Shopping for your Motorhome

When buying a Motorhome we know there’s quite alot of kit needed. In all the excitement it’s very easy to go on a motorhome shopping spree before you’ve even picked up your van (we’re speaking from experience here!). So to save you time and money (on things you don’t need), we’ve put together a list of shopping ideas for Motorhome owners to get you started.

These are all Motorhome products that we love and use on a regular basis in our van. We’ve also highlighted a number of items that we think would make great gift ideas. You might also like to read Useful Travel Gifts for Travel Lovers. Why not start a Travel Wish List to share with family and friends. Make it easier for loved ones to buy you what you need for Christmas or your birthday. Keep scrolling to view our recommendations on shopping for your motorhome or camper van.


Shopping For Your Motorhome Quick Links:

Security & Safety | Motorhome Outside | Motorhome Cleaning | Motorhome Inside | Kitchen | Bathroom


Motorhome Security & Safety


First on our shopping for your motorhome list is essential fire and safety items. Slightly boring I know, but we witnessed 2 fires in our first year touring in our motorhome! So make sure you’re prepared and know how to use them.

Fire Blanket – 1m x 1m Soft Case Fire Blanket, Large, Quick Unfolding, with Loops.

For Home/Office/Caravan. We have one in the kitchen cupboard by the oven in both our motorhome at at home.

FIRE Extinguisher – Premium FSS UK 1 Litre AFFF Foam Spray

CE Marked, ideal for home or on the move. We have one of these in our home as well as in our motorhome.

HD Security Camera – We use this in our van and in our home. Two-Way Talk, Good Quality Security Camera viewable via App on your phone. Also works with Alexa. Gift idea

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Motorhome Outside


Next on our shopping for motorhome list is essential items needed when setting up at a campsite.

25m Site Hook Up Cable and Plug Socket

Orange Motorhome / Camper Van / Caravan / Camping Hook up Extension Lead Cable with 16 amp Blue Plug and Socket.

We also think a cable tidy reel is a great idea to keep the cable from tangling (and save time & tempers). Unless you’re one of those people who loves unravelling Christmas lights each year, in which case skip this item and entertain other campers 🙂

Waterhose (food grade). Your motorhome will have a water tank so you’ll need a way of filling it. You should NOT use a garden hose, you should use a food grade hose. We all know how annoying garden hoses can be, they kink and hook around everything. Therefore, we opted for a flat hose with three built in tubes. You simply unravel just the amount you need and the water still flows through. The hose also comes with a screw on tap connector and “hose lock” type connections. It’s a bit slower at filling a tank than a traditional hose but there’s plenty to do while you wait. (ML: Like open the wine? 🙂 

Thule motorhome levelling Ramps These are universal fit (Complete With Storage Bag). Very handy way to level your motorhome if parked on uneven ground or a hill. We didn’t have these on our first van trip and found ourselves sleeping one evening with our feet higher than our heads (very weird). We soon had these on order from Amazon. 🙂


Motorhome Cleaning (Outside)


Black Streak Remover (Fenwicks) – Removes stubborn black streaks and algae

Puriclean 2 x 400g Water Tank Purification Treatment Motorhome, Caravan System Cleaner

The unique dual-purpose formula which both cleans and sterilises in one easy action. Puriclean is non-toxic and non-caustic, it does not smell, foam or harm any components in the water system.

Fenwicks Motorhome Cleaner Concentrate (1 Litre)

Easy cleaning of Motorhome surfaces. Removes stubborn streaks and algae

Thetford 30003ED Lubricant Aerosol, 200 ml

Protects toilet seals, hinges, doors, runners etc.

FENWICKS WASTE PIPE AND TANK CLEANER – 1 LITRE

This 1L waste pipe and tank cleaner from Fenwick’s is the perfect solution for maintaining a clean and fully functional shower and drain in your caravan or motorhome. The formula is also safe for toilet cassettes and eliminates unpleasant odours. 

Wet & Forget – Moss Mould Lichen & Algae Remover (2 Litre)

Dirty roof?  No need to climb about & clean it! I love the instructions for this “Spray on and forget”. Use it on your patio too – saves getting the pressure washer out in the spring. 

See also the handy Pump Action Pressure Spray from Spear and Jackson. Use this with the Wet & Forget product.


Motorhome Inside


Kärcher Window Vac

We highly recommend investing in a Karcher window vac. Moisture can cause so much damage in a Motorhome. Whizz a Karcher vac around the shower and windows each morning to quickly dry out your van. Gift idea.

