It’s always useful to have a secure storage place in the caravan where passports, spare cash, keys and other valuables can be left. I bought a cash box 230mmx150mmx70mm with two keys from a stationery store. Decide on a suitable site for the box – probably in the base of a cupboard. As it’s necessary to do some of the work under the caravan choose a spot with fairly easy access, Before finally deciding on a site make sure there are no chassis members or pipes in the area.

Prepare the cash box by drilling two 8mm holes in the bottom of it. With the box in position on the floor, drill through the floor. Your drill will go through easily since it’s only 6mm of ply on top of 25mm of polystyrene with another 6mm ply sheet below. You’ll also need two 8mmx50mm long bolts and four nuts. Just putting the bolts through the holes would not make the box very secure because it could easily be prised off the floor. A piece of plate is needed under the floor with the bolts holding it in position. I chose a 3mm thick 100mmx200mm piece from Ebay. Being aluminium, it had the advantage of being lightweight. With one nut tightened down on each bolt, the second nut is then tightened on top, locking the two together. That will prevent the bolt from being loosened from under the caravan.

I chose the cupboard in my end bathroom. Being at the back of the caravan access was easy when laying underneath the van. My hand-held Black & Decker vacuum cleaner is stored in the base of the cupboard and on top of the strong box, so to an intruder taking a quick look in the cupboard, the box isn’t immediately apparent.