One of the biggest anxiety relievers on the road is knowing what is in your roadside emergency kit, and knowing you can get out of a sticky situation if one arises.
Hello! Nikole and Clark here! We have been traveling in our Ford Transit Connect camper van for over a year now, and have already come across some sketchy situations. A roadside emergency kit isn’t something we used to pack, but it’s a relief we have one now.
No one wants to think about all the situations that could arise while on vacation. Being prepared for emergencies will actually leave you feeling relieved because you never know what will happen on the road.
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Prevention is best
Before we even go through what you need to have in your roadside emergency kit for your camper van let’s talk about roadside prevention.
Wouldn’t it be better to prevent something from happening before you have to deal with the headache of fixing it? Here are some preventative measures you can take before you set out on the road.
Check Over Your Entire Vehicle
Before you set out on your journey you may want to look over your camper van. Check things like your tire pressure, under the hood, your vehicle fluids, and your breaks.
I can’t tell you how many times we started our vacation with a leaky tire or low oil. These problems have caused big headaches because we neglected to check them before we left. We kept having to fill our leaky tire with air at different gas stations, therefore taking time out of our trip.
These things just happen, and it’s better to catch them so you can service your vehicle instead of having a big problem in the middle of an unfamiliar place.
Get your Vehicle Regularly Serviced
There are things a mechanic can detect that you cannot. Getting your vehicle regularly serviced can help you fix small problems that would otherwise become big problems.
Have a Full-size Spare Tire
Have you seen the type of tires that are placed in vehicles, they are unreliable and only meant to get you so far. Some places won’t even provide you with the crappy spare tire, instead, they give you a kit to fix the tire.
Having a full-size spare tire will allow you to continue on your journey instead of getting your vehicle serviced.
Don’t Drive at Night
If you can help it avoid driving at night time. Road hazards are harder to see at night and in some areas deer are everywhere.
Roadside Emergency Kit List
Even though you took some preventative measures you can still run into some “speed bumps” on the road ahead of you. Most of these items are here to help you make it through an emergency or even help you stay alive.
It’s always important that you check your camper van for these items and make sure they are in great working condition before heading out on your trip. Don’t worry I will be providing a list of items by the end of this post.
Triangles or pop up Cones
You will need a set of roadside triangles or pop-up cones to alert other drivers that your camper van has wrecked up ahead.
This can be an easy thing to do to prevent an even bigger wreck. You can read more about where to properly place the cones at www.law.cornell.edu.
Flares
Flares are a nighttime alternative to the triangles I previously mentioned. It’s recommended you use LED road flares as an alternative to regular flares.
Some states or locations will require that you have cones or flares, so check to see what is required in your area.
Empty Gas Can
I know, we all think we know how long it will take for us to run out of gas. We have all been in this situation, so just pack that empty gas can just in case.
Keep in mind that you will have to haul whatever gas you put in the can back to your camper van, so don’t fill it up so much that it’s hard to carry. You want it full enough to drive your camper van to the gas station so you can finish filling it up there.
This may be thinking too deeply into the subject, but carrying a bike on your journeys could be useful in this situation. Riding a bike to get some gas would be so much faster than walking. Make sure you have some way to put a basket on your bike so you can carry the gas can.
Jumper Cables
Who hasn’t had dead battery troubles? I purchased a brand new vehicle just to have the battery die on the way to Virginia from North Carolina. Because we didn’t have jumper cables, we had to wait several hours for our friends to come and save us.
Try keeping one of these Jump-N-Carry kits in your camper van roadside emergency kit to help you with battery problems. You won’t need a second vehicle, just the kit.
Tire Changing Kit
You can choose from several different options when it comes to a flat tire, I would recommend having the sealant along with having a regular-sized spare tire.
The tire quick fix provides a way to seal and pump a leaking tire. You can fix this in as little as 10- minutes, so the product claims. This is only good for tires with small leaks, not gashes.
The idea with patching is to temporarily fix the tire to get you to the nearest shop.
This tire changing kit has all you need to change a tire including a wheel wrench and a jack that holds over 6,000 pounds.
