How 2 Caravan Podcast: Caravanning Advice | Outdoors | Travel

Episode 4 of the How 2 Caravan Podcast is now live in the iTunes library ready to download to your listening device. You can also use the media player above to listen from your Internet browser. Episode Summary In this episode of the How 2 Caravan Podcast I am joined by author, Monica Rivron to talk about what she know best - cooking in a caravan. Monica wrote the "Caravan Cookbook" and shares her knowledge and expertise with us. Episode Links & Resources Link to buy the Caravan Cookbook - www.how2caravan.com/cookbook Link to Pavillon Royal caravan site recommended by Monica - www.pavillon-royal.com Download podcast episodes from iTunes I could not find the shelf made by Thule so I assume it was never put in to production. Competition Details Monica has kindly donated 2 signed copies of her book that I will be giving to 2 lucky listeners. To enter the competition simply send me an email at josh@how2caravan.com (or fill in the contact form) with your name, telephone number and email address. The 2 winners will be drawn at random on 30th June 2014. FREE Bonus Recipe For those of you who decide to purchase a copy of the Caravan Cookbook, Monica has prepared a special bonus recipe which I will send to you as a printable PDF document. Please email your proof of purchase receipt to josh@how2caravan.com and I will send you the bonus recipe. Episode Transcription To follow... Special Thanks Once again, a very special thank you to Monica Rivron for taking the time out her day to join me on the show. It was an absolute pleasure to have you! Speak to you in the next episode folks. Josh

Episode 3 of the How 2 Caravan Podcast is now live on iTunes for you to listen to. You can also listen using the media player just above this text. Episode Summary In this episode I talk about how to tell if a caravan is damp. With damp being one the most common and expensive issues you might find in a used caravan I felt it was a good topic to cover in a podcast episode. Notes for Reference Links mentioned in the show: Damp meter link Damp test link Summarised episode transcript Welcome to episode 3 of the How 2 Caravan Podcast I hope you're all doing well and looking forward to the Spring season ahead! Just a few things before we get in to the main content First of all I would like to say that as a new podcast trying to get the word out to potential listeners is a hard job. I am really enjoying recording these episodes and want to continue making them. It makes it all the more worth while when I hear from people who are finding it useful and enjoying the show. So, a massive thank you to the listener who left me my very first review for the show on iTunes, I'll read it out for you here; "As a recent newby to caravan ownership these podcasts are going to be a real benefit. The first 2 have already been a great help" That review was by Pasman1996 who rated the show with an amazing 5 star rating, so again, thank you very much for that. If any of you other listeners out there are enjoying the show I'd really appreciate a review on iTunes, you might just get a shout out on the show too! Ok, let's get on with it shall we? In today's show we are going to be talking about damp in caravans, specifically how to tell if a caravan is damp. As many of you will know, damp in caravans is one of the main things we DO NOT want find. It can be very costly to fix, and more often than not, if it is not repaired by a professional then the problem will soon be back. So I have a list of 7 things ways to tell if a caravan is damp: 1: Smell 2: wall board for stains 3: different color wallboard (indicates repair has been done) - a repair is not too much of an issue if is backed up with paperwork showing reputable company who fixed it 4: under window rubbers for moisture and rotten wood 5: check for soft wall board 6: Check service records 7: Perform a damp test (visit how2caravan.com/damptest to see how a damp test is done) - left this till last because not everyone has access to a damp meter That's it for our list, but before I do a recap I just want to answer a question that might be going through of your minds: "What about if I find some damp inside a caravan?" I guess it really depends on if you own it or if it is one you are looking to buy: If you own it, get it to your local caravan service centre and get them to look in it If you are looking to buy it be very cautious, personally I'd steer clear of it, but if not it would really need to reflect in the price. I would have an expert take a look at it and estimate costs before you part with any money. If you have time, I'd really appreciate an honest review over at iTunes - and just like pasman1996, you might get a shout out in the next show. Thank you very much for listening and I'll see you in the next episode....

