Key points
- Start with how you live, not with a shopping list. Your habits decide what power, water and storage you need.
- Power and water first: they decide how long you can stay off-grid.
- Don't skip the safety basics: a fire extinguisher, a smoke and carbon monoxide alarm, first aid plus a snake and spider bite kit, and a way to deal with a flat.
- Australia is different: plan for heat, long distances, red dust and wildlife. If you do drive around sunrise, sunset or at night, take your time and keep an extra eye out for wildlife.
- Everything here comes from life in Ron. Where something has only been recommended to us, we say so.
Van life checklist: a quick campervan packing list
The short version, based on what we actually use in Ron. Each item links to the section that explains why.
- Power: batteries, a way to charge while driving, and solar
- A 15A caravan power lead for powered sites
- A drinking-water-safe hose and an inline filter
- Drinking water, plus a portable container for filling by hand
- Two ways to cook: gas and electric
- A fridge that suits how you shop
- Fans, a windscreen shade and a way to stay warm
- A portable toilet
- A flynet for the door
- Fire extinguisher
- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarm
- First aid kit plus a snake and spider bite kit
- Tyre inflator and a full-size spare
- Basic tool kit, jumper cables and a head torch
- A camping app for finding camps, water and dump points
- Levelling ramps
- Awning anchors
- Spare fuel for remote stretches
- Sunscreen and insect repellent
Power: work out what you need before you buy
Power is the thing that decides how long you can stay off-grid, and staying off-grid longer means more money for travel. Before you look at a single battery, think about how you live. Proper coffee? Electric cooking? Working from the van? The answers decide the size of the system.
What to think about
- Your big power users. Coffee machines, induction hobs, mini ovens and air-con all draw a lot. If you want to run them off-grid, you need a decent inverter and enough battery to back it up.
- Charging while you drive. A DC-DC charger tops up your batteries from the alternator. After a long drive, we often pull up with ours at 100%.
- Solar. The one thing we'd change about Ron? More solar. Our system could handle more panels, and more solar means more nights off-grid.
- A backup for cloudy days. One night on a powered site and we're back to 100%. You'll need a 15A caravan power lead for that, and you can pick one up at most hardware and camping shops.
We've written up exactly how Ron's system fits together, from the lithium batteries to the 240V side, in our campervan power setup guide. If you're planning a build or buying a converted van, start there.
Water: drinking, washing and filling up
Ron has a 95-litre freshwater tank underneath. We use it mainly for washing up and washing ourselves, and we filter everything that goes in with a simple inline filter. We don't drink from the tank. Instead, we always carry 10-litre boxes of drinking water from the supermarket.
We also carry a portable 10-litre water container, and it's one of the most useful things we own. Plenty of potable water stations don't take a hose, so something you can fill by hand makes life much easier. You can pick one up at most camping shops in Australia.
What we've learnt
- Use a drinking-water-safe hose. A normal garden hose isn't made for water you're going to drink or cook with.
- Filter what goes in. Water quality varies a lot around Australia, and a filter gives you peace of mind.
- Know where to refill. We turn on the water filling point and dump point layers in WikiCamps, so we can plan where to top up and where to empty.
- Grey water goes in a dump point. Never empty it on the ground at camp.
- Showers don't have to happen in the van. Ron only has cold water, but we chase the sun, so it's never been an issue. Most beaches have public showers, and leisure centres are a cheap option.
Kitchen: cooking without draining everything
The trick with a van kitchen is having more than one way to cook. We cook on gas when we're off-grid, and on an induction hob when we're plugged in, so the gas lasts longer. Electric cooking is lovely, but it's a big draw on your batteries, so it pays to have a gas option for off-grid nights.
The fridge is the one thing you can't really compromise on. Our dual-zone fridge freezer has been tried and tested for two years, and we'd build one into any future van. A full weekly shop fits in one half. We run that side as a fridge and use the other side for dry storage, which saves power.
- Think about storage before gadgets. Space is tight, so every appliance needs a home that won't rattle while you drive.
