Campervan supplies in Coffs Harbour: stock, fill, dump, roll

The main supermarket zones around Park Beach, Harbour Drive, Toormina and Moonee are handy for a proper van stock-up, but Coffs is not built like a desert roadhouse forecourt. A high-roof campervan can be 2.7–3.3 m tall, and many shopping-centre car parks signpost 2.1–2.2 m clearances. That is not a suggestion; it is fibreglass versus concrete.

For supermarkets Coffs Harbour campervan travellers usually do best by using open-air perimeter spaces, arriving before the lunch rush, and sending one person in while the other keeps an eye on the fridge, awning and reversing circus.

• Do park on the outer edge of open-air bays and walk the extra 80 m; your mirrors will thank you.
• Do buy heavy and bulky items here: 10 L water casks, long-life milk, tinned meals, rice, fruit, sunscreen and mozzie repellent.
• Don’t enter undercover car parks unless you have checked the height sign against your hire vehicle’s actual height.
• Don’t leave the fridge door open while reorganising groceries in 30°C heat; it can take hours to pull back down.

Coffs has enough fuel stations for a sensible top-up before you commit north to Grafton, south to Kempsey or west up Waterfall Way. The Pacific Highway is well-serviced compared with the outback, but that can make people lazy. A motorhome using 10–14 L/100 km will still chew through fuel fast if you are heavy, using air-con and pushing into a coastal headwind.

For lpg refill Coffs Harbour planning, remember the difference between vehicle LPG/autogas and a 8.5 kg or 9 kg barbecue-style cooking bottle. Many campervans use swap-and-go or refillable gas bottles for the stove and hot water; not every servo refills, and some only swap standard sizes.

• Do leave Coffs with at least half a tank if heading west to Dorrigo and Armidale; the climb is slow and thirsty.
• Do check your gas bottle collar for size and date before paying for a swap.
• Don’t assume “LPG available” means your camper cooking bottle can be refilled.
• Don’t park across bowser lanes while shopping inside the servo; B-doubles and tradies have less patience than a hungry toddler.

A typical hire campervan carries about 80–120 L of fresh water and a cassette toilet around 17–20 L. Two careful adults can stretch that for 2–3 days, less if you shower in the van, rinse sandy feet hourly or discover that washing lettuce uses half a tank. Coffs is the place to sort it before heading to national park campgrounds where taps may be untreated or absent.

Use an official dump point Coffs Harbour option, a holiday park dump point if you are staying, or an RV-friendly facility listed by council or a current camping app. Never empty a cassette into public toilets, stormwater drains, beach showers or bushland. Apart from being foul, fines and cleanup costs can be brutal.

• Do carry a dedicated drinking-water hose and keep it separate from the grey-water hose.
• Do fill only from taps marked potable or confirmed by staff.
• Do empty the toilet before it is urgent; urgent cassette work is nobody’s finest hour.
• Don’t free-drain grey water in town streets, car parks or near creeks.

A laundromat Coffs Harbour stop is worth building into the day if you have been through humid coastal nights. Towels go sour quickly in a closed van, and wet swimmers turn cupboards into a science experiment. Most self-drivers underestimate laundry time: allow 90 minutes if machines are busy, more if you are washing bedding.

Use the stop to reset rubbish, buy ice if your fridge is struggling, and repack food so tonight’s dinner is not buried under a week of groceries. In summer, Coffs often sits around 27–30°C with sticky nights; in a van, that feels like camping inside a lunchbox unless you manage airflow and cold storage.

• Do keep raw meat in a sealed tub at the lowest part of the fridge.
• Do freeze a meal or two before longer legs; it works as a cold brick and emergency dinner.
• Don’t dry towels over the dashboard while driving; visibility beats optimism.
• Don’t dump household rubbish in national park bins if you stocked up in town; take it to proper town bins or your holiday park.

The road choice changes the shopping list. North and south on the Pacific Highway you are rarely far from fuel, coffee and a pie warmer. West on Waterfall Way is different: beautiful, winding, steep and slower, especially in a long motorhome. Dorrigo is only about 65 km away, but the climb can feel longer when you are tucked behind a loaded truck.

If you are heading for the Big Lap northbound, Coffs is a good place to stop buying like you still live next to a supermarket. Think in meals, not ingredients. If you are heading inland, add extra drinking water and a proper lunch so you are not trying to park a 7 m motorhome on a narrow main street just because someone wants a sausage roll.

• North to Grafton: top up fuel, fridge snacks and water; it is about 85 km but traffic and roadworks can stretch the day.
• South to Port Macquarie: carry easy lunches and avoid relying on beachside parking in peak holidays.
• West to Dorrigo/Armidale: add extra water, check brakes before the climb, and avoid towing-style speeds on bends.
• National parks: book campsites online, read fire bans, check whether generators, pets and fires are allowed.

Coffs is tempting for a stealthy “just one night” by the beach, but local councils along the NSW coast actively manage illegal camping. Sleeping in a hired campervan outside permitted areas can earn fines, especially near foreshore car parks and residential streets. Spend the money on a powered site when you need showers, laundry, water and a guaranteed legal sleep.

Free camping is not a right just because the van has curtains. If you want cheap nights, look for signed rest areas outside town, showgrounds where allowed, or booked national park campgrounds — and check the rules before dark, not after you have opened the bottle-o purchase.

• Do book a powered site for your first Coffs night if you need to learn the van systems.
• Do arrive before sunset; reversing beside strangers is easier with daylight and dignity.
• Don’t assume a beach car park is legal overnight because another van is there.
• Don’t run generators in crowded campgrounds unless rules and hours clearly allow it.