I keep a list of everything in my camper on GreetRV. Right now it’s at 71 items. Seventy-one.
I’m not going to run through all 71 here, because honestly, some of it is just stuff. What I want to do is show you the gear that actually earns its spot. The stuff that has saved me money, saved me a headache, or made a trip better. The stuff I’d buy again tomorrow if I had to start over.
We camp in a 2025 Forest River Flagstaff 378BH fifth wheel, towed by my Ram 2500. A family of four, two kids, a dog named Bear. Everything below has been through real trips with us. Nothing here is theory.
The stuff that protects the camper
If you only buy three things off this list, buy these three.
Power Watchdog surge protector with EMS. This is more than a surge protector. It’s also an EMS, an electronic monitoring system. Surges matter, but low voltage and high voltage are the true killers of a camper’s electrical system. The EMS will turn the power off to the camper if it sees low voltage, high voltage, or if a leg loses power altogether. This has personally saved my camper thousands of dollars. It also works on your phone so you can see how many watts you’re using.
RVLock V4 keyless door locks — front and back. I use one on the front door and one on the back door. You can use a key, the keypad, or the key fob to lock and unlock. The main reason to upgrade your door locks is this: most campers use a similar or the same key. So your key to your camper could be used on 20 different campers inside the campground. Think about that for a second.
DOZYANT propane gauge with leak detector. These gauges do have a gauge, but the gauge is not accurate at all. The main thing I like about them: if there’s a leak in the system, the gauge will turn off the propane so you don’t lose all your propane or fill your camper with propane during a leak. The gauge part is basically useless. The leak shutoff is the whole point.
Water: don’t trust the spigot
All water at campgrounds is not the same. Some campgrounds use city water and some use wells. Most wells have very hard water or lots of iron. That’s why the water side of my setup is the biggest category on my list.
VEVOR water softener. The water softener softens the water and reduces iron in the water. Which is healthier and better for your camper’s water system.
My 3-stage filter setup. A Bringpure filter goes first, right off the spigot. Then a Membrane Solutions string wound filter, then an Aquaboon sediment filter, then a PUREPLUS carbon filter as the last one. Even after filtering the water I’m still leery about campground water, especially if my dog won’t drink it after the filters. Bear knows.
RVGUARD water pressure regulator with gauge. Water pressure at campgrounds is unpredictable. Putting too much pressure through your camper’s water system is guaranteed to damage your water system. The gauge helps you see how much pressure you’re getting, whether the pressure is at what you set it at or if it’s lower.
Camco TastePURE drinking water hoses — 70 feet total. I have a total of 70 feet of drinking water hoses. Sometimes the campsite water connections are close to the camper’s water connection and other times it’s over 50 feet away. A good quality drinking water hose is always a must. My favorite is the Camco EVOFlex 10-footer. Easy to work with and store.
Biswing water splitter, and a spare hose. Having a water splitter is a must. Campsites only come with one water spigot. You always need one connection for the freshwater system of the camper. The second connection can be used as a spare to wash the camper, or in my case, for the second connection I use it for the black tank flush. And sometimes it’s good just to have a spare hose to wash the camper or to hook up to the black tank flush. That’s the EOOIO 25-footer. Keep the drinking hoses for drinking.
Rainpoint Bluetooth hose timer. Game changer. Turn off your water from your phone. No more going out in the middle of the night to turn on or off the water.
Sewer: the unglamorous stuff that matters most
Nobody wants to read about sewer gear. Everybody needs it.
Camco RhinoEXTREME sewer hose. These hoses are more durable and flexible than the standard hoses. You are able to step on these and they will not break, crack or get damaged. Great for kids who step or trip on everything including sewer hoses.
Camco RhinoFlex sewer hose elbow. The RhinoFlex sewer hoses are good quality sewer hoses that you are able to form around turns and they stay in the turn you bend them at. When you collapse the sewer hose they stay collapsed.
Camco gate valve. I recommend this on the end of your sewer connection on the camper. Never fails, one day you will uncap the sewer and waste or gray water will come out. This valve is extra insurance.
HOLEPU sewer weight bag. Sometimes the sewer elbow will not stay in the sewer connection at the campsite, or the sewer connection tries to lift up off the sewer connection at the campsite. This saddle bag helps keep the sewer elbow connected to the campsite sewer connection. The bag comes empty so you don’t haul aimless weight when not needed. Then when you arrive at the campsite you can fill the saddle bags with rocks or old water bottles.
Orangutize Full Hookups Tamer. This is a sewer and lines support. It keeps the sewer flowing towards the sewer connection from camper to campsite. Also keeps all your lines off the ground.
Leveling: know before you get out of the truck
LogicBlue LevelMatePRO. This device is an electronic leveler that you can see on your phone. It makes leveling very easy. You can watch your phone and see what side of the camper is high or low and if the nose of the camper is high or low. You will know as soon as you pull into a campsite, open the app, how you are going to need to level the camper.
OULEME leveling blocks — I have 3 sets. You can never have enough blocks honestly. I have 3 sets and I will use them for support under tires, under the leveling feet and for the king pin tripod stabilizer. You never want to extend your levelers and stabilizers to the max. The camper actually becomes less stable. You put them under tires because tires should never be up in the air — less stable and more stress on the frame. Tires help stabilize the camper, so putting blocks under the low side will help keep pressure on the tires and them not dangling in the air.
