Essential Gear for Your Off-Road Caravan Adventure

Keen to go on an epic off-road escapade? Ahead of your journey, make sure you have all the essential equipment and accessories you need for your off-road caravanning.  

Let’s get cracking!

Ideal Adventure Caravanning with Your Most Important Gear

Here are some of our recommended must-have items for your caravan:

1. Off-road caravan safety

At Wonderland RV, we always say ‘have fun but go for safety first’. Here are some of the things you need to keep you and your family safe when doing off-road caravanning: 

• Navigation tools (maps, compasses, and GPS devices) 
• 4WD Recovery kit (see below for detailed list). 
• Tyre deflator & Air Compressor if your caravan does not have onboard airbag suspension. 
• Fire extinguisher (standard in every caravan by law)  
• Personal locator beacon 
• High-visibility vest 
• First aid kit 
• Various tools

Speaking of safety, all of our caravans have standard safety gear included such as a fire blanket, a smoke and carbon monoxide detector, an LPG detector, and a breakaway system. Our Hornet & XTR models come with Recovery Points on the back of the chassis.  These come in handy if you need to be pulled out in reverse or you can back up to another caravan and pull them out without unhooking your caravan.  

Because medical help could be far away when you go off-road, make sure your first aid kit is well-stocked with the necessary items, such as: 

• Bandages and Dressings 
  • Variety of bandages: crepe, compression, triangular and snake bite 
  • Wound dressings and band aids 

• Antiseptics and Medications 
  • Saline solution and antiseptic wipes
  • Antiseptic fluid and cream 
  • Burn cream and cling wrap 
  • Pain relief medications 
  • Anti-inflammatory medications 
  • Anti-fungal cream or powder 
  • Skin or wound disinfectant
  • Food poisoning or gastro medication 
  • Oral rehydration solution 
  • Gel or spray for insect bites and stings 

• Tools and Accessories 
  • Shock blanket and thermal blanket 
  • Scissors, tweezers, and splinter probes. 

2. Select the right electrical system

When you’re off the grid, you need a reliable source of power to run your electrical devices and appliances. Caravan electrical systems are now quite sophisticated to ensure you won’t run out of juice mid-coffee brew!  At Wonderland RV, we partner with the industry leaders when it comes to off-grid caravanning. With offer systems from Redarc, Enerdrive, Victron Energy, and Ecopower for all your off-grid needs, from mild to wild systems.   

They all specialise in energy solutions and offer: 

• Battery Management Systems (BMS) – from simple state of charge “SOC” battery monitoring through to advanced monitoring of individual circuits like solar input, DC charge and DC loads, AC charge, fridge draw and accurate tank level monitoring. The pre-programmed BMS settings protect batteries from overcharging, over-discharging, and can alert you when you’re running low on power.  
• Solar Systems – All our caravans need DC power for Lights, Water Pumps, Fans, TV & Audio, and these items run off the batteries which need recharging, so a solar system is crucial for off-grid camping. Solar is relatively inexpensive relative to what your new caravan costs so it’s a worthwhile investment to fit an appropriate solar system for your type of camping and budget. 
• Lithium Battery Technology – Known for their efficiency, lightweight, and longer life compared to traditional batteries The larger the capacity, the longer you can stay off-grid. Even with a few overcast days, a larger system means you won’t run out of power. Not to be confused with Li-ion! Our caravans use LifePO4 “Lithium iron phosphate” batteries. The chemistry composition of lifepo4 has higher safety features compared to Li-on batteries. As the name suggests, they mainly contain metals such as phosphorus & iron. Therefore, the battery is stable with lesser risks of overheating and thermal runaway. They also contain no rare earth metals making them an environmentally conscious choice. 
• Inverter Technology – Being able to run 240V appliances when you’re off-grid makes your caravanning experience more comfortable. Inverters Convert 12V DC to 240V AC meaning you can run anything from your coffee machine, kettle, Air Conditioner or laptop.  
• Focus on Off-Grid Capabilities – Their products are mostly geared towards off-grid applications, providing reliable power for remote locations. 

A powerful electrical system is definitely a good investment for peace of mind if you use a lot of different appliances such as coffee machines or Thermomix.

