You know what’s even better? You can have your cake and eat it too – you don’t have to wait until retirement to hit the road in a caravan. You don’t even have to sacrifice your career.

The pandemic reshaped the way we work, proving that WFH (yes, it’s an acronym now) is not only possible but practical.

For those of us with a wanderlust spirit, this means you can work from your caravan while exploring Australia. Imagine rolling out of bed and your office is the beach or a rainforest.

Here at Network RV, many of us do work on the road, so we thought we’d round up a few tips about how we make it work.

CREATE A DESIGNATED WORKSPACE IN YOUR CARAVAN

Try not to work from your bed because this can impact your productivity and mix your living and workspaces. So, instead, designate a specific area within your caravan (or outside if the weather is nice) for working.

You can use the fold out dining table, find a cosy nook by the window or find a space outside. But it’s important to have this space specifically for work only. Also make sure to invest in a comfortable chair and make sure you’ve got everything you need for your laptop (don’t forget extra chargers!) and other documents.

For days when the weather is nice, consider investing in a well-made portable folding table to bring outdoors.

The tough part about working in a van is the lack of space. If you’re the type to have a sprawling desk covered with papers, then it’ll be an adjustment to work from a picnic table or dinette. You must find what works for you. But once you do, the world is your oyster!

INVEST IN RELIABLE INTERNET

There are a few options out there for the internet in Australia and while it’s expensive, Starlink has changed the game for those who want to work and travel to those off-grid locations.

That’s not the only option though – try mobile broadband or portable WIFI devices.

Whatever you choose, make sure you have a backup option. There’s nothing worse than your whole day being ruined because you don’t have access to the internet when you need it.

Most smartphones have a WIFI hotspot option, and you can always use public WIFI if you’re stuck in a tight spot. Think fast food restaurants like McDonalds, local cafes, co-working spaces, or public libraries.

If you want some more detailed internet solutions, we have some more suggestions about using the internet on the road here. LINK INTERNET BLOG.

EMBRACE FLEXIBLE WORKING HOURS

One of the perks of working from your caravan is the flexibility to choose your working hours based on your travel and personal preferences. There are a few things to talk about here – first up is set a work schedule. Routines are important—not just for you, but also for your clients, customers, and employer (if applicable). If you’re working for a company, you’ll probably have set hours. If you’re freelancing or working for yourself, you’ll have more flexibility here.

When you’re working out your schedule, make sure to structure your day around sightseeing, outdoor activities, and leisure time. After all, if you’re not embracing these things, you may as well be at home.

Don’t forget to play to your strengths. If you know which hours of the day, you’re more alert, you can devote that time to getting your hardest tasks done. Similarly, if you know you tend to nod off after lunch, don’t force yourself to focus if that hammock is calling your name.

WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER

Embrace technology, it’s your friend. Inside a caravan you’re not going to have the space you normally would if you were at home or in an office. So, go digital. There are plenty of apps that can help in this aspect.

Google Docs is the first that comes to mind. It’s great for spreadsheets or other documents. You can edit documents on a smartphone or laptop independently and it syncs immediately. Using cloud-based storage, you’re not going to have to worry about bringing a million USB sticks, everything will be in one easy spot.

Need to sign something? No worries – think Docusign. Someone needs a copy of that document you took with you? Find an easy camera scanner app.

OPTIMISE POWER SOURCES

This one is important – ensure your caravan is equipped with adequate power sources to support your office equipment and electronic devices. One of the best things you can do if you know you’re going to be spending a lot of time off-grid and plan to use a lot of electronic devices is to get a good solar system set up. Alternatively, generators and other batteries are good too. With generators though, be mindful of where you’re travelling and when you intend to use them – some campsites have rules around usage.

You’ll need to be able to charge things like your laptop, iPad, smart phones, noise-cancelling headphones, WIFI dongles and power banks.

AVOID TRAVELLING ON A WORKDAY

Set realistic travel and work expectations when on the road. Consider dedicating specific days to driving and others to work, allowing you to focus on each aspect separately.

Save the stress of moving campgrounds for the weekend – or days that you don’t work, so you can concentrate. Having said that, sometimes it’s best to take advantage of some down time, and if you find that you work well answering emails and other easy tasks while taking on passenger princess (or prince) duties, go for it.

STAY LONGER AT EACH DESTINATION

Staying longer in the same place may be less appealing if you feel like you need to keep moving and see more things, but honestly, it’s helpful to at least spend a few days to a week in the same place. That way you can relax, work and not stress out about missing exactly what you came to see.

BE MINDFUL

If you’re travelling with a partner who is also working or not working, be respectful of each other’s time. You might be on different schedules and need to keep quiet if they spend time Zooming or on other work calls. Also, be mindful about when they’re in their downtime. This goes for them when you’re working too!

Also, be mindful if you’re using a generator if you’re in a campground with other people around.

DON’T FORGET TO PACK

·         Extra cords and chargers for EVERYTHING. We all know the horror of realising we don’t have a phone charger or a laptop charger with us.

·         Extra batteries for all your equipment. Even if you think you won’t need it, trust us, it’s better that you have it on hand.

·         Noise-cancelling headphones. An absolute gamechanger. They’re so helpful for helping you concentrate when you need.

·         This is optional – but a portable monitor to double your screens.

·         Whatever office supplies you’ll need. It’s best to at least carry some notebooks and pens.

·         Portable power banks

·         Backup storage – we talked about cloud storage above, but if you’re worried best to carry an external hard drive with you too. These days you can get a pretty big one that’s small and will easily fit in with your other essentials.