The Definitive List of RV Must-Haves for 2024 (From a Full-Time RVer)

This article is a nine-page comprehensive RV essentials guide.
If you have arrived in the middle of the guide but want to start at the beginning, click here.

RV Must-Have Water Accessories

Now that we’ve addressed the most essential items, we will move into RV item categories.

Let’s start with the items that will most help you enjoy the water you’ve just added to your RV via your drinking water-safe hose!

Inline RV Water Filter

You’ll be obtaining water from various water sources on the road.

Purchasing an Inline RV Water Filter will protect your RV’s plumbing best.

Filtering the water that you’re putting into your RV will remove sediment and ensure the water coming into your RV is safe to shower in and consume.

Water Pressure Regulator

The water pressure in homes vs. campgrounds varies far more than you’d think.

Unlike your home’s pipes, though, the plumbing in an RV is somewhat fragile and benefits from lower, consistent water pressure. Installing a water pressure regulator will protect the fittings and filters to ensure your RV remains trouble-free for many years.

Regulators come in adjustable and non-adjustable models, but if you’re just worried about protecting your RV’s plumbing, a non-adjustable one will do the trick and be much cheaper.

Travel Berkey Water Filter

You may find a Berkey overkill if you’re using an inline water filter.

However, if you want to go even further with your water filtering, you could opt for a Berkey.

Berkeys are fantastic for filtering and purifying untreated water.

You can fill it with water from all sorts of outdoor sources, such as ponds and streams, and it will clear it of pathogenic bacteria, cysts, and parasites.

We found the Travel Berkey Water Filter perfect for a two-adult household. That size holds 1.5 gallons of water, which is about what the two of us drink in one day.

We fill it up nightly so the water is ready to drink the following day. It takes about 30-45 minutes to purify all 1.5 gallons.

We opted for the model that also includes two fluoride filters. They absorb fluoride, arsenic, and other heavy metal ions that could be found in the water.

RV Must-Have Sewer Supplies

No one likes a stinky home. And RVs can get stinky fast!

But adequately caring for your waste tank isn’t only to help squash undesirable odors. It will also help prevent clogs and possible damage to your tank system.

All of the following items work together to help facilitate waste removal, prevent odors, and help keep your RV waste tanks in tip-top shape because whether your RV is brand-new or used, the black and grey tanks are two of the most important items you’ll want to ensure you’re taking proper care of.

RV Sewer Hose Support

At the beginning of RV life, having our sewer hose supported seemed super kitschy.

Was holding our sewer hose a little bit off the ground really all that important? Or were those things more like one of those “Made for TV” items?

Turns out… they are pretty necessary.

They really do help make sure everything drains correctly downhill while your RV is stationary at your campsite.

When shopping for one of these, look for one that collapses neatly into itself like either of those below. You’ll be grateful for this device taking up only a little room.

Both of these fit 3″ wide hoses and support up to a 20-foot hose:

The bonus of the sidewinder is its flexibility, which allows the RV hose and the support to curve around obstructions.

Black Tank Flush Hose

A black tank flush hose is a necessary item for RVers.

If you don’t flush your black tank, you’ll get to a point where you’re only letting the liquid in the black tank out while the solid material builds up.

Eventually, your tanks will not be able to hold as much, your sensors will become blocked, hindering you from getting a clear reading on when the tank is full, and your toilet will start to stink.

Performing a flush to periodically clean out the tank with one of these hoses will break up the solid material.

Using a separate hose like this one is also important for sanitary reasons so your water lines don’t become contaminated.

RV Holding Tank Treatment & Deodorizer

Unsurprisingly, a small space with a toilet can get smelly fast.

An RV waste tank treatment helps keep the bad smells at bay.

Enzymes and chemicals in these tank treatments help kill the bacteria in solid waste that produces odor within your RV.

An added bonus beyond odor destruction that people don’t think of as often is that these treatments also help break down waste and toilet paper, so you can have a smoother tank dumping experience.

This is great for when you’re dumping your RV black tank and helps keep the tank in good shape, preventing a buildup of elements that could degrade your tank over time.

Clear Sewer Hose Connector

As mentioned above, a Clear Sewer Hose Connector helps you see when your tank is empty.

As gross as it sounds, a clear connector allows you to see how the color of your waste changes as you are flushing your tanks at a dump station.

As the waste becomes clearer, you know your tanks are at a more satisfactory level of cleanliness.

If you bought a sewer hose kit different from the one I recommended above and it did not come with one of these, you can buy one separately.

RV Sewer Gloves

Gloves are necessary to keep you sanitary while dumping your RV tanks.

There are two directions you can go with RV sanitation gloves: reusable or disposable.

Reusable Heavy-Duty PVC Work Gloves

A pair of reusable, waterproof, and cut-resistant gloves will keep your hands clean while doing the RV dirty work.

They are more durable and economical. You use the same pair repeatedly and give them a good clean-off before being stored away for the next dump.

Disposable Sanitation Gloves

Or you can go for disposable gloves.

If you RV often, this option will cost more in the long run because you’ll have to keep buying a new box every time you run out.

However, if storing gloves used for dumping your tanks doesn’t sound appealing, this is the way to go. When you’re done, you simply toss them in the garbage.

Make sure to opt for an option such as these with solid rip protection.

RV Specific Toilet Paper

RV-friendly toilet paper (or septic-safe toilet paper) prevents clogs in your RV. This is because it’s designed to break apart faster than your average home-use toilet paper.

Continue Reading:

PAGE ONE: Top Ten RV Must-Haves
PAGE TWO: RV Water & Sewer Supplies
PAGE THREE: Road Trip Planning Tools
PAGE FOUR: Fundamentals for RV Emergencies, Safety, & Maintenance
PAGE FIVE: RV Kitchen Essentials
PAGE SIX: RV Bedroom, Closet, Laundry, Bathroom, & Living Room Essentials
PAGE SEVEN: RV Internet & Boondocking Essentials
PAGE EIGHT: Fun Outdoor Camping Items, Traveling with Bikes, & Traveling with Pets
PAGE NINE: Stationary RV Living, Winter RV Living, RV Storage, & FAQs