Campervan and motorhome essentials - Part II

[Don't forget to check out part I too!]

OK, so you're gathering your list and, perhaps you already have the absolutely must-haves? Here's our next list of essentials and why we can't live without them.

Making life easier on the road...

• An off-grid (non EHU) power source of your choosing if you plan to spend time off-grid.

  
  

  This has ended. up being top of our campervan and motorhome essentials lists and we've bought two now (one portable and one fixed).

  
  

  We can't imagine why people wouldn't want to take advantage of their home on wheels and be safely off-grid at times (but there's no judgement if that's not your bag). However, we definitely wanted to be off grid to visit the Spanish beaches and mountains as well as taking advantage of things like France Passion (more on that here) to stay in vineyards in France and more.

  
  

  We didn’t want to drain our leisure battery (although we still did in the early days as we didn't understand the different ways it drained and charged) and we knew that we needed to run our laptops, charge our phones etc without worry. We also didn't want. to invest heavily in fitted solar panels when the van was still so new to us (and an old van) so we started by buying this Renogy 200w portable solar panel and a Power Station 500 which we've been thrilled with. But, your choice will all depend on what alternative power sources you’re running/using. It's probs worth telling you that we needed our power source to do two things... The first was to ensure we could ensure power to 'other stuff' (like laptops etc) off-grid so the solar charges that directly. However, we also bought a Renogy charge controller to ensure that we are able to trickle-feed our leisure battery. We bought this as back up but it quickly started to seem necessary as it just makes life easier (and there's less cables to trip over). To be honest, it's just a good idea if you want to spend time off-grid.

  
  

  We have since had a 185w solar panel fitted to the roof. We did this just before we 'matriculated' our van (moved it over to Spanish plates. and registered it. in Spain). This has been a game-changer for us as it's permanently trickle feeding. the leisure battery which keeps it topped up and it's also running our separate Alpicool fridge which we couldn't live without, without any trouble. at all!

• A washable or waterproof, cushioned floor runner or rug as it’s both warmer and gentler on the feet. We started with three of these just for the kitchen area as we were on a budget and wanted something robust/fairly heavy-duty and they were great but we have a veeeeerrry malty dog so they didn't work out as well as we'd hoped (although we have kept one for the back of the van as they're quire 'grippy' which can be helpful when you're carrying grocery bags etc as you drive).

  
  

  We quickly realised that we wanted something easier to clean so we bought this one which we absolutely love! It's super soft and comfy underfoot which is extra helpful as we both get a little plantar fascitis from time to time, it doesn't feel cold even in cool weather and it wipes clean quick as a flash. Another of our game-changers. If I had it my way, I'd just replace the entire floor with it!
  

• A navigation app designed for larger vehicles which can help you to avoid costly or time-consuming mistakes by running into roads you can’t use due to low bridges or weight restrictions etc. We use and absolutely love the Sygic GPS Navigation app and we've named her Cedduuurs (with a French accent). which she definitely does NOT have (honestly - the comedy pronounciation has had us in fits of laughter in some stressful situations). After considering several others, we like it’s interface (despite it feeling a little clunky at first) and, importantly, we can enter all of our motorhome’s measurements and download maps to use offline. It's very clear on what lane to use but do remember to pay for it and use the latest maps etc. It's been brilliant for us and the campervan/motorhome/caravan updates to their app are brilliant. We find good ol' Google Maps a bit rubbish in comparison now although. we cstill use it when we know the roads a little better (i.e. we know that there aren't any low bridge likely to take the top. off our camper.)
  

• Rubber grippy stuff! Think liners, grip mats, silicone pads like these which we use at the base of cupboards, foam and adhesive rubber buttons etc to stop movement/rattle in your cupboards, between plates or glasses or from chopping boards etc. You can’t have enough!! In fact (lucky you), you can even check out our Instagram post on this insanely useful foam which we have used to safely store our oils, sauces, spices etc for completely worry-free travel and no need to move them in and out on arrival somewhere. Proper game-changer if you like to cook (and eat) as much as we do!
  

• A gas cooker or camping stove as we all want to cook outdoors at times, even if you have a motorhome with an indoor hob, oven and microwave (our Lucky Duke is hob only). Also, you won’t want to cook everything inside - steak or fish, in particular, can linger forever (and on everything) in a very small campervan or motorhome - none of us want to wash all bedding and blankets after every meal (as if that would even be possible)! Being oven-free (for now, anyway), we also wanted a grill and at least two burners so we opted for a budget-friendly Halfords one but this Campingaz one is almost identical.
  

• An outdoor foldable table: We chose this one as it folds away and carries super easily, it’s extremely lightweight at just under 4kg and it has a bit of storage for cooking utensils (and even our citronella candle), sauces, a few ingredients, a beer or two and a phone etc without using the table top space. We really like it but, there is a caveat - you do need throw some placemats or silicone grip (as above) etc on it to avoid too much movement as it can be a bit 'slidey' (makes it easy to clean though). Make sure you measure though - You want to be able to put a table top grill and food, plates etc on it with ease so we didn't get the smallest (or the biggest) one. AND, you'll want it to fit in your chosen storage spot. Another benefit of this table, or similar, is that the legs pop out for storage but also means you have two heights which we have found helpful as a small coffee table inside the van when we have the main table down and are set up in a sofa format. But it all comes down to your space and how you like to eat (in all weather).

We know that this may add several things to your motorhome essentials 'to buy' list but some of this stuff comes cheap and it makes life on the road hassle-free.

These are all things that we are incredibly grateful for.

There is more (we can't promise there won't be more later). Read part III here.

Also, don't forget to check out other other roadtrip tips on security, travel with a dog, epic roadtrips and more...