Have RV mod cons gone too far?

Words: Morgan Lane and RV Daily

Modern conveniences have become such an integral part of our everyday lives we find ourselves incapable of untethering from them. We can’t even go to the bathroom without a smartphone in hand. Before you scoff at how ridiculous that sounds, think about the last time you sat on the throne without a device within arm’s reach…

Nowadays, newspapers are delivered on our phones and tablets, and the Internet has replaced the library as our primary source of information. We have the world at our fingertips, where social media gives us real-time notifications of our friends’ movements, and you can video-chat with any one of your pals anytime.

So much for off-grid

Have we become a society that can’t unplug, even while in the great outdoors? Take a look around any caravan park and you will see enough tech devices at work to back-up NASA. Don’t get me wrong, I love my gadgets and tech as much as the next person – but have we gone too far? As a kid, camping was a completely different experience to now. There were no mobile phones or iPads, no generators running TVs, no air-con or washing machines. I was armed with a Walkman, a packet of AA batteries and my Bananas in Pyjamas film camera.

We live in an age of smart technology – where our car locks the doors for us when it picks up speed, voice recognition calls friends on command and windscreen wipers activate without being told. The Internet of Things means you can control the lights and appliances in your house or RV from your phone. And let’s not get started on things like Bluetooth speakers that ensure everyone in the caravan park can hear Oldmate pumping out “Thunderstruck” while he makes his breakfast.

Today, even a reception blackspot won’t disconnect you from the outside world. That’s what Starlink is for. TVs, GPS units, washing machines, microwaves, dishwasher, airfyers – just about anything you can think of can be set up and used on the road. But are we missing the point of off-grid travel? Is that remote waterfall less spectacular if you don’t Snapchat it to your mates? What happened to leaving your Nokia 3310 in the glovebox for a weekend of toasting marshmallows by the fire? When FaceTime was the real deal. Performed with real humans. In person. Preferably with a beer or wine in hand.

Off course, technology isn’t all bad. Mod cons have helped tame our big brown continent, making it easier to navigate and more accessible than ever. Forget paper maps that morph into crumpled dust catchers on the back seat. A GPS unit will get you anywhere you want to go across the country. And with Starlink, the working traveller can chair a boardroom meeting from a tree stump on the Oodnadatta Track.

Let’s cut to the chase… Here’s what I can’t live without and the mod cons I think we can ditch.

The keepers

Starlink

The ability to stay connected while travelling to remote places has spawned a new generation of RVers who can work while living full time on the road. Starlink can keep you connected with emails, news, social media updates and support virtual meetings online. And with units becoming more portable and 12V compatible, there’s nowhere you can’t be connected. So much for disconnecting.

Air-Con

Air-conditioning is a little luxury that can make a big difference to comfort on the road. Especially when you’re parked up in Marble Bar and the hottest town in Australia is living up to its reputation. We’ve had air-con in cars for decades. It’s totally acceptable to want a little cooling (or heating) when Australian climes serve up extremes.

GPS

GPS units have become a popular addition to a traveller’s arsenal, with the teams over at HEMA and MudMaps really stepping up the game for off-roaders when it comes to straying off the blacktop. Incorporating both city and rural routes, as well as 4WD tracks, GPS devices are to road tourers what the stars were to early seafarers, and I’m here for it.

Hot water service

There’s such a thing as taking ‘camp clean’ too far. And when you can no longer detect the smell of a dead roo over your spicy body odour, you know you’ve crossed the line. A hot water service helps keeps campers – and crockery – in good hygiene. And who doesn’t love a nice hot shower after a day battling flies and dust when the desert chill closes in? Boiling the billy over a fire has a lovely romance, but give me a hot-water tap any day.

Solar power system

Solar power and the-ever-increasing-sophistication of battery systems and inverters are a game changer for off-grid camping. Where once you had to contend with 12V lights and low-draw devices, or fire up a noisy generator, today’s RVs can be self-sufficient and generate enough electricity to power a small village (well, almost). Powered by the sun’s rays, RVs can go further off-grid for longer. With enough juice to keep the beer cold and coffee hot and creamy.

Mod cons to ditch

Washing Machine

A washing machine in your van may save you time and money on caravan park laundries and local laundrettes. But having a small washing machine on board means you will be doing smaller loads more often. Not to mention sucking up valuable space and weight that might be useful for something else. Unless you have an enormous amount of water storage (and requisite power) are you really going to be doing much washing off-grid?

Microwave

I do love a good bag of microwave popcorn for an afternoon snack, but a stovetop pan or billy on the fire with corn kernels is just as good. Microwaves draw hefty power, take up a full size kitchen cupboard and their performance is sub par compared to your unit at home. And isn’t it just overkill? We spend our lives slaving away in the kitchen at home, do you really want to be indoors microwaving a Lite ’n’ Easy frozen meal when you can be cooking outside?

Dishwasher

Who would have thought RVs would get to this level of luxury (read ridiculousness). Dishwashers are right up there with washing machines. High power usage, high water consumption, big footprint. And let’s face it, who has that many dishes to justify a dishwasher? Sure, their capacity is smaller than a household dishwasher, but if you’re stockpiling a day or more’s worth of dishes to get out of doing the washing-up you’re carrying too much stuff.

TV

Most RVs come standard with a TV. But have you seen the caravanners who take movie night to the next level with a film projector beamed onto the back of the van? Just in case the rest of the campground wanted to watch (and hear) Sharknado too. While bingeing White Lotus in your PJs might be a nice way to relax, it kind of defeats the purpose of getting away in the great outdoors. The couple next door enjoying a sunset drink and nibbles might not be there tomorrow. Go join them!

How you choose to travel is your decision. But there’s something liberating about travelling light over dragging an apartment on wheels around the country. If in doubt about what to take when gearing up your RV, defer to the air traveller’s packing guide: pack what you need and then halve it.