Once you’ve set your budget, bought the van, and planned your campervan layout, you need to choose which features you want to install. There are plenty of tempting gadgets on the market, but knowing what tech is actually going to benefit your van life travels is critical.
To help you decide what you need, here are seven essential campervan tech features to install in your van.
1. Solar Panels: Your Free Energy Source
If you’re planning on running a self-sufficient campervan, then you need a source of power. Installing solar panels is arguably an essential campervan tech feature as it will provide you with a renewable, efficient, and free source of energy that you can use to power everything in your van.
Before you buy your solar panels, however, you need to calculate how much power you require. Purchasing too few solar panels won’t provide enough energy, and too many will be a waste of money. You can work out how much solar power you need by using an online solar power calculator. You also need to learn what Ohm’s Law is and how to use it to calculate how many watts you need to power all your campervan devices.
It’s worth spending time learning about the different types of solar panels to discover which will suit your needs best before you make your purchase. You’ll also need a solar charge controller to regulate the voltage output of your solar panels. You can learn more about solar charge controllers in our expert guide on the key components of an off-grid solar power system.
2. Leisure Battery: Convert Solar Energy Into Power
Your solar panels are useless without a means to store the power, which is why you need a leisure battery.
A leisure battery is an essential piece of campervan tech as it will convert the energy from your solar panels into usable power that can run your campervan devices. Leisure batteries are designed to provide a steady release of power over a prolonged period of time, which is highly beneficial when the sun won’t come out to play.
To choose the right leisure battery, you need to work out the following:
What voltage do you want your system to run on (12v or 24v)? What type of battery do you want (lead acid, gel, AGM, or lithium)? The size of your battery (this will depend on the type of battery you choose and its capacities).
For more advice on choosing the right leisure batteries, check out Camping and Caravanning Club’s expert guide.
3. Split Charge Relay: Your Back-Up on Cloudy Days
A split charge relay is an essential campervan tech feature to include in your van build because it acts as a backup when your solar panels cannot gain enough sunlight energy (i.e. on cloudy days).
A split charge relay will create a closed circuit between your engine battery and leisure battery. This means that the engine battery will charge the leisure battery, but only when there is optimum energy available. (In other words, you won’t drain your vehicle battery when you use a split charge relay).
Arguably, you could forgo the solar panel system altogether and rely on your vehicle battery to charge your leisure batteries via the split charge relay.
Split charge relays are widely available to buy online—you just need to make sure you choose the right split charge relay for your battery first.
4. Lights: Illuminate Your Van at Night
Lights are an essential piece of campervan tech, especially when it comes to wild camping. You need a source of light for your evening activities, such as cooking and reading.
You should take some time researching the best types of lights for your campervan, but there are some basic ideas you can consider first:
Where do you want to place your lights? (kitchen, living area, bedroom?) Do you want brighter lights in your kitchen area and softer lights in the bedroom area? Do you want downlights, strip lights, or simple reading lights?
Considering the purpose of your lights along with your power supply and efficiency is crucial to choosing the right lighting for your campervan.
5. USB Sockets: Handy for All Devices
Almost all of our devices can connect and charge through USB sockets, which is why installing USB outlets in your campervan is essential.
You need to think carefully about the placement of your USB sockets, as well as how many you want to install. If you need to charge your phone or smartwatch overnight, it’s recommended you install a USB socket in the bedroom area. Having other charging points in the living room and kitchen can also be beneficial.
Check out our guide on how to install a USB power outlet for further help.
6. Fridge: Keep Your Food (and Beer!) Cool
Including a fridge in your van build is essential if you’re planning on hitting the road for long periods of time. Keeping your food (and beer) at the optimum temperature isn’t just a luxury, but also better for your health as you’ll reduce the risk of getting foodborne illnesses.
Some popular campervan fridge choices include:
Compressor fridge. Absorption fridge. Thermoelectric coolers. A simple coolbox.
The best way to choose the right campervan fridge is to consider your budget, space, and power capacity.
7. Extractor Fan: Ventilation Is Key for Campervan Health
Having optimum ventilation is crucial for the health of your campervan. Installing a fan will help with the following:
Regulating the campervan’s internal climate for comfortable living. Reduce internal moisture and condensation. Reduce unpleasant smells and pollutants.
One of the simplest ways to improve ventilation in your campervan is to install an extractor fan. Van Life Adventure—one of the best online resources for van travelers—offers a comprehensive guide on campervan ventilation, complete with simple diagrams.
Other Tech You Might Want to Install in Your Homemade Campervan
There are plenty more features you can install to boost your van life experience.
A robust security system will keep your mind at ease as you leave your van parked. A water pump is handy if you plan on installing a plumbing system. If you’re a surfer or travel in your campervan during colder months, then a heater is a worthwhile investment.
Finally, you might also want an inverter to convert the power in your leisure batteries from DC to AC, meaning you can charge anything that uses a mains charging device, such as a laptop.
