Essential Touring Kit That Everyone Needs
Marcus Leach from the Big European Odyssey shares his top picks of essential touring kit for every trip with his family's motorhome.
When it comes to buying kit for your leisure vehicle it can all seem a little overwhelming. A quick look online, or better still, a visit to the Caravan and Motorhome Show, and you soon realise there’s literally thousands of possible items you can buy to enhance your travel experiences. Although not all are as useful as they seem, which begs the question; what do you really need?
Having spent over two years living and travelling in our motorhome full-time we have grown to understand that there are a few essentials for any trip, be it a long weekend away somewhere local or six weeks on the continent. As for the rest of it, that all comes down to personal preference and budget.
Here’s our top five motorhome essentials….
Awning Securing System: Speaking from personal experience we can safely say that it only takes one snapped awning to make you realise that a simple set of tent pegs won’t do the trick when it comes to safely securing your awning. Having tried a few solutions, none of which really worked, we discovered Peggy Peg and have not looked back. Thanks to their easy-to-use and highly innovative awning securing system we are now able to use our awning on any surface and in any weather conditions, without ever having to worry about it breaking.
Garmin Touring Sat Nav: Getting directions to places has never been easier. However, not every route is suitable for larger vehicles and, if you’re not careful, you can end up in awkward situations whereby you’re halfway down a country lane and you reach a bridge that’s too low. This is no longer a concern thanks to the Garmin touring sat nav, which allows you to put your vehicle dimensions in, ensuring it never directs you along roads you won’t be able to fit along. We’ve been using our Garmin Camper 1090 all over the UK and Europe and never once has it failed us. What’s more you can pair it with your favourite travel apps, making searching for and finding everything from campsites and local restaurants through to free parking and top tourist attractions super easy.
Wing Mirror Protectors: Admittedly not the most glamorous of accessories on the market, but easily one of the best in terms of money saved from potential damage avoided. Even the most careful drivers amongst us will have situations whereby our mirrors get clipped, be it against a hedge on a narrow lane or an over zealous driver trying to squeeze past. The last thing you want from such a scenario is a cracked or broken wing mirror and, having had a few scrapes on our travels, we can safely say that the wing mirror protectors are worth their weight in gold. Easy to fit and providing total peace of mind they should be one of the first additions to your vehicle.
Cadac BBQ: There are few things that say ‘on holiday’ quite like cooking outdoors in the glorious early evening sun. We have, over the years, used a variety of Cadac’s different BBQ offerings and, while all are excellent quality, perhaps the easiest to use is the Safari Chef Compact 30. Whereas many of they BBQs require an external gas point, and can take up quite a bit of space, the Safari Chef Compact 30 runs on a gas cartridge, packs down small and makes use of the brand’s modular system allowing you to cook not just BBQ but also paella, pizza and a host of other dishes.
Dyson Handheld Vacuum: Another to add to the ‘not very glamorous’ list, but one that you quickly begin to rely on. It’s amazing how much dirt and dust gets carried into the motorhome when you’re on a road trip, especially with the addition of two small children (or pets) in and out all day long. A quick once over each morning and evening ensures that you will always have a clean motorhome to relax in, which is why we go away after all isn’t it? That and to see the amazing world that we live in.
Once you’ve got your kit taken care of the next question is; where shall we go? If you’re looking for a little inspiration I will be speaking at the Caravan and Motorhome Show at the NEC in October, both on the Caravan and Motorhome Club stand, as well as at the Inspiration Theatre sharing stories from our travels in Europe and beyond. You can get a discount on tickets here.
Published July 2024