10 Essential items to pack in your Caravan
Our essentials to pack in your Caravan.
You have your perfect van. Picked up all the extra’s when you picked up the caravan, the steps, the wheel chocks, water hoses, power cables. You ready to set off on your first big adventure only to find out you have forgotten some essentials items to make your trip easier.
My number one advice when you pick up your new (or new to you) van is to take it away somewhere relatively local first for a short trip to work out the essential items you need to take with you. That way you can work out what you should really pack in your van, and what you won’t really use.
Over the last 16 years of caravan travelling, we have worked out a few of our essentials for a great trip.
My ten essential items for your next Caravan trip.
A Level
There is nothing worse than lying down in bed and feeling like you are sleeping at an angle. Feeling all the blood slowly rush to your head. Life is so much easier in a caravan that is level, from eating, sleeping, cooking even showering.
**If you do forget one, and have internet coverage you can download one for your iPhone, Android. We used levelling tools on our last trip.
Non- Slip Grip mat.
Keep your food, and tableware from sliding around in the cupboard with some non-slip grip mat. You can buy it in rolls and cut it to your desired length.
Camp Chairs
Seems like such an obvious one, but one thing that is often overlooked, the great thing about travelling in a caravan is exploring the great outdoors. We have had a couple of trips when we have forgotten, and getting back to the Caravan and the end of the day and having to try and relax outside on a step just doesn’t have the same appeal.
First Aid Kit.
Be prepared! For any misadventure with a first aid kit, whether its a bite, burn, scratch, earache or a headache, if you have a basic first aid kit, It takes the panic out of injuries. Imagine trying to find something to tend to a wound or injury in the middle of Coober Pedy.
Plastic container for leftovers.
I hate wasting food so always pack a few plastic containers to store leftover meat, salad or pasta we have cooked. Also great to store open biscuits and other snacks to keep them fresh. We just grab the takeaway style ones from the supermarket. That way you don’t have to worry if they get lost, broken or forgotten. Also as they are all the same size they stack really well in the caravan fridge.
Broom and Shovel.
Most of our caravan trips ultimately end up somewhere near the coast of Australia, which means sand everywhere. It doesn’t matter if you shower, somehow three hours later as you are lying in bed you will end up feeling sand in your bed.
Melamine Tableware
Shatterproof, break-resistant, melamine tableware is the only tableware to bring on your caravan trip. Nowadays the food safe melamine tableware is so much nicer than it used to be. It’s easy to wash, doesn’t matter if it gets dropped.
USB Charging Hub
We have purchased a USB charging hub, to charge all our phones, cameras and other devices, so instead of having to plug in multiple chargers they all plug in nicely to the one hub.
Non-Slip Floor matting
When our children were crawling this was the essential thing for our stays in the caravan, our large Coast to Coast floor mat is 6m x 2.5m Its made from foamed PVC so it is a soft breathable mat that won’t kill the grass underneath it. It’s also non slip and comes in a carry bag, so is easy to store. Perfect for when you are on a dry dusty site.
Basic tool kit
There is nothing worse than being in the middle of nowhere. Finding out you have broken something and not having anything to fix it with.
Webber
We always used to cook in the kitchen in the Caravan, however, whilst everyone else was sitting outside in the sun relaxing with a drink in hand, I was inside cooking. I began to think what is the point of being on holidays and still being stuck in the kitchen. That all changed when we bought our Webber.
It sits on the table outside and we cook all our meat and our potatoes on it. All I need to do is a bit of salad preparation.
What essential items do you pack in your caravan?
Where are your favourite places to go in your Caravan? Overland track? Alice Springs? Great Ocean Road? The Grampians, Port Hedland.
Do you have a packing list? Or do you just wing it each time?
Camping is all about being prepared, I love this list, it’s really comprehensive! Charger hubs look amazing- I’ve just bought one for our next trip- excellent tip!
Yes, the Webber! Always the Webber! It’s so surprisingly roomy isn’t it? I always bring hand sanitizer as well so even if I’m in a place where the bathrooms don’t have soap, I don’t feel like a grot. But I do much more camping than caravaning.
What a great idea, on the hand sanitiser, I used to always carry it with me when my children were younger in nappies. Will have to start packing it again.
Loads of thoughtful tips here, my absolute fave is the webber. Nothing like a bbq in the great outdoors! Thanks for sharing.
Love all these ideas! Especially the mat and the Webber, I’ve heard amazing things about them!
Thank you for sharing this wonderful tips. That tips will definitely helps me for next road trip to Oregano. Thank you Sarah.
Thank you sarah for sharing this wonderful tips. That will definitely helps me to my next Great Ocean road by Caravan.
Great ideas but can i ask where you carry your Weber when travelling.?