Packing up a motorhome or campervan? Unsure what you want or the place to place all of it so issues are secure? Don’t fear, we’re obtained you covered- right here’s every little thing you have to know, in addition to a FREE motorhome packing checklist so that you can use.
*We work exhausting to make this the most effective motorhome journey weblog and highway journey web site potential, filled with useful content material for you. The web site is supported by our readers, so when you purchase by means of hyperlinks on this website we could earn a commission- at no further value to you. All opinions stay our personal.
Should you discover this publish helpful, you’ll be able to additionally deal with us to a espresso – we promise to get pleasure from it whereas creating extra helpful content material like this- we’d even bask in a biscuit (or two!)
Packing a motorhome- the issue
One of the vital frequent questions I get requested (aside from ‘what does motorhome payload imply and the way do I test?), is about packing a motorhome, campervan, or RV. As I’m positive you’ve realised, attempting to place ALL THE THINGS right into a small house will not be all the time straightforward! Not solely do you need to work out what to pack in your camper, however you additionally must be taught HOW to pack it.
It doesn’t matter whether or not you’re going touring round Europe for six weeks, or heading to the native campsite for a weekend, a poorly packed motorhome is at greatest noisy/ annoying and at worse harmful to drive.
(Should you’re nonetheless caught on the WHAT you want, right here’s an inventory of important motorhome equipment we extremely advocate you carry)
Nonetheless, upon getting every little thing you assume you would possibly want/ need piled in your spare bed room or storage, it’s time to start out placing all of it away.
The issue with not doing this correctly is what number of issues there are which might rattle and shake round if not saved accurately. Not solely is it annoying and distracting to hearken to that noise while driving, however issues might break, shake unfastened and even trigger imbalances to the automobile. Subsequently, it’s actually necessary to pack your motorhome correctly.
Motorhome Packing Errors
After residing and touring in a motorhome for a number of years, I’ve learnt some nice suggestions and tips to pack a motorhome, and I’m sharing all of them beneath. Once I purchased my first camper, I knew nothing. Completely nothing. I packed omy first van utterly fallacious! Boy did I do know it after I set off on my first trip- there have been creaks, bangs and noises EVERYWHERE!
I needed to be taught tips on how to cease rattles within the motorhome, tips on how to pack heavy issues low and tips on how to prepare lockers so I didn’t should empty them simply to get one thing within the again!
How do you load a motorhome? Assess your storage
You can find that you’ve ‘good lockers’ and ‘unhealthy lockers’ inside your camper. Good lockers are straightforward to entry, straightforward to see inside and simple to maintain organised. Unhealthy lockers are exhausting to entry/ exhausting to see inside and enormous sufficient for issues to get thrown in with none thought in any way, which makes them inconceivable to maintain tidy!
Unhealthy lockers may also have heating duct pipes/ wires/ switches and so on inside them, which suggests you have to take into consideration the sorts of objects you place into them.
Begin by figuring out your good/ unhealthy lockers, then acquire your gear and RV equipment collectively.
Take into consideration whenever you would possibly want the ‘stuff’ you’re placing away. For instance, you’re unlikely to wish a whisk or video games in an emergency, however you would possibly want some instruments, so preserve these in a extra accessible locker.
What is going to you want when? If the children are asleep, is there something below their bunks which you would possibly want within the night/ morning? What if one in every of you will get up early and the opposite likes a lie-in.
How you can pack a motorhome or campervan – the place to start out
One of many hardest issues is figuring out the place to start out.
TOP TIP: Do NOT begin along with your fairly throw cushions or blankets or bedding… you’ll be transferring them out of the best way always while you do every little thing else.
I like to recommend you begin on the backside and work your method up. By that I imply begin with under-seat lockers and begin with the most important gadgets, which might’t be put wherever else, like a motorhome generator in case you have one or instruments/ spares.
- Begin along with your heavy/ awkward equipment (Mills, out of doors furnishings, tables, snow chains and so on) When you have a storage or out of doors storage field, this could be pretty straightforward, however for a lot of motorhomes, it requires fascinated about your lockers fastidiously
- Attempt to preserve comparable gadgets in the identical place, so yow will discover issues simply.
- Subsequent, collect all of your kitchenware/ crockery/ utensils/ plates and so on collectively. Attempt to put them in locations which make sense, however retains issues safe.
- Shield your heating ducts. You don’t wish to retailer any scorching/ perishable meals subsequent to those pipes, as they’ll get very popular. You additionally don’t need heavy gadgets to fall inside a cabinet or locker and squish the duct- that may be an costly restore.
Watch me packing a motorhome…
Some time in the past I filmed me packing our motorhome utterly from scratch. (Should you’ve obtained/ are getting a brand new van, or fancy some spring cleansing, you would possibly discover it helpful to observe.)
Within the video, you’ll see me beginning with the issues I’ll want most steadily and placing them someplace straightforward to get to.
We hope you discovered the video helpful. Should you did, why not observe us on Youtube. We share new movies with suggestions for motorhoming and campervanning within the UK and Europe weekly, plus highway journey concepts and epic locations.
