Where you can park your caravan

While travelling

The best place to spend the night when travelling is in a designated caravan park. These will provide you with all the amenities you need, including power and bathrooms.

Camp sites and National Parks are also great places to spend the night. You can usually book in advance online.

To avoid fines and to ensure that both your caravan and other vehicles remain safe, aim to limit stopping your van outside of designated caravan park areas.

If you are planning to park outside designated caravan parks, do your research. Check the local council laws and parking regulations in each town or city you plan to visit. Details are available on council websites, under "City Parking".

Do not park your van on a road without street lights, as it may cause an obstruction. Many councils place restrictions on how long a caravan can be stationary for in residential areas or marked parking bays.

You will not be able to live in the caravan when parked on a street. In many council areas, you can only park on the street when loading or unloading, or if your caravan has broken down.

In between trips

Your best bet is to park your caravan in a large garage — whether at your house or in a storage facility — to protect it from the elements. This will also give you an easy place to perform maintenance on your rig between trips.

You may be able to park your caravan on the street in front of your house, as long as it’s not blocking traffic. Local councils have jurisdiction over parking, so check your local council.

Make sure you never park your caravan blocking the street or on the footpath. It’s important to make sure it’s not obstructing anyone, whether other vehicle or pedestrians.

Other considerations include the fact that your caravan may not be covered by insurance if parked on the street.

Avoid tickets

The best thing is to plan out your route in advance to avoid tickets and stress. Create an itinerary and include rough estimates of when you plan to fill up your tank.

Use petrol station stops to refresh supplies, use the bathroom and stretch your legs, to avoid needing to stop and park in residential areas.