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Introduction To Must-Have RV Accessories
Do you need a list of rv accessories for your new RV? Here it is! Purchasing your first RV is exciting. As a new RV owner, you have dreams of hitting the road in style, visiting all of the beautiful places that our country has to offer, and camping in comfort. You have invested the time and research into finding the perfect home on wheels. You think you are ready. But wait, what do you mean, I don’t have everything I need? This expensive piece of equipment doesn’t come with all of the necessary accessories and gadgets to even hook up? This article will break down what the new owner will need as far as RV accessories and gadgets. Everything will be broken down into General, Outdoor, Kitchen and extras. This checklist will also be helpful.
General RV Accessories
Hoses
- Sewer Hose: This sewer hose by Camco fits any connection, adjusts up to 20 feet, is highly rated, is uber sturdy, and has a transparent elbow (trust me you need this).
- Sewer hose has TPE technology that protects against pinholes and offers superior abrasion resistance and crush protection
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- Fresh Water Hose: This drinking hose by Camco, has an anti-kink design that is built with sturdier materials than your standard water hoses, which is perfect for camping. It has great ratings and comes in multiple lengths.
- The Perfect Size Hose: 50-foot hose with a 5/8-inch internal diameter
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- Gray/ Black tank cleanout Hose: This 25-foot hose by Camco comes in orange so as not to be confused with your drinking or freshwater hose. It is durable and highly rated.
- Ideal for flushing black water, grey water or tote tanks
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Sewer Hose Support
- Sewer Hose Support: This Sewer hose support by Camco is sturdy and lightweight. The sewer hose clamps in to keep in place. Easy to store and highly recommended and rated.
- The ultimate protection and support for your sewer hose: The 20 feet Sidewinder RV Sewer Hose Support by Camco lifts and cradles your sewer hose while in connection from your RV to the dump station. It keeps your sewer hose off the ground and prevents potential damage or punctures to your RV or camper sewer hose by safely nesting it in heavy duty plastic
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Other Water Related Items
- Water Pressure Regulator: This water pressure regulator is brass and fits US water sources. Made of brass, warrantied, and easy to install. The water pressure regulator is needed to control water pressure into the rig.
- FUNCTION: Prevent water pipes from being damaged due to high pressure, suitable for camper, trailer, RV plumbing system.
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- 90 degree Hose Elbow: This fitting by Camco will help eliminate any strain to your hose fitting from the water fitting. It will prevent hose crimping and damage.
- Prevent hose crimping and strain
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- Water Quick Connect/ Disconnect: This gadget aids in the removal of water from water lines. This comes in handy especially during winter months when you have to frequently connect and disconnect water lines to prevent freezing.
- Connect and disconnect between multiple hose attachments quickly and easily
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- Water Filter: This water filter by Camco filters water from the hose connection. It filters out sediment, bad odor, and other elements to make better-tasting water. It is highly recommended and rated. Don’t leave home without it.
- Safe water matters: GAC (Granular Activated Carbon) filtration greatly reduces bad taste, odor, chlorine, and sediment
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- Y Valve: You will want to have one of these for the ease of hooking up your different hoses.
- Stainless steel quarter-turn pressure seated shut-off valves
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Parking
- X Chocks: These are the BEST wheel stabilizers and Chocks on the market. The reviews and ratings are great. They keep the wheels in place while the rig is parked. They are super easy to install. Worth every penny.
- Provides added stabilization and prevents tire shifts by applying opposing force to tandem tire applications
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- Leveling Blocks: These Camco leveling blocks sure come in handy when parked on uneven sites. Some campgrounds just are not even. When that happens, you will surely be happy to have these in your arsenal. These are highly rated and reviewed. You will be happy you purchased.
- 10 interlocking blocks stack to the desired height for safe and easy leveling
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- Hitch Lock: You will want to purchase a hitch lock like this in order to prevent thieves from stealing your trailer.
- Snap Pads: These snap pads are super easy to install, they increase the stability of your rig, and they protect the jacks.
- ✅ FIT - Xtra fits 9” round metal feet on many Class A and 5th Wheel RVs. Please verify size of jacks (9”) before ordering.
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Hooking up Power
- Power Adapter: This Camco power adapter is absolutely necessary to connect your rig to the campground power source. Also available in 30/50.
- Converts Electrical Connection Type: Designed to allow you to connect your 50-amp RV power inlet of your RV or boat to a 15-amp extension cord.