Low-Watt Toaster – Who doesn’t love toast? No need to faff with the gas grill, we use this low-watt toaster in our motorhome, toasts lovely. Gift idea.

Moisture Absorber Dehumidifier – Most van owners are obsessed with keeping damp out of the van, quite rightly. When our van is in storage we use these Unibond Aero 360 Moisture traps, which do an amazing job to keep the van dry.

Related: Read our 10 Tips To Help Reduce Condensation in your van

Unibond Aero 360 Moisture Refill packs – These refill packs last quite some so great for van storage through the winter months.

Wardrobe Light Motion Sensor – No more rummaging about in a dark wardrobe. These wardrobe lights are motion activated. We have two of these in our Chausson 640 ‘over the garage’ double wardrobe. They’re also LED rechargeable wireless lights so give them a quick charge now and then when on hook-up.

Tic Tac Tiles – Beautiful 3D peel and stick tiles. These look lovely above the sink in our motorhome kitchen and bathroom. There are lots of colours and patterns to choose from.

Storage Boxes (Really Useful Range) – These are the best storage boxes for home or motorhome, strong, secure and stackable. Really Useful Boxes come in a range of sizes for garage and cupboards. We use these at home too to keep kitchen and garage cupboards organised.

Laundry Basket – Collapsible (Large) – We have one of these that we keep in the garage of our motorhome. We simply drop washing items into it out of the way until cleaning day. Looks really stylish if you’re using the on-site campsite laundry facilities.

Grip Mats. Trust us these anti slip mats are an essential item for new motorhome owners. These will literally save your sanity when travelling in your van:-) Every van owner you meet will agree. Use these mats to line every cupboard & shelf to stop things rattling and creaking. Cutlery draws, oven trays, dinner sets, mugs, bathroom cabinet. If it’s not bolted down it’s likely to move about when you’re on the road. We recommend using the 400gsm thick mats. We found that the cheaper thin mats didn’t grip so well, so we still had items sliding about in the cupboard.


Kitchen Accessories


Storage Container (Lock & Lock) – Clear rectangle storage container. These 1.3L containers fit perfectly in the upper cabinets of our Chausson Motorhome (640).  We use these for Pasta, Rice,  Muesli, Granola, Tea bags, Nespresso capsules etc.

Storage curver baskets – These Curver baskets are light weight with rattan styling. Great for storing small kitchen cupboard items so they don’t roll around. We store jars such as jams, spices as well as rice & cous cous packets. We also have one as a snacks basket with chocolate, sweets and biscuits (please don’t judge us. Go on admit it you have a treats cupboard too) 🙂

Tefal Ingenio Cooking Range – We’re so pleased with the Tefal Ingenio range of cookware for camping. Lightweight, stackable and with a removable handle, which clips onto any of the Ingenio range pans. Such a clever design and great space saving option.

Tefal Ingenio 16 cm saucepan – Lightweight, stackable with other pans in the range.

Tefal Ingenio Wok – This wok is perfect for van use, we use this for all sorts of cooking not just stir fry’s on the road.

Tegal Ingenio Removable Handle – Highly recommended clip on handle, interchangeable between the Tegal Ingenio range. Great space and weight saving option in motorhomes.

Pot and Pan Protectors – These are so handy for avoiding scratches. Also great at stopping rattles whilst driving in your motorhome. We have lots of these stopping rattles 🙂

Hanging Storage Bags – We often get asked where we bought these cute storage bags so we’ve added them to our list. 4 cute rattan bags that we hook in our kitchen area. They can be used for holding fresh herb pots in summer. We also use them to drop small objects into temporarily when we’re doing our ‘pre-flight’ checks 🙂


Bathroom accessories


Aqua Toilet cleaning Spray (Thetford) – This is designed to clean and leave a protective film to allow water to flow better around the pan and prevent staining.  Lubricates the seal too.

Bathroom Cleaner (Thetford) – This is motorhome friendly on all plastics. Use it in the kitchen and bathroom as an all round cleaner. It saves carrying lots of different products in your van.

Thetford Aqua Kem Green Toilet Sachets

Can of 15 satchets, which each last up to 4 days. No more messy bottles of liquid to measure out. Simply pop a satchet into the cleaned tank and you’re good to go (literally 🙂 )


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Our recommended list of shopping for motorhome owners is often updated when we find new products or new and improved versions are released. So check back here again whenever you’re ready to shop.

Happy travelling

Miche & Dave xxx

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