The Ultimate Campervan Essentials Packing List UK

Last Updated on 19th July 2024

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The Ultimate Campervan Essentials Packing List For Van Life 2022

Through my many years of embarking on campervan road trips in New Zealand, Australia, the USA, Wales, England and more, as well as purchasing our very own campervan and converting it entirely from scratch in 2021, it’s safe to say that I’ve now got a fair bit of knowledge and experience when it comes to knowing what to pack for a campervan trip.

From cannot-live-without motorhome essentials to additional quirks and comforts to make your van life experience easier and more enjoyable, I’ve compiled everything I know about packing a campervan to ensure that your van is kitted out with all the essentials!

In my ultimate campervan essentials packing list below, you’ll find my comprehensive guide to all the items you need in a campervan, plus how to properly pack a campervan and how to kit out your motorhome for the very first time.

You’ll also find my huge campervan essentials packing checklist at the bottom of the post that you can save or print off to ensure you’re packing your motorhome or campervan the right way!

I want to preface this post by saying that all of these motorhome and campervan essentials will differ and vary enormously depending on the type of van you have. Naturally, if it’s a self-converted van like ours, then this post will be perfect for you as you’ll likely benefit from almost every single campervan essential and accessory recommended in this guide.

If you have a “proper” motorhome that’s fully furnished with fitted beds, sofas and perhaps even a kitchen with all the mod-cons and equipment, you might not need all the items featured below. I do still think that anyone with any kind of campervan or motorhome can benefit from this huge campervan packing list, however, and I hope that you find it useful!

Don’t have time to read this campervan packing list right now? Pin it for later!

A campervan/motorhome

I’m assuming if you’re reading this post about campervan gear essentials that you already have a campervan or motorhome in your possession, but if not and you’re just beginning to research all about van life and all the required essentials, you’re still in the right place!

If you’re on the lookout to purchase a motorhome or campervan so that you can carry out your very own van life fantasies, there’s really never been a better time to purchase a new home on wheels, especially after the pandemic as campervan sales have absolutely skyrocketed!

We actually happened upon our campervan completely by chance (you can read the full story here all about our campervan conversion experience) when we went for a walk one bank holiday Sunday in May 2021. When we saw our little 1997 Toyota Hiace for sale for just £1,800 on someone’s drive in our neighbouring village, we simply couldn’t walk away from such an incredible deal!

Matt and I had always talked about owning a campervan one day, but we figured that it would be a far-off distant dream that we’d eventually make happen way into the future. However, when we found our van for sale for such an incredible price, we couldn’t miss out on the opportunity to get stuck into a DIY van conversion project and the rest is history!

If you’re looking to purchase your first campervan, take a look at websites such as eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Autotrader and Quirky Campers. Alternatively, you can head to in-person dealerships and motorhome showrooms if you’d prefer to spend more time exploring different types of campervans to ensure you choose the right one for you.

Tax/insurance/breakdown cover

I won’t go into the need for tax and insurance for your campervan in too much detail as the exact requirements of what you’ll need will depend on your van or motorhome, as well as what country you live in and where you’ll be parking/driving your campervan.

However, ensuring that your van is properly taxed and insured so that it’s road legal is an imperative part of being a motorhome owner and it’s one of the most important campervan essentials that you’ll need to consider.

Kitchen/cooking/cleaning equipment – campervan essentials packing list

Gas camping stove – 2 ring

One of the first things that we purchased when we started converting our campervan was the 2-ring Campingaz Chef Folding Double Burner Stove and Grill.

We knew that we needed something that was relatively flat so that it would fit on our sliding shelf in the “kitchen” of the back of our campervan.

It hooks up to our gas bottle and while it’s obviously not as powerful as a proper gas hob system, it works really well and we’ve cooked everything from chicken curry to sausages to stir fry to burgers on it.

Kettle

A 2L whistling camping kettle is an essential part of any campervan or motorhome kitchen as you can’t possibly embark on a road trip without plenty of brew stops!

Again, any kind of camping kettle is never going to be as good or as efficient as the real thing, but there’s something so cool about boiling water on an open gas stove and waiting for that whistle to signal that it’s time to get the brews in!