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- Surge Protector: You will definitely want to purchase a surge protector. They will prevent any damage to electrical components in your recreational vehicle due to faulty connections at the campground or any electrical surges. This is a MUST!! This one by Camco is highly rated and recommended.
- Surge Protection: 3-Mode / 825J / 22,500A. Ratings: 30A / 120V / 3,600W. Operating Temperatures: -40C to +105C
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- Fuse Kit: Trust me you will need to keep extra fuses in your toolkit. Better to be prepared than to be without the use of some necessary item in your home.
Bathroom
- Tank Treatment: This organic tank treatment works wonders. There is nothing worse than living in a small space that smells like a port-a-john. You will want to invest in a few of these buckets. They are awesome. You want your home on wheels to feel and smell like home. Take care of business!
- ODOR FREE: Eliminates odors in the RV holding tank. Absolutely no chemical or sewer smell.
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Travel
- Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS): If your recreational Vehicle doesn’t come standard with a TPMS, you will want to purchase one. They are VERY important. If you have never experienced a tire blowout (I’m not talking about a flat tire), it is a super dangerous event. It can cause a serious accident where you lose complete control of your vehicle. Being aware of tire pressure is super important. Now that you have more tires to be mindful of, a TPMS is a MUST. This one is super easy to install and has great reviews!!
- Compatible with iPhone, iPad and android devices (requires IOS 7+ or android 4.4+ with Bluetooth 4.0+)
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- Air compressor: Just as being aware of your tire pressure is important, having a way to inflate your tires while traveling is important as well. Sometimes there is not a gas station nearby or the air pump is not working (this has happened to us). You need to be able to inflate a deflated tire. An air compressor that can fill an RV tire is very important. This one has great reviews, is somewhat small and can handle such a job.
- 12 VOLT - 150PSI Max Working Pressure, engine must be running during use. Dimensions- 10.87 L x 5.83 W x 7.48 H inches
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Outdoor
- Outdoor Mat: This outdoor mat is durable in all elements. It will stay in place and help keep the outside dirt and grime from coming into your RV.
- SOFT AND DURABLE: Made with virgin polypropylene breathable material designed to be safe to use on grass.
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- Outdoor Speaker: an outdoor speaker is a must for enjoying a bbq, social activity, campfire, or game of corn hole. You will need one that can withstand the outdoors and a few bumps. This one is great for volume, durability, and longevity. It has great reviews.
- Crisp, balanced sound and unmatched bass for a Bluetooth speaker its size, plays loud and clear outdoors for beach days or camping trips
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- Camping chairs: A great camping chair is a must for relaxing around the campfire. This rocking chair is my absolute favorite. I get asked at every campground where I got mine at. I can’t speak highly enough about it. It even has a cupholder.
- Portable, folding outdoor rocking chair delivers smooth rocking motion on lawns, patios, campsites, and other outdoor surfaces
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Kitchen
- Instant Pot: Nothing makes cooking in the small RV kitchen easier than the Instant Pot. It cooks everything from Spaghetti to Ribs. I love my Instant Pot and I would not go anywhere without it.
- 7-IN-1 FUNCTIONALITY: Pressure cook, slow cook, rice cooker, yogurt maker, steamer, sauté pan and food warmer.
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- Nesting Pots: I purchased this nesting Pot set by Magma over a year ago. It still amazes me how little space this set takes up. They are very sturdy. The set comes with everything you need. They are simply amazing. The quality is by bar worth every penny. The reviews are awesome. This is a great set. Check it out.
- Pots and pans designed specifically for RVs and boats using induction cooktops
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- Nesting bowls: Storage is minimal in a recreational vehicle. Collapsible nesting bowls for the kitchen are a lifesaver. You get everything that you need: storage, mixing bowls, and serving bowls. You get all of this while saving precious storage in your cupboards. These are amazing.
- ✅DURABLE & HIGH QUALITY STAINLESS STEEL: AIKKIL bowls set are constructed of mirror-finish interior and fingerprint-proof matte-finish exterior, which is durable and rustproof. High-quality food grade stainless steel for fingerprint-proof will never retaining any odors, bacteria, or stains.Thicken the edge of the bowl makes them easier to hold. Elegant look and convenient design will be your great helper in the kitchen
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Extra
- Solo Stove: I could not do a Must-Have list without including the Solo Camp Stove. Do you absolutely need one? No. Will you want one? Yes!! One of my favorite purchases since we have become RV’ers is this stove. We are at a campground (most of the time) where there are no built-in fire pits (you have to rent them). I am very happy that we have our own. In this way, it paid for itself. The smokeless part is such a HUGE benefit and it burns through wood much slower than an average campfire pit. We end up saving money this way too. It is utterly fantastic Just read some of the reviews. This thing is simply amazing!!