Packing Motorhome Suggestions- don’t panic!
Okay, whenever you start placing issues away, there’s a excessive likelihood your camper might be utter chaos. Don’t panic- I’ll get by means of this within the subsequent hour or two and it’ll begin to really feel much more below management.
That is NOT the time to start out shoving stuff into lockers and hiding all of it away- that may solely trigger confusion and frustration afterward and also you’ll discover vanlife a lot harder. That is whenever you ship the children, canine (and presumably husband!) out for ice cream or a looooooooooooong stroll.
Then put some music or a podcast on, take your time and picture residing within the campervan for every week/ month/ full time. (These are our favorite highway journey songs to sing alongside to!)
Take into consideration weight distribution
Totally different to payload, it’s necessary to think about steadiness while packing.
When you have a generator or one thing actually heavy, don’t retailer it in the identical locker and even on the identical facet as all of your tins.
Speaking of tins, don’t retailer a number of unfastened issues like that in a locker with one thing you have to take out steadily, like out of doors chairs or a BBQ. You’ll discover having to take away 50 tins to get issues out a ache within the bottom!
What must you pack in a motorhome kitchen?
Fortunately, a lot of the issues I take advantage of within the kitchen within the motorhome are precisely the identical stuff you’d use at house. As a really transient information, you want:
Plates, bowls, mugs, glasses, cutlery, condiments, utensils, TIN OPENER, BOTTLE OPENER, tea towels, washing up stuff, bin baggage (doesn’t should be the large black ones- I discover the smaller pedal bin measurement are sometimes higher), kitchen roll, frying pan, saucepan, kettle, teaspoons. Different Highway journey necessities
These are what I’d think about fundamentals (although clearly, your checklist could nicely differ.) I additionally discover the next helpful onboard:
- Poachpods (have I discussed I’m hooked on poached eggs? These items are a superb invention and I take advantage of them just about day by day)
- Plastic bins within the fridge to carry issues in place
- Bottle bag (one of many wine carrying ones from a supermarket- these maintain bottles and cease them clinking)
- Tongs
- Oven mitt
- Dishdrying matt (we don’t use a rack- takes up an excessive amount of house)
- Tea, espresso, sugar, scorching chocolate and so on
- Nutritional vitamins or any tablets you require
- Spray oil for frying- private choice but it surely’s simpler to eliminate just a little extra oil than a complete lot!
- Chopping boards
- Sharp knives, together with steak knives when you’re a fan of crimson meat
- Soup spoons (when you eat (drink?) soup!)
RV Packing Suggestions for beginners- the kitchen/ meals
As soon as the annoying and heavy stuff is stowed away safely, and the kitchen pans and utensils have principally obtained houses, I begin meals. I don’t do numerous detailed cooking within the motorhome, however I wish to preserve the fundamentals like flour/ sugar and so on in hermetic sealed bins like these. I discover it makes them last more and stops any little bugs getting in.
Attempt to preserve 1-2 rolls of paper towels simply accessible, however retailer the remainder in lockers below the seats. You don’t wish to take up all the nice lockers with issues like paper towels or bathroom rolls, which you solely want entry to each few days.
Be sure that sharp knives and different kitchen instruments are safely stowed. I used to retailer ours in a drawer, wrapped in smooth cloths to allow them to’t unintentionally reduce anybody, however now I’ve a magnetic strip on the wall which works MUCH higher than I assumed it could!
Not likely meals associated (though it form of is- sorry!), however don’t overlook bathroom chemical compounds. We use a product referred to as Solbio natural bathroom fluid, which is pure and doesn’t comprise dangerous chemical compounds. It’s additionally secure to be disposed of in septic tanks or fosse, that means now we have extra choices to eliminate our bathroom responsibly.
Maintain issues secure whereas travelling
There are some issues in a van that are designed to be rugged and durable.
And others which aren’t.
When you have a motorhome television, they’re designed to face up to extra vibration than a ‘regular’ TV, however they’re nonetheless inclined to wreck if banged and knocked round. Guarantee that issues that are ‘fragile’ are saved securely and might’t break while travelling. Both wrap them correctly or pack them in between different issues – anti slip matting is flexible and will also be used for wrapping up issues so that they don’t break or rattle!
How you can pack a motorhome- garments
By now, a lot of the lockers might be filling up, particularly those below the motorhome seats. It’s time to consider garments. Attempt to break up your garments into stuff you’ll need day by day (underwear, socks, t-shirts and so on) and stuff you may not use each week (snow gear, mountain climbing boots, bikini and so on) Clearly, this can rely fully on the place you’re highway tripping and what you get pleasure from doing there!
I are likely to retailer sneakers and boots for out of doors and water actions in a separate locker or within the wardrobe, and garments within the wardrobe,
It’s REALLY straightforward to overpack your garments, particularly for women, however that is one place the place you have to be fairly ruthless. If you’re solely travelling in your camper for every week, then pack in accordance with the climate (though ALWAYS deliver a jacket/ heat jumper, even when the forecast is ideal. You’d be amazed what number of occasions we’ve been caught out!
