51+ RV Must-Haves and Camping Accessories you definitely need for an awesome trip
When we started our RV journey, we didn’t know anything about what we would need for going camping. We bought a used Travel Trailer and started our journeys. Now we are more than 5 years in and know what is important and what is nice to have when on the road.
Check out this list of all the RV must-haves and RV accessories that make your life so much easier while on the road. These are items I highly recommend for all kinds of RVs, including Travel Trailers, Motorhomes, 5th Wheel, and Campervans.
The best thing about this list is that you can order everything on Amazon, so no need to go hunting all over the place. Order whatever you need comfortably from your living room on Amazon and get it shipped the next day.
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Whether you just start your RV journey or you have been hitting the road for some time now, here are the definite RV Must-haves, RV supplies, RV gadgets, and Camper accessories:
My TOP 5 picks I cannot live without it in my camper:
My Camper must-haves:
I have been writing in this logbook for over a couple of years now and it is nice to go back to all the adventures we have been. Because I can’t remember all the campsite names, dates, sights and of course also the people we have met there.
If you don’t have an outdoor kitchen, this griddle makes all the difference. I hate cooking in my tiny little camper kitchen. This griddle allows me to take all the cooking odor and grease outside and makes my life so much easier.

Also, check out the short list of must-haves if you are in a hurry. These items are absolutely necessary before you hit the road.
And of course, you need a trash can. This one is collapsible and holds two trash bags, one side for trash and the other side for recycling. It has clips that keep the bags open. There is also a storage compartment at the lid to store extra bags.
Let’s start with the General RV Essentials you definitely need no matter what. If you have these essentials, you are already pretty good to go. Nevertheless, you will want to look through the whole list and decide what is good for you.
Let’s start with the General RV Essentials you definitely need – no matter what:
- Water Hose for drinking water and a water hose to clean out your sewer hose. If you don’t have a lot of space in your outside cabinet, use a
- Zero-G Water hose because it is space-saving
- Water Filter you should add on the water faucet to filter the water you are using inside your RV. Change it out after a couple of months of usage.
- Water pressure regulator prevents damage to RV water hoses and pumps from inconsistent water pressure
- Sewer hose Extension / Dump hose. It is also recommended to keep a spare one just in case …
- Happy Camper treatment for your holding tank that reduces odor.
- RV toilet paper. We have been using it since day 1 and never had any issues.
- Levels
- the tool kit is always good to have.
- spare fuses kit
- flashlights even better headlights
- first aid kit
- A surge protector is designed to assist you when plugging your RV into an unknown power source in an RV park or storage unit. Progressive, Hughes, and SafeGuard Surge Protectors are the leading brands and are recommended by many RVers. (30 A or 50 A)
If you are looking for a more detailed packing and tool list, download this one right here:
RV kitchen accessories and RV kitchen must-haves
Useful RV Kitchen Accessories space-saving and lightweight.

- Instant Pot
- trash can hanging
- Storage Bins for dry food
- Coffee Maker
- Stackable dishes
- Dish cradles for maximizing space
- under shelf baskets
- kitchen spice rack organizer
There are so many more storage hacks you should know if your space is limited. And most RVs don’t have a lot of storage space available. Here are more storage tips
RV Bedroom essentials and RV bedroom must-haves
If your bedroom is more or less just a bed, you need a lot of organizing help. Here are some tips for organizing your clothes and essentials:

- door organizer
- bed organizer
- a new mattress or a mattress topper
- A beddy if you have a hard time making your bed.
- Sleeping bags for the kids
- Storage organizer for your cabinet
- Hangers for your cabinet
- Pop up laundry hamper
- Collapsible laundry basket
- Toothbrush holder wall mounted

RV Outdoor and Camping Accessories
When you are camping you want to relax and feel comfortable. Therefore you need a couple of items to make you feel good. Let’s start with a big enough outdoor mat, where you can take your shoes off, put your comfortable chair on and have the dog sleep right next to you. And above all, an outdoor mat keeps a lot of dirt out of your RV.
RV Outdoor and Camping Accessories and outdoor must-haves
- chairs collapsible, lightweight, and comfortable
- outdoor mat in front of the RV
- sunshade for the beach or in front of your RV to relax
- Bug repellent thermacell Mosquito repeller
- led lights outdoor string lights for the patio and awning
- solar lights security lights
- box with lid for shoes, toys, outdoor stuff, etc.
- hammock
- a portable fire pit is a good thing to have if you are not allowed to have a campfire but need to have s’mores at night.
- a table cloth to cover the old outdoor table
I know, if you should buy all of these things listed here, you would need a lot of money. Therefore select what is most important for you, what do you need to be most secure and safe. Start by getting the RV must-haves and then add on.
RV Gadgets / RV must-haves
RV Gadgets nice to have and must-have / RV trip must-haves
- RV Garmin Navigator if you don’t want to get stuck under a bridge.
- Back up Camera with wide viewing angle to help you back into your campsite easily
- Level your RV in seconds with an automatic leveling system
If you have a travel trailer you definitely will need:
Travel Trailer must-haves / 5th wheel must-haves / RV must-haves:
- Brake Controller to help manage your stopping distance and control trailer sway by syncing up the two sets of brakes (tow vehicle and trailer) so that both activate when you need them.
- Weight distribution hitch to distribute the weight evenly among your car axle.
- Anti-sway control will cut down on the sway of the trailer when being pulled in windy driving conditions.
- A trailer hitch lock for security as many Travel Trailers are being stolen lately. The demand is high and not many good RVs are available at the moment.

