Australia is known for having great sunny weather but, it can also have bad weather that includes sudden storm fronts and cyclones. And you are on your big lap of Australia or a road trip with your caravan in tow and you hear that bad weather is coming your way. What do you do? Do you turn around and head for safety or batten down the hatches? It will depend on the type of bad weather coming your way as to what you decide to do however, if you decide to ride out the storm, here are my best suggestions for prepping your caravan for bad weather.

Tip: check weather forecast for where you are daily as you don’t want to wait until the last minute to begin to move towards safer ground – it may be to late by then!

Leave or Stay – Your 2 Options

If you find yourself in an impending danger zone and are out on the road in a caravan, you have two options:

Option 1 – Leave

My first option would be to hitch up and move to a safer area. This is generally about 3 hours away. But this can depend on the forecast and the predicted path of the severe weather. I’d also seriously consider staying with friends or family nearby if their accommodation is stronger than yours. Even consider a nearby evacuation centre if this would be a safer option. But check and follow weather forecasts at the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) to help you make up your mind.

Option 2 – Stay

If you have no choice but to stay in the danger area, you must absolutely prepare your caravan for the worst case scenario. My best advice for preparing your van for severe weather include:

• Firstly, you must strap your caravan to the ground! Check if you are in a flood zone first, and if so, move to higher ground and then strap it down. Keeping it hitched up to the car will also help to tether it down. And can help you make a quick escape if you need to move away from rising waters.

• Park as far away from trees as you can as these can be blown over in the wind. I have parked next to buildings or walls to help buffer the wind.

• Lock all your outdoor items away, like chairs and tables and pull the awning in. Awnings aren’t built with the strength to be out in severe weather.

• Make sure the toilet is empty in case you must bunker down for a few days. If there are amenities nearby use those in the lead up to the event if possible, so your toilet is kept empty. And you are saving your showering, cooking and washing up water.

• Ensure all water tanks, bladders & containers are full. If you have chosen to go to bricks and mortar, filling up the bath with fresh water is a good idea.

• Make sure you are well-stocked with food, medications & supplies.

• Top up gas bottles and buy butane canisters if you use them for fuelling your cooking. I get a lot of these and other camping and caravanning gear from Anaconda and RVCaravanningCamping.

Prepping Your Caravan for Bad Weather

Prepping your caravan for bad weather is all about making sure you plan ahead and have all your basic resources. And most of us campers and caravaners are pretty good at planning ahead as we head off-grid on adventures. But with a storm coming your way, being prepared for the unknown means you can ride out the storm and any negatives like loss of power that can occur hopefully won’t be so bad. The three main things to do to prep your van include:

• Power

More than likely you will lose power during severe weather. So a back-up or solar system is a must so you can continue to power your devices and essential equipment. I currently power up with a solar powered power source which provides me with a couple of days power. I also travel with a butane camping stove and I ensure I have plenty of cans of gas available.

• Lighting

Ensure to have plenty of batteries or butane gas to power your lighting. It can be quite scary in a severe storm in the dark. Maybe a candle or two would come in handy also. Don’t forget the matches!

• Water

If heavy rain falls and flash flooding occurs, water may not be safe to drink. Therefore, fill up your water tanks, containers, bladders and even the bath with fresh water.

• Food

If unsure of the potential severity of the storm and whether or not you may or may not have power, stock up on non-perishables that don’t require refrigeration. Have anywhere from 3 to 7 days worth of food. Sounds like a lot but you never know how long you might be without power. Plus, it will give the supermarkets time to re-stock shelves. 

• Wet Weather Clothing

Have some wet weather clothing handy in case you need to run out in to the storm. Or possibly while reviewing  any damage. I’m not loyal to any clothing company but I do love my NorthFace jacket as it is not only warm but weather proof.

Are You Prepped for Impending Bad Weather?

Preparing for impending bad weather is a good idea for every potential storm. Are you ready? Have you been through a bad storm in a caravan? If you have any other suggestions to add to my preparation list I’d love to hear.