Safety Vest
Protecting yourself any way you can is essential to fixing any roadside emergency situation. A great way to protect yourself from oncoming traffic is by wearing a safety vest so other motorists can easily see you.
Fire Extinguisher
Always have a fire extinguisher or several fire extinguishers in your camper van roadside emergency kit. You never know when a fire will start.
I would recommend keeping one in your front cab and one in the back, especially if you have a bigger camper van. Always keep it out in the open so you can easily grab it before the fire spreads and becomes a big problem.
This Brackateer fire extinguisher has a car mount that allows you to easily fasten it to your vehicle.
Fire blankets
along with having a fire extinguisher, you should carry fire blankets to easily put out a fire that has caught on your person.
It sets our mind at ease having some of these JJ CARE Fire Blankets in our camper van just in case our clothing does happen to catch on fire. All you need to do is wrap the person whose clothes are on fire and have them roll in the blanket on the ground to put out the flames.
Flash Light
Flashlights– are a must in everyone’s roadside emergency kit. How else are you going to see in the dark if you break down? You don’t even need a huge flashlight, so it won’t be taking up much space in your storage.
Head Lamps– I love headlamps as an alternative to flashlights especially when it comes to working on your vehicle. It really frees your hands!
Phone Charger
Why yes a phone charger is essential in an emergency situation. What if you need to call for help but your battery dies on you!
Battery Bank
You can’t charge your phone unless you have power. A battery bank is a great alternative to your vehicle battery, because what if your vehicle battery dies? It’s always good to have multiple sources of power.
Cordless Chain Saw
This isn’t really a necessity, however, it would be very useful when boondocking and a storm hits. Trees can fall at your site and block you from getting back on the road.
When trees are blocking your path, a chain saw will help you clear a path for a fast getaway.
Tow Straps
You never know when or where you will need tow straps. There are so many situations in which you can use them.
You can use them for getting your vehicle out of the mud or for strapping items to your camper van roof rack.
Traction Pads
Using traction pads under your van’s tires will also help you get out of a sticky situation.
Place a pad under the tire that is stuck to gain more traction.
NOAA Weather Emergency Radio
Maybe I just have sucky cell service or cell phone, but I don’t always get weather alerts when I need them. i typically get tornado warnings after the fact that it’s happened.
That’s why I would recommend purchasing a NOAA weather radio to add to your camper van roadside emergency kit. The radio will give you real-time updates on the weather so you can be prepared for the worst.
Copies of Important Documents
There are some necessary documents you should always have in your roadside emergency kit, and quite honestly I didn’t think about having most of them at first.
This includes copies of…
- Passport
- Vehicle insurance
- Your will
- Banking info
- Health records
- Any other documents you think are important
Safe
we always carry our Sentrysafe in our camper van for the documentation I listed above. Make sure you use a fireproof and waterproof safe to keep all of your documents safe.
Safety Hammer
A safety hammer is such a cool gadget to have, and it’s small but very effective. The hammer is used to break glass even when underwater.
On the other end of the hammer is a cutter meant to cut off seatbelts in emergencies.
I like the idea of having two pairs in the vehicle. One for the driver’s side and one for the passenger side, that way both people have access to one. Here is a set of two safety hammers and seat belt cutters so you can do just that.
Medications
Pack extra of any medications you or your group take. An emergency may arise that will cause you to be out a few more days than you planned.
It’s a good idea to keep an inhaler and an epinephrine pen(EpiPen) on hand at all times, especially for those with asthma or allergies.
Emergency Food and Water
Just in case you find yourself stranded out in the middle of nowhere it’s a great idea to have a food and water plan until you can find help.
Legacy Food Storage has some great survival food options, but mostly on a larger scale. However, they do have a smaller food bundle that would be perfect for your camper van excursion.
As far as water goes you already have some jugs of water in your van (as most camper vanners do), so adding even more weight just in case water isn’t always an option. Try getting a water filtration system so you won’t have to carry an unnecessary water supply around weighing your camper van down.
I prefer Sawer Products to filter my water compared to other filtration systems. Overall seems to have the best reviews and the best product.
Shovel
Ditch the cheap emergency shovels! They won’t withstand vigorous digging. Trust me, we tested several cheap shovels and all of them broke.
