It’s the time of year when a caravan comes into its own. Wintery holidays in a cosy caravan can create all manner of enjoyable experiences, such as taking in scenery covered in snow, or simply sitting in a campsite as the rain patters on the roof as you read a book or even watch Netflix on a gadget.

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How do you keep costs down, however? Caravanning is a cheap way to holiday, but with the right approach it’s possible to save even more money at every turn and, essentially, become a thrifty caravan enthusiast who enjoys all the sights despite maintaining a steady budget. Here’s how you can do it.

  1. Join the caravan club

With discounts and all sorts of other benefits, the caravan club includes a membership fee paid annually, but this brings with it access to a huge network of destinations in the UK.

As you can read here, the Caravan club benefits include £48 p/a in charges which will open up a world of peaceful camping locations and seasonal discounts, such as the current winter touring option. With this, it’s possible to enjoy the festive time of year with ideal positioning near to many Christmas markets, making for a cost-effective and enjoyable Christmas break.

  1. Fit the right tyres

This may seem like a no-brainer, but the right tyres at the right season can save a lot of money. However, many people put off fitting (for instance, given the season) winter tyres as they consider it a waste of time and money. These are generally myths about this tyre of tyre which are unfounded. In fact, fitting winter tyres will likely save you money rather than lose it, simply as you’ll be fitted out with the ideal tyres for the season.

By using tyres not suited to the season, extra fuel is used as vehicles require extra energy to generate rolling resistance. In other words, you’ll be burning up a lot of extra energy by generating grip with summer or all-season tyres. Winter tyres, on the other hand, offer the best available grip, helping you get from A to B efficiently and safely. You can also take them off and store them in your garage until the next winter, too!

  1. Perform basic maintenance regularly

It’s tempting to think of the caravan as a sturdy piece of machinery which is infallible. However, keeping one is a complex process which requires quite a lot of hard work to ensure your caravan is roadworthy and in great condition.

Tasks such as tightening wheel nuts, clearing out vents, window, and door seals, testing the handbrake, and checking the battery should all be part of your caravan routine. Want to know how to do these? How to maintain and protect a caravan will help you to keep everything in good working order, which will ultimately spare you from having to pay garage fees or funding replacement parts.

  1. Get insured

Caravan insurance is, of course, essential and will help you save money in the long-term. However, there are numerous other ways to ensure you don’t lose money, such as storing your caravan at registered sites which have to meet security standards.

You could also have an alarm fitted to your caravan to fend off any thieves, use a wheel lock to secure the caravan in place, or have a cutting edge digital tracker fitted so (in the event of a theft) you will know where your vehicle is and you can alert the police accordingly.

  1. Stick to caravan holidays!

As was revealed earlier in 2016, caravan owners save £80,000 on holidays simply by owning a caravan and choosing these holidays over others. There’s now no denying it’s an extremely cost-effective way to head out on holiday, with no expensive aeroplane tickets or hotel fees to consider, which can easily wrack up several thousand pounds in expenditure for simply a week off!

With the average caravan apparently being around 20 years, caravan owners certainly are happy campers. You can genuinely turn a caravan holiday into one of the most cost-effective ways of heading out on vacation in the UK or abroad with some of these techniques, in what remains a much celebrated pastime in the UK and beyond.