When setting off on an exciting family caravan holiday it is important to make sure that the trip is as safe as possible. These tips can help you have a trip that will run smoothly.

To ensure that your holiday does not incur any problems, carry out safety checks on the campervan before you even set off.

While it is important to remember to pack your caravan insurance documents, there are other things you can do to reduce the risk of having your trip ruined.

Firstly, check the tyres of the vehicle. It may have been a long time since you last took your trailer out so the tyre pressure could have gone down in volume. Or, if your last journey was particularly long or if you've had your caravan for quite a while, you might find that the tread is now rather low.

Make sure you have these details checked out, and if necessary, change the tyres to ensure that you don't have any problems midway through your holiday.

Next take a look at the lights to see whether they are all working. If you're trailing a caravan behind the car, you'll want to ascertain whether they are showing your brake, reverse and indicator lights before you set off.

This is very important as you don't want to be driving down the motorway at the beginning of your family holiday only to realise that drivers behind you cannot see your lights and therefore can't determine what manoeuvres you will make.

Sit in the driving seat and check that the mirrors are working properly. You might be unfamiliar with handling a long vehicle, so it is vital that you feel confident you can see everything that is going on to the side and behind you while you are driving.

After you have completed these checks you are sure to feel reassured that most safety precautions have been taken for your trip. However, it is important to continue taking security into account once you have arrived at your destination.

The first thing to do is to double-check that you have put your handbrake on, as you don't want the caravan to suddenly start moving when you're not behind the steering wheel. It is also worth putting chocks underneath the wheels to further reduce the risk of the caravan shifting while you are inside it.

Once you have secured the vehicle, the next thing you are likely to do is set it up so that it is connected to the mains supply. Make sure that when you do this you take extra care. Take your time and connect the power cable to the hook-up point as safely as possible.

When you are ready to turn the electricity on, you might want to just have another look at the connections. Likewise, when handling the gas cylinder, make sure you are careful when turning it on and off as the last thing you'll want is a gas leak in the camper van.

This is one of the most dangerous things that could happen so to ensure the safety of your family, so take time and care when connecting the gas and turn it off when setting off again.

If you are using a pop-up caravan then there are other things you might want to bear in mind too – even if you have folding caravan insurance. The vehicles are designed to be erected fully when at the campsite so before you set off again, make sure that they are securely fastened down. You don't want to be travelling along the motorway to find that some of your caravan's fittings are being ejected on to the road.

Additionally, take care when setting it up as you'll want to ensure the features are properly secured so they don't fall down when passengers are inside the motorhome.

With this advice in mind, as well as campervan insurance, you are sure to have a thoroughly enjoyable caravan holiday!