Coolbox – campervan essentials packing list

A coolbox was a must-have van essential for us as we didn’t have the means to fit a proper fridge into our campervan and the Outwell Ecocool Lite 24L 12V Electric Cool Box is a great alternative to a “real” refrigerator.

We can charge it via the car adapter while we’re driving so that it’s super cold by the time we arrive at our destination and it also has an adapter that allows you to plug it into a proper mains outlet, which is perfect for when we’re staying at paid sites.

Plates (4 pack)

Of course, you’ll need something to eat off and while I much prefer proper ceramic or china plates, it’s not always the best idea to have breakable crockery when travelling in a campervan.

This pack of four “unbreakable” dinner plates are a great alternative and while I personally don’t like stainless steel plates, I know a lot of campers rave about them so they’re a good alternative to ceramic or porcelain crockery as well.

Bowls (4 pack)

As part of your motorhome packing essentials, you’ll also need a set of bowls to eat things like cereal, soup and noodles and these Homchen Unbreakable Cereal Bowls are not only super durable, but they’re also incredibly cute!

Cups (4 pack)

Instead of having a vast array of all sorts of different drinking glasses such as wine glasses, water glasses and other kinds of tumblers, we opted for these drinking tumblers that we use for all kinds of drinks.

It might not be quite as stylish to drink wine out of a huge cup, but it does mean you’ll get more in the glass 😉

Mugs (4 pack)

Stainless steel mugs are usually the preference for most people when packing their campervan but as I mentioned above, I really don’t like eating or drinking from stainless steel crockery.

Instead, we use the ceramic mugs that we’ve collected on our travels over the years. There’s definitely a risk of them breaking while we’re on the road, but we endeavour to pack them as carefully as possible to avoid any breakages.

Pot – campervan equipment packing list

A pot is an essential bit of a campervan cooking kit as it’s literally a one-pot shop for cooking so many different dishes.

If you have a larger motorhome with a bigger stove and multiple hob rings, I’d recommend investing in this Tefal set of 5 pots and pans as it’s such great value for money.

Frying pan

As well as a pot for cooking things like pasta, noodles, soups, sauces and many other dishes, a frying pan is arguably even more important for your campervan packing list as it’s so versatile and can be used to cook so many things.

These Tefal 2-pack non-stick aluminium frying pans are ideal if you have the storage space for two pans as it means that you can use them both at the same time, or just one at a time depending on the amount of food you’re cooking.

Chopping board – campervan essentials packing list

If you’ll be doing a lot of cooking in your campervan, you’ll likely need a decent chopping board as part of your van life essentials to ensure that you don’t cause any damage to your van’s worktops while you’re chopping and cutting.

A pack of three chopping boards is ideal if you prepare a lot of meat, fish and veg to avoid cross-contamination.

Cutlery

Of course, now that you’re equipped with all the necessary cooking and serving equipment for your campervan or motorhome, you’ll need something to actually eat the food with!

For cutlery, I will happily use stainless steel knives, forks and spoons and this 16-piece serving set for four people makes for the perfect van life essential for your campervan. Alternatively, bamboo cutlery sets are very popular amongst van lifers, especially as they often come with reusable straws and chopsticks.

Tea towels – campervan essentials packing list UK

Tea towels are obviously an essential part of any traditional kitchen and they’ll also come in incredibly useful for your motorhome or campervan kitchen as well!

We bought a pack of tea towels that we use both at home and in our van and we usually take 2-3 tea towels with us at a time whenever we embark on a road trip to ensure that we’re always prepared.

Dustpan and brush

A dustpan and brush are essential for any campervan to ensure that it looks and feels neat and tidy at all times. It can be a little tricky to keep such a small space clean, but a trusty dustpan and brush can help with that!

If your motorhome is pretty sizeable, you may even want to purchase a mini handheld vacuum cleaner to ensure your van is as clean and tidy as possible.

Washing up bowl – campervan essentials packing list

We don’t technically have a washing-up bowl as our stainless steel sink is technically a mixing bowl that we drilled a hole into to make it a sink, so we just use this to wash our dishes and if we’re staying at a paid campsite with washing up facilities, we’ll just use that!

