((Mr. Supertramp unrelated))
I'm going to be living in a van for the next year doing consultant work, and I have a very limited budget. What, in your opinion, are the most essential items someone new to "vanlife" would most likely never think of? Keep in mind I'll be in mostly warmer climates.

Here's a list of what I've considered already, feel free to lmk if any of them are nonessential:
-Cooler
-Van repair manual
-Electric kettle
-Hotplate
-Wifi system (antenna, booster, etc)
-Solar system (2 100W panels, 2 cheap batteries, remote)
-Thermos
-Sleeping bag
-Basic medical supplies
-Car jack
-Spare tire
-Reflectix
-12 volt fan
-Carbon monoxide alarm
-Fire extinguisher
-Tent (just in case)
-Coleman solar shower
-Thule box and/or roof rack for extra storage
etc...

I didn't include monthly/weekly expenses because I don't want to make this post too long. However if you have any ideas of expenses I might have forgotten abt feel free to tell me.