Choose the pitch as carefully as the destination
Not every site that accepts dogs suits them equally, so check before booking: how many dogs are allowed per pitch, whether they must stay on lead everywhere, whether there is a dedicated dog walk or exercise field, and what happens with barking complaints. A site with a proper dog walk on site transforms the first and last outings of the day compared with one where every toilet trip means a trek to a road verge. Consider pitch position too — the end of a row, away from the play area and the bin compound, gives a reactive or elderly dog a calmer door step in a very public living arrangement.
Set the van up as his territory, not your storage
Space is tight, so give your dog one fixed place that is always his: a bed in a corner that does not become the step, the doorway, or the dumping ground for walking boots. While driving he must be secured safely so he cannot distract the driver or be thrown by braking — a harness arrangement or secured crate suited to the vehicle — and the same spot each journey helps him understand travelling mode. Manage temperature obsessively: caravans and motorhomes heat and cool fast, so use ventilation, blinds, and shade thoughtfully, check him at every stop, and never leave him shut in a sun-warmed van while you explore somewhere dogs cannot go.
Practise the whole idea close to home first
Spend one night in the van on a driveway or a nearby site before committing to a tour. You will learn the things brochures never mention: whether he settles to sleep with campsite noises outside a thin wall, how he handles neighbours two metres away, whether he can manage the step or needs a ramp, and how you will organise wet dog, muddy paws, and feeding in a space with no spare corner. Dogs who holiday well in vans are usually dogs whose owners rehearsed; dogs pitched straight into a week of strange pitches, awnings, and barbecues are being asked to improvise constantly.
Run the touring day around walks and water
Van holidays suit dogs because the walking is the point, but structure still helps: a proper morning walk from the site, water and shade planned into any sightseeing, and a last outing late enough that he sleeps through. Carry water for the dog in the vehicle at all times, a bowl that lives by the door, spare towels, and enough of his usual food for the whole trip, since rural shops may not stock it and a mid-holiday food change is a classic recipe for an upset stomach in a confined space. Keep a lead by the door for every exit, however brief — site roads, livestock, and other people's guy ropes punish the one casual moment.
Make him findable in a place where nobody knows him
On a home street, neighbours know whose dog is whose; on a touring site, a dog who slips a lead at dusk is a stranger among strangers, possibly near a main road. Keep his identification current, check his collar fits before the trip, and be extra careful around site arrivals and departures when doors and gates stand open. Through KinsLe's Verified QR ID Pet Profiles, anyone who finds him can scan his unique collar QR and reach his profile and you directly — the fastest route back to the van in a place where nobody knows his name.