Many van lifers opt for a collapsible washing-up bowl which is a great bit of motorhome gear as it enables you to store it neatly away once you’ve used it.

Cleaning supplies

While a campervan might not need quite as much cleaning and upkeep as a huge house, it does still require a thorough clean every now and again and this Dettol Cleaning Bundle is perfect for van life as it has everything you need from surface cleaning spray to antibacterial wipes.

Gas bottle – campervan essentials packing list

Whether you require a gas bottle or not will depend on the kind of van and setup you have. We have a 4.5kg gas bottle that we refill at a local petrol station whenever it’s empty (we haven’t actually needed to refill since we first got it all the way back in May 2021!).

You can purchase and swap and refill gas bottles from a gas station and even some hardware stores such as B&Q or Homebase.

Bonus kitchen campervan essentials packing list

As well as all the above packing list essentials for your motorhome/campervan, you may also want to purchase the following equipment and utensils for your van kitchen.

Wooden spoon
Spatula
Tongs
Sharp knife set
Whisk
Colander
Cheese grater
Vegetable peeler
Measuring jug
Measuring spoons
Scissors
Bottle opener
Can opener
Washing up liquid
Hand soap (make sure it’s antibacterial!)
Dishcloth/sponge (we always buy a multi-pack so we never run out!)
A large bottle of hand sanitiser

Bedroom/living essentials

Our living/sleeping area in our campervan is pretty cosy (read: small) but with the right bedding and soft furnishings, we’ve made it into a really lovely space.

Our campervan setup involves using a large plank of wood for both the bedframe and the table which allowed us to save on space and money and our “mattress” is made from giant foam cutouts that are covered in old curtains! It’s super DIY, but we both love it!

Naturally, you might have a much more structured setup for your van or motorhome, but even so, you’ll still need the following campervan packing essentials to make your living and sleeping conditions as cosy and comfortable as possible.

Duvet

An all-year-round duvet is a great investment for your campervan or motorhome as it will allow you to sleep comfortably regardless of the time of year that you’re embarking on your road trip.

Of course, if you’re visiting much warmer or much cooler places, you may want to get a weather-appropriate duvet that accurately reflects the temperature outside such as a summer duvet so that you can remain cool during the warmer months and a super thick duvet in the winter so that you can stay nice and toasty in the colder temperatures.

Pillows – camper van essentials UK

A good night’s sleep is something that should never be taken for granted, even when you’re staying in a home on wheels and a deliciously comfy pillow is an essential part of every bed.

Bedding (duvet cover, pillowcases, bottom sheet)

I’ve never been one to be very particular about bedding, but I do like it to be super soft and cosy, even in the summer months and this Utopia Bedding Set with pillowcases is an absolute dream. It comes in many different colours, but I’m a sucker for grey bedding for some reason and I think it fits well with the rest of our van.

Cushions for furnishing

Cushions aren’t necessarily an absolute must-have motorhome essential, but they are great for adding an extra level of comfort and style to any campervan.

This Penguin Home Set of 4 Grey cushions are the perfect addition to our campervan setup as they complement the grey bedding set.

Blanket/s

Additionally, a blanket might not be essential to your campervan packing list if you only ever travel to warm destinations or if you venture on road trips in the summer months, but I always like to have a small blanket hidden in our van just in case.

Bathroom/toiletry campervan essentials packing list

Unless you have a giant motorhome, you probably don’t have an awful lot of dedicated space for bathroom/toiletry products but that doesn’t mean to say that you don’t need them as part of your van life essentials packing list.

In the section below, I’ve put together my complete packing list of campervan bathroom and beauty products that will help make the packing process much easier!

Towels – motorhome essentials packing list

Regardless of whether you have a huge motorhome with a built-in shower system or you have a little DIY campervan like us and use public showers (or even streams and rivers!), you’ll need a towel as part of your van packing essentials.

We have these Little Bodhi Microfibre towels and we’ve had them for over four years now, ever since we started travelling full-time. They’re super fast-drying which is perfect for life in a van as it means you don’t have to worry about a wet towel dripping all over your lovely campervan!

