What Belongs in a Touring Set for Australian RVs
Posted by Admin on
A good touring set is not about filling every locker before you leave home. It is the collection of gear that lets your motorhome, caravan or campervan work properly when the nearest shop, powered site or water point is a fair distance away. The right setup keeps daily jobs simple, helps protect your vehicle and makes a hot roadside stop or a week at a bush camp far more comfortable.
For Australian travellers, the best touring set is usually built around the way you travel. A couple moving between caravan parks will have different needs from a family staying off-grid during school holidays, or grey nomads heading north for the winter. Start with the systems you rely on every day, then add equipment that solves a problem you have actually encountered on the road.
Start with comfort at the campsite
Heat, glare and privacy can quickly turn an otherwise pleasant stop into a long afternoon spent with the blinds closed. Window insulation is one of the most worthwhile additions to a touring setup because it helps manage all three.
A vehicle-specific cabset or full window set gives better coverage than a loose windscreen shade, particularly around the front cab where the glass area is large. It can help reduce heat entering the vehicle while parked, improve privacy at night and cut early-morning glare when you want a slower start. Hatch covers and rear-window solutions are useful extensions where those areas are exposed to direct sun or nearby campsites.
Fit matters here. A screen designed for your particular Toyota, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Ford, Nissan or other vehicle is easier to put up and is less likely to leave troublesome gaps. Australian-made Solarscreen products are made for use while your vehicle is parked. Always remove them before driving, and make checking this part of your departure routine.
Comfort also includes light and connection. A dependable camp light makes setting up after sunset safer, while a suitable TV antenna can be welcome on longer stays where television reception is available. These are not essential for every traveller, but they can make wet-weather days and extended stops feel much more settled.
Build your touring set around water and waste
Water is one of the first things that separates a quick overnight stay from self-sufficient touring. Your setup needs to cover drinking water quality, carrying or filling water safely, and dealing with grey water responsibly.
A water filter can be particularly useful when you are regularly connecting to unfamiliar town, park or campground supplies. The best choice depends on whether you want filtration at the tap, inline filtration while filling, or treatment for stored tank water. Filters need replacement elements, so check availability and carry a spare if you will be away for months rather than weekends.
Water treatment products have a different role. They can help maintain tanks and plumbing when water has been stored for a while, but they do not replace sensible tank hygiene. Flush systems where practical, use potable-water equipment only for fresh water, and keep hose fittings clean and off the ground.
Grey water needs equal attention. A sullage hose, secure fittings and a practical reel help keep the job tidy at a serviced site. A reel is not just about neat storage: it makes it easier to pack away a wet hose without turning the storage compartment into a mess. Check the site rules before setting up. Some parks require a sealed connection to their drain point, while many bush camps have no disposal facilities at all.
When choosing water and waste gear, think about storage space and access. A long hose is useful until it becomes a tangled bundle you cannot reach without unpacking chairs, levelling gear and half the boot. Equipment that packs compactly and is easy to clean is generally the gear you will keep using.
Power: plan for how you really travel
Power requirements are often overestimated in one area and overlooked in another. Before buying accessories, consider what you run when not connected to mains power: lights, water pump, fridge controls, phone charging, a CPAP machine, television or perhaps a laptop. This gives you a clearer picture of the power supply and charging equipment that suit your travel style.
For travellers who mainly stay in powered parks, the priority may be a safe, reliable connection and sensible cable management. For regular free campers, battery capacity, solar input and the condition of existing wiring become much more significant. Adding a power accessory will not fix an ageing battery or undersized wiring, so investigate the whole system if you are experiencing repeated flat batteries.
It is also worth keeping charging simple. Use appropriate leads, protect electrical connections from weather, and avoid running cables where they create a trip hazard. If you are uncertain about installation or electrical capacity, seek advice from a qualified technician. A small check before departure is much easier than fault-finding at a remote campsite.
Do not leave tyre care until the roadside
Tyres carry the full load of your touring vehicle, passengers, water, gear and often a substantial van behind it. That makes tyre-pressure monitoring and basic tyre care central to a dependable touring set, not an optional extra.
Correct pressures depend on the tyre, axle loads and manufacturer advice. They are not a single figure copied from another vehicle at the campground. Weighing your fully loaded setup is worthwhile, especially after adding accessories or packing for a long trip. It gives you useful information for setting pressures and avoiding overloaded axles.
A tyre-pressure monitoring system can provide early warning of a pressure loss or temperature issue while travelling. It does not remove the need for visual inspections, but it can give you time to pull over safely before a minor issue becomes tyre damage. Check pressures cold, inspect tread and sidewalls, and look for uneven wear before major trips.
Engine and fuel treatments may also have a place in a touring kit, particularly for older vehicles or those sitting between trips. Use products suited to your engine type and follow the directions carefully. They are maintenance aids, not substitutes for servicing, clean fuel or addressing a warning light.
Choose gear that earns its space
Every touring vehicle reaches a point where storage space becomes more valuable than another clever accessory. The practical test is simple: does this item help you travel more safely, stay longer, protect the vehicle or complete a routine task with less fuss?
A sensible core touring set might include these four areas:
- fitted window insulation for parked comfort and privacy;
- fresh-water filtration or treatment appropriate to your tank setup;
- a sullage hose and reel for serviced sites; and
- tyre-pressure equipment suited to your vehicle and towing arrangement.
Be cautious of buying duplicates. Many new owners end up with several torch types, too many adaptors or bulky items that perform the same task. Pack your vehicle, take a few shorter trips, and make a note of what was genuinely useful, what never left its compartment and what you wished you had brought.
Set up before the big trip
New accessories are best tested at home or on a nearby weekend away. Put up window screens, connect your sullage hose, check filter fittings, test lights and confirm that tyre monitors communicate correctly. This is also the time to work out where each item lives and whether it can be accessed without unloading the campsite.
At RV Options, we know the difference between gear that looks useful on a shelf and gear that makes touring easier on day ten of a trip. Buying for your specific vehicle and travel habits helps avoid both compromises and clutter.
The most useful touring set will keep changing as your travels do. Start with the essentials, use them properly, and let the roads you enjoy most tell you what to add next.