Episode 2 of the How 2 Caravan Podcast is now live for you to listen to. Either download it through your Podcast app on your Apple device or use the little grey media player above this text to listen to this episode. Episode Summary In this episode I talk about caravan storage and keeping your caravan secure whilst in storage. This is a topic that is highly relevant for new caravanners and people who are looking to put their caravans in to storage. I talk about all the different options that are open to you when it comes to storage locations, and I also talk about security devices that can help to keep your caravan secure. Notes for Reference If you own a caravan you are going to need somewhere to store it. If you store it somewhere you are going to need to keep it secure. Let's look at your options for storing your caravan: At home - on the driveway / in the garden Farmers field Farmers barn Registered CASSOA site (Caravan Storage Site Owners Association) Facts about CaSSOA Represent caravan storage site owners Help them to minimise caravan thefts by promoting the highest levels of securities Over 500 secure storage sites across the UK 3 levels of award are given by CaSSOA Bronze: must meet the minimum security standards which include: Perimeter protection Lockable gates Silver: Step up in security from bronze: CCTV & monitored entry and exit of the site Gold: the highest level award is given to sites providing the highest level of security Over 50% of current members have achieved gold Gold awarded storage sites are normally business that offer only storage, whereas bronze and silver might be farms or caravan & motorhome dealerships Level of CaSSOA award can have an impact on your insurance premium, with gold offering the highest discount with some insurance companies How can you secure your caravan in storage: Wheel lock Different types of lock include: Standard wheel clamp - 3 arm type Bar across wheel (normally attaches to wheel nut) Lozenge type (harder to remove, nothing to cut away) Hitch lock (look for "Sold Secure" logo to determine whether lock is approved (will give higher discounts with some insurers) Alarm Tracker Removing wheels Caravan cover Don't leave valuable inside on display Storage location benefits may include CCTV Security posts & ground anchors The more security you can give to your caravan the better. Lots of caravans are stolen to order, so it is likely some one will have been and looked at what sort of security devices the caravan has before attempting to steal it - the more you have, the harder it is going to be for them to steal it and the less likely they are going to be to attempt it Links and Resources I mentioned a few products resources in this episode and want to make sure you can get access to them all. Below is a list of everything you will need: CaSSOA site finder 3 armed wheel clamp Single armed wheel lock A quick list of insurance companies that give discount (I think) for caravans stored on CaSSOA approved sites: QuoteZone Safeguard Caravan Guard Final Thoughts Thank you very much for listening to this episode of the How 2 Caravan Podcast. I really hope you enjoyed it. Be sure a comment below if you have any questions or anything you would like to add to the subject of caravan storage and security. Also, please head over to iTunes and leave an honest review for the show, I'd love to know your thoughts. I'll speak to you in the next episode!

I am really pleased to finally introduce the How 2 Caravan podcast. As well as posting tips and advice here on the blog, you will now be able to download and listen to more caravanning related material on your smart phone, tablet or computer. I plan to record a new episode every 1 - 2 weeks, so be sure to subscribe on iTunes to be notified when new episodes go live. Each episode will be accompanied with a summary post (just like this one), known as the "Show Notes" containing links to any resources mentioned in the podcast episode. if you are not familair with podcasts and how they work you can find out more at http://www.apple.com/uk/itunes/podcasts. If you do not own an Apple device or have iTunes installed you can still listen to the episode by using the slim media player at the top of the page. Episode Summary In this episode of the How 2 Caravan podcast I start by introducing the podcast, being it the first ever episode. I then talk about preparing your caravan for winter. Starting from the outside and making our way into the caravan I take you through the process, step-by-step. Links and Resources Products mentioned: Alde Antifreeze (for Alde wet central heating system) Dehumidifier (moisture trap helps prevent damp) Hoover up carpet cleaning powder Puriclean (for cleaning the water system) Silicone Spray Hitch Cover Winter wheels Download full PDF winterisation guide (a guide I wrote for my family dealership) Final Thoughts Please remember this information is purely intended as a guide. We will not be resonsible for any damage to your caravan or any personal injury obtained whilst following these instructions. I would love to get your feedback and thoughts on the podcast, what can I do better? Also if you have any ideas for future episodes, things you would like me to talk about I'd love to know. I would really appreciate it if you would be so kind as to leave me a review in the iTunes library - this will help the podcast to get more downloads and enable me to help more people. Thank you for listening.