Toiletry bag

A toiletry bag to put all (or at least some) of the below toiletries and products in is an absolute must-have essential when we’re travelling in our campervan as it helps to keep everything neat and tidy in one place.

We’ve had our hanging toiletry bag for years and use it every single day even when we’re not in the van but the exact one we have is currently sold out. This Carttiya Large Toiletry Bag is super similar to the one we have and it gets great reviews; I’d highly recommend investing in a hanging toiletry bag to help make your van life experience much easier.

Shampoo/conditioner

While washing your hair in a campervan might not always be super convenient or easy, ensuring that you’re equipped with the necessary shampoo and conditioner will make your experience much more effortless.

A shampoo bar might be a better option if you’re looking to save space and do your bit for the planet as most shampoo bars are often plant-based and are made from zero plastic waste products.

Soap/body wash – campervan essentials packing list

While I much prefer a liquid body wash to a bar of soap, I do find that bars are much easier and more convenient to use when embarking on van life.

Mirror

Van life might not always be the ultimate glamour and sophistication, but that doesn’t mean to say that you can’t attempt to look your best at times and a tiny portable mirror is a perfect way to ensure that you’re looking your best for all those adventures and road trips!

Wet wipes/baby wipes

For the days when showering is impossible while living in a van, these Biodegradable Ace Travel Buddy Large Body Wet Wipes are the perfect alternative to ensuring that you keep clean and fresh while travelling in your campervan.

First aid kit – campervan essentials packing list

A first aid kit is definitely a campervan essential for every motorhome, in fact, it’s even a legal requirement to have a first aid kit in your van in some countries.

This Premium First Aid Kit contains 90 pieces of essential items that are necessary for life on the road. From plasters to bandages to an emergency blanket, it has everything you need to be safe and sound in your campervan.

Toothbrush/toothpaste

Before we went travelling for the first time, we invested in a rechargeable toothbrush instead of a manual one; we knew that it would be impractical to carry a huge electric toothbrush set with us, but this Sonic Electric Toothbrush is perfect for van life as it’s super compact and the battery lasts for up to 90 days.

Moisturiser

Moisturiser is such an essential part of any trip for me, including when I’m living in our campervan and my number one go-to face moisturiser brand ever since I was 11 years old is No7. I’ve loved and used their products for over 13 years and while I should perhaps branch out and try different products at some point, I’m still as obsessed as ever.

In terms of body moisturiser, my go-to brands are always Nivea or Vaseline and while it can sometimes be a little tricky to keep on top of my skincare routine while travelling in the van, I try my best to ensure that my skin is kept in good condition as much as possible!

Hairbrush – campervan essentials packing list

A hairbrush is my final recommendation for beauty and toiletry campervan packing essentials and I’ve been using the WetBrush brand ever since my grandma first bought me one many Christmases ago.

Outdoor packing essentials for a motorhome

At the time of writing this post, we’ve only ever used our campervan for road trips in England, Scotland and Wales and while many of our trips have been in the summer months, we all know how totally unpredictable and quite frankly rubbish the weather can be in the UK in the summer.

Therefore, as much as we’ve tried to create an idyllic outdoor setting for our campervan, we’ve only managed to use it on a handful of occasions thanks to the excellent British summertime.

Below, I’ve outlined some of my top outdoor van life essentials that will allow you to create an epic outdoor space for your motorhome or campervan.

Electric hookup – campervan essentials packing list UK

An electric hookup kit isn’t strictly for outdoor use but most of the wire does technically live outside when we’re plugged into a mains hookup at a paid site.

We purchased a 15m Electric Hookup Cable which gives us so much wriggle room in case we’re ever parked too far away from an outlet. It also has three UK sockets which means that we can plug multiple things in at a time, such as laptops, phone chargers and the coolbox.

Camping chairs

We have these super small, compact camping chairs that Matt’s dad very kindly gifted to us when we finished converting our campervan and they’re so great for sitting outside and drinking a hot mug of tea on a morning or a refreshing glass of wine once we’ve parked up for the night after a busy day of driving.

They also fold up incredibly small into tiny little bags, so they hardly take up any room in our campervan.

