There are an incredible amount of caravan accessories on the market and this can make it hard to know what options are important. After spending a great deal of time touring in a van ourselves and chatting with other caravanners, you soon realise what people are loving. Here’s 25 of the most popular caravan accessories in Australia right now.
For orders over $500 from Caravan RV Camping – Use our exclusive discount code LAPPINGOZ30 to get $30 OFF. (excludes Bushman products)
Caravan Accessories For The Outside.
Awning sun screen
Before leaving on our lap, we actually hesitated in packing the awning sun screen. I was a little worried about the amount of space it would take up in storage and I wasn’t sure how much use we would get out of it. We did take it and I am so glad we did.
Why you need an awning sunscreen;
- provides extra shade
- Extra privacy, especially when you’re in holiday parks
- Can prevent light showers from wetting your outdoor camping furniture
- Limits UV ray exposure
- Easier to store and set up than annexes.
We have the Coast to Coast front sunscreen and side screen. Both are available at Caravan RV Camping at a special discounted price.
For orders over $500 from Caravan RV Camping – Use our exclusive discount code LAPPINGOZ30 to get $30 OFF. (excludes Bushman products)
Gas Level Indicator
This would have to be one of the most useful tools you’ll take on your caravanning holiday.
The benefits;
- No guesswork on how much gas is left in the bottle
- Easy to use
- Easy to store
- Works on propane and butane gas bottles
Buy a Dometic Gas Level Indicator for under $80 at Caravan RV Camping.
Gas Alarms
While we’re on the subject of gas, rising in popularity are gas detectors and carbon monoxide alarms. Vans are confined spaces and many feature gas fridges, gas cooking and diesel heating. The danger is real, there have been recent tragic outcomes in Australia from gas exposure.
The best on the market right now are:
Quell Carbon Monoxide Display Alarm, from eBay.
Safe-T-Alert Gas Detector, from eBay.
All of these are available on eBay or any good hardware retailer.
Portable toilet
Not all caravans have the luxury of a built-in toilet or shower. And if you plan on venturing beyond the holiday parks, you’re going to need a dignified way to go to the loo.
Why you need a portable toilet;
- Save money by being able to access freedom campgrounds
- Avoid flies hanging around for some action by day
- Avoid Mosquitoes feasting on your bare bum by night
- Better for the environment
- Save your dignity at crowded camping areas
- Will encourage reluctant campers to give camping a go.
If you’re unsure of what you might need, you can read the review of our Porta Potti here.
We purchased our toilet from BCF, but you can also buy them from any good camping stores.
The best price right now is from Caravan RV Camping.
Ensuite / Shower Tent
Once again, for those of you without a built in ensuite, a pop up tent is the answer. We initially had a fully framed ensuite tent that we rarely used because it took longer than 2 seconds to erect. I know, it sounds silly but the more time you spend on setting up camp, the less time you have for all the fun things.
We now have a simple pop up ensuite and it is a game changer. It gets used a lot!
Decathlon have the best priced ensuite tent.
Wheel Chocks & Spirit Levels
There is nothing worse than feeling like you’re about to roll down the (even the tiniest) hill when you’re in bed. It’s incredibly annoying when the caravan is out of level.
Benefits of a level van:
- the fridge will work correctly
- Everyone will sleep better
- The sink will drain properly
You need wheel chocks when positioning the van.
The Camper Leveler Wheel Chocks from Caravan RV Camping are the best and don’t take up too much space either.
Don’t make the same mistake that we did and rely on finding the “right” rock or branch or random brick.
The easiest way to ensure the van is EXACTLY level is to use a spirit level.
We use two types in our caravan; a two way tee spirit level on the draw bar and a circular spirit level inside on the bench top.
For orders over $500 from Caravan RV Camping – Use our exclusive discount code LAPPINGOZ30 to get $30 OFF. (excludes Bushman products)
Telescopic Marshmallow Fork
Sure, a stick will do the job just fine but you’ll be envy of everyone around the campfire when you whip out your telescopic marshmallow fork. These are one the best caravan accessories out there. Our kids absolutely love them!
Pro’s:
- Extends from 26cm to 88cm
- Made from stainless steel
- Hygienic and easy to clean
- Rubber handle
- Easy to store, our set fit inside a small drawer.
