Cannot believe no one has mentioned a corkscrew !!!!!! Essential item number one !! I did forget one once, lucky for me our French neighbours hadn't made the same mistake!

In the extremely unfortunate event of forgetting the corkscrew buy screw top bottles or wine boxes
We found that we had too much stuff to begin with, you learn what you need.
Essentials: corkscrew (was that already mentioned )
Torch - for sites with no lighting
Batteries - for torch
Low wattage kettle and toaster
Matches
Remoska/mini oven/cookpot/slow cooker - whatever works for you
Toilet paper
Basic tool kit for running repairs

These are just my thoughts, everyone is different and as has been said it depends where you are camping.

If you put all that in your van Colin all that would be left for your payload is a pair of underpants and a hat..

Who needs the teenagers

I would suggest a mattress topper...... the beds are so much more comfortable with one, especially if it’s made up of multiple cushions. Perhaps it is better with a fixed bed.

I think you need an awning :) or at least a sun canopy for warmer climes and warmer times

Other views are available. I have never bothered with an awning, all seems a bit of a faff to me. I do have an Omnistore canopy though, as you suggest, for warmer and sunnier climes. As I suggested right at the beginning, it all depends on the sort of camping you are planning to do...

Don’t think anyone has mentioned gas! You might find a bottle is supplied but if not, get hold of two. I’ve also had a gauge fitted by my service engineer that shows the level of the gas. Obviously essential for cooking on the hob, but we’ve got duel heating and it’s therefore essential for heating too. Just a note though, it’s calor gas in this country which is nigh on impossible to get abroad that’s why I take two! Happy camping I’m sure you’re going to enjoy every minute. Final thought....go for a few w/end breaks to ‘try out’ and you’ll quickly find out what you personally need and what you don’t.

Quote: Derekcbr wrote in post #26

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Don’t think anyone has mentioned gas! You might find a bottle is supplied but if not, get hold of two. I’ve also had a gauge fitted by my service engineer that shows the level of the gas. Obviously essential for cooking on the hob, but we’ve got duel heating and it’s therefore essential for heating too. Just a note though, it’s calor gas in this country which is nigh on impossible to get abroad that’s why I take two! Happy camping I’m sure you’re going to enjoy every minute. Final thought....go for a few w/end breaks to ‘try out’ and you’ll quickly find out what you personally need and what you don’t.

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I think you will need a special adaptor to use both calor gas and the campingas systems. I just take a 6kg bottle and a spare 4.5kg. Never run out of gas in our monthly trips across the Chanel.............Yet!!