SnapPad Xtra leveling pads. The SnapPads increase foot size and stability. The rubberized pads help with the feet sliding and rusting. The rough terrain, especially rocks, can scratch and dig into the feet which will increase rusting. The rubberized pads also prevent rust stains on cement pads and driveways.
Proud Panda X-chocks. The X-chocks help the tires from rolling ever so slightly and help with stability.
Cooking outside, where it belongs
Martin 2-burner camp stove. When you’re camping you always want to cook and do everything outside. This is great for not only campers but tent people too. The two burner stove is efficient and keeps you enjoying the outdoors more. Also helps keep the heat out of the camper during the warmer days. The last thing you want on a hot day is to cook inside the camper and heat the camper up.
Stansport tripod cooker. It makes cooking over a fire easier and you can change the cooking temperature by raising or lowering the cooking grate. Food always tastes better over a campfire.
EUHOMY nugget ice maker. Nothing beats cold drinks. The nugget ice maker is the fastest and most efficient way to make ice and to keep the camper stocked with ice.
The little things that add up
TravlFi XTR Pro 5G router. The router is able to connect to any major carrier, for example T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon. Your phone is limited to one carrier. When your carrier has no service, the router can connect to whichever carrier has the strongest signal. It can connect up to 128 devices. Another thing that is great is no contracts and pay for only the month you use it. For example, if I only use it in December, that means I only pay for service for December. There are no other monthly fees and no rental fees since you buy your router outright. This internet is more reliable than most campgrounds, so it’s perfect when traveling.
Mopeka propane sensor. This is the most accurate way to know how much propane is in your tanks without having to disconnect the tank and do the lift test or wait until you run out of propane. No more going outside in the middle of the night to check propane tanks.
REDTIGER dashcam, front and rear. Today’s crazy drivers and everyone trying to pull insurance scams, the dash cam is just extra insurance to expose scammers. When something does happen you will have proof. Plus you can capture funny moments on the road.
Lippert Screen Shot door closer — the Slingshot. The Slingshot is a game changer. It never fails. Kids don’t always shut doors, or you walk out the door with your hands full and unable to shut the door right away. The Slingshot door closer will automatically shut the door behind you to help keep bugs and insects out of the camper.
RVGUARD screen door handle. There’s never a good way to open or shut the screen doors from the inside. The handle is easy to install and now you have a more secure way to open and close the door from the inside. Also saves you from pushing on the screen itself or damaging the screen.
The no-holes rule. I don’t put holes in my cabinets or walls if I can help it. The DR CATCH paper towel holder can use screws or adhesive, and the adhesive means it can go virtually anywhere. The JOY DECOR toilet paper holder is a wall mount, and it mounts with adhesive so there’s no damage to walls or doors and it can be placed anywhere. The Rise age adhesive hooks go anywhere too — I put them in my bathroom to hold spare towels and in my shower for the loofah. Extra hooks can always be used for something. I hang my coat, hoodies and towels on the over-the-door hooks. Everyone always looks for cheap ways to create more storage and to be organized.
Valterra hose carriers — I have 6 mounted under the camper. This is perfect to store sewer hoses, fishing poles, or extra PEX tubing without it taking up space inside the camper, smelling up the camper, or getting damaged inside the camper.
Stoett Nautilus shower door. Best replacement shower door. Less weight than the glass tri doors and will not shatter. Glass shower doors in a moving camper are a bad idea waiting to happen.
STMOUTUO winterizing kit. Water is the biggest problem in the winter. The winterizing kit is an adapter kit that allows you to blow compressed air through the water system to ensure all water is out before introducing antifreeze into the water system. One thing I will do, since antifreeze still will turn into a jelly as it gets cold: I will blow the antifreeze out of the water system, leaving just antifreeze residue and no water in the system for winter.
Estwing Sportsman’s Axe. This tool is great for splitting wood. Even when you buy firewood from the campground, the axe can break up some bigger pieces into smaller or kindling pieces.
Smiry picnic table cover. Picnic tables are honestly pretty dirty and disgusting. People will use the table to put away their camping gear including sewer hoses. Also the tables sit out in all types of weather and animals may have gone to the bathroom on them — you don’t know. The covers don’t only make the picnic tables appealing to the eyes but also make it feel homey and warm. The covers protect you from anything and everything that has been on the picnic table as well as splinters from the wood breaking down in the weather.
REESE lube plate. Lube plates are cleaner, cheaper and less maintenance. The lube plate replaces putting grease on the fifth wheel hitch.
The full list
That’s the gear I’d buy again. The full list — all 71 items, with links — is on my GreetRV page: https://greetrv.com/rig/f32c0950-99c4-4150-aa0c-868d8ae9de83
What about you? What’s the one piece of gear in your camper you’d never go without? Tell me in the comments — I’m always looking for the next thing that actually earns its spot.
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If you’re looking for something handmade for the camper or the house, my wife and I make stained glass mosaics — check out our Etsy shop, Outdooring.
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