The best caravan gadget will provide a great way to enhance your tours, allowing you to get the most from your holiday and relax. However, this is a market that is saturated with gadgets, so you will want to ensure you’re buying products that will make a real difference to your experience on the road.
It’s not just a case of payload concerns either – none of us want to spend money on a novelty gadget we use once and then leave, forgotten, at the back of the cupboard. That’s where our guide to the best caravan gadgets comes in, as we share the products that are actually worth knowing about. We’ve separated gadgets from the best caravan accessories, with the differentiation of the former will require power to operate.
To help you know what you should be loading your caravan with, the judging panel at the Practical Caravan Awards 2025 is sharing our pick of the caravan gadgets worth loading your tourer with. Our top pick this year is the Garmin Camper Series sat-nav range – it comes with features that we think make a real difference when you’re towing a caravan, helping you to safely arrive at your chosen campsite. Here, you can see what we made of it and our other favourite picks on the market.
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The best caravan gadgets:
Garmin Camper Series sat-nav range
Ring RBAG950 battery analyser
Garmin Dash Cam X310
Ecoflow Alternator Charger
Nebula Mars Air 3
The best caravan gadget
Garmin Camper Series sat-nav range
- Dimensions: 17.3 x 9.9 x 1.9cm (795) to 24.5 x 15.4 x 2.1cm (1095)
- Weight: to 240g (795) to 554 g (1095)
Features include: Specialised routing, voice control, landmark guidance, Tripadvisor ratings, traffic updates, campsite directory, speed limit guidance and more
Reason to buy:
- Fantastic features if you’re towing a caravan
Reason to avoid:
- Pricier than some other sat-nav systems
Best caravan gadget at the Practical Caravan Awards 2025
Garmin’s dedicated caravan and motorhome sat-nav range, called Camper, has always impressed the Practical Caravan team – it’s been a frequent presence in our best caravan sat nav guides over the years. So I was keen to test the largest model in the range, the 1095, for our awards this year (there are two other models: the 795 and 895).
This is a big sat-nav: the 10-inch screen is clear and bright, and at more than half a kilo in weight it feels sturdy.
But it’s the features that impress most in the range. No matter which size screen you go for you’ll get a whole host of features as standard; these include caravan-specific routing, a directory of campsites, attraction guides, BirdsEye satellite imagery, sharp-curve and gradient warnings, European mapping, route overview, Garmin voice assist, low-emission zone routing… the list goes on. What’s more, you can pair the unit with your phone and you’ll get messages displayed on the sat-nav screen.
I loved using the 1095 during my recent test, and it’s with that in mind that we’re delighted to give the Garmin Camper sat-nav range our Best Caravan Gadget award for 2025.
Ring RBAG950 battery analyser
- Dimensions: 26.2 x 35.6 x 0.94cm
- Weight: 1.82kg
Features include: 12/24V colour screen battery analyser, memory storage for up to 80 results, storage case
Reason to buy:
- Gives a complete battery health check in seconds
Reason to avoid:
- Expensive
Ring Automotive is a company with a long history of producing quality aftermarket products, so I jumped at the chance to test its latest battery analyser, the RBAG950, earlier this year.
It’s suitable for 12V lead acid, AGM, EFB, gel and LiFePO4 lithium (and 24V) batteries, and is straightforward to use: simply attach the clips to the battery terminals, and an instant
voltage reading will appear. Up to 80 results can be recalled, and it’s suitable for professional use, so you can even print out your results directly via the handheld machine. It will diagnose on the clear colour display screen if your battery is faulty. I found the unit very easy to use, producing results quickly on screen.
In addition, it offers an alternator test for both regular and smart 12/24V alternators, as well as a starter test, and comes tidily packaged in a case for easy transportation.The leads to the clips are 3m long, too, allowing you to sit in your tow car’s driving seat while holding the
unit. A removable SD card lets you view results on other devices.
It’s pricey, but really handy when you’re away in your van or at home.
Find out more: www.ringautomotive.com/en/product/RBAG950
Garmin Dash Cam X310
- Screen size: 2.4 inches
- Dimensions: 7 x 4.22 x 1.95cm
- Weight: 78g
- Camera resolution: 4k
- Field of view: 140 degrees
Reason to buy:
- Compact, great resolution
Reason to avoid:
- Not particularly cheap
Dash cams are popular pieces of kit these days, and for very good reason: they offer real peace of mind. They can provide you with evidence in the event of an incident, whether you’re towing your caravan or driving solo, and some can even monitor activity around your tow car when it’s parked up.
I recently tested the X310 model by well-known brand Garmin, and I enjoyed using it very much. For starters, it features 4k Ultra HD recording with a field of view of 140 degrees, so there’s a great view of the road ahead. It’s compact in size, thanks to its 2.4-inch LCD display, but the touchscreen is bright and clear – that’s partly thanks to the Garmin Clarity polariser lens enhancement. I found it very straightforward to play clips back and change the device’s settings when needed. Automatic incident detection (when the unit is plugged into the power) is a handy fit-and-forget feature, while forward-collision and lane-departure warnings are also great to have. It also features Parking Guard, if you have a paid Vault subscription, active WiFi and constant power, for additional security.
Ecoflow Alternator Charger
- Charge: Up to 800W
- Connectivity: App & Bluetooth
- Weight: 2.3kg
Reason to buy:
- Fast charging, and easy to use
Reason to avoid:
- Bulky unit when used with power station
The Ecoflow Alternator Charger is a smart-looking item of kit that off-gridders will find useful, especially when paired with a portable power station. It’s a three-in-one fast charger, maintainer, and jump starter that allows you to charge while you drive. It’s bulky when used with a power station but portable enough for use on the road, and it makes for a powerful item of kit for those looking to go off the grid.
The charger comes with the use of the EcoFlow app, which allows you to monitor and control your power usage from your phone.
We used the Ecoflow app to set the Alternator Charger to ‘reverse charge’, and it was great to see that the vehicle battery voltage soon shot up.
EcoFlow says the charger will fully recharge an EcoFlow DELTA 2 portable power station (1kWh) on an 80-minute drive.
Its two greatest advantages are its capacity for fast charging and ease of use – simply plug in and go!
Full review: Ecoflow Alternator Charger
Nebula Mars Air 3
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080p
- Brightness: 400 Ansi Lumens
- Screen size: 30-150 inches
- Power consumption: 90W
Reason to buy:
- Good battery life, sharp picture
Reason to avoid:
- Doesn’t have a USB-C
Having access to our favourite streaming services can be a key part of being able to relax in our vans, whether it’s on a rainy afternoon or in the evening after a day’s exploring. Many will turn to the best caravan TV, but Content editor Peter is a convert to the benefits of a projector after recently testing out the Nebula Mars Air 3. It can reach up to 150-inches, providing a crisp image.
Yet what impressed him the most was its flexibility – he said: “The convenience of being able to charge it and then move it around is what I think will appeal to caravanners the most – take it from your lounge to your awning or even (conditions permitting) project it onto the side of your van”. This is further enhanced by its battery life. From a full charge, Peter found there was still 37% left after watching a film that was 2 hours and 26 minutes, pointing to a battery that is significantly better than the 2 hours 30 minutes that is advertised. This would be ideal for a couple of episodes in the awning before heading back in for another episode before bed.
Peter added: “The sound and picture quality were both excellent – I think this will be a great pick for those who prize versatility from their gadgets”.
Full review: Nebula Mars Air 3
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