Buying RV accessories as a newbie can be overwhelming. RV Dealership stores are packed to the brim with accessories for almost anything. Not to mention, every RV blogger and YouTuber has hundreds of accessory recommendations for getting started. Due to this information overload, knowing what you will use and what is just a waste of money is vital.
That’s why we’ve created this very basic list of 10 RV accessories every RV newbie should own! Let’s dive in.
1. Inline RV Water Filter
An RV water filter ensures your water is safe to drink and crisp! While RV water filters can range from $30 to $2,000 you don’t need to get overwhelmed. A basic one that connected to your spigot and then your hose should do the trick.
2. RV Fresh Water Hose
You will need to have a fresh water hose to connect to the campground’s city water. This is how you will be able to use your faucets, shower, and toilet in your RV. Be sure to buy one that says it’s drinking safe! We like this one by Camco because it’s thinker than a standard hose and resistant to sun damage.
3. RV Black Water Flush Hose
You will need to flush out your black tank to ensure it is properly cleaned. Never use your drinking hose to do this! There is always the risk of backflush and you do not want to cross-contaminate. Always use a separate hose to flush your black tank. It’s easy to do this by buying a hose that is a different color, that way there’s no chance of mixing them up by mistake.
4. RV Water Pressure Regulator
This RV Water Pressure Regulator is key for newbies! Most RVs are meant to handle more than 60 PSI. If the campground you’re are staying at has a higher pressure than what your RV can take, you risk blowing a pipe. You’ll never have to worry about high water pressure again with a regulator.
5. Wheel Chocks
Wheel chocks are such an important RV accessory! You should never leave without them. Putting chocks under your RV tires before you unhitch prevents your RV from moving.
6. Surge Protector
Now, a good surge protector isn’t cheap. However, this might be the most important item on the list. Having a surge protector can prevent your RV from high or low voltage. Each campground is different and while it would be nice to assume they all have proper electrical, that’s not always the case. Experienced RVers will tell you, do not skip this RV accessory.
7. Sewer Hose Kit
You will need a sewer hose kit to be able to dump your black and gray tanks. We like this one because it comes with all of the connections you need as well as an extension hose. It’s always a good idea to have two, if not three, sewer hoses. You never know when you’re going to encounter a campground with a sewer connection way in the back of the site.
8. Holding Tank Treatment
While there are plenty of holding tank treatments on the market, we like Happy Camper. The company has a proven track record of customer satisfaction. Tank treatment is a key RV accessory because it keeps your RV from smelling. If your holding tanks (gray or black) go without treatment for too long they will begin to smell very unpleasant.
9. NOAA Emergency Radio System
An emergency radio might not be high on your list of RV accessories, but it should be. This emergency radio will notify you of incoming storms and potential natural disasters. When traveling the country, you will be faced with all different types of weather. You don’t want to be caught off guard with an incoming tornado or flood; an emergency radio will keep you in the know and out of danger.
10. Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Our last RV accessory is a big safety item. Experienced or not, every RVer should own a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). This system constantly monitors your tire pressure to prevent blowouts and catch tire leaks early. We recommend the Tire Minder Smart because it offers Bluetooth capabilities so you can monitor your tires from your phone.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, these items should get you started on the right foot! Yes, there are plenty of RV accessories you could buy, and you should. However, getting started with these 10 RV accessories will ensure you have what you need to use your RV and stay safe on the road.
What about fire extinguishers? An RV is a large vehicle so it needs a higher extinguishing capability rated extinguisher. The best size to balance capability, size, and especially weight is a 10 pound ABC Multi Purpose dry chemical unit. My spouse found the 10 pound size hard to handle. If your traveling companion/s include people who cannot wield a 10 lb nominal extinguishing agent capacity unit the carry a 5 lb nominal capacity extinguisher as well.
Given the challenges many parts of the country are having with ground cover / wildland fires you may want to carry a collapsible backpack pump fire extinguisher and some premeasured extinguishing additive to make the water more effective.These roll up into a rather small size, can be refilled from any water source, and can readily extinguish such things as your neighbors escaped camp fire with ease. If you do a lot of boondocking then you might want to consider having a small portable engine powered pump that can use the water in your RV’s tank to keep a 100 foot long 3/4 inch inside diameter size hose with a 5 gallon per minute nozzle flow @ 50 lbs nozzle pressure supplied for ~20 minutes.