For enthusiastic campers, the anticipation of the next holiday starts with preparing the camper van. You can do this at any time and get a bit of a holiday mood. What is definitely worthwhile is to put the technical equipment of the camper to the test again. Whether it’s navigation systems or power banks for small devices such as smartphones, the right technical equipment makes life easier when you’re on the go and it’s now hard to imagine life without it in a mobile home.
In this guide, we present five technical aids that will help you make your four-wheel holiday a successful experience.
Always keep your bearings – the perfect navigation system for your camper van
In the past, you still had the extensive atlas with all the maps in your luggage, but thanks to sophisticated navigation systems, it is now easier to get to your destination. But not every camper van is equipped with such a system as standard. Luckily, there are portable navigation devices that you can easily retrofit the camper with.
If you decide on a mobile navigation device, it can be easily attached to the windscreen with the suction cup. The advantage of a mobile device is that it is easy to take with you when you change cars. Now all you have to do is enter the GPS coordinates, which are often provided by the pitches.
A tip: Most sat navs are designed for cars, but there are seldom sat navs for camper vans. However, since you can also get along very well with the version for cars, this is generally not a problem. If you still want to use a navigation system especially for larger vehicles, you can also buy one for trucks. The advantage here is that the width, length and height of the vehicle can be set in the menu. They are therefore very helpful because they warn of bridges that are too low, curves that are too tight or other danger spots for larger vehicles.
Arrive safely with the right dashcam in the camper van
It often happens that a vehicle in front of you brakes abruptly – the reason is usually not immediately apparent. Reacting quickly is required here. But even if you brake quickly, the braking distance in a mobile home is longer than in conventional cars because of the high weight. If such an accident happens, for which you did not contribute, using a dashcam is an advantage.So it is advisable to get a front camera. It increases the feeling of security. The reason: there is always a reliable witness on board, in case the co-driver is not paying attention and a further opinion is needed afterwards. In addition, the cameras now have “driver alerts” such as lane departure warnings to increase driver awareness.
The modern cameras can be easily attached to the windshield with a suction cup. The extra wide fields of view enable sharp recordings with up to 1440p. Some dashcams also have HDR technology, which can take even better pictures in poor visibility. The loop function ensures that the oldest clip is always overwritten, leaving room for new video material. The latest models can of course be operated by voice control.
An important note for the use of dashcams: According to the judgment of the German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) of May 15, 2018 (file number VI ZR 233/17), dashcam recordings can generally be used to prosecute serious traffic offences. However, passing on the videos to third parties or publishing them on the Internet, for example, is strictly prohibited. We strongly recommend checking the legal requirements for the use of dashcams in the country you are in before use.
Properly connected to LTE router
Sending photos via WhatsApp or checking e-mails: If you spend a lot of time on the internet on holiday, it can quickly become expensive without the home WiFi network . Of course, it is practical if you can log into a public WLAN. However, not every pitch offers secure WiFi that also covers the entire campsite. It is therefore safer to have a mobile LTE router in your luggage. With the compact and powerful LTE routers you can surf flexibly and securely in any case.Various end devices can be connected to the WLAN via the router, using the data package from the hotspot. Many routers come with the ability to attach an external antenna to find the best signal position. Equipped with signal strength status LEDs, network management is easy.
Charged and secured – charging cables and power banks
To ensure that your cell phone and all other electronic gadgets work properly, it is highly advisable to pack enough charging cables to prevent unwanted outages. It is best to get an additional charging cable, which can then remain in the camper van as standard and is not forgotten.If you also want to be on the safe side, we recommend purchasing a power bank. These small and compact devices are reliable companions to have an extra boost of energy. Power banks differ in their capacities. For example, many devices can now be used to charge several end devices at the same time. The safest way is with power banks, which can be charged while powering a mobile device. This ensures that the battery never fails completely.
Plug it in correctly: sockets
E-bike batteries, hand vacuum cleaners, kitchen appliances – everything needs electricity. And there is a trend towards more and more devices that need to be supplied with electricity. Normally, only the 12 V sockets are powered by the battery. If you need sockets with 230 V – and this is increasingly the case – you have to supply the electricity from outside. This means that the mobile home must be connected to the electricity on the pitch. But not every pitch has an extra power connection outside. It’s worth having an inverter with you just in case.These compact and practical companions can be easily plugged into a normal socket in the motorhome. The inverter converts the direct current from the battery into pure 230 volt alternating current. Depending on the inverter model, it supplies devices with a power requirement of 100 to 1000 W with a voltage of 230 V. We recommend purchasing an inverter with an integrated protective circuit that prevents damage from overload, overheating and over- or undervoltage.
- Sockets:
- Normsteckdose: BST 29
- USB-Steckdose: BST 67339500
- Inverter:
Camper vans are functional wonders. Because although the vacationer lives in the smallest of spaces, with the right equipment he does not have to do without any comfort. Each camper makes his own choice of what is important to him for his equipment. In this guide we have presented a few technical solutions that should not be missing in any motorhome in order to be able to really enjoy your holiday.
Images: AdobeStock
