Camper Van Paraphernalia

As a camper van neophyte, it was obvious after my first trip that I needed some bits and pieces to fully kit out my camper. So here’s what I’ve bought so far (with some hyperlinks to products where appropriate).

Bedding etc.

My camper has leather seats, which are rather sumptuous, but quite cold to sleep on. To give a bit of insulation, I bought some thin CCF tent underlay from Needle Sports and cut to size. To make it even more comfortable I’ve added a fleece throw from John Lewis and some cushions for when I’m lazing around. I pondered whether to have a normal pillow, but decided that a blow up pillow would be more practical, so I got a Sea to Summit Aeros Premium pillow. It also gives me some flexibility to use it if I want some extra comfort when backpacking.

Kitchen stuff

I don’t need pans as I’ve got some Kovea titanium ones that I used to use for backpacking. For when I’ve got electrical hookup, I’ve got a compact 3-cup electric kettle. For when I’m not on hookup, I’ve bought an Optimus camping kettle. I decided that it was better to get disposable picnic  plates, bowls, cutlery and plastic glasses from my local supermarket rather than a melamine picnic set. However, for mugs, I decided some decent Thermos insulated ones were worth getting. Finally, I wanted a washing up bowl, but thought a rigid plastic one was overkill, so I bought a collapsible Sea to Summit one. To complete the kitchen stuff, I’ve got a collection of dish cloths and scourers.

 Storage, cleaning, heating and safety

For storage, Whambox 9L crates are about the right size to fit under the seats. They are large enough to get a decent amount of stuff in, but small enough to be flexible. For cleaning, besides a dustpan and brush, I bought a compact cordless vacuum cleaner. This is brilliant, not just in the van, but around the house. For rubbish, I got a compact 10L fliptop bin, which fits nicely between the front seats and is small to store away. For the main seating area, I wanted a rug, but couldn’t find any the right size. Then I came across a site selling hallway runners, which was perfect for my purposes. While the van has a heater which runs off the fuel tank, I thought it would be a good idea to have an electric fan heater for when I’m hooked up to electric. It can also be used as a fan without heating. Lastly, for safety, I purchased a small carbon monoxide detector for when I’m using the gas hob.

 Van accessories

I found the steering wheel on the Alphard a bit sticky as it’s plastic, so I bought a cheap leather steering wheel cover. It’s a bit of a pig to get on, but feels much nicer. For my phone, I got a CD slot phone holder. I’ve used one on my other car, and it’s great to have the phone to hand and to be able to patch it into the stereo via a USB lead. Although I’ve got internal insulated screens for the windscreen and side front windows, you get a lot of condensation in cold weather, so I’ve ordered a windscreen insulated snow cover. This should help both with insulation and with not having to de-ice the windscreen. Lastly, I bought some foot well mats to save the carpet getting dirty. I bought some cheapo carpet ones from Halford’s, but they slide about too much, so I may replace them with heavier rubber ones.

I’m sure there’s some other bits and pieces I’m going to need. I’m looking forward to my next trip in mid-December where I’m combining a couple of days in the Lake District with picking up our daughter from university.

Disclaimer: I bought all of the above items with my own money and have no relationship with the companies other than as a customer.