Big Lap Gear: How Much Is It Going To Cost?

Gear is where Big Lap budgets quietly blow out. No single item seems expensive. A $200 camp chair, a $150 water filter, a $300 solar panel extension. But add them all together and you’ve spent $5,000 to $15,000 before you’ve driven a single kilometre. The caravan forums don’t help; they’re full of people recommending the premium version of everything, as if the only path to a successful Big Lap runs through Anaconda’s top shelf.

The truth is most gear falls into three categories: things you genuinely need, things that make life noticeably better, and things you’ll use twice then shove in a cupboard for 12 months. This guide breaks down the costs by category so you know what to budget and where to save.

It adds up faster than you think. Know what you need before you start buying, or the gear budget disappears in a single Anaconda trip.

The Gear Reality Check

Here’s what Big Lappers typically spend on gear across three budget levels.

Bare minimum: $2,000 to $4,000. The essentials only: electrical cable, water hose, levelling gear, basic tools, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, basic kitchen setup, bedding, and outdoor chairs. This gets you on the road safely and functionally. You’ll upgrade as you go when you discover what you actually need.

Comfortable: $5,000 to $10,000. Essentials plus quality outdoor furniture, a good BBQ, upgraded kitchen gear, a mattress topper, storage solutions, basic power upgrades, and connectivity equipment. This is the range where most Big Lappers land after their first few months.

Fully kitted: $10,000 to $20,000+. Everything above plus a full off-grid power system, premium camping gear, Starlink, extensive tools and spares, recovery gear, and all the accessories. This level suits people planning extended off-grid travel or who simply value having the best gear available.

The smartest approach: start at the minimum, travel for a month, then buy what you actually miss. The things you think you need before departure and the things you actually need after a month on the road are often different lists.

Essential Gear: The Non-Negotiables

These are the items you literally cannot start the trip without.

Electrical cable (15A, 25m): $80 to $250. Connects your van to caravan park power. Buy a quality cable with an IP-rated plug. Cheap cables overheat. Carry a short extension (10m) as well for sites where the power bollard is close.

Water hose (food-grade, 20m): $40 to $120. Connects to park water or fills your tanks. Must be food-grade (drinking water safe). Carry a shorter hose as well and a set of fittings/adaptors because tap sizes vary.

Levelling gear: $50 to $500. Levelling ramps ($50 to $150 for a basic set) and a spirit level or app. More elaborate systems (electric levelling legs) cost more but save daily effort on an 18-month trip.

Basic tools: $100 to $400. Socket set, screwdrivers, pliers, adjustable wrench, multimeter, tyre pressure gauge, and a 12V compressor. You’ll use these regularly. Don’t buy the cheapest set; a $200 toolkit lasts the trip, a $50 one doesn’t.

Safety equipment: $100 to $300. Fire extinguisher (check the van’s is in date), first aid kit (comprehensive, not a $15 chemist special), smoke alarm batteries, and a torch with spare batteries.

Total essentials: $370 to $1,570. Call it $500 to $1,500 with some contingency for fittings, adaptors, and the extras you only discover you need at the first caravan park.

Power & Off-Grid

This is the category with the widest cost range, and it’s the one that determines how much freedom you have with campsite choice.

If your van already has adequate power: $0 to $500. If you’re happy with caravan park stays and your existing solar and batteries handle overnight stops at free camps, you may not need to spend anything. A battery monitor ($100 to $250) is the one addition worth making so you can actually see your power usage.

Basic off-grid upgrade: $1,000 to $3,000. Upgrading from AGM to a single lithium battery ($800 to $2,000), adding a portable solar panel ($300 to $600), and a basic power monitor. This setup handles 1 to 2 nights off-grid comfortably.

Serious off-grid: $3,000 to $10,000+. Dual lithium batteries ($2,000 to $5,000), 300W to 600W of roof-mounted solar ($800 to $2,000), a DC-DC charger ($300 to $600), a quality inverter ($500 to $1,500), and a battery management system ($300 to $800). This setup handles extended off-grid stays of a week or more, which saves significant money on campsite fees over the course of the trip.

