You’re invited to come along as we finish shopping for the best camping accessories for our next RV trip. Plus, some finds that are purely for fun! Let’s go!
Whether you are a seasoned RVer or a newbie heading out for your first RV trip, this list of the best camping accessories will help ensure that you are ready to tackle the great outdoors!
When we bought our new Class C motorhome earlier this year, we were RV newbies for sure.
It took a ton of research, shopping, and asking questions before we felt ready to head out on our first camping trip. And guess what? We quickly found out that we still didn’t have several essential items. There is a big learning curve to RV ownership, friends.
That’s why I’m here today to help you with packing your rig with all the necessary RV essentials, and share plenty of great ideas to make your new camper cozy and cute. No matter if you’re taking short trips or extended one, the comfort and enjoyment of your living quarters is important! We don’t have to settle for musty, dusty, and tacky campers, right?
We are heading out on our first big, long-distance, extended trip this fall, and are busily adding the final supplies that we will need.
This post uses affiliate links for your convenience. Some of the following items were purchased with my own money, and some were gifted, but all opinions are my own.
New RV Camping Essentials
Picnic Table Cover
I’ve seen some gross things on picnic tables at various campgrounds, so I certainly wouldn’t want to sit down there and have a meal. I purchased this picnic table and bench cover set because I like how it is elasticized around the edges. I don’t have to worry about the wind blowing it away, so can leave it out all night with no problems. Plus, it wipes clean easily with a damp cloth.
I actually purchased both the 72″x30″ set as well as the 96″x30″ set because I’ve encountered both 7-foot and 8-foot picnic tables at different campsites. Since I never know which size will be there when we roll up, I like having both options.
Drinking Water Hose
Clean water is essential when camping. We purchased this Camco drinking water hose, along with a Camco Pure Taste water filter.
Since we plan to head out on some trips during the cold weather in late fall, we also have this 50′ heated drinking water hose. An exposed water hose is the first thing to freeze when the temps dip low, so this heated hose keeps us prepared in any weather condition.
Water Pressure Regulator
We use this water pressure regulator any time we have our water hose connected to an outside water source. It’s important to control the water pressure entering your RV because sometimes water sources are set to maximum pressure, which can damage the plumbing of your camper or motorhome.
Surge Protector
We have this Hughes Watch Dog surge protector that we attach between the campground power post and the power cord from our RV. It ensures the safety of our RV with auto power-off during extreme voltage fluctuations, which can cause damage to RV electrical systems and appliances. It’s just not worth risking it as you never know how stable the power at campgrounds will be.
Safety Items
Since you may often be camping away from easy access to medical care, it is always a good idea to have an emergency kit in your RV that includes things like a first aid kit, fire extinguisher, and even bear spray, depending on where you’re traveling.
Leveling Blocks
Our Class C motorhome has automatic leveling jacks, and we have these Camco Fasten RV Leveling Blocks under them for more stability and to keep the jacks from rusting by sitting directly on the ground.
RV-Friendly Toilet Paper
Using the right kind of toilet paper in your RV is important to ensure you don’t get clogs or back-ups in your black tank. I know some people don’t even use their camper bathrooms for #2, but one of the reasons we bought our RV was to travel with our own cozy “home away from home”, and that includes a full-service bathroom. This Scott, rapid-dissolving toilet paper is what we use because it’s easy to stock up on Amazon and when we flush our tanks, it’s easy to see that it has, in fact, dissolved almost fully.
Storage Tank Treatments
There are a lot of different RV toilet treatments on the market, but Liquified is hands down our favorite. Our RV came with a couple of different samples of other kinds to try, and when they left an unpleasant odor in the bathroom, I went searching for something else. From my very first use of Liquified, I knew I had found a winner.
Since using the entire line of Liquified products, we have had no bad odors and everything drains perfectly when we flush our tanks. I always keep these stocked under the bathroom sink for every road trip.
Sewer Hose
If you have an RV with a bathroom, you will need a good-quality sewer hose. Trust me, this is not a place you want to go cheap. We have this 15′ Camco Rhino Hose and also another 10′ extension, just in case.
When camping at a site with full hookups, the sewer connection is usually close enough to use only one hose. However, if you are boondocking or at a campsite without a sewer hookup, which has been the case at many county and state parks around here, you’ll have to use a dump station. Sometimes, you need a little extra reach, which is where an extra hose comes in handy.
Basic Tools
The last thing you want is to be stuck by the side of the road without the right tools to change a flat tire or other issue that may arise. Always keep a toolbox on board your rig with simple things like duct tape, a hammer, screw drivers, wrenchs, pliers, a tire pressure gauge, etc. Many of the things that go wrong on your RV are simple fixes that you can handle yourself as long as you have the right tools.
We also carry a cordless drill, a small portable power station, and a portable air compressor for RV tires.
Bug Spray & Repellants
We use these Wonderscide products on ourselves and our pup. They are DEET-free and safe for the whole family, including your pets. They are made with essential oils, so instead of a chemical smell, they have a nature-like aroma. The insect repellent smells like rosemary and feels great on my skin– not sticky and gross. Other scents are available, too.
For Penny Pupply, I spray a bit of the Flea & Tick solution for dogs on my hands and then rub it into her fur to keep pests that may be around the campsite off of her. I have the 2-pack of Cedarwood and Lemon Grass and they both smell amazing.
To further combat bugs, we set this Termacell mosquito repellent near us when we are sitting outside. It does a good job of keeping the insects away for nearly 36 hours on a single cartridge.
For inside the RV, we use a Zevo flying insect trap. As we go in and out of the motorhome over the course of they day, little flying insects never fail to find their way in. When I go to sleep at night, I don’t want to worry about them landing on me. Zevo attracts them with blue light and they get stuck on the refillable insert. Goodbye bugs.
