Motorhome packing list: what you really need

Most first motorhome trips begin with the same question: what actually needs to come along? Space on board is limited, so is the maximum permitted weight – and yet nothing important should be missing once you are on the pitch. This packing list is sorted by area, the way you tend to pack anyway: first what the vehicle needs, then kitchen, sleeping and bathroom, and finally the things for days out.

The list matches the default packing list in road-trip.info. In the app it adapts to your vehicle automatically – a campervan needs different things from a car and caravan. This article focuses on the classic motorhome.

Vehicle outside and pitch

These are the things you will miss quickly on site. They belong in the outside locker or the rear garage, ideally always in the same spot.

• Levelling ramps (2): Hardly any pitch is flat. With ramps the vehicle stands level – important for sleeping and especially for absorption fridges, which cool less well when tilted.
• Spirit level: to see whether the ramps are enough.
• Water hose for drinking water and a tap adapter set: connections at service points vary a lot.
• Watering can or collapsible water carrier: for service points without a suitable tap.
• Hook-up cable (CEE), 25 m and a CEE to household plug adapter: the length helps when the power bollard is further away.
• Gas bottles (2) – for motorhomes with a gas system – and, if needed, a gas adapter for the country you are visiting. German gas bottles often cannot be exchanged abroad; if you buy a local bottle there, you usually need a matching adapter. Our list includes one for France – for other countries it is best to check before you go.
• Pads for the levelling jacks, if your motorhome has hydraulic or electric jacks.
• Waste water hose.
• Work gloves – you will be glad of them when emptying the cassette at the latest.
• Warning triangles and hi-vis vests as well as a spare bulb kit. In Germany, a warning triangle, a hi-vis vest and a first-aid kit are mandatory. Other countries have their own requirements – check what your destination country expects before you go, for example with a motoring club.
• Crit'Air sticker and a toll tag/Télépéage if you are driving to France. You need the sticker in French low-emission zones and during smog-related driving bans; which cities are affected keeps changing – check before you go.

Tools and spare parts

This is not about a complete workshop, but about the small helpers that can save a trip:

• A toolbox with the basics
• Duct tape and cable ties
• A fuse set
• A torch or head torch
• Jump leads
• A tyre pressure gauge and an air compressor
• A spare vehicle key – ideally kept separately from the main key
• A folding spade and a tow rope
• Silicone or sealant for small emergency repairs

Outdoors and camping furniture

A good part of life on the pitch happens outside. Plan realistically: two chairs and a table are enough for two people; a third chair for guests is more of a luxury.

• Camping chairs and a camping table
• An outdoor rug in front of the door – it keeps sand and grass out of the vehicle
• Storm straps and pegs for the awning
• A washing line and pegs
• Fairy lights or a lantern
• A barbecue with charcoal or a gas cartridge
• A windbreak
• Bikes with locks

Kitchen and crockery

In the on-board kitchen it pays to start with less. Whatever you have not used after the first week can stay at home next time.

• Crockery (plates, bowls), cutlery, glasses and mugs
• Pots and a frying pan, cooking utensils and a spatula
• A chopping board and knives
• A coffee maker or stovetop espresso pot, a kettle
• A tin and bottle opener, a corkscrew
• Food storage boxes, foil and freezer bags
• Washing-up liquid, a sponge and tea towels
• A lighter or long lighter
• Gas cartridges, if you cook on a cartridge stove

In road-trip.info, food and drinks are not on the packing list – they have their own sections, where you can also see what is left and what you should buy.

Living and sleeping

• Bed linen, duvets and pillows
• A throw blanket for cool evenings
• Slippers
• Earplugs and sleep masks – on some sites they help a lot
• Clothes hangers
• Non-slip mats for cupboards and shelves, so that nothing rattles on the road

Bathroom and toilet

• Fast-dissolving toilet paper and toilet chemicals or sanitary fluid for the on-board toilet
• Hand towels, bath or beach towels
• Shower gel, shampoo, toothbrushes and toothpaste, deodorant
• A hairbrush or comb, a razor
• Sun cream
• Flip-flops for the campsite showers

First aid and medicines

The first-aid kit is packed quickly and hopefully hardly needed. What makes sense for you – for example with children or existing conditions – is best discussed with your doctor or pharmacist.

• Personal medication – enough for the whole trip
• Painkillers
• Plasters and bandages
• Disinfectant
• Insect repellent
• Remedies for diarrhoea or an upset stomach
• A thermometer
• A tick remover
• After-sun or cooling gel

Clothing

In a motorhome, layers beat bulky single items. Mornings and evenings can be chilly even in summer.

• T-shirts, jumpers or fleeces, trousers
• Underwear and socks
• A rain jacket and a warm jacket
• Hiking boots and sandals
• Swimwear
• A hat and scarf
• Sunglasses
• Nightwear

Tech and power

• Phone chargers and a power bank
• An extension socket
• A 12 V USB adapter for charging while driving
• A sat nav or phone holder
• Headphones
• A camera and memory cards
• A tablet or e-reader
• A mobile Wi-Fi router or data SIM if you want to work or stream on the road

Documents and money

Tick off this category last and especially carefully.

• ID cards or passports
• Driving licences
• The vehicle registration document
• Insurance card or breakdown cover
• Health insurance cards
• Cash and credit cards
• Camping cards such as ACSI or France Passion, if you use them
• Booking confirmations
• Emergency numbers and copies of important documents

Whether your destination country requires additional documents is best checked in advance, for example in your government's official travel advice.

Cleaning and household

• A dustpan and brush
• Bin bags
• Cleaning cloths, microfibre cloths and an all-purpose cleaner
• Kitchen roll
• Travel-size laundry detergent and a laundry bag
• A doormat

Leisure

• Books, games or playing cards
• Guidebooks and maps
• Binoculars
• A daypack for day trips
• Water bottles
• A beach shelter or parasol

Three packing tips

Keep an eye on the weight. Every motorhome has a maximum permitted weight. Water in the tank, gas, bikes and luggage add up quickly. If you are unsure, you can have the loaded vehicle weighed on a public weighbridge – best ask in advance where this is possible near you.

Heavy things low down. Tools, drinks and tins belong as low as possible and close to the axle, light things higher up. The vehicle drives more smoothly, and the overhead lockers rattle less.

Give everything a fixed place. If the hook-up cable, ramps and hose always live in the same spot, you will find them in the dark – and you will notice straight away when something is missing as you leave.

The packing list in road-trip.info

In road-trip.info you load this list as the packing list for your trip with one tap. It follows what you entered under “Our motorhome” – for example whether you have an awning, a gas system or a toilet on board. You can add and delete items and tick them off together; everyone can see who has already packed what. After the trip you reset the ticks and the list is ready for the next tour.

And once everything is in the vehicle: before you drive off, the departure check helps make sure ramps, cables and chairs are not left behind on the pitch.