Getting a high-quality shovel really counts when you find yourself in a rut, or I should say when you find your vehicle in a rut.
First Aid Kit
Always! ALWAYS have a first aid kit onboard! Even the tiniest cuts can turn out to be big infections. Bandaids and the right antibacterial can help prevent infections.
You can build your own ( I could make a whole other blog post about this) or you can purchase one already made.
If you decide to purchase an already made kit make sure to check inside of it. We have found that some items are not up to our standards, so we replace them.
It’s always good to know what is in your first aid kit, so you can act quickly in an emergency.
Electrical Tape
There are several uses for electrical tape.
There was a time when a squirrel set up shop in my engine bay and chewed the wires. I couldn’t start my vehicle so I called for a tow.
If you are good with wires, the electrical tape could help you keep wires together until you can get to the nearest shop. This could save you an expensive tow.
How to Make Your Own Road Side Emergency Kit?
There are plenty of pre-made emergency roadside kits for camper vans and RVs, however, the items that are provided aren’t always quality items.
You need good-quality items that you can trust to get you out of sticky situations. You wouldn’t want your jack to fail while you are under your vehicle. That’s why I recommend building your own kit with brands you trust.
Looking at an already made roadside emergency kit will help guide you into building your own.
Here are a few things you need to consider when building your own kit.
Number of Passengers
When building your own emergency roadside kit you need to consider how many people are going with you. This is especially important when you are packing food rations, water, and medications.
Here is a small list of things you need to consider how many people are in your group.
- Emergency blanket
- Food/water
- First Aid items
- Medications
Where to Put Everything
Some Camper Vans are too small to store all of the items I listed above. There are ways to save space such as shovels you can break down, small jacks, and fold down triangles.
You also need to figure out where everything should go in your camper van. Here are some tips for where everything should be stored.
- Keep your tow straps and shovel near the back doors so you can easily access them if your van gets stuck.
- Store two fire extinguishers in your van. Place one in the front cab and one in the back. Place one wherever you may have a fire hazard like a fire pit or a stove.
- You can store most of the other items in a duffle bag or a tote. Make sure it’s in a spot everyone in your group can easily access. In other words, don’t store your kit in a rooftop carrier or a locked storage bin.
What Items Are Most Important To You?
While putting together your kit you should consider which items are most useful for you.
It’s not always ideal to bring everything you can with you because you have such limited storage space.
Don’t leave out obvious items like a fire extinguisher or a first aid kit. Items like the chain saw or bulky flashlights are up to your discretion.
Where Are You Going?
Knowing where you are traveling will help you decide what to put in your kit. If you are boondocking you may need heavier equipment to get your vehicle out of a rut.
If you find yourself amongst a lot of trees you may want to consider packing that chain saw.
Items to Include In Your Emergency Roadside Kit
Here are a few lists of items you may want to include in your emergency roadside kit. Keep in mind that these are not all-inclusive lists, you may want to add some preferences of your own.
You can also download each list and print them off at your convenience.
What are the Best Pre-made Road Side Emergency Kits?
You don’t necessarily need to purchase everything separately, however, you may get better quality items if you do. Sometimes these pre-made emergency roadside kits include some low-end items.
If you do want a pre-made emergency roadside kit I do have some recommendations for you. If you find that some of the items are not up to your standards you can always replace the item in question with a brand you trust.
- Legacy Food Storage Road Side Safety Kit 53 piece set
This camper van safety kit has MOST items you need. It includes the most important items that are required to keep you and your party safe. You can always add more to it if need be.
This would be a great kit to pattern your own D.I.Y kit after.
2. Thrive Roadside Emergency Car Kit– 104 piece set
This kit will give you the most bang for your buck as it seems to have good quality items. This product has great customer reviews.
3. Kolo Sports Roadside Emergency Car Kit – 156 piece set
If you want a kit with literally everything in it then look into the Kolo Sports Roadside Emergency kit.
I honestly didn’t get around to posting absolutely everything you need for an emergency roadside kit for camper vans, but I got around to some of the most important ones. Let me know which emergency item has come in handy the most to you!