Collapsible camping table

We don’t actually have a camping table in our van as we just don’t have the room to store it and as all of our doors and windows open inside the van, we can eat dinner inside while still enjoying the delicious outdoors.

This Ledeak Portable Camping Table comes very highly recommended, however, and it folds up pretty small so you can tuck it away in your campervan or motorhome.

Picnic blanket – campervan essentials packing list

There’s nothing like a good picnic while campervanning, so a good, compact picnic blanket is one of my top recommendations on my campervan packing list.

This Large Picnic Blanket comes in various size dimensions but it still folds up neatly so that it can be easily tucked away out of sight when you’re not using it.

Miscellaneous items – campervan essentials packing list

I’ve included the miscellaneous items below in their own section because they’re campervan essentials that we had on our original packing list when we first converted the campervan and I think they could benefit your van life experience too, although they’re not all entirely necessary or super-essential for campervan life.

Window covers

We actually made our own window covers from scratch by using insulation foil and black cotton material glued together to create almost completely black-out window covers.

However, if you don’t want to go to the effort of making your own, you could always install mini curtains in your van or purchase premade window covers for the type of van that you have.

Washing line – campervan essentials packing list UK

A washing line is a great addition to any motorhome packing list as it has several uses and purposes. Not only can it be used to hang out your washing if you do laundry at a campsite or a local laundromat, but it can also be used to hang your wet towels, coats and other waterproof clothing if you get caught in the rain.

LED coloured lights – quirky campervan accessories

Of course, LED lights aren’t exactly going to make your van life experience any easier or more convenient but they sure will make your time in the campervan more fun!

We purchased these LED Strip Lights and stuck them all around the edge of the ceiling of the van and they’re such a great and fun addition to our camping life at night. The white light setting is also great for acting as an actual light when it’s super dark.

Jump leads (just in case!)

No one wants to go into van life thinking that anything is going to go wrong, but unfortunately, vehicles can and will break down and it’s better to be prepared in advance, rather than being stuck in a pickle in the event that your campervan or motorhome won’t start.

By having a set of jump leads in your van at all times, you’ll minimise the effort required to find a repair garage straight away and if you accidentally leave the engine running and drained the battery, these will hopefully have you back on the road in no time!

Storage organiser (we swear by ours!)

Once we’d finished the van, we realised that apart from the wooden benches and the kitchen unit at the back of the van that we’d made ourselves, we didn’t have an awful lot of storage space, especially on long road trips.

Therefore, we picked up this awesome car storage organiser that attaches to the back of the driver and passenger seats and we also got this collapsible storage box that slots perfectly into one of the shelves in the “kitchen” that we use to store cutlery, as well as things like packets of noodles, soup and coffee.

Personal equipment – campervan essentials packing list

The personal items that you’ll require in your campervan or motorhome will depend on your own personal needs and where you’re travelling to.

I’ve included a few of my top personal campervan essentials below if you’re just about to pack your van for the first time.

Clothes
Coat
Hiking boots/walking shoes
Comfortable trainers
Flip flops/slides
Underwear
Hat
Gloves
Waterproof clothing
Swimwear
Makeup bag
Portable hairdryer/straighteners

Campervan road trip essentials

I’ve already written an extensive guide to my ultimate road trip essentials that I couldn’t live without, but I thought that it would be useful to include a section in this guide to my overall ultimate motorhome essentials packing list as I’m a firm believer that you can never be too prepared when it comes to van life!

Snacks

Snacks are a non-negotiable road trip essential for me, especially if we’re embarking on a long day of driving. Some of my go-to road trip snacks include Pringles, Haribo, a French baguette (it’s super easy for sharing and tearing while on the road!) and plenty of water.

Music/podcasts – van life packing list

Matt and I are super lucky that we both have very similar tastes in music and we’re happy to listen to each other’s playlists while driving. This also applies to some podcasts and we have a collection of our favourite podcasts that we always listen to together whenever we’re on the road.

A portable charger

A portable charger is a definite van life essential for us, especially as we both work remotely for our own online businesses as we need to be able to use our phones and laptops at short notice.

We’ve had the Iniu Power Bank for years now and it still continues to blow me away by how long its own battery lasts and how much it can charge both of our phones; it will charge our iPhones from scratch at least twice! It’s also super cheap compared to many other portable chargers and I wouldn’t be without it!

