What Australian caravans come with
Answered from the catalogue.
What is actually standard on a caravan, counted from the checked ranges we list rather than argued from opinion.
The feature list, then the typical solar, water and battery sizes behind it.
Updated . 8 min read • Buying Guide
The features most often fitted as standard across checked Australian caravan ranges are solar, an ensuite and air conditioning.
Sizes vary far more than inclusions do, so the typical solar, water and battery figures below matter as much as the list.
- Solar - around 600W is typical (on checked ranges publishing a solar figure)
- Fresh water - around 190L is typical (on checked ranges publishing a tank figure)
- Battery - around 300Ah is typical (on checked ranges publishing a battery figure)
What the catalogue says comes standard
Each count below is the number of checked ranges in our catalogue that fit the feature as standard. We read it from the manufacturer's own published material and count it live, so the figures move as the catalogue moves.
Fitted as standard is the bar, and it is deliberately strict: pre-wiring, options packs and available-on-request do not count. A range without a count here can still offer the feature as an option, so the spec sheet for the exact layout you are pricing always has the final word.
Solar
Panels fitted as standard, feeding the battery wherever the van is parked.
Ensuite
A shower and toilet inside the van, so nobody is walking to an amenities block at night.
Air conditioning
Usually a roof-mounted reverse-cycle unit, so it heats as well as cools.
Large water tanks
More fresh water capacity than the usual pair of tanks carries.
Outdoor kitchen
A slide-out cooktop and bench that puts dinner under the awning.
Washing machine
A compact top or front loader, most useful on long stints away from town.
Off-grid setup
Equipped by the maker for camping away from power and water.
Diesel heater
Ducted heating that runs from its own fuel supply rather than a powered site.
Bunks
Fixed bunk beds, the marker of a family layout.
Club lounge
A wraparound lounge and table built for sitting rather than sleeping.
Island bed
A bed you can walk around on both sides, so nobody climbs over anybody.
Slide-out
A wall section that extends outward when parked, adding floor space.
The top of the list is what the market treats as table stakes; the further down you read, the more a feature is a deliberate layout choice rather than a default.
The typical power setup
A feature tag says solar is aboard; the wattage says what it can actually do, and the spread between ranges is wide. On checked ranges publishing a solar figure, a typical roof array sits around 600W. A typical battery bank on ranges publishing one runs around 300Ah.
The two only work as a pair. The battery sets how much power the van can store, the solar sets how quickly it comes back, and an inverter decides whether any of it can run a 240V appliance. A big number on one and a small number on the other is the most common way a spec sheet flatters a van.
Sizing it for your own trips
How to turn the appliances you run into a solar and battery figure is covered in how much solar does a caravan need, and the AGM-versus-lithium choice behind the amp-hours is covered in caravan battery types compared.
The typical water setup
Fresh water usually travels in a pair of tanks under the floor. On checked ranges publishing a figure, typical total fresh capacity sits around 190L. Grey water tanks tend to run smaller, typically around 80L on the ranges that publish one, which is why grey capacity often fills before fresh runs out.
Capacity is only half the question, because water is the heaviest thing most vans carry. Every litre weighs one kilogram, so filling the tanks spends payload before a single bag is packed, and a bigger tank is only better on a van with the allowance to fill it. That sum is the whole subject of caravan payload explained.
What standard means, and what options really cost
Standard describes the base build of a range: what every van in it leaves the factory with before a single box is ticked. Published starting prices and published tare weights usually describe that same base build, which is what makes them comparable between ranges.
Options change both ends of the deal. Each one adds cost, and most add weight, which raises the van's real tare and shrinks what is left to carry. A generously optioned van can weigh meaningfully more than its brochure suggests, which is why the build sheet and the compliance plate for the actual van are the documents to trust.
The weight terms behind that sentence, ATM, tare and the rest, are covered plainly in caravan weights explained.
Standard-feature questions, answered
Do Australian caravans come with solar?
Solar fitted as standard is one of the most common features across the checked ranges in our catalogue, and panel size varies a great deal between ranges. The distinction to watch on a spec sheet is solar-ready versus solar-fitted: pre-wiring for a panel is not a panel, so look for an actual wattage figure and confirm what the layout you are pricing includes.
Is air conditioning standard on Australian caravans?
Air conditioning is among the more common features fitted as standard across the checked ranges we list, usually as a roof-mounted reverse-cycle unit that heats as well as cools. On some smaller and lighter layouts it is an option rather than an inclusion, so confirm it against the exact layout and note that running it away from a powered site takes a serious battery and inverter setup.
How much water does a caravan usually carry?
Most commonly a pair of fresh water tanks, with a grey water tank that tends to run smaller. The practical point is that water is weight: every litre weighs one kilogram, so tank capacity and payload have to be read together, and a bigger tank is only better if the van has the allowance to fill it. Our payload guide covers that sum in full.
Do caravans come with a washing machine?
Some ranges fit one as standard and many others offer one as an option. It earns its keep for travellers doing months at a time, and like everything else aboard it costs payload and water, so weigh the convenience against how often a caravan park laundry would do the same job.
What does standard actually mean on a caravan spec sheet?
Standard describes the base build of that range: what every van in the range leaves the factory with before options. Options add capability, cost and weight, and the published tare usually describes the base build too, so a heavily optioned van weighs more and carries less than the brochure suggests. The build sheet and the compliance plate for the van you are actually buying are the documents that settle it.
See which vans carry the features you want
Filter every checked range by feature, or read what the carrying allowance behind the spec sheet really is.