Thinking about all the must have travel trailer accessories can be overwhelming. But no worries, we made this RV camping resource guide to help you out.
Reality is, it’s impossible to prepare 100% because you learn so much about which travel trailer accessories you need and don’t need with each RV camping trip.
However don’t stress out, if you are new to RV camping, I put together this guide to help you at least get started with your must have travel trailer necessities.
In a hurry? Here’s my quick list of the Must Have travel trailer accessories you need right away.
What Do You Need In A Camper Trailer?
First, let’s talk about essential “must have” travel trailer accessories. I know what you are thinking but, no, I’m not talking about stuff like portable travel coffee maker or the favorite things on your Amazon wishlist.
Here are the essential items you need for your travel trailer.
- Emergency equipment
- Tool kit
- Power source & accessories
- Water source & accessories
- Bathroom essentials
- RV Camping Gear and Technology
- Waste disposal necessities
The Quick Checklist of Must-Have RV Travel Trailer Accessories*
Here’s a quick checklist of what you must-have for your RV camper. Keep reading for details on the purpose, reasons, and uses of each of these items.
- Tactical Flashlight
- Sewer Hose
- Drinking-Water Hose
- Gray/Black Water Tank Cleanout Hose
- Portable RV Waste Holding Tank
- RV Toilet Paper
- RV/Marine Water Filter
- Water Tank Filler With Shut Off Valve
- Shore Power Cord
- 50 Amp RV Surge Protector
- 12V 100Ah Deep Cycle Auxiliary Battery
- 9-V Batteries for Smoke Alarm
- X-Chock Wheel Stabilizers
- Multipurpose Laser Level
- RV Brass Inline Water Pressure Regulator
- Gloves-Trust me, you WANT GLOVES!
- Heavy-Duty Tire Pressure Guage
- Portable Generator
*Printable Version of the Checklist Available at the bottom of this post.
Go Here to get a Downloadable Printable of this Checklist
Details On Each Must Have RV Travel Trailer Accessory
Must Have Travel Trailer Accessories
- Be sure to invest in a great tactical flashlight before heading out in your camper.
- I'd even go so far as recommending you purchase 2 or 3 of these heavy duty tactical flashlights.
- We keep some in our travel trailer and 2 or 3 at home.
- You will want one for the kids room as well as by your bed in case of a power outage in the camper or at the campground.
- A quality properly fitting rv sewer hose is a MUST-HAVE!
- Ensure you have the right length of RV sewer hose.
- Purchase a 10 foot, 15 foot, or 20 foot hose.
- We recommend you either go with a 20-foot that can be detached down to 10 feet, like the one in this Camco RhinoFLEX 20ft RV Sewer Hose Kit
- Look for a hose that fits inside the bumper of your trailer. You really don't want to store this hose anywhere else. Ick!
- Translucent elbow attachment: Like it or not, you are going to want to see the waste coming out of the tank through the hose.
- You need to know when the water is flushing clear so you can remove the hose.
- Some elbows are frosted so that you don't have to get all the vivid details
- You will also need to purchase two types or RV water hoses.
- RV water hose to use when flushing out your gray and black water
- For obvious reasons, you will need to purchase a separate RV fresh water hose to attach your fresh water system to the city water at the campground.
- Purchase two different colors to ensure you don't mix them up.
- Many people purchase a white water hose for their freshwater system
- Purchase a fresh water hose that is BPA and lead-free.
- For flushing your RV gray and black water tanks, purchase a separate hose.
- A 25' hose should be sufficient for the job.
- This Camco 25ft RhinoFLEX Gray/Black Water Tank Clean Out Hose is a bright orange color for a great contrast to the white freshwater hose.
- While many private campgrounds do have a sewer dump at your campsite, most state and national park campgrounds will only have a central dump site for the entire campground.
- Unless you only plan to camp for 1 or 2 days, you definitely need to purchase an easy-to-use and easy to transport waste holding tank.
- It doesn't take very long to fill up your RV black and gray water tanks and without a waste holding tank, you will have to hook up your rig, pull it to the dump site, dump your waste, and then set up your camper all over.
- This is NOT how you want to spend your relaxing camp time!
- With a waste holding tank you can easily dump your RV tanks into the holding tank and simply pull the tank to the central dump station for disposal. Granted this is still a less than fun job, but it definitely beats tearing down your whole rig.
- If you purchase a tank that includes a removable steel tow adapter, you can even pull the tank slowly with your tow vehicle or golf cart to the central dump station. Investing in a waste holding tank will lengthen the amount of time you can be in your camper or dry docking so it's well worth getting one.
- This is something you may not know about until you have your first RV, but you should never use standard household toilet paper in your RV waste system.
- There have been a few debates about whether you have to buy specifically "RV toilet paper" or an off brand of "septic save paper" and I'll leave that up to the experts. (You can read about how to do the Toilet Paper Breakdown Test here)
- Whatever you decide, be sure your paper is biodegradable septic safe toilet paper so you don't clog up your black water tanks and lines. Aqua Soft RV Safe Tissue & Scott RV Safe Tissue are both good options and available on Amazon.
- I recommend you let the city water run for a few minutes before attaching your rv water filter and hoses to clear any sediment or mud that may be in the pipes.
