21 Must Have what every RV camper trailer needs

21 Must Have what every RV camper trailer needs

I’ll show you the best and most useful things that I have in my camper Trailer.It’s not everything, there are many more gadgets you can buy for your camper trailer.

But these items are those that would be most useful to you. They can save you time or money or just make life easier. And they’re all items that have stood the test of time in my experience of using them (and have mostly been used a lot).

This list is aimed mainly at having comfort & convenience while camping in your Travel Trailer, but it also has some basic survival gear which comes in handy when stranded off road, and some items will also help with cooking or preparing meals too! There are lots of other uses for each item too though so do get creative and find your own uses for them.

I’ll show you where to source all these products on the list, how much they cost (if you have a store nearby then you don’t need to spend time hunting online – just get going.) Wherever possible I’ve used links to Amazon, but there are more places (and local stores) that sell this stuff too.

If some items out of this list seem unnecessary or too expensive, then don’t worry about it! Just pick only what you could actually benefit from – no point in having 20 fold-out kitchens if all you ever do is make a cup of tea & fry an egg!

Must Have what every camper trailer needs

So let’s start with the kitchen area first…

  1. Kitchen Equipment A. Stove / Burner

Vargo Triad Multi-Fuel Stove

These are great for self-contained camping units as the solid fuel can be bought very cheaply & they work off battery power so there’s no need to run an extension cord or wiring into your living area. I fitted one of these to my 4WD camper trailer (rear kitchen unit) and while you can buy gas stoves, I don’t think they’re worth it because liquid propane gas is not freely available in remote places and/or often comes with a hefty delivery fee too when ordered online.

Portable Gas Cooker

If I need to cook for more than 4 people at a time then I’ll usually take along this portable gas cooker too (usually when taking a group out or if I’m doing some bushcrafing). These are also handy for caravanners, motorhomers & camper trailers too.

If driving around then this might be essential for you – especially if it’s your only means of heating water or cooking food. I’ve seen portable gas cookers that are also multi-fuel stoves, so be sure to get one that can do both (or that you can change the burner to accommodate solid fuel).

2-burner + grill

This is a bit bigger than the 1-burner I use in my camper trailer but it’s got 2 extra burners which can be handy occasionally when cooking for larger numbers of people or when you need to put the kettle on while cooking too!

This stove is pretty much the same as the one I have in my camper trailer, though mine doesn’t have a grill. This one has a built in power inverter too which powers up small electrical appliances.If you don’t have a generator or 12-volt battery to run it from.

Having an inverter means that this unit can also be used off-grid (i.e where no electricity supply/socket exists) so long as you’ve got some extra batteries charged up and/or are running your vehicle while cooking on it (this will keep things powered).

2. Cookware / Utensils

3. Cool-room storage and fridge/ freezer

Ice Box

You could take along an insulated ice box for keeping food and drink cool but you might be a bit limited in what it can store (depending on your vehicle) if you have anything else sitting around inside too. A cooler might be better though they’re less durable than ice boxes.

Since my 4WD camper trailer has its own built-in battery system and inverter for powering the lights and sockets, this means that I actually have 2 ways of storing/cooking cold items in my vehicle; the fridge & freezer compartments inside the camper trailer AND cooler box (or ice-box) outside in my vehicle.

If your camping style is different (i.e you don’t have a 4WD camper trailer with its own kitchen, etc which are powered by its own battery system) then perhaps an insulated ‘ice-box’ that’s mounted on the outside of your vehicle would be best for you?

4. Hot Water Storage and Heating

Propane Tank

To run a portable gas cooker or if you want to take showers using propane then it might be handy.

5. Camping Chair

If you want to read a book or sit around outside when it’s not so nice and light out then having a camping chair will come in handy (it could also double up as a seat for eating dinner on or perhaps sitting around the campfire if you don’t have any tables etc). The only reason I don’t carry one of these with me is because I always manage to find plenty of fallen trees around where I’m at to use instead!

6. Camping Table & Chairs

These aren’t an absolute must but they do help things go more smoothly (especially when trying to cook food outdoors and entertaining guests/friends) like not getting so dirty, saving your knees from being dug into by the ground and you get to use both hands (instead of having one hand holding a plate or cup while you eat with the other).

I don’t have any tables etc with me at the moment because when I first started going camping I didn’t know that it would be such a good idea, but now I’m switching campers and am looking for a 4WD camper trailer to buy which will come with its own built-in kitchen units.

7. Tools and Toolbox

You’ll need a flathead, Philips and possibly a strong knife with you as well as some tools that will help in fixing up your campers, tent poles, trailer brakes/tyres etc.

Depending on what type of camper trailer you have there might be various different tools which are needed, whether it’s to tighten up some screws or for repairing broken items etc.

These days there’s plenty of types of camping equipment available for purchase that have been designed specifically for this sort of thing so it shouldn’t be too hard trying to find something like this ?

8. Chain

If you’re going to be staying at campsites or out in the bush/wilderness then you might need to use a chain with your tyre skewer, etc so that it’ll be stronger and harder for any thieves to cut through (which I think is why some people carry these kinds of things ?).

I’m thinking about putting some permanent security devices on my camper trailer but firstly I’d like to find out if there are any ‘tunnels’ that run under where I live back home because someone could easily steal everything by pulling up onto my driveway in their car and just running inside.

9. RV Trailer Awning

If you decide that you need some shade when camping out then perhaps using your RV Awning might help a bit, especially in places where there’s nothing for your tent to go over or under.If you need to replace your current awning material here are some RV replacement fabric.

11. Sleeping Mats

You can get different types of sleeping mats made from foam, inflatable ones that have a built-in pump for inflating, or simply a cheap basic one that you blow up yourself (I’m guessing that these could also double up as camping mattresses?)And if you have Visitor’s in your RV Trailer.

12. Sleeping Bag

If you’re going to be somewhere cold and/or wet then a sleeping bag will help keep you warm at night in your RV. I just use an old blanket to wrap myself up in but some people seem to think that they’re really useful.

13. Shovel

I haven’t carried one of these things with me before (I’ve always used sticks etc) but maybe they’re useful for making your camping spot more private and hidaway-ish? Also good for using to dig your RV camper tires out if you get stuck or dig holes for your awning poles.

14. Flashlight

I’m not sure what “camper trailer” means exactly since all camper trailers are built differently so some might come with built-in electricity while others might not, although if you’re looking for a flashlight then this one could work out quite nicely.

15. Cleaning Brush

Again something that I’ve had to use on my old camper trailer but I’m guessing it’s pretty useful so make sure you have one of these things when you’re “campering”.

16. Drying Rack

This is just as important as having somewhere to put your dishes after washing them, although perhaps using clothes hangers or whatever (on which there are hundreds of different designs available) might also work well?

17. Thermos Flask

These things are really useful if you’re going somewhere cold and/or wet in your camper trailer, although just keep in mind that if you’re leaving your camper unattended then keep all of the doors closed or else it might get cold at night.

18. Carrying Bag for Clothes

If there’s nowhere inside your camper to put away your wet washing then perhaps bringing something like this along with you can help, although if your clothes are really wet then it might be better to hang them up inside the camper (if there’s room).

19. Matches & Lighter Fluid

It’s pretty obvious why you’d need these two items so make sure you don’t forget them!

20. Power Bank

If your camper has a built-in electricity supply then that’s great, although if it doesn’t and you’re not carrying around a gas generator (maybe on the roof?) then it might be worth bringing along something like this which can charge up your mobile phone or whatever else.

21. First Aid Kit

This is another pretty self explanatory item so make sure you have one of these things with you at all times when out in the wild (or wherever else).

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