Available from BCF. We took advantage of their 2 for $12 deal.
Folding camp trolley
If you’ve spent any time in a holiday park recently, you’ll have noticed foldable trolleys being carted about the place. They’re really one of the most popular caravan accessories for young families. Decathlon sell one of the most affordable camp trolleys in Australia.
What’s so good about them?
- Cart drinks, food, towels, snorkelling gear, sport equipment around the park, camp, beach
- Max load 50kg
- Folds away for storage
- Comes with straps to hold items in
- Made from steel and durable fabric
- Only weighs 8.5kg
Buy this quality trolley from Decathlon for less than $100.
Hydraulic jockey wheel and jack.
Standard jockey wheels can be hard to operate and hard on your back and shoulders. This product will change the way you hitch and unhitch the caravan for the better. It takes the hard yakka out of the process. There are two size ratings ( ATM 2,900kg & ATM 3,500kg) so just make sure you get the right one for your caravan.
I’ve found the best deal on eBay from the Outback Equipment store.
Clotheslines
Ughhh. The washing. There is no escaping it. There are multiple good options for drying clothes when caravanning.
Folding Camping Clothesline – Caravan RV Camping
- shaped like an original hills hoist.
- max loading 25kg
- Aluminium
- Rust resistant
- Light weight
- Folds away with own carry bag
Slide n Dry Pegless Clothesline – Adventure Awaits
- no need for pegs.
- Saves space when not in use
- Australian design
Clothes Airer – Bunnings
- 19m of hanging space
- Clothes hanging clip for socks and underwear
- Aluminium frame
- Rust resistant
- Folds for storage
- Can travel fully set up in the hallway of caravans — dry your clothes while driving.
- Lightweight
This airer from Bunnings is the exact one that we travel with. It easily fits a full load of washing.
Expanding Clothesline – Caravan RV Camping
- Can be permanently fixed
- Retracts when not in use
Stainless Steel Wire Attached to the Awning – Bunnings
- Can be permanently attached
- Rust resistant
- Conveniently located
- Higher than other options
- Great for beach towels and wetsuits
Fairy lights
This isn’t the first time that fairy lights have rated a mention on this blog. There is something special about ambient lighting when caravanning and fairy lights really create a great atmosphere at camp. Just make sure they’re rated for outdoor use and you’re ready to go. Our lights are from IKEA but you can get them from any good lighting store, you can even get them from Bunnings and K Mart.
A comfortable camp chair
I feel like Goldilocks when it comes to camp chairs. Some are too high, some are too low, some have no back support, some are waaaay too expensive and some are just right. If you’re like me, buying the right camp chair is a big decision.
I have found a chair that is just right…
- it has good back support
- a head rest
- armrests
- it reclines
- is a great price
- made from durable material that dries fast.
- Packs down flat
The Quechua Folding Reclining camp chair is a winner for me and available from Decathlon.
If you’re looking for a chair that you have to constantly kick everyone else out of, then you need a padded moon chair. They are huge to sit on and this makes them huge to store. When I had mine, every man, woman, child and dog would be sitting in it. It was ridiculously popular. If you’re willing to put up with the bulkiness, they really are the bomb.
Get a Roman Moon chair for a great price from Decathlon.
Sand Free Towels
Choosing the right towels to bring caravanning can be difficult. Vans are limited for storage and most items should work double time. Like the name suggests, sand free towels are exactly that and more…
Whats to love about sand free towels?
- Sand slides right off
- dries quicker than a normal towel
- Packs down smaller than a normal towel
- Grass and leaves come off more easily
- Stylish designs
- Stand out from the crowd
Read my in depth review on Tesalate Sand Free Towels to find out more.
Head lamp
Imagine arriving at your holiday destination during the night and not being able to see where to set up. Having a quality head torch is paramount to a successful caravanning and camping trip.
Benefits of head lamps;
- Hands free cooking around the campfire
- Assist in positioning the caravan at night
- Investigate noises outside and still able to hold a weapon (we had wild buffalo come within 2 metres of our van at night – true story!)
- Great for night fishing
- Working on the car or van – even during the day
- USB rechargeable
- Long lasting battery life
After trying many different brands, we now only use LedLenser head lamps. Ledlenser are market leaders in portable lighting for many reasons. You can read our review on one of the lamps that we use and find out more information about the other head lamps we use here.