- The filter will then help keep any additional sediment out of both you and your rv fresh water tank!
- This is a time and headache saving RV camper must have because without it, you will be filling your water tank for ages.
- This inexpensive Camco Water Tank Filler with Shutoff Valve attaches to the hose and goes down into your tank eliminating any bubbling back of the water and making the job a cinch.
- Having the right shore power cord for your RV is crucial.
- This is the electrical power cord that runs from your travel trailer to the campsite power source.
- You will need to check your RV Owner's manual to ensure you purchase the right shore power cord for your rig.
- For example, an RV equipped with a 120-volt AC/30 amp power cord and load center can only consume a maximum of 30 amps of power at any given time.
- This 120-volt AC system provides the power to most of the appliances and all of our electrical outlets.
- The "shore line power cord" is designed to ground the RV electrical system through the external power source located at your campground.
- It is designed to carry 30 amps at a nominal 120 volts. If you have a 50 amp system.
- Purchase a shore line power cord that accommodates 50 amps.
- NOTE: You can use a 30 amp external power cord in a 50 amp plug and not overload your system, you will still only receive 30 amps of power.
- You cannot plug a 50 amp power cord into a 30-amp plug without an adapter so you may wish to purchase an adapter (Dogbone Electrical Adapter) as well.
- Please note that mishandling and careless behavior around electrical components (as with any electrical sources) in your RV can be fatal and you should always take proper safety precautions when working around your RV electrical systems.
- Familiarize yourself with all the information in your RV owner's manual.
- Do not even consider going on your first RV trip without a surge protector.
- You will need to get the correct surge protector for your particular amperage needs.
- Our surge protector has shut off our power supply on many occasions and saved us costly accidental damage and perhaps even fires to our electrical system and RV.
- Electrical storms are quite common in the campgrounds and this extra measure will save your RV power system from being fried.
- Your RV has many 12-volt DC loads which, when combined, will total more than your converter can produce.
- An auxiliary battery can meet the demands for 12-volt power for limited periods of time.
- Most RV factory-installed smoke alarms will take a standard 9-volt battery, but check your specific owner's manual and RV to be certain.
- The smoke alarm will not function if the battery is missing, disconnected, dead, or the wrong type.
- Most smoke alarms will emit a low beeping sound when the battery is weak, but we recommend you replace your smoke alarm battery every season and check it before every camping trip.
- Carbon Monoxide Alarm- It is very important to ensure that your Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarm is properly functioning and has good batteries. Check your owner's manual for the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) page.
- Many RVs will have CO monitors with a dual battery 12 volt hookup and a 9 Volt battery backup, but consult your OEM to be certain.
**If you have any concerns that your CO monitor is not working properly, do not remain in your RV but exit immediately and contact a service technician.**
- Trust me when I say, this is one area not to go skimpy on!
- For years we have used inexpensive wheel chock and blocks of wood, but with three kids bouncing around in the camper, we have suffered tremendously from bouncing and rocking and shifting of our travel trailer.
- We finally broke down and purchased a nice set of RV stabilizers and are in the market to replace our chocks with this set of wheel chocks.
- The trailer is already so much better and I can't wait to try it again with our new chocks combined with these stabilizers.
- As I already mentioned, there is nothing more frustrating than an unlevel travel trailer, unless you enjoy feeling like you are in a carnival fun house on your way to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
- Be sure to purchase a set of good leveling blocks and a level.
- PRO TIP: Keep a level IN YOUR TRAVEL TRAILER.
- Don't rely on remembering to pack the one you use in your home.
- Do yourself a favor and take this extra measure of protection for your RV water line
- Purchase a water pressure regulator to prevent extra high pressure you may encounter coming from the camping city water hookups from damaging your camper.
- Remember our talk above about the fun and exciting job of dumping black water?
- Nuff said! Buy disposable gloves (and hand sanitizer)!!
- A tire pressure gauge may be another item that you really don't think about until you need it!
- But, you will need to check the tire pressure on your tow vehicle as well as your travel trailer so be sure to pick one up.
- This final RV "must have" is only necessary if you plan to do any dry camping or boondocking.
- Invest in a good RV ready portable generator.
- The Champion 3500 watt portable inverter generator receives great reviews for it's quietness and ease of use and it's price point is much better than the gold standard Honda Quiet Portable Inverter Generator.
RV Accessories Are Always Evolving
Our RV trip checklist is always changing and being updated. I even created an interactive RV checklist for my always-changing RV accessories.
However, there are definitely a few must-have RV accessories you need to purchase before your first camping trip with your new travel trailer.
In this guide, we will share our list of travel trailer accessories and must-haves for RV camping as well as include a few fun RV accessories we think you must have for camping.
More RV Camping Resources
- RV Campgrounds Throughout the Southeast
- Camping Meals You Will Love To Prep
- RV Camping Organization Hacks For The Whole Camper
More Related Resources
Are you looking for new RV camping destinations? Check our post on the best Pigeon Forge Campgrounds that will take you right to the heart of the Smokies. And to keep the fun going even when it’s raining at camp, here are some fun camping activities for rainy days that you can enjoy with friends and family.