In an RV, space is a high value commodity, so you don’t want to go about filling it up with needless devices and equipment that you aren’t even sure you’re going to use. What’s more, you need things that make the most of the space you have available. First, these are our top 5 Must Haves that we use in all our RVs.

Our Top 5 Must Haves

Water Purifier (Berkey)

When traveling, it’s hard to know what kind of tap water you’re getting with each new campground. The quality of your water supply can vary widely depending on where you’re staying, and that’s where having a water purifier comes in handy. There are many decent options on the market, but for our family, we wanted something that would last a long time and could keep up with our high demand for hydration. Thankfully, Berkey had exactly what we needed. The Berkey purifier can remove over 200 types of unsafe contaminates using a natural system of filtration that avoids the harsh iodine and chlorine chemicals found in other powerful filters. The nice thing too is that these Berkey containers come in generous sizes, ranging from 1.5 gallons to 6 gallons, meaning that if you get the right one, you can fill it up once and be good for the entire day.

Shop Berkey filters here

An Instant Pot Is A Must Have For Easy Cooking

Inevitably, when moving into an RV, you have to sacrifice a lot of kitchen appliances due to lack of space. Because of this, it’s important that any appliance you do have is able to have multiple uses. An instant pot most certainly has that quality going for it & we use ours so much that we actually have 2 in our RV.

This pressure cooker can work with just about any food you throw at it, from roasts or even a whole chicken to cooking dried beans in under an hour. An instant pot can pull its own weight and more, doing the work of several pots in an efficient amount of time. It’s easy to cook with, and as long as you know the right settings to put your food in at, your food will come out tasting delicious every time.

Shop Instant Pot here

A Space Heater Is A Must Have For Traveling Beyond Summer

Most campgrounds don’t charge you on the electricity that you use, and it’s for that reason that you’ll want to find alternatives to your propane based RV systems. That’s where a nice little space heater comes in handy. You’d be surprised how well a little heater can warm up your RV whenever you’re traveling to somewhere on the brisk side of things. Because of what you’ll save in propane, a space heater will likely save you money at campgrounds in the long run. As a side note, making sure that you’re heater also doubles as a good fan for those warmer summer days.

Shop space heaters here

A 4 Patriots Solar Generator Is A Must Have If You Plan On Camping Off Grid

Before 2020, I wouldn’t say this is necessary, but with so much unpredictability these days, this has become a must for us in order to provide peace of mind.

Solar appliances in general are incredible for RV travel. In certain off-grid travel locations it could be considered a travesty NOT to have solar powered devices, as it can be extremely convenient for lights, computers, phones, and so on.

If you want a one stop device for all your solar needs, you can’t go wrong with a solar generator like the one sold by 4 Patriots. At a full charge, this baby will run your entire RV for several hours, and allow you to get everything done that you could normally with electric hook ups (except maybe running your washer and dryer). The solar panels themselves are something that many companies can skimp on in order to cut down costs, and this can really be a pain when you’re waiting on your device to charge. We had solar lights at one point that, while good during usage, would take an entire day in decent sunlight to fully charge. 4 Patriots, on the other hand, provides a terrific panel, one that works very well in modest heat, and which works absolutely incredible on a sweltering summer day.

Shop 4 Patriots here

A Wifi Hotspot In A Must Have If You Need Wifi From Your RV

Taking your big, awkward internet routers with you on the road may be an option depending how your service providers works, but in the likely case that it doesn’t, or you find your internet speeds too horrible to cope with, a small internet hotspot device would be your next best bet. Hotspots are a terrific solution for those who need internet for more than just their phone, whether for computer work or for the kids to stream their precious Netflix. We’ve had multiple hotspots over the years, and each has worked well for us, although it must be said that there’s no getting around the fact that some travel destinations simply don’t have any cell service to speak of. During our travels, we’ve had to opportunity to use hotspots by AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, and while they’ve all been quite good, we believe that the one by Verizon had the best cell service overall.

Shop Verizon hotspot devices here

The More “Obvious” RV Must Haves:

Sewer Tube Extension: most RVs come with at least one sewer tube, but it’s a good practice to buy an additional piece as well, in case you get to a site with sewer that’s really far from your RV.
BPA FREE Water Tube: Don’t forget to have a quality hose to connect your RV to your site’s spigot.
Sewer Support: Since many came sites can be unlevel, it can useful to buy a cheap pair of sewer support pieces, that way your black and gray water doesn’t get stuck sitting in the tube.
Sewer Treatment: Get rid of that horrible sewer smell by treating it with a little deodorizer.
Outdoor Shower: A simple but ingenious device for anyone who likes to camp in more remote destinations where there aren’t showers or sewer hook ups available.
Surge Protector: RVs tend to not have outlets for an entire family, and that’s where this can come in nicely.
Wheel Blocks: we use pieces of wood to prop behind the tires, but if that’s too janky for your taste, then buy a simple plastic blocker to ensure your RV/trailer doesn’t roll away when you don’t want it to.
Jack Stabilizers Pads: Once again, we use pieces of wood for our jacks, but you can also buy pieces for this.
Tire Covers: If you plan on staying in one place for an extended period of time, then tire covers will help avoid your tires getting overheated by the sun.
Tire Pressure Gauge: Lots of gas stations have this, but it can be convenient to have one on hand.
Keyless Entry Door Handle: A very convenient feature for those that don’t want to be locked out of their RV if they happen to forget their keys.
Bike Rack: For the outdoorsy types, a bike rack is an absolutely must. Without a bike rack, it’ll be very inconvenient to take your bikes anywhere.
Pop Up Shade: Great for chilling outside on a hot summer day
BBQ: a must of RVers who love their cooking
Electric Griddle: another essential cooking-ware for our family.
Broom: good for cleaning your RV floor.
Hand Vacuum: good for cleaning those small, hard to reach spots.
Impact Drill: If you have manual operated jacks, this is a must.
Extension Cord: Good to have, seeing as there can be a lot of situations you might need this.
AMP Adapter: Some RV sites are 30 AMP, some are 50, and some are 15. In general it’s good to have adapters in case your campground only supports one of two of these.
Folding Table: Useful if you like to be outside a lot while in your campsite.
Cooler: of you need to back cold drinks and food to go exploring.
Folding Chairs: An absolute must if you ever feel like lounging outside. People will have their preferences on which ones they like, though. Some like high seats, some enjoy low ones, and some prefer recliners. But if you want to save the most money on outdoor seating, get either this, or these.
Hammock: similarly, a necessity for people who like to maximize their chilling.
Campsite Mat: If you like to camp in places with dirt campsites, I highly recommend one of these.
First Aid Kit: small, lightweight, but enormously helpful if you ever need it
Outdoor Lights: useful for late night campfires or if your RV doesn’t come with outdoor lights
Tool Box: Always, and I mean ALWAYS, have at least a few tools on hand at all time.s you never know what’ll break, and sometimes a screw driver can make a world of difference.
Quick Dry Towels: Good if, like my family, you have too many wet towels hanging up to dry.

RV Must Haves