- Skip the butane if you can. We use a rechargeable lighter, and it doesn't cost us anything to top up.
- Treat yourself to one luxury. For us that's good coffee. There's nothing better than quality coffee in the middle of nowhere, but plan your power around it.
Cooking on gas safely
Ron has a pull-out, so most of the time we cook outside. We have cooked inside too, and the cooker we use makes a big difference: it isn't a typical portable camping stove.
- Ours is a caravan-rated cooker. Our Lido Junior is the caravan model (59LC-2). It's designed for indoor or outdoor use in caravans and RVs, it's a low-pressure LPG appliance with a flame failure safety shutoff, and it's certified for use in Australia (Bromic: Lido Junior Caravan deluxe 2-burner with grill).
- It's connected with the right fittings. It needs its own hose and regulator, and we use the correct ones. We can also turn the gas off at the hose.
- We keep the air moving. If we're cooking inside, the MaxxAir roof fan goes on and the windows open.
So before you ever cook inside, check your own stove's label and manual say it's made for indoor or caravan use. If it's an outdoor-only stove, it stays outside, every time. Make sure it's connected with the right hose and regulator, keep the van well ventilated, and check connections for leaks with soapy water: bubbles or a smell of gas mean a leak, so turn the gas off and don't use it until it's fixed. Fixed gas work in a van has to be done by a licensed gas fitter. And because carbon monoxide is colourless and odourless, a carbon monoxide alarm is worth having in any van with gas on board (WA Building and Energy).
Sleeping well: the bed, the heat and the light
Ron has a custom pull-out bed that takes a double mattress. Two inserts slot into the pull-out section to make a nice wide, full-length bed, and Luke's about 6ft and fits in it fine. If you're tall, lie down in a van before you buy it.
After that, a good night's sleep in a van is mostly about temperature and light. Ron came with some amazing built-in blinds, so privacy is sorted. If your van doesn't have them, a windscreen shade is a good place to start. Ours is a custom job, folded and taped to fit, but it works, and it keeps the heat out of the cab too.
Keeping cool and keeping warm
- Airflow beats air-con. A roof fan pulls hot air out, and we can leave ours open when it rains without getting wet. Paired with a 12V fan, it keeps us cool on warm nights.
- Save air-con for mains power. It eats battery, so we only run ours when we're plugged in, mostly in the Top End.
- Don't forget the cold. Australia gets properly chilly in places. Our diesel heater has never let us down. Change the fuel filter every now and again.
Cleaning, flies and the loo
A small space gets messy fast, so little and often is our approach. A compact dustpan and brush and a cordless hand vac come out most days. Ours shares a battery with our cordless tool kit, which saves space.
Flies are the other battle. A flynet on the side door means we can have the doors open while keeping the pesky flies out. Ours came with the van, and some stick-on magnetic tape fixed it properly.
Do you need a toilet?
We'd say yes. Some campsites without their own toilets require you to have one, and ours has saved us on the odd occasion. A portable toilet is super easy to empty at a dump point, and it means you've got more choice about where you stay.
Plan a powered site every so often and you can catch up on washing, charging and a proper shower in one go.
Safety: the things you hope you'll never need
It's better to have it and never need it than not have it when you do.
- A fire extinguisher, somewhere you can grab it quickly.
- A smoke and carbon monoxide alarm. It matters in a van with a diesel heater and a gas cooker on board. Hot tip: don't cook near it, as they don't like steam!
- A first aid kit, plus a snake and spider bite kit. In Australia, always carry both.
- A tyre inflator and a full-size spare. Our inflator is peace of mind when we're a long way from a servo.
- A basic tool kit and jumper cables. The tool kit has saved us more than once. The jumper cables are still sitting good as new in their bag, just in case.
- A head torch. For dark trips to the campground toilets, surprise mechanical problems or finding something under the sink. It comes out far more than we expected.
You can pick up a snake and spider bite kit at Bunnings. A tyre repair kit is next on our list.
