It’s rare that we get to test review devices long-term, so what better trial than to use them every day on a caravan trip? After spending months travelling around Australia, these gadgets are some of the best caravan tech you can buy to use on a long trip.
I previously looked at communications-specific caravan gadgets that help you stay connected on the road. Now, it’s time to look at all the other tech that can make your caravan trip even better. From dashcams to cameras, and even gadgets to help with cooking, here are some of the standouts.
Recommended caravan tech for road trips
So you are about to embark on a big road trip and you have all the camping basics. But what gadgets could make your life easier when exploring the great outdoors?
After spending a long time on the road, these are the gadgets I relied on day in, day out.
- Uniden Dash View dashcam
- Garmin Tread with BC50 rear view camera
- Bluetti Power Station
- MyCoolman fridge and freezer
- Solar panels
- Acerpure cordless vacuum
- GoPro camera
- DJI Mini Pro 4 drone
- Lenovo Chromebook
- Tyre Pressure Monitoring system (TPMS)
- Meater smart food thermometer
I use each bit of caravan tech daily, or at least weekly, and I would not want to be without them.
Uniden Dash View 50R dashcam
A dashcam is another one of those just-in-case devices. It allows you to record actual events in the case of an accident. The Uniden Dash View is tiny, and you only know it’s there when it warns you of a speed camera or tells you it has just recorded an event when you go over a bump.
I always have it on constant record, which gives you a day’s driving before it records over the top of the footage. If I need to download a video, I log into the camera from my smartphone or remove the SD card.
I like that I can pull footage if we see something interesting that the dashcam captured, but we did not have a camera out for it. The only negative is that downloading a video is slow on a smartphone.
I do not use the rear camera as running the camera back to the canopy on the back of the Ford Ranger is complicated.
Garmin Tread with BC50 rear view camera
We all put a lot of trust in Google Maps but outback that trust can quickly lead you up a dead-end dirt road. Having a separate navigator loaded with Hema Maps is a big advantage not only as a secondary navigation device but also in providing a lot more detail. In the evening you can plan your next day’s drive on your smartphone tread app then when you connect to your Garmin Tread in the morning you are all ready to go.
The Tread is far more than a navigator and allows you to control media and receive messages from your smartphone. There are many more cool features but our key other use is a reversing camera for the caravan. Garmin’s BC50 sends a wireless signal to our tread so we can see what is behind us when reversing. I can also show the rear image whilst driving but note this feature is illegal in some states.
The tread also allows you to enter your caravan and vehicle size as well as average speeds and will then adjust navigation to ensure you can travel on those roads and adjust your arrival time. Note towing speed of a caravan will be below 100km/hr by law.
Bluetti portable power stations
For my big lap, power is no issue as I have two Bluettis and an expansion battery. In the car, I run an AC200 Max which can provide 240-volt power at 2,200 watts. I use the AC power for my Starlink and the DC power to power a freezer, a Netgear mobile 5G router and a Cel-Fi booster. The AC200 has 2,000Wh capacity (about 170Ah) which is lots on its own.
To ensure my caravan has enough power, I also run a B300 expansion battery which adds another 3,000Wh. Assuming no solar or power from the car, this capacity can power the above-mentioned products for four days. If the caravan is running low, I can simply pull power from the car.
Having so much battery power means I should have a lot of input power to keep it charged. Bluetti does not have an alternator solution so car charging is limited to around 100 watts, meaning it would take more than two days of continuous driving to recharge from flat. I do have a large solar panel, but this is not enough. I will look at a third-party solution before my next trip to allow faster charging from the car alternator.
I have the much smaller EB3A 600W portable power station in the caravan which we use to keep our computers running rather than switching on the larger caravan inverter which would consume more battery power (power saving is the name of the game in a caravan). This highly portable unit weighs under 5kg and has 268Wh of capacity, plus a handy LED light on the front which has on occasion been used for walking a track at night.
The Bluetti smartphone app allows me to control both power stations, which is useful. For example, I can turn the Starlink off by switching off the AC circuit in the car power station from my bed. As far as caravan tech goes, this is one of the most essential.
MyCoolman fridge and freezer
The days of an esky and ice are long gone when touring and the new norm is a 12-volt portable compressor fridge-slash-freezer. Not a product I have reviewed yet, the MyCoolman is located in the back of my dual cab ute. We use ours as a freezer, which enables us to stay off-grid longer between trips to the supermarket. Many sizes and brands are available, including units with a separate fridge and freezer section. Almost all models can work as a fridge or a freezer simply by adjusting the desired temperature.
Of all the caravan tech I have, this is probably the most set-and-forget item I have other than pulling food in and out. MyCoolman provides an app, that sends alerts and lets you change the temperature remotely.
Running as a freezer does use more power, though. In my case, it used about 30W per hour and I did ensure my fridge was hardwired to my Bluetti power supply to avoid a 12-volt cig connection that could dislodge on corrugations.
Solar panels
If you plan to stop on your travels for more than a day, you need solar panels. Assuming the sun is shining, they are the primary source of power to keep all your caravan tech running.
