A good night in a camper starts with the pitch.

A good pitch is decided before the engine is switched off. Walk the spot first, even if you only have a few minutes of daylight left. Look at the ground, at what is overhead, at where the sun will be at breakfast and where the wind will come from. A flat patch beside a pretty tree can turn into a bad night if the tree drops sap, if the grass hides a soft verge, or if the slope is steeper than it looked from the driver's seat.

Ground and access

Firm gravel, packed earth and dry short grass are the easiest surfaces. Soft sand, wet clay and thick meadow grass can swallow wheels after rain, and a heavy vehicle that sinks on arrival may need help to leave. Press a boot into the surface and look at tyre tracks left by earlier vehicles. If you are unsure, park on the harder strip and use boards under the tyres rather than gambling on the better view.

Space around you

Leave enough room to open doors, roll out an awning and step outside without touching a neighbour's gear. Check the height of branches against your roof, including any roof box, solar frame or antenna. Dead branches above a pitch are a real hazard in wind, so choose another spot if you see them. Point the sliding door or the awning side away from the prevailing wind, and keep the exhaust side clear of walls and bushes.

Sleeping on a slope is tiring, and a fridge that runs absorption cooling needs the vehicle close to level to work properly. Small tilts of one or two degrees are fine. Beyond that, doors swing, water pools in the shower tray and you slide in the bed.

A simple routine

1. Park roughly in the final position and check the tilt with a spirit level or a phone level placed on the floor.
2. Decide which side is low. Place the ramp or board in front of or behind the low wheel.
3. Drive up slowly in small steps, with someone watching, until the bubble is centered.
4. Set the handbrake, select a gear or park, and place chocks on the downhill side of a wheel that is not on a ramp.
5. Re-check after settling, because ground can compress under weight overnight.

Never rely on a jack to hold a vehicle while people are underneath or inside. Jacks are for changing a tyre, not for leveling a camp.

Hookup power is convenient, but it is easy to misuse. A campsite post normally supplies a limited current, often between six and sixteen amps, and every appliance in the vehicle draws a share. A kettle, a heater and a microwave together can trip the supply in seconds.

Safe connection

• Switch off the vehicle's breaker and the post's switch before plugging in anything.
• Use a cable made for outdoor use, unrolled completely and kept off puddles. Connect the vehicle end first, then the post end.
• Check that the cable plug and sockets are dry and undamaged. A scorched plug is a reason to stop and replace it.
• Switch on at the post last, then bring appliances on one at a time.

If the post trips, do not keep resetting it. Unplug the heaviest appliance and try again. A polarity tester, a few euros worth of tool, tells you quickly whether a socket is wired as expected. A vehicle with a residual current device should be tested with its test button now and then.

Water routines decide how comfortable a trip feels. Fresh water is heavy, so many travellers fill only part of the tank and top up when needed. Use a hose made for drinking water, flush it before connecting, and keep it off the ground when possible so it does not pick up dirt.

Fresh water hygiene

Water that sits in a tank for weeks can taste stale and grow a film inside the pipes. Drain the tank before long stops, refill with clean supply water, and now and then sanitize the system with a product made for it, followed by a thorough rinse. Never fill from a source marked as non-drinking.

Grey water and toilet waste

Grey water from sinks and showers is not clean water, and many places forbid draining it on the ground. Empty it only at a dedicated service point or into a drain meant for it. Toilet cassettes and tanks go to the designated disposal only, never to ground, ditch or roadside. Rinse the emptying spout, wash your hands, and leave the point tidy for the next user.

Gas runs the stove, the water heater, the fridge on some models and often the cabin heater. It is safe when treated with care and risky when ignored. Check hoses for cracks, test joints with soapy water, and replace regulators and pipes when their date or condition says so. A bubble that grows at a joint means a leak.

Carbon monoxide and fire

Carbon monoxide has no smell and no color. Fit a detector made for leisure vehicles, test it on arrival and replace it by its date. Never run a barbecue, a camping stove or a portable heater inside a closed cabin to warm it up. Keep a small extinguisher and a fire blanket within reach of the door, and learn where the gas shut-off sits so anyone in the vehicle can find it in the dark.

Ventilation is part of safety. Keep a roof vent or window slightly open even in cold weather, because breathing and cooking add moisture that otherwise condenses on every cold surface.

Off hookup, electricity comes from a leisure battery, topped up by the engine, by solar panels or by a charger. The simple task is to compare what you use with what you can recover in a day.

Counting consumption

List each device, its power in watts and the hours you use it. A lamp, a water pump, a phone charger, a laptop and a compressor fridge are the usual suspects. Multiply watts by hours to get watt-hours, then add them up. Include a margin of twenty percent, because wiring and inverters waste some energy as heat.

Protect the battery

Many lead-acid batteries last longer if they are not drained below half. Lithium types allow deeper use, but they still dislike deep cold while charging. A battery monitor with a shunt shows real use and beats a simple voltage reading. On a cloudy week, cut the heavy loads first and shift charging to driving days.

Seasons change how you camp more than where you camp. In summer the issue is heat: park in shade, open vents on opposite sides to create a draught and use reflective covers on the windscreen. In winter the issue is condensation and cold: insulate windows, ventilate a little and keep bedding dry.

Wind, rain and storms

Wind is the one that surprises people. An awning is a sail, so roll it in at night, before leaving the pitch and whenever gusts begin. In heavy rain, avoid parking in dips, beside rivers or beneath weak branches. If a storm warning appears, move to firmer, higher and more open ground, and never shelter under a lone tree.

Cold starts

Check tyre pressure, fluid levels and battery condition before a cold trip. Keep a shovel, gloves and a warm layer within reach, and carry enough water in a form that will not freeze in a pipe.

Camping works because people share space politely. Keep noise low after evening, point lights down, keep dogs under control and leave no trace. Take everything with you that you brought, and a little more when you can. Greet neighbours if they seem open to it, and respect a closed awning as a closed door.

Arrival checklist

• Walk the pitch, choose the position and check the overhead space.
• Level, brake, chock and switch off the engine.
• Connect power safely, or check the battery state.
• Open vents, test the gas and carbon monoxide alarms.
• Set up the outdoor area last, away from exits and neighbours.

Departure checklist

• Close roof lights, secure cupboards and fridge door.
• Roll in the awning, unplug cable and store it dry.
• Empty waste at the right point, check the pitch for litter.
• Walk once around the vehicle before you move.

Useful extras are a headlamp, a basic tool kit, spare fuses, a tyre pressure gauge, a first aid kit and a printed paper map for places with no signal.