Head torch

A head torch is something that you should endeavour to have in your van at all times as it acts as an additional safety device, especially when you’re camping in the middle of nowhere. It can also make your van life experience easier overall so that you don’t have to worry about fumbling around in the pitch black in the middle of the night.

If you have a large motorhome with proper lights or if you always stay at well-lit campsites, you might find that you don’t use your head torch too much, but I think it’s useful to have one anyway and this set of 2 from Gritin is less than £10 so it’s super cheap!

Water

Water is obviously an essential part of everyday living anyway, but it’s super important to ensure that your campervan is equipped with plenty of safe drinking water when you’re on a road trip.

We have two 10L jerry cans installed in our van; one for wastewater and one for drinking water that comes up through the tap and sink system that we installed. We also usually purchase a few extra bottles of water as well to ensure that we never run out.

Board games and a pack of cards

Van life is full of fun and adventure for the most part, but there can be times in the evenings when it can get a little boring and quiet, especially if you’re freedom camping in the middle of nowhere with no signal to stream Netflix!

Therefore, I’d recommend taking a pack of cards and even some travel games with you such as Uno Cards or mini Connect 4 in the van to ensure that you’ve always got some form of entertainment.

Map – motorhome essentials

If you want to travel old school in your campervan, it’s a good idea to make sure you’re equipped with a physical map of your destination! Unfortunately, I’m not really one for map reading and I struggle with Google Maps at the best of times, but I appreciate that a lot of van lifers enjoy the process of only travelling with a physical map!

Guidebooks for your destination

Despite obviously being a fan and advocate for using resources such as other travel blogs and websites for research for our travels and trips, I do still adore reading travel guidebooks (so much so, that I’ve actually written my own travel guide to New York City which was released in November 2023!).

Some of my favourite travel guides and research books include:

Gadgets and electronics – campervan essentials packing list

Naturally, as a travel writer and content creator, I require quite a few gadgets and electronics while travelling in our campervan, but I’m aware that the section below might not apply to you if you don’t intend to travel with a lot of equipment.

However, I have included all my electronic travel gear in the section below, from the exact camera I use to the portable charger and even the drone setup we have, so if you were thinking of starting a collection of gadgets and gizmos for your van, this is the place to be!

Camera

I’ve had the Nikon D3500 camera for over four years now and it’s served me incredibly well across dozens of countries and several continents. I’ve even taken it to places with extreme temperatures of -18°C lows and 40°C highs!

I also have this bag that fits my camera perfectly and this too has travelled the world with me for many years and has its own place in the campervan.

GoPro

We still have the GoPro Hero 7 which is pretty outdated now, so we’re definitely looking to invest in a newer model in the next year or so as we’ve taken the GoPro all over the world with us and it’s also a perfect van life gadget, especially when we’re driving on beautiful roads as we can attach it to the windscreen and get some awesome footage!

Drone – campervan essentials packing list

I bought Matt the DJI Mini 2 Drone for his birthday in February 2021 and since then, we’ve flown the drone in many places across the world.

I can’t even begin to tell you the durability and resistance of this drone; we once accidentally crashed it into a tree while filming our friends’ wedding and it was stuck up there for three days and when it eventually came down, it had only suffered a teeny, tiny breakage in one of its arms that was easy to fix.

If you’re looking to get started with drone life and take some truly epic footage of your campervan or motorhome, I cannot recommend the DJI brand enough!

Portable charger

I’ve already mentioned our awesome Iniu portable charger above, but I wanted to include it in this section about the best gadget campervan accessories as it’s such an affordable bit of kit that’s perfect for van life.

Laptop – campervan essentials UK

For me, my MacBook Pro 13-Inch laptop is an absolute must-have as part of my campervan essentials packing list as I use it almost every single day to run my travel blog and to create content for various clients.

It definitely wasn’t a cheap purchase, but it was a worthy investment that has allowed me to grow my blog and business exponentially, all the while travelling full-time and living in our campervan.

