Last Updated: 30 April 2025
Here's a quick guide on how to get your Volkswagen ready for the summer, with ten simple steps to help keep your VW on the road and ready for adventure. Read on for tips on everything from breakdowns to bugs!
With so many great VW shows and events on the horizon, it’s time to prepare our campers (and air-cooled cars) to hit the road and get ready for adventure!
You’ll know your Volkswagen better than anyone, and you’ve probably got a list of jobs to tackle already, but this quick guide might help you remember a couple of things you hadn’t thought of, so read on for ten steps you can take to get your campervan ready for the summer.
Jump To:
• How to service your VW camper
• Creating a breakdown kit for your VW
• Using blackout curtains to sleep in past dawn
• Packing thermomats to insulate your camper
• Check out upcoming VW shows & events
• Make sure you're properly insured
• Look at helpful upgrades and cool accessories
• Keep your batteries topped up with solar panels
• Take advantage of our special offers
• Stop bugs getting into your camper
How to Service Your VW Camper
First things first, you’ll want to make sure your camper is in good condition and everything is working properly, so you can enjoy the sunshine when it arrives!
It’s easier than you might think to run an engine service on your camper. Whether you’ve got an early T2 Splitscreen or a modern T6.1, you’ll be able to check over a whole range of essential components with a little know-how and some fairly basic tools.
If you're not sure where to start, then take a look at our JK Service Record and MOT Guide Booklet, which is just £5 and explains what you need to check when servicing your Volkswagen, a well as how often these different areas need to be looked at. You can get one of these booklets for free when you pick up an Engine Service Bundle Kits too!
These service bundle kits will give you all the spare parts you might need to service your VW’s engine and save you money at the same time. If you don't use some of the parts from your service kit, then you can hold onto them and keep them as spares.
You can also find helpful guides on how to go about servicing your Volkswagen, either as written guides with downloadable PDFs or how-to videos.
Create a Breakdown Kit for Your VW
It’s always best to be prepared for the worst, so we always recommend packing a full set of spare parts whenever you set off in your classic VW, as well as the tools you'll need to fit them.
From our experience, having these spares and tools seems to be a great way of warding off unexpected breakdowns!
The JK Team usually set off in our VWs with a bundle of spare parts like cables, bulbs, and V-belts, as well as the tools used to fit those spares, when we’re heading out on an adventure.
No one wants to end up stuck at the side of the road for hours, but even if you can’t fix the issue yourself and need to call for roadside assistance, having the spare parts you need with you means it’s more likely that you’ll be back on the road faster.
This is less of a concern if you've got a modern Volkswagen, as they're generally less likely to experience an issue and breakdown services are more likely to have the parts and tools for your vehicle to hand, but it never hurts to be prepared with the basics like coolant, oil, and bulbs.
Get Blackout Curtains and Sleep in Past Dawn
Camping is meant to be relaxing and fun, but no one enjoys waking up at the crack of dawn!
Luckily, we’ve got a huge range of blackout curtains which are tailored to the size and shape of the windows in different campervans. They come with pre-formed curtain rails, too, so all you need to do it screw the rails in, stretch the curtains a bit, and attach them to the rails.
We've tested these blackout curtains extensively ourselves, and have had a lot of great feedback from people about how useful they are for keeping their campers nice and dark so they get better sleep while they're off on a camping adventure.
These blackout curtains are really simple to install, and a great way to keep sunlight and prying eyes out of your van while you’re camping!
Video: How to Fit Curtains to Your Van
Use Thermo Mats for Insulation and Darkness
If you don't fancy installing a full set of blackout curtains to your camper, then our exclusive JK thermo mats are a great option.
We’ve been producing these thermomats and thermo screens for years now, and each set is designed to perfectly match the dimensions of your camper’s window. This means they're really easy to fit, and also don't leave any gaps for light to sneak through when you want to sleep in.