Kitchen Supplies
Don’t forget to stock your RV with essentials like paper towels, trash bags, dinnerware and cutlery (we have both real and disposable), a can opener, etc. Make a list and go through it twice. On our first trip out, we realized we were missing several things necessary for meal prep.
I like to create a meal plan ahead of each camping trip and purchase all the ingredients ahead of time. Some campgrounds are more remote, without nearby grocery stores. Once you have your plan made, write down all of the ingredients needed to make it, including kitchen staples like seasings and oil. Also, thing through what utensils and cookware will be needed for each recipe and make sure your camper is stocked with those items.
On our first trip, we realized that we had brought trash bags, but not trash cans to put them in, which wasn’t very handy. To remedy that situation, I bought a cheap plastic 13-gallon can for under the kitchen sink, this expanding small can with a space-saving design for the bathroom, and this Camco Life is Better at The Campsite Pop-Up Utility Container. We line it with a trash bag for outside, but also use it to haul things back and forth from the house when we are loading and unloading. It collapses flat for storage when not in use.
Fun & Cozy Ideas for RV Life
Bedding
One of the perks of RVing is being able to have your own cozy bed every night. We have a fairly comfortable queen short mattress, but we also added this bamboo & memory foam RV mattress topper plus these luxury sheets to bump up the cozy factor. These sheets have been put through the wash multiple times now, and are still and soft and comfy with no pilling.
Yes, you can camp and still have nice things.
We have kind of a “cabin in the woods” vibe going with our motorhome decor, so this reversible forest cabin quilt set was perfect for our bed! Isn’t it so cute?
Rugs
We have two of these 3’x5′ washable area rugs in our RV. We have darker wood cabinetry and flooring, so I wanted rugs that lighten things up a bit and work with our green accent pieces. These are so well-made and can be tossed right into the washing machine!
Towels
Our first trip out in the new RV, I just packed regular bath towels from home. Unfortunately, they didn’t dry well in the smaller bathroom area of the motorhome and stayed damp for days. Yuck.
I set out to find some towels that would dry quickly, and ended up with these Premium Turkish waffle-weave towels. I got a set of 2 bath towels and a set of 4 hand towels. They are very generously sized and feel so luxurious! Plus, the honeycombing weaving allows them to absorb well and dry quickly, which is perfect for use in an RV!
I ordered the cutest set of kitchen towels that are perfect for my RV! This 6-piece set features a different cute camping phrase on each towel. Plus, the dominant green color is a perfect match to our RV color scheme. Love, love.
Indoor Ambient Lighting
The overhead lights in the RV can be a bit harsh, so I have added some other, softer light sources. Our RV has two reading lights right above each side of the bed. They are helpful for a moment or two, but they will burn your eyes out if you look directly into them, and they get hot!
This small, cordless, rechargeable touch lamp provides a much softer light for evening, and its small size doesn’t take up much room on my tiny RV nightstand. Just tap to turn on, another couple of taps to dim, and tap again for off!
My Lifelines Flameless Candle Aromatherapy Essential Oil Diffuser Scented Electric Candles are my new favorite things! I ordered one for home, and immediately knew it would be perfect for the RV as well. It provides the perfect amount of fresh, clean scent along with a gentle flickering light just like a real candle! You can even blow on the “flame” to turn it off!
I got the green one for the RV, of course, and the frosted white one for home. Both are gorgeous and come with one ClickWick oil scent. Now, we can have a candle in the RV and around the grandbabies without worrying about an open flame.
The Best RV Outdoor Lighting
Outdoor lighting is an easy way to add some fun to your campsite.
These battery-operated camping string lights are so cool! I can’t tell how much I enjoy this simple and affordable addition to our campsite! They come in a 32.8′ string with 8 modes and color variations, and are waterproof, so you can use them inside or out of your RV! The disc they come in has a handle that pulls the light string back in for easy roll up!
We also got these gorgeous multicolored solar pathway lights to place around the outside edge of our campsite. We’re camping at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground in a few months, and I can’t wait to decorate our site with these!
Outdoor Gear
Keeping your campsite outside and not tracking in the dirt, rocks, or sand is a never-ending battle when camping.
We use this gorgeous 9×12 ft waterproof outdoor camping rug in front of our RV. It’s pretty, it protects our feet so we can kick our shoes off if we want, and it helps prevent most of the dirt from getting tracked into the camper. Plus, it cuts down on some of the annoying insects by providing a barrier between your feet and the ground.
My husband got me this rocking camp chair for Mother’s Day, and it’s a favorite for sure. It has a high back and headrest, armrests, and storage compartments for a drink and a book. Plus, it folds easily and comes with a storage/carrying bag to make it completely portable and easy to stow in the RV basement.
Decor & Comfort
I had fun creating various pieces of art for the walls of the RV. First, I purchased this National Parks Scratch Off Map and this magnetic poster holder to create a fun, interactive wall hanging.
I also purchased this canvas print of a campfire and this frame. I ended up painting the frame, as well as the one for the National Parks Scratch Poster, all a pretty evergreen color. I am planning a tour of the RV interior soon, and I’m excited to show you the finished pieces!
We were gifted this huge RV State Sticker Travel Map. I’m looking forward to seeing stickers of our journey accumulate on this United States Map as we travel. I often see them on other people’s RVs at campgrounds and now we can start working on our own.
RV Adventure Time
When you’re ready to hit the open road for your next trip, or head out on your first adventure as an RV newbie, I hope this list of essentials will help you have a great camping experience.
Happy Camping,
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