Campervan holidays have experienced a significant increase in interest in recent years, partially as a result of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic changing travel plans for many holidaymakers. Since the pandemic, one in five of us have been on a camping or campervan holiday, a number only set to rise yet further.
You may have acquired your first caravan, and you may be looking forward to a trip of your own – whether with friends or family. What items should make their way to your pre-travel campervan checklist?
The Boring Stuff
Before you get carried away with the more exciting aspects of kitting out your campervan for your trip, you should devote some time to sorting out the basic essentials. Chiefly, these relate to legal and logistical items.
For starters, if you’re planning on crossing any borders with your van you should ensure you have your passport handy. You may also need visas to enter certain countries on the European mainland, so be sure to sort those well in advance. With regard to the campervan itself, you’ll need to make sure you have motorhome insurance and all the relevant registration information.
Clothing
With the essential legal documents safely stowed in the glove compartment, you can move on to more direct holiday-related preparations. Let’s start with your clothing. If you’re performing something of a tour with your campervan, you’ll want to bring a wide variety of clothes for all seasons and weathers.
Trunks and bathing suits are a must for any coastal or lakeside stops, but perhaps more important is that you bring enough warm layers. Even the best motorhomes are not the best for insulation, and nights can get surprisingly cold. Make sure you bring some fleeces and blankets in case of emergency!
Electronics
You will naturally be bringing a number of electronic items with you, from your phone to GPS systems, cameras and beyond. You may even be tempted to bring some appliances like a kettle with you! If you’re doing this, though, you should also take the time to familiarise yourself with your motorhome’s electronics situation.
Many motorhomes have a hook-up point that enables you to tap into the National Grid. You may also have a ‘leisure battery’, that provides 12VDC for the charging of appliances and control of other systems. You won’t always have access to the mains, so make sure you do have a leisure battery installed before you set off for the remotest parts of Alsace!
Health and Safety
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, you should spend some time putting together a comprehensive health and safety kit. This kit should take the form of an emergency bag, and include a variety of tools and consumables that will come in handy in case of emergency.
The first thing to pack should be a first aid kit, to enable proper treatment of minor injuries wherever you may be. You should also pack tools for changing a tyre, and de-icing tools for any unexpected cold snaps. A burner phone can also be useful, to ensure you always have a way of making emergency contact.
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