Essential caravan accessories

By: Brendan Batty

Collecting everything you need to make a caravanning holiday safe, comfortable and fun can be like filling the wiper fluid in your car. You only remember you needed to do it when your windscreen's covered in dust.

Sometimes, you only know what gear you need for caravanning once you realise you don't have it.

So that you don't realise you need a second shackle just after you've raised the jockey wheel the morning of your next big trip, here's a list of caravanning essentials, caravanning nice-to-haves and some caravanning luxuries that are worth looking into beforehand.

Essential caravan accessories

There are some accessories that every caravanner needs because they're either legal requirements or just such good ideas that you'll use them every time you hitch up your van.

Rated tow bar

At the risk of stating the absolute obvious, you need a rated towbar fitted to your vehicle. It's included in this list only because most vehicles don't have them fitted as standard and installing them can cost a few thousand dollars. If you’re looking to buy a second-hand tow vehicle, tow bars add almost no market value, but you'll save some hassle and a couple of grand by buying one that already has one fitted.

Brake controller

Most caravans are fitted with their own electronically controlled brakes on each wheel, and those brakes are activated by an electronic brake controller, most often fitted within reach of the driver's hand (although there are wireless, Bluetooth versions that run off phone-based apps).

The best versions have inertial control, which modulates brake force depending on how quickly the tow car slows down, roughly proportional to how hard you press the brakes. Redarc's Tow Pro is generally considered the best on the market.

Towing mirrors

If your caravan is wider than your vehicle, you need towing mirrors. Even if it's not (but it probably is), towing mirrors significantly improve your rear vision while towing, especially when you're preparing to change lanes or merge. There are many different types that suit all sorts of cars. Some are permanently installed; others can be clipped on or off. Avoid any that only hook to your existing mirrors as the wind from passing trucks will slam it into the driver's window.

Smoke and gas detectors

Every year, there are tragic, avoidable deaths because of deadly fires, gas leaks or carbon monoxide buildups in caravans. All can kill you silently, making these two alarms essential in any caravan. All new caravans should also have a fire extinguisher, but older ones may need one added. Gas leak detectors are compact and relatively inexpensive to purchase.

Nearly essential caravan accessories

You could go caravanning without these things, but you just might regret it. So give some consideration to just how valuable these accessories could be in making your trip safer and more enjoyable.

Weight distribution hitch

Especially if your caravan is heavy, a weight distribution hitch will improve vehicle handling, suspension loads and shorten your braking distance.

UHF radio

Whether portable or hardwired into your tow car, a UHF radio can be handy for communicating with other road users, especially when overtaking or being overtaken by long trucks. There can be quite a lot of etiquette involved, but, in general, talk to other caravanners on channel 18 and trucks on channel 40.

An inverter

This list assumes that you've already got at least one house battery and some form of solar charging available for your van. If so, fitting a sine-wave inverter should be your next electrical project. If you just need to charge a laptop every now and then, a simple, can-sized inverter that plugs into your 12V sockets will be enough.

They're about $100. But, depending on your electrical needs and battery capacity, you could fit up to a 3000W inverter, which is enough to run an air conditioner or induction cooktop. If you want to run a coffee machine, most pod machines need about 1000W for the water heater, while something like the Breville Barista Pro, needs 1700W for its hot water system, so a 2000W inverter will be enough.

To make sure you're never left short, find the most power-hungry appliance you want to run regularly, check its wattage (often on a sticker on the bottom), and buy an inverter bigger than that, then speak with a caravan electrician about getting it fitted safely.

Hoses and tap fittings

A good-quality drinking water hose is manufactured to be food-safe without leaving your water tasting like plastic. Splash out an extra $10 to get one instead of using the garden hose to fill your tanks or plumb water into your van. Carry an assortment of brass tap fittings and adaptors, and get yourself a tap key, just in case it's needed. You'll also need appropriate sullage hoses for water and waste coming out of your van.

