people don’t have to live with a horrible smell. And remember to recycle as much as possible. If you smoke, put your cigarette ends in a bin too. 

Keep shared facilities clean

• Leave the toilets and shower cubicles clean and dry
• Empty your toilet waste in the allocated dump stations or the toilets. Remember to wash the dump station with the hose provided afterwards.
• Don’t wash your clothes in the bathrooms. Make use of the laundry facilities.
• Always take your clothes out of the washing machine or dryer once the cycle is finished so others can put theirs in. This applies to washing lines too.

Keep the noise down

Noise is one of the most common complaints or cause of conflict at a caravan park. If you’ve ever been on a caravan forum, you’ll know what we’re talking about.

When you're living near people, be considerate of them and think about how much noise you make. Many things can make noise, such as music, evening beverages, television, generators, children – and people are bound to hear a bit.

But you can enjoy yourself and be considerate of others at the same time. Try to keep the noise before 8am and after 10pm to a minimum.

It’s also a good idea to keep your neighbours in the loop. For example, if you plan on having a fun night, it's polite to give your neighbour a heads-up and tell them you’ll try to keep the noise down. They might even want to join you! 

However, you always get a handful of people who complain for the sake of it, so be mindful of this.

Keep an eye on the little ones

You’re more than welcome to take the kids to a family-friendly caravan park. After all, if people want a kids-free zone, they usually go to an adult only site.

By all means, let the kids roam around and have some fun, but be aware of those in need of some time out. Keep an eye on them to make sure they're not making mischief. We don't think kids ramming into people on their bikes or walking over people's pitches would be well received.

If they're young and love to play, why not go somewhere with a kid’s park? That will avoid any mishaps and make your life easier too - it's a win-win.

Keep your pooch under control

Another hot topic when talking about caravan park etiquette is dogs. The caravan park might be pet-friendly, but not everyone there will be. So, if you bring your dog away, make sure you keep it under control. You should be confident that it's trained enough not to cause any problems.

• A lot of parks require you to keep your dog on a lead at all times around the park, except in designated areas. For example, some parks have dog walking areas or doggy play areas where you can let them loose. But check what the rules are with the park first.
• We hope this is obvious, but make sure you pick up your dog’s waste and bin it.
• Don't allow your dog to bark too much because this is bound to irritate people. If you know it yaps, don't leave it alone for a long time. A top tip is to bring a windbreak or something similar with you, which you can put up outside, so your dog can't see people walking past. This way, it won't be set off.

Turn your lights off

At night, it’s caravan park etiquette to turn any lights off. Keeping people awake with your dazzling car headlights won't be taken lightly. If you want to stay outside with a light, consider taking a small portable one or torch. 

Leave it tidy

It’s the golden rule that everyone knows – clean up after yourself. It’s common for people to leave unwanted items behind on caravan sites, from broken chairs to disposable BBQs and bin bags filled to the brim.

Leave the area as you found it – it takes a matter of minutes to clear up your mess or take it without you and dispose of it yourself.

Embrace the caravanning community

As a caravanner, you’re part of a community. That’s why you should look out for each other at the caravan park. If you can help someone put their awning up in heavy winds, or offer someone a warm cup of tea, do so. And don’t be afraid to ask your neighbour or someone at the park for help or advice. Everyone is a new caravanner at some point!

Follow the caravan park rules

Rules are put in place to keep everyone safe on the park and to ensure everyone has an enjoyable stay. So, it’s important to read and abide by them.

Specialist caravan insurance from Ripe Caravans

In the UK, we’re renowned for following the rules of etiquette to a tee. In fact, we follow them SO well that we’re renowned for forming an orderly queue! We have some of the best caravan parks around because caravanners are sensible and polite.

But accidents happen in busy caravan parks, whether a ball goes through someone’s caravan window, you injure someone reversing your caravan or its contents are stolen.

That’s why specialist caravan insurance is essential. This protects your caravan if its contents are stolen, or if it suffers accidental or malicious damage. At Ripe Caravans, we provide bespoke, easy to buy cover which is jargon-free and excellent value. Get an online quote within minutes and be on your way.