How to use a snake bite kit
A bite kit only helps if you know what to do with it. The official first aid advice (healthdirect: snake bites and ANZCOR guideline 9.4.1: Australian snake bite):
- Call 000 and ask for an ambulance. If 000 doesn't work on your mobile, try 112.
- Keep the person still and calm, and apply a pressure immobilisation bandage, following the instructions in your kit.
- Don't wash the bite, cut it, try to suck the venom out, use a tourniquet, or try to catch or kill the snake.
The Royal Flying Doctor Service also suggests doing a first aid course before a big trip (Royal Flying Doctor Service: preparing to travel).
Staying connected and finding camps
We work from the van, so signal matters more to us than to most. People warned us about how remote the Outback is. We never had to worry, because with Starlink on the roof we always had signal in an emergency. If we did it again, we'd go for a Starlink Mini, as it draws less power. On the mobile network, Optus has been great for us.
If you're not working on the road, you may not need satellite internet at all. Think about how remote you'll really go.
For finding camps, WikiCamps is a must-have. The money it's saved us on free camping alone makes the fee worth it. We also check fuel prices every time we fill up. There's more in our guide to the best van life apps in Australia and our free camping guide.
Setting up camp and life outdoors
The first thing we do at a new spot is level the van. We use our levelling ramps every time we park up. They've lasted over two years, and they even got us out of a rough spot once. Then the awning comes out, and the outdoors becomes our living room.
- Respect the wind. We learnt the hard way how strong Aussie breezes can be. Now we hold the awning down with heavy-duty screw-in anchors and bungee cords.
- Choose furniture that packs small. Our camp table folds so small it takes almost no space, and our chairs aren't anything fancy, but they work for us.
- Stop the rattles. After lots of bangs in the back while we were driving, double-sided sticky pads saved the day.
- Bring the thing that gets you outside. For us that's an inflatable paddle board. It packs down in the boot, and compared with renting boards it's paid for itself.
See everything we use on our gear page, from the awning to the camp chairs.
The Aussie extras: heat, distance, red dust and wildlife
Most van life lists are written for Europe or the US. Australia asks a bit more of you and your van, so these are the campervan essentials for Australia that made the difference for us.
Heat
Shade first, then airflow, as we cover in sleeping well. Air-con is for the Top End on mains power. On days that hot, you want to be somewhere with a pool anyway!
And wear sunscreen! We use a zinc sunscreen, and we'd always recommend wearing sunscreen in Australia. The sun here is no joke.
Remote stretches
We filled a 25-litre jerry can for the Stuart Highway and never needed it, but we'd still carry it. Fill up when you can, and check your fuel stops before you set off. Don't believe everything Google Maps says on rural roads. If a route doesn't look right, find another.
The distances in Australia are huge, and long driving days can creep up on you. The good news is that Australia is really well set up with rest areas, so plan your breaks around them. If you're feeling tired, don't risk it. You're much better off having a power nap and arriving at your destination safe.
We don't carry a PLB (personal locator beacon) or satellite messenger, but it's been recommended to us for emergencies, and it's a solid point: a PLB doesn't rely on you being in the van with enough power to run Starlink. If we were heading back into remote areas, we wouldn't hesitate to get one.
Before a remote drive, the Royal Flying Doctor Service's checklist is worth a read (Royal Flying Doctor Service: preparing to travel). Store water in smaller containers rather than one big tank, not to rely on waterholes, bores or troughs, to carry enough food for two days, and to bring your medication, repeat scripts and a summary of your medical history. Our water setup is in Water. If you break down in the Outback, the official advice is to always stay with your vehicle and never wander off (Discover Central Australia: driving information). How 000 works when you have no signal is in our apps guide.
Red dust
Honestly, red dust inside Ron wasn't the battle we expected. We swept and cleaned the floor a fair bit, but Ron has laminate flooring, so it's easy to keep on top of. If you're choosing a van, a wipe-clean floor is worth a lot. The outside is another story. Ron has been wearing a coat of red dirt for months and is well overdue a good wash!