Each set of thermo mats is supplied with suction cups which fix them to your vehicle's windows, and the external thermo screens are fitted over the top of your cab doors and fixed to each other with velcro, so you can install them in moments.
They also roll away nice and small, so they’re easy to store away when you’re not using them!
Take a look at our list of upcoming VW Shows & Events
If you’re looking to get inspired, then check out our full list of the different VW shows and events which are coming up in the UK and in mainland Europe.
There are loads of different shows, meets, and festivals planned each year, with new events popping up all the time. We've put together a helpful guide to what's happening, where, and when, to help make sure you don't miss out on the fun.
The JK Team will be attending a lot of these events, others we're sponsoring, and a few we'll be attending with proper trade stands so you can drop by and say hi!
Shows and events are a really important part of the VW community around the world, and a fantastic place to catch up with friends, meet new people, see some amazing Volkswagens, and get inspired.
Check that you have EU Driving Cover if you’re going into Europe
If you are heading over to mainland Europe in your camper, you’ll need to check that you’ve got EU Driving Cover as part of your vehicle insurance policy.
If you’re insured by Just Kampers Insurance, you may well have EU Driving Cover included in your policy already! It's one of the many policy benefits which come as standard when you get vehicle insurance cover from Just Kampers Insurance, as well as a 10% discount on orders from Just Kampers, salvage retention, and more.
Either way, it’s always important to check that you’ll be fully insured when driving in the EU, and that you’ve got the hi-vis jackets, folding warning triangles, and other items required to drive in different EU countries.
Turn Heads with Cool Accessories and Simple Upgrades
There’s nothing better than treating yourself (and your camper) to a cool new accessory which can totally change up the way your VW looks or drives.
You’ll find a great range of accessories here at Just Kampers, from simple stealth USB outlets through to full on disc brake conversion kits, and everything in between!
Small upgrades like extra lighting, through to massive changes like fitting a solar charging system can all be done with relative ease, and will make a massive difference to the time you spend in your camper, whether you're driving it or camping in it.
Whether you want a quieter ride with soundproofing, or to get more use from your interior with a swivel seat base, we’ve got you covered here at JK.
Keep Your Camper Fully Charged with Solar Panels
Investing in a set of solar panels is a great ‘fit and forget’ option if you want to keep your appliances and personal devices fully charged while you’re camping, but don’t want to be restricted to campsites with mains hook-ups.
It's not as complicated as you might think to calculate how much solar power you'll need to keep your batteries topped up, and installing the system might seem nerve-wracking (especially if you're cutting a hole in the roof of your camper!) but it's not particularly complicated or difficult if you take your time and follow the guides which are readily available online and in books.
If you want to make use of solar panels without cutting any holes in your camper or doing any wiring, then our JK Solar Charging Screen is a great option. It's designed to fit into the windscreen of a VW T5 or T6, but can be used inside or outside any campervan to keep your vehicle batteries fully charged, and also has outlets for charging your mobile devices!
Take a look at the great range of different solar panels available here at Just Kampers, and see if this is the summer you finally get around to fitting a set to your camper!
Save Money with Special Offers on Camping Gear
You can pick up some absolute bargains right now from Just Kampers, as a huge chunk of our camping range is currently on special offer.
With deals like £118.55 off a Campingaz 360 Grill, it’s no surprise that a lot of these special offer outdoor products are selling fast!
Click here to see our full range of camping special offers, and see how much you can save on new outdoor kit.
Say Goodbye to Bugs with Fly Screens for Your Camper
Whether you’re enjoying the famously midge-ridden Scottish Highlands, or just a local campsite, having bugs fly into your camper can quickly ruin any otherwise peaceful evening!
There’s a great range of fly screens and insect meshes in stock right now at Just Kampers, with more being added as we continue to create more of our own products.
They’ll also do a great job of keeping pets inside your camper, too, without losing out on airflow on those balmy summer evenings!