3. Drink, repeat

You never know when the next water point will be available when travelling. While many rely on purchasing cardboard boxes of water such as Pureau Water in Australia or similar regional offerings to avoid single-use plastic bottles, planning for water needs goes beyond mere procurement. 

This is why at Wonderland our caravans like the Hornet & XTR, for example, have a 70L drinking water tank.  Also, an upgrade on the Amaroo.

4. Off-Grid, not offline

Going off-road doesn’t mean going incommunicado. While you might want to opt for a digital detox, mobile phones and CB or two-ray radios can help you stay in touch with other travellers and emergency services. 

Starlink can help you stay connected to work or study or for streaming entertainment. Wonderland offers a mobile phone signal booster system, satellite, RV Wifi and Starlink provision as optional upgrades to keep you connected with the world. 

5. Off-road essential recovery gear

Be prepared for any situation with the right recovery gear to help you get out of sticky situations. 

• Winch: This can pull your vehicle out of mud, sand, or snow. It can be mounted on the front or rear bumper or carried as a portable unit. 
• Shovel: This is for digging your way out of trouble, clearing obstacles, leveling the ground, or creating traction. It can also be handy for making a fire pit or burying waste.
• A tyre repair kit: This is all you need to fix a flat tire, such as patches, plugs, sealant, and a pump. The kit can save you from having to replace a tire (but still have your spare tire ready), get stuck in a remote location, and further damage your rims or suspension.
• A recovery strap: This is a strong and flexible strap that can be attached to your vehicle and another vehicle or anchor point. It can be used to tow, pull, or drag your vehicle out of a difficult spot or stabilise your vehicle on uneven terrain.
• A jack and jack stand: Lift your vehicle off the ground via hydraulic pressure or mechanical leverage. Use them to change a tire, inspect your vehicle’s underside, perform repairs, or create more clearance for obstacles like rocks or logs.

   

Go The Extra Mile 

Got the basics sorted? Then it’s time to take it up a notch with this special equipment: 

1. Fridge or Freezer

It is essential you make sure you have enough storage for your family’s needs as fresh food can be hard to find in remote areas. If you haven’t explored your option yet, a 188L compressor fridge is a standard inclusion in our caravans. You can upgrade this for a 188L 3 Way Absorption Fridge, a 224L Compressor Fridge. or a 224L 3 Way Absorption Fridge.  And our Hornet & XTR series have dual storage boxes with slide out trays, the awning side box has a 12V Anderson plug and fits an Engel 40L fridge. This can be used as a drinks’ fridge or a meat freezer. 

2. Off-road caravan customisation

Everyone’s needs and wants are different, so we can tweak our layouts to include additional hatches or even remove bunk drawers to give kids more head height in the bunk area. Are your kids tall? We can extend the length of our bunks, ensuite or bedroom.  Add an external hatch for your entertainment pack, an anti-theft tracking GPS, an external shower or any other customisations to suit your needs that we offer at Wonderland RV. 

3. Other practical tools

You may also find these useful:  

• Small appliances like air fryers, portable induction cooktops, and multi-function cookers   
• LED lights and torches (some good lighting choices are on Not Lost) 
• Portable speakers (for your hikes; as we’ve got it covered in our caravans. We offer a sound system that you can connect to from an app via Bluetooth, and it will operate inside and outside separately.) 

Just be mindful not to add unnecessary load and use up space with stuff you won’t be using! 

Your Off-Road Caravanning Tips 

Once you’ve collected all of your essential gear, we also have some off-road caravanning tips for you to ensure you have the best experience.

But the main gear of all is a tough caravan! You need one that can handle…

• Off-road tyres 
• High ground clearance 
• Robust independent suspension system 
• Durable chassis 
• Strong exterior and body frame construction 
• Firm hitch and coupling capacity
  
  

For the ultimate off-roader, check out the XTR from Wonderland RV. It’s fully stacked with a wireless airbag suspension, a 1000W solar system panel, a large lithium battery capacity, and a power inverter – perfect for any off-grid caravanning trip – plus customisable layouts and some luxury features fitted as standard. Of course, the Amaroo is a great option too for those with a smaller budget who want the offroad van but don’t need all the bells and whistles. 

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