How to Set Up Camp Like a Pro
Whether you’re arriving in a tent or a caravan, setting up camp can feel like a flurry of chaos — especially at first. But a few simple steps will have you sorted in minutes, leaving you free to sit back and take in the scenery while others are still figuring out where everything goes.
These are the steps we’ve found most useful over our time camping — from tents to caravans and everything in between. There are so many ways to do this, so have a read through, see what works for you, and then tweak it to suit your family.
A good trick is to sit down with the adults in your group before you even leave home and chat about who’s doing what. That way, you can hit the ground running when you arrive instead of working out who’s doing what when everything’s already a bit chaotic.
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Step 1 — Choose Your Position
The very first thing to do when you arrive — whether you have a tent or a caravan (and before the beer comes out!)— is to look at your site before you do anything else. Before you unhitch, before you roll out the mat, get out and have a proper look around.
You’re checking whether the site is level, whether there are any low spots where water could flow through if it rains, and whether there are overhanging branches or tall trees that could drop limbs.
Also worth checking: are you accidentally parked in someone’s driveway or blocking the exit to another site? Don’t camp in a creek bed — some creeks run completely dry and then rise rapidly overnight. We’ve seen it happen many times. It’s an awesome sight, but from a safe distance!
A few other things worth thinking about:
- Sun position — Will shade fall over your solar panels at the wrong time of day? Will you have shade where you actually want it?
- Wind direction — If there’s a prevailing wind, position your van so the wind runs on the side rather than straight onto your outdoor seating. This keeps dust away from your door and campfire smoke out of your living space.
- Exit strategy — Once you’ve driven in, will you be able to get back out easily, or will it take a 50-point turn to get your van out?
Step 2 — Unhitch, Chock and Stabilise
Once you’ve found your spot, it’s time to park up. If the ground isn’t perfectly level, you can use chocks under the wheels to bring the van closer to level before unhitching. We recommend bright yellow chocks so they’re easy to spot — and harder to accidentally drive over.
Pick up some chocks here to make life easier!
Put the handbrake on, lower the jockey wheel, and check the van for level using a levelling bubble like this.
Unhook the Anderson plug, safety chains, and any other connections — just make sure they don’t drag in the dust. Pull the car forward slightly so you have room to move in front of the van, then put the stabiliser legs down until there’s enough pressure to keep things steady.
Just a note: stabiliser legs are there to stop the van rocking — you can’t use them to actually level the van. If it’s not quite level, see Step 3.
Some stabiliser pads help level the legs, and these can stop ants from crawling in! Check them out!
Step 3 — Level the Van
It doesn’t have to be perfect. For most people, as long as the head end of the bed is slightly higher than the foot end, you’ll sleep fine. If it’s the wrong way around, just flip your pillow arrangement so your head is still slightly elevated — sleeping with your feet above your head is really uncomfortable!
Some people like their van perfectly level, and that’s completely fine. It’s personal preference. Just make sure you’ve checked it and you’re happy before you move on.
Step 4 — Power
How you connect power depends on whether you’re in a caravan park or camping off-grid here are a few options:
At a Caravan Park
Get out your extension cord and plug it into the power point at your site — usually a box that looks like a mushroom or a letterbox looking thing. Make sure you’re connecting to your own site number, otherwise you might cause some unhappy neighbours!
Plug the other end into the side of your van, then check your appliances. Depending on the make and model of your fridge and hot water system, you may need to manually switch them across to 240V. Have a look at your battery monitor to make sure everything is reading as it should.
Make sure you have an outside weatherproof extension cord like this one
Off-Grid
If you’re relying on solar, there’s not a lot to do beyond setting up any additional external panels if you need them – especially if you’re in shade or it’s a cloudy day and you’re trying to get the most power available.
Here are some great portable solar panels. We use ours often to boost up our batteries.
Check your battery monitor to confirm everything is working as expected and you’re good to go.
If you need extra power, you may consider adding a generator to boost up your caravan batteries. We’ve found our generator is very useful on the days it’s raining and we wont to stay a few days at a free campsite.
Read this blog on generators for more info
Step 5 — Gas
Turn on the gas bottle connected to your system. If you have a two-bottle setup, make sure you’re turning on the one that actually has the valve connected — it’s easy to turn on the wrong one.
From there, depending on your appliances, you may need to switch your hot water system or stove to gas mode.
Step 6 — Water
Like electricity, getting the water system working is different between caravan parks and off grid sites. Here are some tips for both:
At a Caravan Park
Connect your water hose from the tap at your site to your van. We always run an inline filter between the tap and the van — just to make sure we’re putting clean water through the system. Turn the tap on and you should have water pressure. If for some reason it’s not working, check that the valve inside one of your storage areas is switched to mains water.
For your water system pipes and more, check out this range
For grey water, connect your grey water hose to the outlet underneath the van and run it to the drain near your site, then turn the tap on.
Off-Grid
Turn on your water pump — we always switch it off while driving, just as a precaution. Make sure your grey water tap is turned off, as most free camping areas require you to retain all grey water on site.
If you’re on private property and can manage grey water differently, make sure any hose runs downhill and is secured so it’s not a hazard to anyone walking past.
Step 7 — Awning
Once the van is connected and set up, it’s time to create your outdoor living space. You might want to put your mat down first before you open the awning — some people find it easier that way. There are lots of mat options from basic to fancy, so go with whatever works for you.
For the awning itself, whatever type you have, we always recommend pegging it down — even if there’s no wind right now. Wind can come up quickly and without warning, and a loose awning can cause serious damage to itself and to your van. If you want more shade or a bit of privacy once you’re set up, awning walls are worth adding to the mix too.
Step 8 — Your Living Area
From here, it’s all personal preference. Set up your chairs, pull out the table, open up the camp kitchen if you have one — the possibilities are pretty much endless once everything’s connected and running.
Once you’re set up, do a quick walk around your van and campsite just to make sure everything looks right. Hoses are where they should be, power cord looks good, awning is secured. Then sit down and make a cuppa. You’ve earned it.
Shop all your campsite range at Snowys for ultra comfy camp chairs and more!
Our Thoughts
The first few times you set up, it will take longer than it eventually will — that’s completely normal. We suggest doing a test run at home before your first trip just to make sure you have everything you need and can sort out any hiccups in your driveway rather than at a campsite hours from home.
If you have more than one adult helping, have a chat beforehand about who’s doing what. You’ll find it doesn’t take long to get into a routine and you can set up really quickly once you’ve got your system down. If you have younger kids, get them involved too — we give ours simple jobs like checking the bubble is in the middle when we’re levelling the van, helping wind down the stabiliser legs, or setting up their own camp chairs. They love being part of it, and it keeps them somewhat out of the way while the important stuff gets done.
When it’s time to pack up, just work through everything in reverse. And if you notice anything starting to wear — power cords, hoses, awning fabric — deal with it sooner rather than later. Preventive maintenance goes a long way, and our maintenance schedule is a handy way to keep on top of it.
