It’s crazy how, even after being a motorhome reviewer for a decade, and having taken vehicles all over the UK and into Europe, I still come across items that I think would add huge value to your tour that had never previously occurred to me.
A fair few of them are on a generous Prime Day discount today and tomorrow, and are included in this list below of my top picks.
You can also take a look at the top choices from Sarah, the editor of Practical Motorhome, who is sharing the products she is most tempted by for her campervan.
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Skechers Women’s Summits Artistry Chic Sneaker was £59 now save up to 56% depending on the size
You probably need a pair of trainers even if you are only going to the toilet block at the other end of the caravan park, park surfaces being what they might be. But you don’t want to traipse all that mud and other undesirable stuff into your precious van. The trouble is, taking trainers on and off, and in particular tying and untying laces, can be an awkward job within the confines of a motorhome stairwell.
These sneakers from Skechers could be the answer. They look like they lace up – they certainly look smart enough to be presentable at the gastropub down the road from where you are staying. But you just slip them on.
Don’t disparage Skechers either. You may view them as a mass market brand unlikely to survive the rigours of a country walk. But I once turned up wearing a fairly old pair for what I had not realised was going to be a 40-mile walk. This highly amused a fellow walker, who had turned up in freshly acquired walking boots. Until, that is, the end of the walk, where my Skechers were still doing fine, while his supposedly hardy footwear was already falling apart. Unlike him, I didn’t have any blisters either.
Now, during the Prime Day sale, you can save as much as 56% on a pair, depending on the size.
Earth Rated Dog Poo bags was £11.49, now £9.69 (save 16%)
You don’t want to make enemies on the campsite by letting Fido do his business wherever he wants. This refill box of dog poo bags should help you clean up and dispose of all waste, and even if you can’t find any suitable bin nearby immediately, the fact that they are leak-proof and scented with lavender means that they shouldn’t be too awful to carry with you until you do find a suitable place to dispose of them.
The 270 bags you get in each box are made from 65% certified post-consumer recycled plastic, so they are ultra-sustainable. The 10cm wide box shouldn’t take up too much room in your van, and this discount means you can get them for less than a tenner.
Coleman PRO Cool Ice Box was £179.99 now £142.99 (save 21%)
OK, your motorhome will almost certainly come with its own fridge and possibly freezer, but the best cool box for a campervan can come in very useful for venturing out on a picnic, or even just for transporting stuff to and from home and the van.
This one has an impressive 43-litres of space, and thanks to PU foam insulation can keep ice for up to four days. With a rugged exterior made of HDPE plastic and an anti-bacterial lining, it is sturdy enough to be used as a seat too (provided you weigh less than 130kg). And it comes with two handles that should make carrying it about easy. It can even be locked up.
Chilly’s Water Bottle was £30 now £15 (save 50%)
A drinking bottle is always a great thing to have ready at hand in your van – whether you are heading out on a major hike or just heading into the local town to mooch about. These vacuum-insulated bottles have the advantage of being exceptionally pretty too – and this week they are half-price. The manufacturer claims they can keep water cold for 24 hours and hot drinks hot for 12 hours. The two-ply shell is designed to keep down condensation as well, so you shouldn’t find the exterior all sweaty. The screw-top lid should also make sure you don’t suffer any leaks.
Campingaz Camp Bistro Stove was £36.99, now £17.99 (save 51%)
This one-burner gas hob is perfect for when you fancy a bit of al-fresco eating, but can’t be bothered with all the hassle and cost of setting up a barbecue. Its weight (1.5kg) and dimensions (28x13x34cm) also make it a much more suitable prospect for those of you travelling in a compact campervan.
Powered by a Campingaz CP 250 gas cartridge concealed within its housing, the stove has an infinitely adjustable flame, and comes with sturdy pan support that can hold pans up to 26cm in diameter – in other words, domestic-size pans.
You shouldn’t have to worry about not being able to find replacement cartridges either, as Campingaz has an extensive network of suppliers right across Europe.
