Gadgets for Campervans: Making Life Easier

The isolator performs an essential task: it isolates the starting battery at a certain minimum voltage ensuring it always retains sufficient voltage to start the engine.

Levelling blocks are really handy and used when parking on uneven or sloping ground.

A good indicator you’re in need of levelling blocks is when the water can’t drain or you’re feeling like you’re on a tilt in bed.

There are different types but the better ones have tiers on the angled blocks to allow the vehicle to sit easily on any level.

In our campervan, we had one set of levelling blocks that didn’t have these tiers. Ahhh!

I’d need my wife, Shelley, to stand outside the vehicle to shout out when I had driven close to the top of the blocks where I then quickly tried to apply the foot and handbrake simultaneously before the campervan slid back down the blocks.

Go the tiered blocks every time!

The campervan may or may not come with a vehicle jack.

The load rating of the jack should as a minimum equal to or exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) which is the weight of the vehicle plus the maximum allowable payload.

A bottle jack comes in various load capacities and is compact enough for easy storage.

This deadlock system can be mounted on either a sliding door or a normal hinged door. This deadlock system is mounted externally on the vehicle and is not only effective but a visible deterrent to would-be thieves.

Campervan owners that we spoke to that had this installation said that they had never had a break-in.

These stickers are placed over the headlights themselves and are useful in stopping the headlight beam spread from dazzling oncoming drivers when driving your campervan/motorhome in a country that uses the opposite side of the road to what the vehicle is fitted for.

A left-hand drive vehicle will have a different beam spread from that of a right-hand drive vehicle.

Another consideration is if you find yourself in a night-time vehicle accident, then it’s possible that your insurance cover may not cover you.

This multi-socket electrical reel has integrated surge protection.

A few times we had voltage surges after connecting to mains power at a campsite and it was the breaker in the electrical reel that tripped, keeping the vehicle completely isolated.

The Tyre Pressure Monitoring System is designed to read the real-time pressure of all tyres simultaneously and transmit this data to a monitoring system. The tyre pressures are displayed in a standalone unit that you can mount inside the car.

Low pressure and temperature alarms can be also be configured on the monitoring system and the unit will alarm if a sensor fails. We use external sensors on our vehicle and it gives great peace of mind.

Pressure sensors can be of 2 types: an internal or an external type fitting on the tyre valve. When considering external sensors, look at the sensor units that have replaceable batteries and are waterproof + dustproof. If you tow a trailer, you can also fit extra sensors to those tyres.

Air compressors can be powered from the campervan 12V battery or via the cigarette 12V socket. Be sure to check how long a compressor can operate before it must stop to cool.

Keep in mind to check there is an adequate length of hose to reach the rear wheels if powering off the battery under the hood.

There are some really great options for space-saving in a campervan and a couple of great ideas we use are the collapsible bucket and portable sink.

The ones we use collapse down to about 50mm or 2 inches in height making them easy to tuck away into a small space.

Getting out to the back-of-beyond is great but losing the wifi signal is not. A wifi extender/router will boost that weak wifi signal and act as a personal hotspot for all your devices ensuring that you stay connected.

At some stage, you’ll need to hand wash some clothes which is no issue but finding somewhere to hang the wet items may be challenging.

Some campsites are strict and do not allow clotheslines to be erected so having a drying rack to hang over a campervan window then becomes a super handy item.

Whether it’s protection from the rain or protection from the sun, a retractable awning has to be one of those essential items that every campervan should have.

Choosing a retractable type will allow for a quick and stress-free erection.

Arguably a necessity for some, the good ol’ corkscrew can come in handy if you enjoy the occasional tipple. 

We haven’t tried this, but several motorhomers have raved about its water-saving capability and increased shower water pressure.

Its AirCore technology is the secret and the unique halo-shaped design looks pretty cool too

Instead of fumbling around in the dark looking for the light switch, fit an internal 12V motion-sensitive LED light strip and you’ll not have to think about it anymore. There are also battery-operated models.

Our Kindles are one of our must-haves while travelling and on top of that, they’re easy to charge with a 12v connection.

 These units come in both wireless and wired versions with lenses that give varying fields of view (60 to 170 degrees) and can focus close to the rear of the vehicle or further away depending on what the model is.

Air compressors can be powered from the campervan 12V battery or via the cigarette 12V socket. Be sure to check how long a compressor can operate before it must stop to cool.

A couple of important factors to keep in mind are that there is an adequate length of hose to reach the rear wheels and a digital pressure readout.

 A 12V drill is a great handyman’s tool and often comes with a set of different types size of screw heads.

39. LED torches x 2

40. Lubricant

46. First Aid Kit