Related reading: Beginner van travel tips<\/a> \u00b7 The best travel fridges<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Kitchen space in a van is tight, so everything earns its spot by being useful, stackable, or both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fridge decision matters most.<\/strong> We’ve owned a 220V inverter fridge and now a 3-way fridge (works on gas, electricity, or 12V), and the 3-way wins for us \u2014 it’s more efficient and barely touches the van battery. The trade-off: on 12V alone it doesn’t cool as well, but on gas or mains power it’s excellent. Browse 3-way and portable fridges<\/a> \u2014 we go deeper on every type in our guide to portable fridges for travel<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cooking setup:<\/strong> we’ve gone from a flat Campingaz on cartridges, to a single-burner stove on a propane cylinder, to a built-in stove in the Jumper. The flat version is more stable on a table; the cylinder-fed burner has more power<\/a> \u2014 buy it a cheap base if it feels wobbly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Portable BBQ:<\/strong> we switched from charcoal to gas because charcoal grills are now banned in a growing number of European spots (some campsites too). Our Weber Q1200<\/a> is light, powerful, works on both cartridge and cylinder gas, and folds down small \u2014 great for four people. Looking for something cheaper? This portable gas grill<\/a> does the job.<\/p>\n\n\n For couples:<\/strong> skip the full dinner set and pack two of everything good instead of four of everything basic \u2014 two real mugs, a moka pot for proper coffee, a pour-over coffee maker<\/a> if you’re picky about coffee, and a moka\/Italian coffee maker<\/a> if you want it strong.<\/p>\n\n\n Kitchen checklist:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Pantry staples:<\/strong> spices\/salt\/pepper\/oil\/vinegar (starter spice kit<\/a>), butter, cereal, mayo\/ketchup\/mustard, eggs, bread, pasta, sugar, jam or honey, canned tuna and preserves, plus water, beer, wine, and soft drinks.<\/p>\n\n\n This is the category people underestimate most \u2014 and the one that ruins a trip fastest if you get it wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The toilet question:<\/strong> we prefer a portable toilet<\/a>. In the Trafic it sat in the middle of the van; the Jumper has a closed bathroom, which is a real upgrade for privacy. Either way, you need the blue chemical liquid or treatment tabs<\/a> \u2014 roughly 150ml of liquid to 1.5L of water \u2014 and you should empty it every 2-3 days regardless of what the fill indicator says. Best-selling option on Amazon: the Thetford Porta Potti<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Use regular toilet paper and bin it rather than the dissolving toilet paper made for chemical toilets<\/a> \u2014 it works but costs more, and regular paper in the trash is simpler.<\/p>\n\n\n Health & checklist:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sweep after every meal \u2014 it’s the single best habit for keeping bugs out of a small space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sleep quality makes or breaks a long trip \u2014 don’t cheap out here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We started with sleeping bags<\/a> and a winter duvet in the Trafic. The Jumper has a fixed bed, so now it’s sheets and a proper duvet<\/a> \u2014 not having to set up and break down the bed daily is a genuine quality-of-life upgrade if you can swing a van with a fixed layout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For couples specifically:<\/strong> a memory foam mattress topper<\/a> on top of your existing van mattress is one of the best money-for-comfort upgrades you can make for long trips together \u2014 sized for two, not a backpacker’s single pad. If you’re starting from scratch, look at a proper RV-sized mattress<\/a> sized to your weight, not the cheapest one that fits the frame. Round it out with pillows and a thin summer blanket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For couples:<\/strong> this is the category worth spending a little more thought on. A two-person hammock<\/a> outside the van turns a random pull-over spot into an actual evening activity. A deck of cards, a travel-size game, or a small Bluetooth speaker costs nothing in van space and pays off on every quiet night with no signal.<\/p>\n\n\n Pack for comfort first, activities second \u2014 check the forecast before you decide on a coat or raincoat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Five rules that actually save space:<\/strong> stick to solid colors that mix and match; pack only wrinkle-resistant, machine-washable fabrics; if you love a piece, bring a backup in another color rather than a different style; leave at home anything you rarely wear at home; and skip white \u2014 it doesn’t survive van life. Re-wearing the same things twice is normal, not something to pack around.<\/p>\n\n\n If the van’s been sitting, check it properly: tires, water, oil, battery, AC, fire extinguisher. Check the cylinder has gas and the back is clean and ready. Confirm your papers are current \u2014 registration, insurance, roadworthiness inspection if your country requires one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For yourselves: ID or passport, health card, travel insurance<\/a>, cash, cards. Make any reservations you need in advance, install an app like Park4Night for finding overnight spots, and carry some cash alongside your cards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A notebook and pen are worth packing too \u2014 useful as a simple trip log and for jotting down what you’ve run out of before it becomes an emergency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Are you packing anything else? Tell us in the comments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Packing for a camper van, RV, or motorhome trip is different from packing a suitcase \u2014 space is limited, everything needs a place, and the things you forget are the things you’ll miss most. This list comes from years of actually living it: we’ve traveled in a Renault Trafic with a portable toilet in the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17593,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"no","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[268,403],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18215","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-roadtrip-en","category-travelling-by-van"],"modified_by":"Veronica","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/touristear.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18215","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/touristear.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/touristear.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/touristear.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/touristear.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18215"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/touristear.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18215\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":85719,"href":"https:\/\/touristear.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18215\/revisions\/85719"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/touristear.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17593"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/touristear.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18215"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/touristear.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18215"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/touristear.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18215"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Food & Cooking\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"portable](\"https:\/\/touristear.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/que-llevar-en-furgoneta-camper-800x600.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"coffee](\"https:\/\/touristear.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/cafetera-de-capsulas-para-autocaravana-788x600.jpg\")
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/touristear.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/fer-touristear-cocinando-en-la-furgo.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nHygiene & Health <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"go](\"https:\/\/touristear.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/potty-furgoneta-camper-autocaravana-800x600.jpg\")
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Cleaning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Camper](\"https:\/\/touristear.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/camper-van-essentials-what-to-pack-400x600.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nSleeping<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Tools & Safety<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Camping Extras <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/touristear.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/que-llevar-en-tu-viaje-en-furgoneta-camper.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nElectronic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Clothing and footwear<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Tropicfeel](\"https:\/\/touristear.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/tropicfeel-shoes-800x532.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nWhat NOT to Bring <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Before You Leave: Pre-Trip Checklist <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Plan Your Trip in Camper Van<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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![\"What](\"https:\/\/touristear.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/what-to-pack-camper-van-2-400x600.jpg\")
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