Campervan Essentials: Stress-Free Travel Packing Checklist

Campervans are easy to pack up and go quickly as you have your cab and habitation area all in the same vehicle. And, due to their smaller scale, campervans can reach destinations that larger motorhomes struggle with (think city centres or winding country lanes). Campervanning is just convenient.

However, all of that convenience does come in a slightly smaller package than the other recreational vehicle types. This means one thing: you have to get really good at packing.

So, what should you focus on to take for your trip? How can you make it easier for yourself to remember? And does what you need to take differ by the type of destination you’re heading for? Here’s our ultimate campervan essentials list of what to pack to ensure you have a stress-free holiday.

Your campervan packing list

Some of the most important items to take with you are the correct documents.

Depending on where you are going, you may need a variety of documents relating to yourselves or the campervan. If you are going abroad, different countries have different requirements, so check before you go that you have all the details you need to hand.

Some items you may be able to take digitally on your phone or laptop and some may need to be a printed copy. However you do this, make sure you have access to a backup in case of any accidental losses.

Below is a list of things that you might need to consider, but this should be tailored to your holiday and the items you will need to bring with you.

• Driving Licence
• Passport
• GHIC Health Card
• Campervan Insurance Details
• EU Travel Pack if needed
• Any tickets and passes needed
• Booking confirmations from campsites
• Any documents from the hire company if you are hiring the campervan
• Travel insurance documents
• Vaccination records if required
• Campervan service record
• Campervan user manual
• Breakdown Service contact details
• Disability badges
• Emergency contact details
• Any additional documents required for a country you are travelling to

And it’s always handy to have a paper map in case of emergencies, spare keys, some change in the local currency for tolls and service stations and a waterproof folder to store all your documents in

Your Money

You won’t get very far on any holiday without taking a way to pay for all the things you want to do with you.

Top 3 things to consider:

• Rural areas: Even if you’re heading away from it all, you may need to consider paying for things like ferries and toll roads—and remember, these kinds of places may only take cash!
• Payment method: If you’re travelling abroad, you’ll need to think about what payment methods are accepted. Most places that take cards will accept Visa and Mastercard, but if you use another type of card like American Express, make sure you have a backup in case this isn’t widely accepted.
• Environmental travel zones: Consider whether where you want to travel to has emissions zones in places that you may need to pay for (think London’s Low Emission Zone). Also, do your research to check the rules on campervans in the countries you are travelling to – including where you can park, stay overnight, and any driving regulations.

What to pack:

• Credit card
• Debit card
• Cash
• Toll badges

What are the best entertainment items to bring on a campervan trip?

While it’s not the end of the world if you forget your personal electronics when hitting the road, it could be costly to replace them. So make sure you pack any of the relevant essentials below.

• Phone + Charger
• Watch / Smartwatch + Charger
• Camera + Charger
• Tablet/Laptop + Charger
• Sat Nav + Charger (Note: the Bailey Endeavour comes with a built-in sat nav in the cab)
• Radio
• USB hub
• Music player + Charger
• Bluetooth speaker + Charger
• Headphone/Earphones + Charger
• Power bank (for life outside of your campervan)
• Solar charger (If you often go on all-day outings like hikes, this can be a great back-up option to a fully-charged power bank).
• Walkie talkies + Charger (If you’re travelling in a convoy, these can be a fun and efficient way to stay in touch between vehicles while on the road!
• Dash cam + Charge
• Torch / Head torch + Charger or batteries (These can be especially useful when staying in remote places, or on a campsite when you want to use the toilet block at night)

Your Personal Care Items

When you travel in your campervan, you travel with a washroom right by your side at all times. This means it’s easy to freshen up whenever you feel like it: before stepping out for the day, at the side of a road on a long journey, or immediately after getting back from a day of exploring.

• Any regular medication + spares
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Washcloths
• Toilet paper
• Glasses or contact lenses + spares
• Razor + Shaving cream
• Deodorant
• Shower gel
• Hairbrush
• Painkillers
• Bug spray
• Nail clippers + Nail scissors
• Hairdryer
• Soap
• Suncream
• After sun
• Lip balm
• Make-up
• Medicine
• Perfume
• Plasters
• First aid kit
• Shampoo + Conditioner
• Travel sickness patches
• Wet wipes

Does the camping location change what clothing you should bring?

While your campervan will be built to keep you cosy in even the harshest of cold environments, you’ll still need to keep yourself warm when out and about. Try to pack clothing that you can layer, is versatile (able to be worn on a hike or when eating out) and waterproof.

Here’s a list of the essential warmer clothing items to pack:

• Hat
• Scarf
• Gloves
• Thermal underlayers
• Raincoat
• Sweatshirts
• Warm boots
• Leggings
• Waterproof walking boots
• Warm and comfortable sleepwear

Your cold weather items

While keeping warm is very important, you need to make sure your warm clothes don’t make you too hot—especially if you’re planning a winter hike.