- MOST UNIQUE FIRE PIT: Solo Stove Bonfire pushes the limits of both combustion airflow efficiency and minimalist outdoor design with its all stainless steel construction. It was brilliantly engineered to provide a backyard fire experience that cannot be duplicated. Our patent pending design sold over $1.1M sold on kickstarter.
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- Countertop Ice Maker: This countertop ice maker is fantastic. You will always have ice for your favorite beverage. It just makes life a little bit better. You never have to purchase bags of ice. It makes ice fairly quickly and the reviews are fantastic.
- Portable Stainless Steel Ice Maker
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- Trucker GPS: This trucker GPS is fantastic. It will adjust your route for the size and weight of your rig (which standard apps will not). You will not have to worry about finding yourself at a bridge where you are too overweight to cross or at an overpass where you are too tall to go under. It is simply something that you cannot afford to go without.
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- Jetpack: If you work remotely, or just like to be sure to have internet for streaming or computer access, a jetpack will be your best friend. Sometimes campgrounds, even ones who advertise internet, will not be able to provide reliable services. It is best to plan to bring your own. Plans are available through Verizon, Sprint, and other providers. Family Motor Coach Association Members get a discounted rate through Sprint for unlimited data.
- Hotspot WiFi devices portable with a case, screen protector, and additional battery have a 2.4 Touch Screen display, 4400 mAh battery. This hot spot MiFi device will work 24 hours of typical usage
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- Generator: Sometimes life throws you lemons. Weather and other surprises happen. In those cases, power outages are a possibility. You will want to have a generator for these instances. This quiet portable generator by Honda is one of the best on the market.
- 3600 Running Watts and 4650 Peak Watts; Recoil Start; 4 Gallon Fuel Tank With Fuel Gauge; Up to 14 Hours of Run Time Per Tank
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In Conclusion
Being prepared and safe will make any travel experience better. This is the bare necessities of the RV world. These products will get you out there on your way, hooked up and ready to camp, glamp, and roll. What are your top accessories and gadgets? What items do you find that you can’t live without? Write us and let us know!! We want to hear from you.
Thanks for reading. Please share and follow!!
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I recently bought a travel trailer with the plans to live in it full time for a while and it’s definitely been a learning experience. Still on the amateur carpenter phase while I try to fix the water damage myself. Will definitely refer back to this post when I get to the move in phase. 🙂
Thank you!! You are going to love it. We have been full time for over a year now. Not looking back. Please reach out if you have any questions!!
Thank you for this comprehensive list.what tools do you consider bare nessessities? I was moving into my ft. Then noticed water coming out from underneath in several locations. Turned water off after second day of no water. No drips. Underlined no longer looking like water balloon!. Son remover underlined, all soaking insulation. Which was ALL insulation. Letting undercarriagedry out for 2 more days. Found leak in water tubing between bathroom and bunk house.Removed old lenolium found rotting wood .removed rotting wood. Now for my question .what tools are must haves? Hammer ECT…. I have camped with friends overnight in their camper but that was almost 10 years ago. Now I will be stationary in a trailer park. By myself. Its the only way I can reclaim my independence. And not.be moved.between children and different states every 6 months. As I have been doing for past 6 years. So if I can find a list of.must have tools for.camper I would appreciate it Please DON’T share or.sell my e-mail address my email
Thank you for the nice comments!!
To answer your question, check out this article. https://tincanliving.blog/essential-rv-checklists-for-every-trip/
It has a checklist of tools.
If you are just trying to find a list of must have’s and not a list of what you need to fix the current problem then here’s what Jeremiah thinks: screwdriver set preferably one handle with multiple replaceable heads (most RVs have flat, Phillips, and square head fasteners), claw hammer, duct tape, torque wrench for lug nuts, lug wrench, if you have the ability to replace tires on your rig-a bottle jack that will lift the appropriate lift point, electrical tester (something minimal that measures A/C and D/C), electrical tape, adjustable crescent wrench, air compressor, a good sharp utility knife. We showed up a year ago in an RV lot in FL with the water balloon insulation. We understand. Tell us if there’s anything else we can do.