Field notes · Kampreneur

Beginner's guide to caravanning in South Africa

What to buy, how to tow, where to stay, and the things nobody tells you until you've already done them wrong.

Off-grid camping in the Cederberg: what's actually worth it

Three hours from Cape Town, a different planet. A grounded guide to Algeria, Driehoek, Heuningvlei, Sanddrif and the rock art.

Buying a second-hand caravan: what actually matters

Water damage, chassis, tyres, gas, electrics - the checklist I'd use before handing over money.

Roadworthy and road-ready: what to check before towing in South Africa

Legal requirements, pre-trip mechanicals, weight distribution, and when not to tow.

First Karoo 4x4 trip: the practical packing list

Recovery, water, fuel, navigation, tools, medical, and the mindset. What to have before you go.

A beginner's guide to choosing your first SA campsite

Picking your first campsite sounds simple, until you're scrolling listings at 11pm and wondering whether 'ablution block' means what you think it means.

Off-grid vs powered sites: what actually matters

Powered site or off-grid? The strong opinions are mostly noise. What actually matters depends on your setup, your trip, and how much you care about hot coffee before sunrise.

How to spot a well-run caravan park

Not all caravan parks are equal. Some are genuinely excellent, run by people who camp themselves. Others coast on a good location while the ablution blocks quietly deteriorate.

Crossing into Namibia with your caravan

Pull out of Upington heading north on the N14, and somewhere between the Orange River bridge and the Vioolsdrif gate, the scale of what you're doing starts to register. The road ahead is big. The sky is bigger. And behind you, the caravan is carrying

Do you need an EB licence to tow a caravan in South Africa

Most people buy their first caravan, hitch up, and discover the licence question weeks later at a roadblock or an insurance desk. That conversation is always more expensive than a phone call to a DLTC.