A campground holiday is safe but not carefree: it has its own everyday risks worth knowing about in advance. Most troubles on a pitch happen not because of some extraordinary circumstance but because of ordinary small things: a taut cable, a slippery shower floor, faulty gas equipment, a child left unattended. The good news is that almost all these risks are predictable and easily prevented by simple measures. Let us go through the main everyday hazards of a campground and how to recognise and avoid them, so the holiday stays pleasant and without incident.
Gas and carbon monoxide — the main danger
The most serious risk in a motorhome is linked to gas. Faulty gas equipment, a leak, incorrect use of a heater or, especially dangerous, an attempt to heat the cabin with a gas stove or barbecue can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning — colourless and odourless, it is lethal and creeps up in your sleep. Protective measures are mandatory: sound gas equipment, shutting off the gas at the cylinder for the night, never heating the cabin with open flame and a stove, and most importantly an installed and working carbon monoxide detector. The ventilation must not be fully blocked while any burners are running. This rule is more important than all the others in this article.
Electricity and cables
The second most serious risk is electricity in the outdoor, damp conditions. The hazards: electric shock from a damaged cable or lack of earthing, overheating of a coiled cable and fire, tripping over a cable run across a walkway. The measures are simple: connection through a working RCD, earthing, a cable of the right cross-section, fully unrolled and laid clear of puddles and walkways. Do not touch connectors with wet hands, disconnect from the mains during a thunderstorm. A connector that heats up is a signal to de-energise immediately. Electrics reward care and punish carelessness severely.
Slippery surfaces and falls
Falls are one of the most common everyday incidents. A wet shower floor, slippery motorhome steps, damp grass, dew on the awning, uneven ground in the dark — all of these are places where it is easy to slip or stumble. The measures: rubber footwear with non-slip soles, care on the steps (especially with things in your hands), a torch in the dark, non-slip mats at the entrance and in the shower. Separately dangerous are the pull-out step and the tow bar, which you bang your shins on. Simple attention to your footing prevents most such injuries, especially in the evening and at night.
Water: quality and risks
Several risks are linked to water. Drinking water of dubious quality threatens intestinal infections, which spread fast in campground conditions. Stagnant water in the tank spoils and is also dangerous. Hot water and boiling water are a risk of scalds, especially for children. The measures: drink only checked or treated water (boiling, a filter), keep the system clean, separate drinking and technical water, handle hot water carefully and protect children from it. Hand hygiene with soap or sanitiser is the main protection against intestinal infections, and it must not be neglected.
Heat, sun and dehydration
In summer "thermal" risks are added: overheating, sunstroke, dehydration, burns from the heated surfaces of the motorhome. The cabin in the sun turns into an oven dangerous for people and especially for children and animals, who must never be left in a closed vehicle for even a minute. The measures: shade and ventilation, hats and sun protection, enough to drink, limiting activity in the hottest midday hours. Watch your well-being, especially in children and the elderly: the first signs of overheating (weakness, headache, nausea) are a signal to move into the shade and drink water. Heat is insidious because it creeps up unnoticed.
Children and their safety
Children at a campground require constant attention, because risks for them are everywhere: driveways with manoeuvring motorhomes, water bodies, the fire and a hot stove, gas equipment, slippery surfaces, unfamiliar plants and animals. The measures: do not leave small children unattended, mark out where they may play, explain the dangerous zones (fire, water, driveways, cables), put matches, chemicals, medicines and hot items out of reach. A playground, if there is one, is the safest place for games. Responsibility for a child's safety lies entirely with the parents, and in the unfamiliar environment of a campground it is higher than at home.
Animals: yours and wild
Risks are linked both to pets and to wild animals. Your own pet may run onto a driveway, fight with another, overheat in the car, eat something harmful. Wild animals and insects — snakes, ticks, wasps, rodents — come to the smell of food and rubbish. The measures: keep the pet on a lead and under control, do not leave food and rubbish accessible, check yourself and the animals for ticks, keep bite remedies in the first-aid kit, do not approach wild animals and do not feed them. Respect for distance from wild nature is the guarantee that an encounter with it stays a pleasant impression rather than a problem.
Manoeuvring and driveways
A moving motorhome on the territory is an underrated risk. Large dimensions, poor visibility, blind spots and children playing between pitches are a dangerous combination. The measures: move slowly around the territory, use a helper when manoeuvring, especially in reverse, keep children and pets away from the manoeuvring vehicle, remember the height and overhangs. Do not park so as to block a driveway or create a dangerous situation for others. Most "parking" incidents happen precisely because of haste and inattention at low speed, when it seems nothing will happen.
Weather and the elements
Nature can spring surprises: a sudden storm, strong wind, a thunderstorm, flooding in a hollow, a fallen branch. The measures: watch the forecast, do not settle in hollows and under old trees, fold the awning when the wind picks up, disconnect from the mains in a thunderstorm, have a plan in case the weather worsens sharply. In the mountains and by water the weather changes faster, and it is worth being ready for this. Respect for the elements and a timely reaction (folding the awning, leaving an open spot) prevent most weather troubles.
Fire safety
A fire in a motorhome develops swiftly: a confined space, gas, electrics, textiles and plastic burn fast, and escape routes are few. So fire safety is a separate priority. Keep a working fire extinguisher in an accessible place and know how to use it; it is useful to have a fire blanket in the kitchen too. Do not leave cooking food, candles and open flame unattended, do not overload the electrical network and do not use a coiled cable. Smoking in the cabin is a separate risk. Think through quick exit routes and make sure the emergency skylights and doors are not blocked by belongings. These measures seem excessive right up until the moment they save you — and mastering them takes only a few minutes.
The psychology of risk: the golden mean
In the attitude to risks it is important not to go to extremes. Excessive anxiety poisons the holiday: if you fear every rustle, gas, water and darkness, the trip turns into stress. Carelessness is no less dangerous: "nothing will happen" is the frequent backstory of real incidents. The healthy middle is calm awareness: you know the main risks, have taken simple preventive measures (a gas detector, an RCD, a first-aid kit, care with children and fire) and then simply rest without winding yourself up. Preparedness is exactly what gives you the right to relax: once the basic measures are taken, the brain stops worrying because everything really is under control. That is exactly how experienced travellers rest — attentively, but without paranoia.
The first-aid kit and acting in an emergency
Despite all measures, small incidents happen, and you need to be ready for them. A well-stocked first-aid kit is essential, as is the ability to give first aid for cuts, burns, bites, an upset stomach. Find out in advance where the nearest first-aid point, pharmacy and hospital are, keep the numbers of the emergency services and the campground contacts to hand. Calm and preparedness in an emergency matter no less than the supplies themselves: knowing what to do and where to turn turns potential panic into a manageable situation. It is useful to refresh basic first-aid skills before the trip and to agree with your companions on who does what in an emergency — in a stressful situation roles assigned in advance save precious time. And with children it is worth calmly, without scaring them, discussing whom to turn to and what to do if they get lost or hurt.
A short set of rules
- Gas and carbon monoxide are the main threat: a detector, ventilation, no open flame for heating.
- Electricity — through an RCD, the cable unrolled and clear of puddles and walkways.
- Beware falls: footwear, a torch, care on steps and in the shower.
- Drink checked water, keep hand hygiene, beware the heat.
- Children and pets under supervision, dangerous items out of reach.
- Manoeuvre slowly and with a helper, watch the weather, keep a first-aid kit.
Most of these risks share one thing: they are predictable and preventable by simple habits that quickly become automatic and take not a drop of pleasure from the holiday. Safe, well-kept campgrounds with security and infrastructure are easy to find through the catalogue and on the map.