The kit we get asked about most
Led by the most asked question in Ask Steve history: the folding shelf on the side of the van. Plus pegs, cooking and tyres.
What is the folding shelf on the side of the motorhome?
The most asked question we get, by a distance. The external folding shelf was fitted to our old Swift Kon-Tiki 874: it came from Amazon (https://amzn.to/3O69RlU, and heads up, that is an affiliate link so we earn a little at no extra cost to you, but it is something we genuinely used and loved). Phil bonded it to the side of the van with Sikaflex 522, using the activator first, and it sat rock solid ever since. Steve mostly used it as a workspace for the Cadac Carri Chef 3. As for whether one goes on the new Dethleffs: still thinking about it, honestly. The new van's layout is different and we want to see how we get on first.
What are the best pegs for hard standing pitches?
Screw pegs, driven with a cordless drill, and once you have tried the combination you will not go back to hammering rock pegs into compacted gravel. They bite into surfaces a standard peg bounces off, they come out cleanly, and the drill does the work instead of your wrist. Carry a mixed bag: screw pegs for the hard stuff, conventional pegs for grass, and you are covered for any pitch Europe offers.
What do you cook on outside the van?
The Cadac Carri Chef 3 has been the outdoor kitchen for years, and it is the reason the famous side shelf existed: that was its workspace. A gas barbecue that size handles everything from a full family cook up to a couple of burgers without the faff of charcoal, and it packs into the garage. Outdoor cooking is half the point of the hobby in summer, so it earns its storage space many times over.
Full guide: Essential motorhome accessories
What tyres do you recommend for a motorhome?
Camping specific tyres, CP rated, because they are built for the constant near maximum loads a motorhome puts on them, which ordinary van tyres are not. Run the pressures for your actual axle weights, which is another argument for the weighbridge visit, and judge tyres by age rather than tread: motorhome tyres usually perish before they wear out, and five or six years is the point to start looking hard at them regardless of how much rubber is left.
Do you filter your drinking water?
Our practical system is less about gadgets and more about habits: we are choosy about which taps we fill from, the tank gets a proper clean and flush at the start of the season, and drinking water gets its own consideration rather than assuming every campsite tap in every country is equal. If you tour hot countries a lot there is a fair case for an inline filter, but the cleaning routine matters more than any hardware you bolt on.
Do you really run an air fryer in the van?
We do, and it is one of the most used things aboard. It is also the honest answer to why we carry the battery capacity we do: an air fryer through the inverter is a serious draw, and it only makes sense with a proper lithium bank and solar behind it. If your electrical system is modest, this is a hook-up day appliance. If you are speccing a system, the ability to cook like this off grid is exactly the kind of real world load to size for.
Full guide: How much does motorhome touring really cost?