Grey water tank

With the rise in popularity of caravanning and a greater awareness of environmental impacts, many campsites are restricting access only to RVs which are completely self-contained. If your caravan is fitted with a grey water tank, you'll be able to camp in more places. There are plenty of options, from permanent, underfloor tanks to portable, wheeled jerry cans you can connect as needed.

Power cord and adaptor

Most modern caravans are fitted with 15amp 240V circuits (because of the air conditioners and battery chargers), so you'll need a 15amp extension cord to plug into powered sites (because 10amp cords don't fit on the inlet of 15amp vans). However, some caravan parks only have 10amp outlets at powered sites, usually in remote areas where power is at a premium, so an Ampfibian power adaptor will come in handy.

Caravan ramps and chocks

Especially if you plan on doing any remote or free camping, almost none of the campsites will be quite as level as you'd like them to be. For those not really inclined to sleeping on an incline, get some ramps and chocks to get the van level. Pack a small spirit level or download an app on your phone.

Air conditioning and fans

Almost all new caravans in the last 10 years have been fitted with air conditioning, especially as it's become more effective and affordable (and because it usually adds to the resale value of a caravan). Most units are fitted to the roof, but you can also get ducted or portable versions.

Unfortunately, without a very sophisticated electrical system, you can only use an air conditioner when connected to mains power, or with a generator. So, fitting some unobtrusive, quiet and energy-efficient fans like the ones from Sirocco will help keep you comfortable, even when free camping.

Hitch lock

Your caravan's unlikely to be stolen while camping but between trips, caravans are tempting, easy-to-rebirth targets for thieves. The less convenient your van is to steal, the more secure it'll be, so get a hitch lock or some other form of caravan security.

Awning mat

Any and all awning mats will help keep dirt and grass out of your caravan, especially if you're doing a lot of camping in dirt or sand rather than on grass or caravan park slabs.

Non-essential caravan luxuries

None of this stuff is essential unless you like nice things or having fun, in which case some of these items might just be essential for you.

12-volt smart TVs

TVs aren't new in caravans, and satellite services have been a very common way to bring the nightly news and soaps to travellers for decades. Except now, with increasingly widespread mobile data and smart TVs designed for caravans, motorhomes, and boats, you can chill with Netflix almost anywhere. And because caravanning has become so popular, even the major electronics brands are getting on board.

Portable fire pit

More and more campsites that allow campfires are asking campers to keep them off the ground, so some form of raised fire pit is becoming more important. They don't even have to be heavy - some simple pole and steel mesh versions pack down to the size of a milk carton and weigh less. If you do a lot of cooking outdoors, a version with a grill won't go to waste.

Washing machine

Families with kids that can't fathom keeping clothes clean on camp will find a washing machine more essential than most. There's a variety of options on the market, from simple 2.5kg top loaders to stylish, wall-mounted front loaders. Either way, if you don't have to sit in a laundromat or find coins for the caravan park machines, that's a win.

Bellman Espresso and Steamer

Proper coffee at camp was once an idle fancy, but these days there are so many great camping-specific options. Although plenty of modern vans have sophisticated enough power systems to run small espresso machines, all caravans have a gas burner, and that's all the Bellman CX25P needs to pump out a couple of shots of coffee and steam some milk to perfection.

A dishwasher

If coffee at camp was an idle fancy, a dishwasher was pure insanity until products like the Midea Benchtop Mini Dishwasher started making a splash. Weighing just 14kg and about the size of a large microwave, they're probably not enough to replace the sink, but they're pretty good for plates and bowls.

Internet everywhere

There have never been more ways to stay connected, even in the furthest reaches of the continent. While many of us might be happy hot-spotting internet from our phone when it's needed for laptops, TVs and smart devices, you can also install a 4G or 5G Wi-Fi router to your van. That will give you similar functionality to your internet at home, as long as there's mobile reception.

Or if your data needs are greater, consider Starlink - Elon Musk's satellite internet service. Considering a Starlink ROAM kit costs less than a decent 5G Wi-Fi router, it's only the data that's more expensive. But you can access that data anywhere in Australia, which is significantly better than even Telstra's coverage.