Buying clothes with moisture-wicking helps your body to regulate its temperature more easily. They work by taking any sweat you produce quickly from inside your clothing to the outside layer so it can more readily evaporate. This effect keeps you cooler for longer.

While many companies sell moisture-wicking clothing, places like The North Face, Regatta or Mountain Warehouse supply these kind of items and you can even find them on Amazon

On a similar note, it’s not just about what you wear in colder conditions but also the essential items you need to take with you to ensure you can still do all the activities you had planned. Here are some to consider:

• Frost scraper
• Insulated backpack
• Ski supplies
• Snow tyres & chains
• Antifrost screen cover
• De-icer spray
• Thermos flask for hot drinks
• Portable hand warmers

Your warm weather clothing

There’s nothing worse than the sun coming out and being stuck with nothing but jumpers and long trousers. So, while you may want to still pack these, make sure you have the following summer-ready clothing and items to hand should wherever you’re going suddenly get hot:

• Swimsuit
• Flip-flops
• Summer hat
• Parasol
• Mosquito net & repellent
• Ice cube tray
• Travel fan
• Sunscreen & aftersun
• Shorts
• Vests
• T-shirts
• Sunglasses

What essential items do you need to keep a campervan running?

You’ll need to keep your campervan serviced and topped up with the usual oil, water and tyre checks but also don’t forget the little things to make your trips run smoothly.

• Toilet chemicals
• First aid kit
• Hi-visibility vests or jackets
• Adapters (preferably world travel adapter)
• Wheel clamp
• Maps
• Oil and coolant
• Levelling ramps
• Parking disc if needed
• Disposable gloves and disinfectant
• Hand-held vacuum
• Warning triangle
• Awning
• Washing line
• Doormat
• Disposable gloves and disinfectant
• Spare light bulbs
• Emissions sticker if driving in a country that requires them

Your Campsite Essentials

While many campsites have a lot of amenities, there’s often nothing quite like using your own things. Here’s a list of some of the essentials to take with you to any campsite for the best possible holiday:

• Flashlight
• Pocket knife
• Camping table and chairs
• Lamp
• Hammock
• Pillows
• Pillowcases
• Sheets
• Packing cubes
• Spare blanket
• Mattress topper
• Picnic blanket
• Chair cushions
• Barbecue
• Barbecue tongs
• Firepit + wood
• Dustpan and brush
• Tablecloth
• Washline + pegs
• Laundry basket

Your Fun Essentials

You wouldn’t be going on holiday if it wasn’t fun, entertaining, relaxing, exciting or all of them combined. So, to make sure your holiday is as enjoyable as possible—even during the quieter moments—you’ll want to take some of your hobby-like items away with you. Consider taking:

• Kite
• Football/ volleyball/ baseball
• Board games
• Cards
• Colouring/sketchbook + pencils
• Bikes
• Game console
• Books/ e-reader
• Toys/ floaties for the swimming pool
• Newspapers/magazines
• Journal
• Camping gear (If you’re heading off for a night away from your vehicle. This could include things like a gas bottle, sleeping bags, solar shower and porta potti)

Your Kitchen Essentials

A great perk of a campervan holiday is being able to cook your own meals—even if you’re in the middle of nowhere. So, below is a list of essential kitchen items to take with you:

• Lighter/ matches
• Drying rack
• Corkscrew + bottle opener
• Rubbish bin + bags
• Sponge/ scrubbing brush
• Dish soap
• Washing up liquid
• Tin opener
• Plates
• Bowls
• Cups/ glasses
• Cutlery
• Scouring pads
• Tea towel
• Hand towel
• Cutting board
• Sandwich bags / tupperware
• Bucket
• Coolbox
• Cooling blocks
• Coffee/ tea/ sugar/ milk
• Kettle
• Teapot
• Thermos
• Coffee appliance
• Measuring jug
• Cookware
• Coasters
• Pans
• Scissors
• Salt, pepper & more herbs
• Water bottle

Campervan Holiday Packing List FAQs

Beginners need to consider things like how to load their campervan, set up the electrics, and what to do when they first arrive on site.

While it sounds like there’s a lot to get to grips with, it’s all straightforward, and you can learn about everything in order in the Bailey Beginner’s Guide to Campervanning here.

The amount you can take in your campervan depends on three things:

• Your max payload capacity: Your campervan has  a payload weight (the total of all the items you can carry in it) that it is not legally allowed to exceed. So the amount you can take with you is limited in terms of weight. Learn more about this here.

• The amount of room: Your campervan has a finite amount of space available, so some really bulky items may not fit and you’ll have to consider leaving them at home.

• Your own desires: Some people like to travel light, whereas others prefer to have as many of their items with them as possible. So, once you account for the payload and the physical space, the rest is up to you.

Next step: Heading off in your campervan

Now you know all of the essential items for your campervan holiday, the next step is to grab them all and go.

Remember to pay attention to your campervan’s payload and keep within the limits.

Want to see the current range of Bailey campervans available? Head over to here to see which one suits your needs