Essential Travel Accessories!
When my wife and I bought our first caravan, the first thing we wanted to do, apart from taking it out on its first run, was to go to the big caravan and camping show and buy a heap of accessories. We wanted new chairs, a table, storage boxes – all the practical stuff. I think when we finally went, we came back with a whole heap of gear we either never used or threw away because it was no good.
Over the years, and three caravans later, we have finally got almost all the additional gear we need. Yes, there are probably still a few items that have questionable value, but there are a few that we would find almost impossible to do without.
So, to save you a lot of money, here are our five must-have caravanning accessories you will want to buy before you get anything else.
ACCESSORIES YOU REALLY NEED
Before I get too far into this list, we must agree that there is more than one type of accessory for caravanning. At one end of the scale, you have the accessories you must have, like hoses, tap fittings, electrical cords, basic tools, etc. The sort of items that you really cannot go without. At the other end, you have the things that you don’t necessarily need, but they are cool for showing off to the guys on the site next to you.
The accessories I want to cover today fit somewhere in between. They may not be absolutely necessary, but, wow, they make your caravanning life easier, safer, and they may even hold your marriage together. So let’s get into the list…
BOS JOCKEY WHEEL
One of the things that annoyed me the most about caravanning was the standard jockey wheel. The constant need to put it on and take it off the A-frame was just a chore for me, not to mention finding a convenient place to store it where I can get at it easily and not have it take up too much vital space. I wanted to find a better way.
I considered one of those swing-away jockey wheels, but the heavy tow ball weight of our caravans meant they weren’t suitable. Then I came across the BOS 370 Jockey Wheel.
This brilliant device uses the power of a battery drill and a clever, low-profile gearbox to easily lift and lower even the heaviest of towball weights. What’s more, it can be mounted permanently to the A-frame as it retracts completely, and the detachable stand or wheel stores easily in the toolbox. No more skinning my knuckles on those clamps.
The BOS comes in two different sizes, depending on the height of your A-frame and a range of accessories, including extensions and wheel types.
ENGLAON 12-VOLT SMART TV
I know what you’re thinking, you don’t go camping to watch TV, but trust me, you will want to eventually and I can guarantee you will want to have access to your favourite streaming services too. Yes, many caravans will come standard with a 12V TV, maybe even a ‘smart’ TV, but trust me when I tell you that one brand stands above.
Englaon has been in the caravan TV business for a long time, and its latest X90 24in TV is, in my opinion, the only one to get. For a start, it comes with Google Chromecast TV as standard, but, more importantly, it has enough internal RAM memory to actually run it without any issues. Even Foxtel Go, troublesome on many TVs, works flawlessly. Further, the internal speakers of the X90 are rated at 8W each and give decent sound quality.
GoRV reviewed the X90 back in October 2023, and it shows just how good it is that it is still a current model nearly two years later.
SAFETY DAVE TYRE PRESSURE MONITOR
If you’ve never experienced a tyre blowout, especially on a big caravan, think yourself very lucky because it can be a frightening experience. But, in the case of a dual-axle caravan, you may never know about it until the tyre has completely destroyed itself. Having a good quality tyre pressure monitoring system is a must-have accessory, and Safety Dave is the best in the business.
You might think all tyre pressure monitoring systems are much the same, but this isn’t true. Transmission distance is probably the biggest complaint I hear about many systems, but Safety Dave has got this well and truly sorted out.
Most vehicles will work with the standard systems, but if you have a particularly long rig, Safety Dave offers kits with range extenders to ensure the signal gets from the tyre sensors to the display without any issues.
Other features include settable alarms for pressure and temperature so you can be alerted to a problem long before it causes any serious damage.
Tyre pressure monitoring systems are a must-have accessory to ensure you are safe on the road. Don’t take chances with a cheap system. Invest in a Safety Dave system from the start and enjoy many years of peace of mind while towing your caravan.
UHF HANDHELD WALKIE TALKIE
Reversing your caravan onto a site at a caravan park is a skill that many find very difficult to master. Using your partner as a spotter to help guide you onto the site is essential to ensure the safety of your van and anyone else around you. But you need to be able to communicate with your spotter.
Don’t be like the 90 per cent of couples we see out there trying to use hand signals to guide the driver in. Get yourself a handheld UHF CB radio and talk directly to them from outside the vehicle.
There are lots of brands out there, but I highly recommend you purchase a known brand like Uniden, GME or Omicron. That way, you can ensure you have good-quality microphones and speakers for clear communications. Most models will feature small sizes, light weights and multiple power options so your radio is always ready to work at a moment’s notice.
YETI STUBBY HOLDERS
There is nothing more depressing than a warm beer at happy hour. I had always resigned myself to this being the norm with our typical rubber stubby holders. That was until my wife bought a set of Yeti stubby holders.
I thought she was barking mad to spend $80 on a pair of drink holders until I tried them out for myself. It is unbelievable just how effectively they keep your drink cold even on the hottest of days.
The real proof came when I accidentally left my drink on the toolbox of my van in the blazing afternoon sun for about 30 minutes. This would have rendered any beer pretty much undrinkable in a normal stubbie holder, but to my surprise, my drink was still ice cold, insulated by the Yeti.
Words cannot describe just how good the Yeti drink holders are. At $40 each, what have you got to lose? You can purchase them from most camping stores.
Got an accessory you think we should know about? Why not drop us a line at [email protected] so that we can share it with our readers!
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Source: https://www.gorv.com.au/essential-travel-accessories/