My top tip
We just got a Luci solar inflatable light. It lasts up to 24 hours on a single charge, recharges in 7 hours, has adjustable straps for hanging up, and includes 10 cool white LEDs. You can turn it on in 4 modes from bright to super bright and it is even waterproof. It weighs 125 g!
It also makes a great gift for outdoor people, just clip it on the backpack during the day to recharge and use it at night. Love it.

Frequently asked questions:
- Do I really need RV toilet paper? Not necessarily. But if you don’t want to mess around with clogged toilets, I would consider using RV paper because it breaks down faster.
- What are the absolute necessities I need for my RV? If you have a full hook-up, you need an electrical cord, a sewage hose, and a water hose. For a partial hook-up, you won’t have sewage available. You will need tire chocks no matter where you park your RV.
3. Can I leave my awning out overnight? Sure you can if there is no gusty wind forecast. We always bring our awning in (sometimes only half) because it doesn’t take a lot of wind to destroy an awning and a replacement can be pretty costly.
4. What are the most important things I have to do after buying a used RV? Well, there are some things you definitely want to check out, see the whole list and explanations here. 10 essential tips for new RV Owners
5. What should you not bring in an RV?
Don’t bring firewood, too many clothes because you have limited space anyways, an ice maker if you have ice trays, covers for slides, and too many gadgets if you have no storage and counter space.
6. What should I stock my camper with?
Long lighters to light the stove and the campfire, camping clothes that you can leave in the closets, older shoes for bad weather, rainy clothes, Dawn dish soap.
7. Do you need special dish soap/detergent in an RV?
Definitely don’t use bleach in your tank and for cleaning. It is far too aggressive on the plumbing. But you can use Dawn dish soap for washing dishes and pour it inside your black tank to keep it clean.
8. Where should I go on my first trip?
It is recommended to go no further than an hour away from home. That means it is easy to get back home in case you forgot something essential, or if some things need to get repaired.
Make a test run before you hit the road on a long trip.
Summary of RV must-haves:
Owning an RV is not cheap, there is constantly something new you will find out that you definitely want to have while traveling. Start with the RV must-haves and then add on with whatever is good for you. Take it slow and be safe.
Did I miss anything that is a game-changer for you? Let me know and I add it to my list.
See you on the road,
Conny
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I’m glad that you mentioned that when we started our RV journey, we didn’t know anything about what we would need for going camping. We have an RV we use when we go for family camping. Unfortunately, our Automatic Satellite in the RV is not working anymore. I’m glad you give me an idea of where to buy products such as RV accessories.
Thank you Jeff, glad this article is helpful.
What is a beddy?
Hi Cory, a beddy is a zipper bed, that is so much easier to make a bed in an RV. Beddy’s zipper bedding is a one-piece unit for your bed. Hope this helps.
Tabletop ice maker
Hi Cindi, yes, definitely an ice maker. I have them listed in a different article https://colorfuldesigner.com/camping-essentials/
Thank you for your suggestion.
I would suggest collapsible kithen items. Grater, bowls, cups.
Yes definitely use collapsible kitchen items. These tips can be found in a different article about storage. https://colorfuldesigner.com/rv-storage-ideas/
you said little about black tank treatment additives.
antifreeze for winterizing or surprise weather fronts.
rubber seal treatments for maintenence to the slides.
fuel additives
motor additives
straps, bungee, rope, tape, ETC ETC ETC…
theres so much more important must haves than a spice rack.
i realize you were keeping it simple, but thpse necessities that could really get a traveler out of a bind, or on hand for those easily forgotten maintenences are the real must haves in my mind. however, you did touch on some of them… nice job overall.
Hi Monique, yes of course there is more, but it also depends on if you have a Travel Trailer or a Motorhome. We started with the absolute necessities and then added things as we went. It can get overwhelming in the beginning.
I have also included a packing- and tool list, where I list even more necessities. Thank you for your comment.