Marcus Leach and his family are embarking on a motorhome tour of Europe, with the plan being to visit 25 countries across three continents. We’ve previously found out about the trip’s initial planning, as well as the steps to preparing for a European motorhome tour. In part three of the series, he talks us through the essential items to take on tour…
Practical Motorhome is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.
Going travelling is glamorous, or at least that’s what the myriad of travel blogs and social media posts championing a life on the road would have you believe. Endless glorious sunsets, a plethora of snow-capped mountains, plentiful azure-blue lakes and a generous handful of picture-perfect harbour side dinners. All of this, and so much more, is waiting for you once you eschew a ‘normal’ life in preference of living full-time in a motorhome – if this is something you’d like to consider, our guide to the best motorhomes for full-time living is well worth a look.
That is assuming you can first survive the gauntlet of stress that is packing up your house whilst simultaneously organising all you’ll need for a new life on the road. Did I mention the need to entertain two small children throughout this as well? No? It must have slipped my mind, or maybe I’ve simply lost my mind amongst the profusion of packing boxes that have dominated more of my life than I care to remember during recent weeks.
On a serious note, with the stress of packing up one life in preparation for another, albeit one with a tenth of the cupboard space, there are some very real considerations to make when it comes to what to take and what to leave behind. Admittedly we are all different, and therefore there will be certain items that leave others scratching their heads. However, as we prepare to set off on the Big European Odyssey, here are some of our essential ‘must have’ items to take on tour with you…
Essential motorhome items to take on tour are:
Karcher WV 1 Window Vac
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve had to wipe condensation from the inside of our front windows before we break camp and set off for the day, resulting in the all too familiar soggy cloth that ends up chucked in the sink. The very thought of doing this day-after-day whilst away was too much, hence the search for an alternative. Enter the Karcher WV1 Window Vac, a gadget worth its weight in gold, and that’s having only had it for a few weeks. A truly essential item to take on tour.
Garmin Camper 1090 GPS Sat-Nav
If you’ve ever been to Cornwall you will understand the need to know exactly which roads are suitable for a motorhome and which are not. We know from personal experience that you only get it wrong once before you look for an alternative to standard route finders. For us Garmin’s motorhome-specific Camper 1090 is worth every penny, giving us total peace of mind with the routes we take, especially going forward into an adventure covering such vast distances on totally unknown roads. You can get more inspiration in our best motorhome sat-nav round-up too.
Hand Held Hoover
There’s something about motorhomes whereby the reduced space seems to amplify any dirt in the vehicle, a situation exasperated by having two small children in and out of the motorhome on a regular basis. Add in frequent visits to beaches and you can imagine how stressful it could become for someone who is fastidious when it comes to cleanliness. That’s why we travel with a Dyson hand-held hoover, one that gets used at least a few times a day to keep on top of of everything and ensuring we have a clean and orderly motorhome.
Games Compendium
Travel is, by its very nature, all about seeing the world, so why would you need a selection of games? Because when you’re on the road for a long time there will be rainy days that, much like the ones at home, you don’t feel like opening the front door. Not only that but for us this isn’t an extended holiday, rather living life on the road, and at home we like playing games together, so it will be no different while away.
Bikes
It will come as no surprise, given my love of cycling, that we will be taking our bikes away with us on this trip. For as long as time bikes and motorhomes have been a match made in heaven and, for us, they represent a brilliant way to extend the adventure. There’s only so far you can go with a motorhome, after which switching to two wheels allows us the opportunity to explore far and wide, discovering places we might otherwise have missed.
With the last of the packing all but done we are only a matter of a few days away from setting off now, which brings a mix of excitement, nerves and trepidation. All of the planning has leads to this moment, so it’s one last check that we have everything before enjoying the final few days with family ahead of the grand departure. So, the next time you hear from us will be on the road…
You can follow our adventures in the latest issue of Practical Motorhome, or alternatively, over on Instagram (@marcusleachglobal and @our.roaming.odyssey) where we will be sharing daily updates from our life on the road.
If you enjoyed reading about the essential items to take on tour, why not read these:
- We shine the spotlight on some common touring errors and how to avoid them
- We’re sharing our tips on how to pick the right campsite to stay at
If you’ve enjoyed reading this article, why not get the latest news, reviews and features delivered direct to your door or inbox every month. Take advantage of our brilliant Practical Motorhome magazine SUBSCRIBERS’ OFFER and SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER for regular weekly updates on all things motorhome related.