Available from ledlenser.com.au
Folding Camp Table with seats.
Being outdoors is one the greatest things about caravanning and camping. So when the weather is great, everyone likes to sit outside to have their meals.
An outdoor camp table is one the most popular caravan accessories. Just about everyone has one.
Our camp table has been throughly tested all the across Australia and it has been gold. Our set came with 4 foldable seats that were used probably way more than the table. The extra seats around camp are so handy. They’re good for fishing too.
Read the review on our folding table with 4 seats or buy it now from Decathlon.
Caravan Accessories For The Inside.
Small capacity inverter
A small inverter is the simplest and most affordable way to charge most of your electronic devices when you’re camping off grid. We’ve been using the Dometic Perfect Power Can Inverter for three years. It is a great buy and we highly rate it.
A small inverter will charge:
- Laptop computers
- mobile phones
- iPads / tablets
- Drones
- Camera equipment
The great thing about small inverters:
- Low price – under $80
- Features a fuse to protect your devices
- Small in size – can fit in your vehicle’s drink holders
- Portable – use in the car or in the caravan.
- Easy to use – just plug into any 12v socket.
Dometic Perfect Power can inverter is available at Caravan RV Camping.
Big Capacity Inverter
If you’re in the market for something a bit more serious that can charge and run more devices, you’ll need to go bigger. And by bigger, I mean more watts…
Appliances you can operate with a bigger inverter:
- coffee machine
- Nutri Bullet
- toaster
- electric kettle
- Microwave
- Vacuum cleaner
- Compresser fridge/freezer
- Induction cooktop
- Washing machine
Currently, Enerdrive have a 2000w inverter that has some really great features that you’ll need;
- Two power outlets
- 5v USB outlet
- Twin cooling fans
- Peak surge power is 4000w
- Optional remote
- Under voltage alarm
- Over voltage shutdown
- 3 year warranty
Avoid cheap quality and buy an Enerdrive. The best deal right now is from Caravan RV Camping.
Of course, you’ll need a good battery bank to support a bigger inverter, but that’s a whole other blog post for another time.
For orders over $500 from Caravan RV Camping – Use our exclusive discount code LAPPINGOZ30 to get $30 OFF. (excludes Bushman products)
Fans
We didn’t start our travels with a fan but soon came to realise this is one caravan accessory that is a game changer. We’d heard lots of good things about Sirocco fans from people we had met in person, so one day we installed one to give it a go. The fan was positioned near one of the beds and honestly, I don’t know how we managed without it for so long.
What’s to love about Sirocco fans?
- Multiple speed settings
- Quiet
- Efficient.
- Directional
You can run them all day and night and you’ll barely notice any draw on the van’s battery. They’re not cheap, but well worth the investment in my opinion (and lots of other caravanners!) Sirocco fans are definitely one of the most popular caravan accessories in Australia.
CAFRAMO Sirocco II 12/24V Black 7″ Gimbal Fan w/ 3 Speed – Caravan RV Camping
TWIN BUY Sirocco II Fan Caframo 12v / 24 Volt Black Caravan / Boat Sirocco 2 Fan – Buy a Twin Pack and save over $100 – eBay
Night light (for the kids)
It’s no surprise that even when you have the whole family virtually sleeping in one room, the youngest kids will most likely still want to sleep with a light on. Caravan lights are known for being functional but let’s face it, leaving one of the lights on can be quite annoying for everyone else in the compact space. Our daughter loves having her little Quechua night lamp on and so does the rest of the family.
The advantages of a Quechua lamp:
- 3 light settings – low, high, red
- Rechargable from a USB – no need to constantly buy batteries
- Lasts all night
- Portable
- Wind up function, which all the kids love having a crack at and good for emergency situations.
Only available from Decathlon.
Washing machine
While you’re escaping the daily grind, it’s an unfortunate fact that you just can’t escape the washing! A portable washing machine is one of the best caravan accessories – if you have the space.
We did start our lap with a portable washing machine, but we ended up giving it away in Alice Springs. We didn’t really have anywhere to store it in our pop top caravan and because we spent a lot of time off grid, we had neither the power or spare water to run it.