Netflix subscription

A Netflix subscription isn’t strictly what many people would consider for their campervan essentials packing list, but I think it’s a great thing to have while travelling in your van so that you can park up for the night and enjoy watching something on your laptop or phone to wind down for the evening.

Wi-Fi hotspot or data plan for your phone

I have a phone plan with EE that gives me 100GB of data each month which is perfect for travelling in our campervan as it means that I can use Google Maps, stream music, podcasts and videos and of course, use my hotspot on my laptop to do work while we travel.

If you don’t have a phone package like this, you can purchase a Wi-Fi hotspot which acts as a mobile hotspot device so you can use the internet on the go.

Bluetooth speaker

A Bluetooth speaker is an awesome gadget to have in your motorhome or campervan so that you can blast the tunes when you’re parked up for the evening.

We have a super mini device that’s so lightweight and portable, making it easier to store when we’re not using it.

Bonus campervan essentials that you might want/need

At this stage, your campervan essentials packing list is getting pretty extensive, but there are just a few more recommendations I have that will make packing your motorhome much easier.

Portable toilet – best campervan essential packing list

A portable toilet wasn’t ever something that was listed on our campervan essentials packing list, largely because we don’t have anywhere to store it and also because we’ve hired campervans in the past with portable toilets in and we never, ever used them.

However, if you have a larger van and you’re not a fan of “nature wees”, then a portable toilet will likely be a worthy investment for your campervan.

Hose/shower equipment

We also decided against installing a shower/hose system in our campervan as we’re pretty limited on space and again, it’s not something we used in the vans we had in New Zealand or Australia, so we decided not to fit a system into our own van.

I know van lifers who swear by shower/hose systems in their campervans, so it might be something that you want to consider for your own.

Solar power equipment – best campervan accessories

Solar power equipment is another thing that we didn’t get for our campervan, but it’s definitely something I would add at a later date or indeed, to another van if we ever got one.

Solar power can be so useful for van life as it means you won’t be relying on staying at paid campsites for electricity; it will all be powered to your van via the sun!

Awning

An awning is a great campervan essential to have on your motorhome packing list as it can be useful in all kinds of weather. In the rain, you can still hang things up or leave things outside and in the hot weather, it acts as a form of shade to give you respite from the sun.

Tent – campervan essentials

While you might think it strange to have a tent included in this campervan essentials packing list, a small 2-person tent can actually be very useful to have for your van life adventures.

It will allow you to travel with other people who can use the tent to sleep in, or it will give you plenty more storage space if you plan to spend a lot of time in one place in your motorhome or campervan.

We haven’t actually used our tent as of yet, but we take it with us on nearly every trip just in case.

Sleeping bag – camper van essentials

As well as a small tent, you may also want to be equipped with a sleeping bag in your campervan so that you have an extra place to sleep if you’re travelling with friends or family or you can even use it inside your campervan if you’re travelling in really cold weather.

Campervan levelling blocks

So far, we’ve never had to use our campervan levelling blocks as we’ve managed to be pretty lucky and park our van on relatively flat surfaces.

However, it’s almost impossible to sleep comfortably if you’re on an incline or an angle, so levelling blocks are a great addition to your motorhome essentials packing list.

Driving in Europe safety kit

If you plan on taking your motorhome or campervan on a trip in Europe, there are a few fair rules of the road that you’ll need to follow, including ensuring that you have things like triangles and hi-vis vests in case you break down.

This Driving in Europe Safety Kit has all the necessary gear you need to abide by the rules in Europe.

Portable fan – best campervan equipment

A portable fan can come in super handy in the hot months during campervan travel. You can get a mini USB fan that’s super compact, but still pretty powerful so you can stay cool and not worry about taking up too much additional room in your van.

Water purification tablets

Even though we always ensure to fill our drinking water cans from a proper tap with clean drinking water, I still like to add a water purification tablet so that the water doesn’t become stagnant if we use it over the course of a few days.

Campervan essentials – food items

Food is obviously one of the most important parts of your campervan essentials packing list, so I’ve included a few ideas for the main essentials you’ll need to embark on your van life adventure.

Of course, the exact food and ingredients you wish to pack will depend on the types of meals you want to cook, but the list below is a good place to start! You can also check out my huge post about the best campervan meals here.