I have both fixed panels and a portable foldable solar panel. The big learning for me is in winter with fewer sunlight hours, and the low angle of the sun, is that it’s hard to maximise power input. My fixed horizontal panels have been getting less than half their rated output in the middle of the day (500w of solar only delivering 220w max).
My saviour has been my 200w Bluetti foldable panel, which has an adjustable kickstand. I can move it throughout the day to ensure maximum power generation. With this portable panel, I have gotten up to 190 watts in the middle of the day in June while visiting Western Australia by angling it towards the sun.
Acerpure cordless vacuum
Newsflash: In most campgrounds and caravan parks, the ground is sand or dust. I am not sure how travelling families with young children keep their vans clean. Fortunately, with just my wife and myself, and thanks to a synthetic grass mat, we avoid bringing most dirt inside the caravan. However, red dirt, dust from bed linen, etc. build up over time.
Having a small cordless vacuum has been fantastic. The Acerpure Clean Lite cordless vacuum cleaner has enabled us to clean the floor and dust horizontal surfaces quickly. The USB-C charging has meant no 240 volts are required to keep it charged, and no extra power packs are required. Its small size means easy storage whilst still powerful enough to suck up large grains of sand.
As I mentioned in my review, I am still hitting the power button by mistake, which continues to be annoying.
GoPro camera
Capturing memories of your trip is a must, and if you are always on the go, a waterproof action camera will enable you to capture your adventures.
We primarily use our smartphone cameras for pure convenience, but our GoPro enables us to more easily take video and photos especially if any water is around. Whether you want to record plunging into the Southern Ocean in winter, jumping off a waterfall in Kimberley, or capturing coral and fish, the GoPro will ensure you never lose those memories.
Having two screens, the GoPro enables you to watch yourself if you are videoing yourself selfie-style. Various accessories like a head mount or waterproof housing for Suba diving enhance the functionality even further.
DJI Mini Pro 4 drone
Owning a drone is daunting. Will you crash your expensive new toy? The DJI Mini Pro 4 drone allows you to capture photos and videos with a bird’s-eye perspective. All-direction obstacle avoidance quickly overcomes that fear of crashing. Imagine standing on a mountain or a cliff, looking for the best campsite, that elusive track, or even a whale. The images we have captured are truly amazing. I am not a photographer nor have had much experience flying drones; none of this has mattered when piloting the DJI Mini Pro 4.
Note that many attractions do not allow drone usage, and you must comply with the government drone regulations, including flying more than 30m from other people. You can brush up on the drone rules and regulations, and also find the drone that suits your needs.
Lenovo Duet 5 Chromebook
I did not bring a PC for my six-month trip. I am writing this guide on a Lenovo Chromebook. It is light and uses far less power than a laptop, and after three months, I have not regretted my decision.
Although an older model now, with its OLED screen and removable keyboard, the unit is great for watching movies, making video calls and writing. The only function so far it has not done is playback 4K video from the GoPro or DJI drone, but I believe this is a limitation by the amount of memory the unit has. My recommendation would be to buy a model with more memory.
Tyre Pressure Monitoring system (TPMS)
This is a product that you attach to the valves of your tyres. A TPMS measures the pressure and temperature of each tyre. If the tyre pressure changes by a user-set amount, an alarm sounds. The benefit is that you catch an issue, such as a flat tyre, before it causes an accident or greater damage.
A blown tyre on a trailer is harder to detect without a TPMS, and a warning can save you a lot of money for a small outlay. We have a TPMS on our caravan and the airbags of the caravan suspension.
We are using a Bluetooth solution that connects to your smartphone supplied by Kimberly Kampers.
Meater smart food thermometer
Suppose you want the perfect steak or the roast done to perfection. In that case, a Meater temperature probe measures the ambient temperature in your BBQ or oven as well as the temperature of the meat’s centre. Connected through a smartphone app, you receive accurate cooking times based on your meat selection.
Since my initial review, my wife now trusts the Meater, and we get perfect results on the BBQ every time. I know you may want to measure your cooking time in beers, but I assure you this is much more accurate.
Top caravan tech to take on your big trip
If you are planning a big lap of Australia or simply a week road trip, these gadgets are my recommended top picks:
- Bluetti portable power station: you need power, and these units are portable so that you can use them indoors or in your vehicle.
- Foldable solar panels: to keep your battery charged and your gadgets running.
- 12-volt compressor fridge: the beer has to be kept cold.
- A GoPro or drone camera: to remember those memories for years to come.
- Cordless vacuum: because we like to live in a clean living space, especially when it’s small.
My final tip is to eliminate as many 12-volt cig sockets as possible for powering your devices and change them to hard-wired or a more robust plug like an Anderson plug. I have had no end of issues with cig sockets so far on my trip.
Above all else, consider what caravan tech will make your life simpler or safer to enjoy your holiday.
Happy camping!
The post Top caravan tech you should bring for your big trip appeared first on GadgetGuy.
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