Every kilo you pack comes out of your caravan’s payload (the gap between its tare and ATM, see our weights explainer). Pack for the trip you’re taking, not every trip you might take.
What to pack, by category
Think in six groups, and pack each one only for the trip you’re taking:
- Towing, safety and spares: chocks and levelling ramps, a jack and wheel brace that suit the van, a tyre gauge, spare fuses and globes, a basic toolkit, a fire extinguisher and blanket, and a first-aid kit.
- Power, water and waste: a heavy-duty outdoor 240V lead, a dedicated drinking-water hose with a pressure-limiting valve, a grey-water hose, and cassette toilet chemicals.
- Kitchen: lightweight plates and cookware (one frypan and one saucepan is plenty), wash-up gear, storage containers, and pantry basics. Buy fresh food on the road to save weight.
- Bedding and personal: bedding for the coldest night you expect, towels, clothes for heat and cold, sun protection, medications and chargers.
- Outside and camp: chairs, a table, a mat, awning pegs and a mallet.
- Documents: licence, registrations, insurance and roadside details, bookings and manuals.
The 8 things beginners most often forget
- Wheel chocks and levelling ramps
- A tyre pressure gauge (and a 12V compressor)
- Heavy-duty outdoor 240V lead and adaptor
- A separate drinking-water hose and pressure-limiting valve
- Toilet chemicals and cassette-safe toilet paper
- Fire extinguisher and fire blanket, checked in date
- Spare fuses and globes
- Insurance and roadside assistance details
See the Checklist Pack
How to load it
Transport for NSW advises packing the heaviest items low and centred over the axles, lighter items up high, with the load balanced side to side (NSW caravan safety guide). Keep heavy items out of the rear of the van, which can reduce ball weight and contribute to sway. Then weigh the loaded rig at a public weighbridge before your first trip.
Leave at home
- Duplicates (one frypan is enough)
- Full water tanks if there’s reliable water at your destination (water is heavy; check your plan and local supply first)
- Glass jars and heavy cast iron, unless you really use them
Get the Pack · AUD 7 launch price AUD 9
Nine fillable, print-friendly checklists and logs for Australian caravanners: hitch-up, packing, set-up, pack-up, weights, renewals, campsite log and an emergency card.
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Print the free one-page Before Towing checklist, or get the full fillable Checklist Pack.