Off-grid power costs $1,000 to $10,000 upfront, but it pays for itself in campsite savings over a long trip.

Kitchen & Cooking

Your caravan kitchen comes equipped with a stove and sink at minimum, but you’ll need to stock it with cookware, utensils, and appliances.

Basic kitchen setup: $300 to $600. A decent pot set, frying pan, chopping board, knife set, utensils, plates, cups, and basic storage containers. If you’re cooking at home, you already own most of this. Don’t buy caravan-specific versions of things you already have; your regular pots work fine.

Comfortable kitchen: $600 to $1,500. Add a quality BBQ ($150 to $500), a good coffee setup ($50 to $300), a slow cooker or pressure cooker ($80 to $200), and better storage solutions. A quality camp oven ($50 to $150) is worth its weight if you enjoy campfire cooking.

Outdoor cooking adds up. A Weber Baby Q ($300 to $400) is the most popular Big Lap BBQ for good reason. But by the time you add a BBQ, camp oven, outdoor table, gas bottle, and accessories, you’ve spent $500 to $1,000 on outdoor cooking alone.

Comfort & Outdoor Living

This is where the “nice to have” list lives, and where overspending is easiest.

Outdoor furniture: $200 to $1,000. Two decent camp chairs ($80 to $200 each) and a table ($50 to $200). You sit in these chairs every single day; buy comfortable ones. The $30 chairs from Kmart last 3 months. The $150 chairs from Snowys last years.

Mattress topper: $100 to $400. Caravan mattresses are universally terrible. A quality memory foam topper transforms your sleep from miserable to comfortable. This is the single best comfort purchase you’ll make.

Outdoor mat: $30 to $150. Goes under the awning. Keeps dirt out of the van, defines your outdoor space, and makes the camp feel like home. Worth every cent.

Shade and weather protection: $100 to $1,000. An annex or privacy screen ($200 to $800) extends your living space. A simple tarp ($30 to $80) does the same job less elegantly. If your van has an awning, anti-flap kits ($50 to $150) prevent the nightly flapping that drives you insane in wind.

Connectivity & Tech

Phone plan: $50 to $100/month. A Telstra plan with adequate data is the minimum for regional coverage. If working remotely, budget for a high-data plan ($80 to $100/month).

Signal booster: $500 to $1,200. Extends mobile coverage in fringe areas. Not essential for everyone, but a significant quality-of-life improvement if you need connectivity regularly. The Cel-Fi GO or similar models are the most popular.

Starlink: $800 hardware + $139 to $180/month. Satellite internet that works anywhere with clear sky. Game-changing for remote workers and families doing distance education. Expensive but increasingly common on the Big Lap circuit.

Dashcam: $100 to $400. Records your driving for insurance purposes and captures some spectacular scenery. A dual-channel dashcam (front and rear) is ideal for towing.

Satellite communicator: $400 to $700 + subscription. A Garmin inReach or similar device for emergency SOS and messaging in areas with zero mobile coverage. Essential for remote travel.

Connectivity gear costs $500 to $2,500 depending on how connected you need to be. For remote workers, it’s a business expense that enables the trip.

How To Avoid Overspending

Don’t buy everything before you leave. Buy the essentials, do a shakedown trip, then spend the first month noting what you actually miss. The things you thought were essential often aren’t, and the things you didn’t think of often are.

Buy second-hand where possible. Camp chairs, BBQs, tools, outdoor mats, and kitchen gear are all available second-hand through Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace, and caravan park noticeboards. Other travellers sell gear constantly when they’re downsizing or finishing their trip.

Avoid caravan-specific marketing. A “caravan water hose” is the same as a food-grade garden hose. A “caravan pot set” is the same as a regular pot set. Some products genuinely need to be caravan-specific (electrical cables, Anderson plugs, levelling gear). Most don’t. Don’t pay a premium for the word “caravan” on the label.

Invest in the daily items. Spend more on the things you use every day (chairs, mattress topper, coffee setup, kitchen knife) and less on the things you use occasionally (camp oven, recovery gear, specialist tools). The daily items affect your quality of life disproportionately.