Bose SoundLink Flex Portable Bluetooth Speaker was £149.95 now £99.95 (save 33%)
Nowadays even the most tech-phobic motorhomer must be able to see the advantage of having a Bluetooth speaker. They are easy to set up, can be carried with you, and don’t require you to cart around fiddly CDs or cassette tapes.
When it comes to choosing one, I have always admired Bose as a brand, mainly because of the higher than average quality of sound its speakers produce. But I have usually had to wait a while until I could actually save up to afford any of its products.
Well now, this Prime Day, you don’t have to. You can have this waterproof and dustproof speaker for just under £100. The speaker comes in a wide variety of colours, too, not just boring black. And you can link up two together to provide an even more impressive sound.
HiPeak Sleeping Pad was £32.99 now £23.99 (save 27%)
For those moments when you grandchild unexpectedly invites a friend along for the ride, or if you just have a guest coming to see you while you are on tour who doesn’t mind overnighting it in the awning, this air mattress could be a perfect solution.
It’s incredibly easy to pump up, as you just use your feet to press down on the pump contained within the bed at its foot. The hexagonal air cells make for a surprisingly comfy night’s rest, considering the mattress is only 4in thick when inflated. The base is made of tough multi-layer TPU, so it shouldn’t even tear if there is a rogue twig on the ground. And as there are connections buttons on both sides of the mattress, you can connect more than one together to make a huge bed.
Best of all, the mattress itself weighs less than 1kg, and can be deflated down to less than the size of your average ruler.
Berghaus Womens Nula Micro Long Insulated Jacket was £170 now save up to 43%
Berghaus is a well respected brand in outdoor circles, but, like Bose above, isn’t always the cheapest to consider.
Thanks to Prime Day, this long insulated jacket, perfect for putting on when those autumnal breezes come in but not so bulky that it will weight you down, should be much more affordable.
The coat is made of synthetic Hydroloft Polyball insulation, designed to keep you warm like natural down but also with water-resistant fibres. The hood is fully adjustable so you can keep out the cold, while a chin guard stops zips from rubbing. The cuffs are bound, too, to keep you ultra cosy.
Coleman Octagon Tent was £379.99 now £141.98 (save 63%)
Perhaps you have teenagers coming touring with you, who want a bit of independence or don’t particularly want to spend the whole time confined with the older generation?
This six-person tent, now down to less than half price, could be something to challenge them with. Just under 4m in diameter, it’s assembled using colour coded poles, so even those unfamiliar with camping shouldn’t be flummoxed. Two hinged doors open up for easy access , while there are six large windows and a mesh roof for venilation.
Its waterproofing perhaps isn’t up to the same level as the awning you have attached to your van. But as, for all their independence, said teenagers are unlikely to pitch the tent very far away and so can easily come into yours if the weather is truly awful, that shouldn’t be a problem.
This is one really only for coffee aficionados, and those with plenty of space, and a good payload, in their van. But as I already am the former, and hope some day to be the latter, I am happy to recommend this greatly reduced but admittedly still quite pricey luxury item.
I don’t understand why so many motorhome manufacturers in particular have gone down the route of offering Nespresso machines as an extra. To my mind the coffee they produce always seems to have the same blandness, and that’s before you consider all the unnecessary waste created by all those used pods. You won’t really appreciate the aroma of real coffee properly until you smell it just after it has been ground, as you can with this machine that will then deliver a fine cup of coffee for you with virtually no waste at all. With this system you also get the chance to try out all the new coffees you might come across while touring Europe and its legions of artisan coffee shops.
I would add that while I am the least brand loyal person I know, one brand I would stick by is De Longhi. I have had my De Longhi bean to cup machine at home for as long as I have been reviewing motorhomes. It has been bashed, shoved about and spilled on, and still works just as well as it did on day one. On the one occasion it had a problem, the company bent over backwards to put it right. What a shame other brands can’t be like that!
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