To beginners, loading a van might seem pretty simple. Squeeze in your worldly goods wherever they will fit, then hit the road. But if you want to stay safe, you've got to follow certain rules. Keeping to your van's weight limits and knowing where and how to store heavy items in transit is the difference between a trouble-free tow and an accident waiting to happen. Here's how to load up safely.

Understanding weights
Before you start loading the tourer, you need to understand its weight limits. You'll find these on the chassis plate, which is normally on the side of the van near the door. MiRO, which stands for Mass in Running Order, is the weight of your van as it leaves the factory. MTPLM, or the Maximum Technically Permissible Laden Mass, is the maximum your caravan is allowed to weigh when it is loaded. The difference between the two is the payload: the weight of all the food, clothes, cooking implements, levelling blocks and other odds and ends which are kept in the tourer while it's towed.

The front locker
The obvious place to begin loading the van is the front locker. Take care, however. While this is ideal for stashing levelling blocks, electric cables and the like, the chances are it already contains the heavy gas bottle. Cram everything you can into the locker and it's all too easy to exceed the caravan's maximum noseweight.

Keep heavy items low
Keep heavy items, such as awnings and barbecues, on or near the floor and close to the axle. If your tourer has a fixed bed at the rear, avoid the temptation to store heavy items under it. This will make the van tail-heavy and can cause the van to become unstable, ending your holiday before it begins.

Use your car
Make the most of the boot of your car. Pack wisely and you'll be surprised how little you actually need to store in the caravan. A word of warning, though: like caravans, cars have a maximum payload that should not be exceeded. If in doubt whether either has been overloaded, check at a public weighbridge. Your local council should be able to point you in the right direction.

Return journey
There are some extra points to remember before you pack to come home. Open the drainage tap on the hot water storage tank and make sure the Aquaroll and Wastemaster are completely empty before you pack them away. Not only is water heavy (1kg per litre), but it has a nasty habit of sloshing around, which can make the van unstable.