This primary checklist goes to fluctuate wildly from individual to individual and in addition due to the realm you’re visiting. However to get you began, here’s a guidelines for garments to hold in your camper.
What must you pack in a motorhome- the ‘bits’
When you’ve organised every little thing else, it’s time for the ‘bits’. All of us have these- the issues that go in that particular drawer in your kitchen in a home. It’s uncommon you’ll be capable of discover a drawer for this goal (fortunate you when you do!) I’ve a ‘bits field’, which sits inside one of many cabinets and holds batteries, tape, string, playing cards, pens, notepad and one million extra issues.
Once more, try to preserve stuff you assume you’ll want steadily simply accessible, and put different issues in direction of the underside/ again. Some ‘bits’ to recollect are:
- Video games/ playing cards or no matter you select to do to loosen up
- Issues to do for the children on highway journeys (try these highway journey kids’s video games)
- Chargers for telephones/ laptops/ ipads/ wifi/ bike headsets/ transportable radios… you get the thought! We use a combination of 12v chargers (to be used whereas we’re driving) and different chargers which we use on an inverter if vital, however we attempt to keep away from this. Annoyingly, I’ve simply upgraded to a Macbook Professional, which is superb however my 12v charger for my outdated laptop computer doesn’t match! I’ll have to attend for them to launch one for mine.
- Placemats/ desk material if you want. We don’t use these indoors, however we do use a desk material if we’re organising a desk outdoors.
- Motorhome Cleansing gear- we preserve cloths, duster, moist wipes and vanish spray all simply accessible. We additionally carry an iron and an ironing board as Mr WB is terrified that he could be referred to as into an pressing assembly and must get on a airplane immediately… it’s not occurred but however I simply know if I take it off the van we’ll want it! So it’s staying (for now).
While I give it some thought, don’t overlook van bedding! Pillows, quilt, bedsheets and so on. We’ve got correct bedsheets- we’re not a fan of sleeping baggage. We’re fortunate sufficient to have a drop-down mattress to retailer the bedding on, however you would possibly must sacrifice a locker to retailer yours in.
Different issues I strive to not overlook when packing the camper:
- Massive digital camera and lenses
- SD playing cards
- Drone
- Tripod
- Mini tripod & microphone for vlogging (watch our journey movies right here)
- Laptop computer/ iPads/ telephones
- Wifi dongle
- Medical box- primary requirements like plasters, nurofen, diarrhoea tablets, water purification tablets and so on. (Don’t drink faucet water in Europe- purchase bottled.)
- Laundry stuff. Should you wash your laundry whereas travelling, most laundrettes throughout Europe require you to supply your personal detergent and so on. We deliver a small quantity of ours so it’s prepared if we’d like it.
- COINS within the native forex. For parking, suggestions, tolls- you’ll all the time want them!
- Gasoline bottles- we supply two 6kg ones. Beware the problems with getting gasoline in Europe.
- Hose pipe for filling recent water.
Motorhome packing- extra suggestions and tips
Listed below are some extra greatest suggestions and tips that can assist you pack your RV or motorhome.
- Put heavy gadgets as little as potential
- Attempt to place stuff you don’t use very recurrently (like snowchains) within the locations that are annoying to get to (at the back of lockers, below mattress, in center of storage and so on.
- Attempt to put heavy gadgets over the axles as a lot as potential, and take a look at to not put ALL the heavy gadgets in direction of the again/ entrance. You need the motorhome weight unfold over every axle as evenly as potential
- Retailer tins/ heavy issues which might roll as little as potential, and put them in baggage or bins to cease them rolling
- Strive to not carry many extras for plates/ mugs/ glasses, and put the extras in safe bins to allow them to’t rattle round.
- Should you’re attempting van life with children, ensure they find out about packing securely so issues don’t get damaged in lockers.
You may try extra storage concepts right here:
Cease the noise! How you can cease rattles in your motorhome
I HATE rattles, bangs and noise within the van. I’ve been recognized to cease 5 minutes right into a journey and repack.
It’s so unhealthy, I’ve written a complete publish on HOW to cease rattles in your motorhome, campervan or RV, filled with suggestions that can assist you have a extra peaceable, calmer journey.
Don’t forget- rattles come final. There’s no level losing numerous time stopping rattles in your motorhome, when an hour later you determine to maneuver every little thing round anyway!
So, these are our greatest suggestions and tips for tips on how to pack a motorhome. I hope you’ve discovered them helpful. Most of all, don’t panic. So long as you may have the best paperwork, your keys and a credit score/ debit card, just about every little thing else might be purchased en route if you have to.
Until you’re going someplace actually off-grid. By which case, possibly panic – and please ship me images so I can get pleasure from your highway journey adventures!!!
Different posts you would possibly discover helpful:
Final replace on 2025-04-23 / Affiliate hyperlinks / Photos from Amazon Product Promoting API