Wildlife
One of the first bits of advice we got in Australia was to avoid driving around sunrise and sunset, or at night, and we try to stick to it whenever we can. That's when so many animals come out, including big roos that can do a lot of damage. We never invested in a bull bar, and honestly, we love the wildlife far too much to want to hurt it. So we plan our driving days so we're set up in camp in daylight, which takes the stress out of arriving somewhere new. If you do end up driving around sunrise, sunset or after dark, slow down and keep an extra eye out for wildlife.
Up north and on the coast, be ready for mozzies and sandflies. A flynet and insect repellent go a long way.
What we don't carry (yet)
Being honest about this matters. Ron is a 2WD, and we stick to sealed roads and firm tracks, so we don't carry recovery boards or other recovery gear apart from our levelling ramps.
We don't have a tyre repair kit yet, but it's on our list. We don't carry a PLB either, though we'd get one before heading back into remote areas. Other van lifers have also suggested a jump starter, spare fuses, a warning triangle and hi-vis vest, and an emergency blanket. They're on our gear page, marked as recommended to us and not tested by us.
Van life essentials: FAQs
What are the essentials for van life in Australia?
For us: reliable power, a way to fill and filter water, plenty of drinking water, levelling ramps, a portable toilet, the safety basics (fire extinguisher, smoke and carbon monoxide alarm, first aid and a snake and spider bite kit) and good ventilation for the heat.
What safety gear should you carry in a campervan in Australia?
We carry a fire extinguisher, a smoke and carbon monoxide alarm, first aid and a snake and spider bite kit, a tyre inflator, a full-size spare, jumper cables, a tool kit and a head torch.
How much water do you carry in your van?
Ron has a 95-litre tank, which we filter and use for washing up and washing ourselves. We don't drink from it. For drinking, we always carry 10-litre boxes of water from the supermarket, plus a portable 10-litre container for potable water stations that don't take a hose.
Do you need a PLB for van life in Australia?
We don't carry one, but it's been recommended to us for emergencies. Unlike Starlink, it doesn't rely on you being in the van with enough power. We'd get one before heading back into remote areas.
Should you drive at night in Outback Australia?
We try not to. One of the first bits of advice we got was to avoid driving around sunrise and sunset, or at night, because that's when so many animals come out, including big roos that can do a lot of damage. We aim to be set up in camp before dark, which keeps the evenings stress-free. If you do drive then, take your time and keep an extra eye out for wildlife.
How do you stay safe on long drives in Australia?
The distances here are huge, so plan your breaks around rest areas. Australia is really well set up with them. If you're feeling tired, don't risk it: you're much better off having a power nap and arriving at your destination safe.
Do you need a portable toilet for van life in Australia?
We'd say yes. Some campsites without toilets require you to have one, and it's easy to empty at a dump point.
How do you get internet in remote Australia?
We have Starlink mounted on the roof, so we've always had signal in an emergency, even in the Outback. On the mobile network, Optus has been great for us.
How do you keep a van cool in the Australian heat?
Shade from the awning and a windscreen shade, then airflow from a roof fan and a 12V fan. We only run our portable air-con on mains power, mostly in the Top End. And wherever you are, wear sunscreen.
Do you need a 4WD for van life in Australia?
We don't have one. Ron is a 2WD Renault Master, and we stick to sealed roads and firm tracks.
Got a question we haven't answered? Ask us a question.
Before you buy a van
Our best advice: get a mechanical inspection before you buy.
We had one done on Ron, our 2018 Renault Master, and he was the soundest van we looked at. Meet Ron.
Buying on a working holiday visa? Our guide to buying a campervan in Australia on a working holiday visa covers rego, CTP, roadworthies and PPSR checks.
Want to see the van in more detail?
An updated van tour is coming soon.
Fees, rules and opening hours were correct as of 02/11/2026 — always double-check before you go.