There are some gadgets that make life so much easier when caravanning. Many years ago we bought a Trail a Mate jack to replace our dolly wheel. The Trail a Mate uses a hydraulic method so a gentle pumping action easily raises the whole van and the turn of a knob lowers it again with a satisfying whoosh, no more winding and groaning. It can also be used to jack the van up when in a predicament (more about that on another day).

Our mate El Prado has looked longingly at his mates Trail a Mate jacks and recently declared that it was time he got one, perhaps Elle would ask Santa.

All set up for a family Christmas at the beach and waiting for the kiddies to arrive El Prado decided to get down on his dodgy old knees and clean out his tunnel boot (don’t we all hate that task). To his surprise he found a box way down the back in a dark corner…and in that box, was a Trail a Mate, brand new and unused that had been waiting for seven years to be found. It had come with the van when it was new!