Benefits of having a washing machine;
- Save a tonne of money – public laundromats cost $4-$8 per load
- Avoid queues at the holiday park laundry
- You control what goes into the machine
- Take full advantage of powered & water sites
- Do your washing when it convenient for you
- No need to wait for the laundry amenities block to open
If you’re in a similar situation to us (spend a lot time off grid), this is where the Scrubba wash bag comes into its own. There’s no need for power and it uses only a small amount of water. It also packs away into the palm of your hand when not in use. So good!
You can buy the Gecko portable washing machine that we had from mytopia.com.au (it was really great, just didn’t have the room to keep it) and the Scrubba wash bag is from adventureawaits.com.au
Australia Scratch Map
This type of map is perfect for a big lap and so much fun! Its such a cool way to record your Aussie adventures. Lots of big lappers have an Australian map and the scratch map has become really popular recently.
You can get the 2020 version today from Map World Australia on eBay.
Mattress Topper
The fact is, most people will agree that their caravan mattress is crap, whether or not its sprung or foam only. Comfortable caravan mattresses appear to be an afterthought for many manufacturers.
While we were travelling in Northern Australia, we were offered a topper and were happy to give it a go. What a difference! I really don’t know why we persevered without a topper for so long.
Mattress toppers are a really popular caravan accessory. You can buy toppers from many places, like Clark Rubber, Spotlight and IKEA.
Water Filter
Having pure fresh tasting drinking water can actually be hard to come by in some parts of Australia. One of the towns that had the worst drinking water was Broome in WA. Honestly, it was like drinking straight out of the swimming pool!
The best one is literally called B.E.S.T Water filters and not only do they work so well, they are also Australian owned and made.
The advantages of a B.E.S.T Water Filter in your caravan;
- Kills bacteria
- Purifies water
- Easy to install
- Removes chlorine taste
- Slim size
- Can be installed under the sink
- Features carbon filter
- The only filter on the Australian market with SilverSafe, which enables all of the water to come in contact with the silver.
Installing a water filter in your caravan is an absolute must and it’s easily a DIY job.
We have two of these filters and you can read my full product review right here.
The best price I have found is on the B.E.S.T Water Filters eBay store.
Electronic Brake Controller
This was one of the very first caravan accessories that we installed into the car when we purchased our van. We went with one of the best on the market, the Redarc Tow Pro Elite.
It calibrates itself and enables us to select our own braking preferences. You can install them yourself, otherwise an auto electrician can do it for you.
Most people we met have the same one installed. It’s a super popular caravan accessory and is also one of the most important.
You can buy the complete kit or just the unit from Caravan RV Camping.
For orders over $500 from Caravan RV Camping – Use our exclusive discount code LAPPINGOZ30 to get $30 OFF. (excludes Bushman products)
Stemless wine glasses
Going with stemless wine glasses lessens the risk of knocking over your delicious drop of happiness.
There are two types made for camping and caravanning.
Insulated Stainless Steel
YETI stainless steel insulated drinking products are the best on the market, being over engineered and keeping your drinks cooler for longer. They’re not cheap but I promise you, they are worth every cent and every YETI owner will absolutely agree with me.
Polycarbonate
If you’re after something more like glass, you can get virtually unbreakable polycarbonate wine glasses from Caravan RV Camping.
Imagine how much better happy hour would be with the perfect wine glass…
Bamboo Dinnerware
Bamboo is an environmentally sustainable product and are actually quite perfect for caravans.
What’s to love about bamboo dinnerware?
- Super lightweight
- Durable
- Biodegradable
- Compostable
- Eco friendly alternative to melamine
- Free from PVC, BPA and formaldehyde
- Affordable
*When choosing bamboo dinnerware, you need to look out for some companies using melamine to bind the bamboo fibres. These types of products can leach dangerous chemicals when in contact with hot temperatures (like for tea and coffee).
Until recently, the majority of people caravanning have been using Corelle, plastic, enamel and melamine dinnerware. With the relatively new arrival of bamboo products, they are becoming more and more popular on the caravanning scene.
Eco-Friendly Bamboo Dinner Picnic Plates Bowls Cups 6 Person -Tropical Set available from Rinkit Australia eBay store.
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