Top 5 Must Have Caravan Accessories in 2020

Heading out on holiday in your van used to mean you left home, headed down the highway for a few hours and pulled up at your favourite coastal van park for the week. You simply booked a powered site, plugged in and sat back and relaxed. Today, however, people are wanting to get more and more off the beaten track and travel around the country for more than a week and take advantage of the 100’s of free camps dotted around our great nation.

With that in mind, your top 5 caravan accessories in 2020 may look a little different to years passed as the Tv’s, air conditioners and heaters make way for solar panels, extra batteries and water storage. Let’s look at our top 5 caravan accessories this year:

Solar Panels

This has become an essential part of your caravan set up. It isn’t even classed as an option anymore for most, it is a must have and one of the best caravan installations you could purchase. Not only does Solar allow you to travel off grid and stay powered for longer, but it also allows you to save money on powered site fees by free camping or staying in sites with no power.

It’s environmentally friendly and the set up isn’t that complicated for your local van dealer. Solar power linked to an extra battery system gives you endless possibilities and let’s face it, although we are trying to live off grid, that doesn’t mean we won’t be accompanied by mobile phones and I-pads to keep us entertained as the sun sets. We have many more devices to charge than ever before and to do that we need an almost endless supply of power.

Deep Cycle batteries

Even though most caravans come with a 12v deep-cycle battery to run all the usual electrics such as lights and water pumps, as we discussed earlier there are plenty of us looking to travel further for less. With this in mind it is always handy to have a second battery backing up the first to make sure you can survive without plugging in for longer.

Along with all your standard equipment there are many people now travelling and working on laptops that need to be charged. Mobile phones, tablets and even bluetooth speakers so having that backup is going to come in very handy.

Inverters

When it comes to keeping the laptop going you’ll find that charging most household electronics can’t be done from your standard 12v so you’ll need to install an inverter that converts the 12v to 240v to make it safe to use for your phone and tablet.

Even your TV will need the inverter so it’s a no brainer to install it right from the start. That way you can have all your power points sorted and even install USB points for easier charging of mobiles.

Keep in mind when installing there are 2 types and varying sizes so make sure you let your electrician know exactly what they need to power.

Insect screens

This one is a basic need, but it gets overlooked often. Especially if you are configuring your van in winter and have forgotten about Australia’s Mosquito population. You’ll want to be able to air out your van and get that cool ocean breeze whilst you sleep so if you don’t have screens on windows and doors you’re going to get too many unwanted visitors. Make sure you install screens on all windows, including skylights and the doors if possible so you can get air flow.

Most vans are small and you’re going to spend a lot of time in them so they can get a bit damp and smelly if you can’t air them out. Since a lot of us also like to travel with our furry companions as well, it’s important to be able to get that air flow.

Awnings

Whether it’s bright and sunny, or miserable and cold you’ll be thankful you have an awning. In summer it’s going to shade the side of the van and keep it much cooler. It will also give you a shady place to read a book and relax with a wine. If the weather is rainy and cold you’ll still be able to get a breeze without the rain coming in your front door. If you’re staying for longer you can even attach an annex to give you that extra bit of space to move around and enjoy the scenery.

Either way, this inexpensive to fit or easy to use item is a must on your new van. If you want to install any type of caravan accessory, then just give us a call 0423 384 873 or visit www.rvservices.com.au to find the best-suited caravan accessories for installation to your van.