Campervan owners any top tips?

[CelticPromise]

We've just agreed to buy a campervan eek! DH has always wanted one (and he is adamant I must tell you it is a VW T25). We have camped a bit with a tent and hope to use the van for short spur of the moment trips and the occasional festival. I am keen to hear from anyone who has one- what's good and bad about it? What do I neeeeeed to go in it?

Excited update- we picked our van up this morning and took her to the beach this afternoon. She smells a bit musty and the fridge needs a good scrub so those are my first jobs. But she's fab!

That is exciting. We had a T25 cali which we loved. We spent a lot of money on her upgrading various things (new 3 point seatbelts etc.) but she held her value well and we sold her for more than we paid to buy her. We still have the bug though and now have a T5 cali.

The thermomats I agree are great. Is it a pop top? We had the same type of thermal matting to go round the pop top which was a massive bonus when it rained as the old canvas did get really wet and heavy. It also kept the pop top darker in the light summer months which was good for children sleeping a little in a little bit longer! We also bought a cargo net type thing to put across the pop top inside so the children could sleep up there and a collapsible ladder so they could get up and down easily. Agree with the awning. We got one from the Bus Shelter for short trips, used our Soul Pad in conjunction with the van for longer trips. What else... travel light. Really less is more, packing up can be a bit of a pain if you bring too much stuff. I used to always have a windbreak in the van to use with the awning and could create a nice wind-free sheltered area around the van to sit in.

Like others I just keep it packed up in the summer months with standard camping gear, duplicate wash bag etc. so it only needs bedding and a bag of clothes and we can go away for a night whenever the mood takes us. Enjoy your van, it's a lovely way to spend time in the summer months :-)