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So you’ve bought (or rented) your first RV or trailer, and you’ve gone through all the lists of essential items you need to have. First aid kit. Check. RV-friendly toilet paper. Check. Basic tools. Check. Bug spray. Blankets. Sunscreen. Check. Check. Check.
But what are you missing? What kind of things do you need in your RV that you didn’t even think of yet?
Here is a list of 13 random items we keep in our camper.
1. Watermelon Knife
One of the first times we went camping in the summer, we brought a watermelon. And guess what? The sharpest knife we had was a steak knife.
It never even occurred to me to have a big knife in the camper. Most foods we eat when camping don’t require any special knives. Aside from our regular silverware knives, we had a small knife for cutting veggies.
Imagine cutting a watermelon with a tiny knife.
This watermelon knife is my favorite. If you want to get really crazy, you could try a watermelon slicer. My husband loves this thing. I’ll be honest with you though, I personally don’t have enough strength to even get it to slice through that thick watermelon skin!
2. Can Opener
Let’s just stick with the kitchen gadget theme for a little bit here.
This is another item I didn’t even think of until the day I needed it. I brought all the things to make chili in our camper. And guess what? No can opener.
We ended up opening the can with a knife. Don’t be us. Get a can opener to keep in your RV at all times!
This tiny electric one is awesome! But a basic can opener always works!
3. Strainer
Seriously, when you’re packing food to cook on your camping trip, you have to really think through every single thing that food preparation requires!
My sister made mac & cheese for the kids on our last camping trip, and I hadn’t put our strainer back into the camper after taking it inside to clean it after our last trip.
She strained the noodles with a metal mesh organizing basket. Facepalm. But good job getting creative!
I like a collapsible strainer for the camper, for space-saving purposes.
4. Bag Clips
I bought a set of bag clips specifically to live in our camper after probably our first trip. So. many. bags to close!
Chips, marshmallows, cereal bags. Believe me, bag clips are super handy to have!
5. Tupperware
Don’t forget that you likely will have leftovers to store! This was yet another item we needed in our RV that I never thought of! That is, until I needed it.
Wrapping aluminum foil around the top of a bowl just isn’t as good (especially in an RV!). Shortly after that trip, I bought a basic set of Tupperware specifically for the camper.
6. Outdoor Food Cover
We like to eat most of our meals outside when we camp. But the flies can get crazy sometimes.
An outdoor food cover tent is so useful! Nobody wants flies landing on the food they’re about to eat! These are really nice, but you can get them very inexpensively too!
7. Dish Drying Rack
This is the last item on our list for the kitchen. I used to always just lay out a dish towel and set the wet dishes on it to dry.
It works. But as you know, RVs don’t have a lot of counter space. An over-the-sink dish drying rack is such a space-saver, and the water can just run back into the sink. Genius.
8. Vacuum
A small hand-held vacuum is such a necessity for me in an RV!
We aren’t a take-your-shoes-off-at-the-door type of family. And the dirt gets everywhere.
I don’t know about you, but I cannot stand the feeling of dirt sticking to my bare feet when I walk across the floor in the middle of the night from the bedroom to the bathroom. Yuck.
I also don’t want to do a full-on cleaning when we’re camping. I’m there to relax. A small hand-held vacuum is just such a quick, easy way to get those dirt, sand, and grass clumps off the floor.
9. Glow Sticks
One of our kids’ favorite parts of camping is riding bikes around the campground.
We always have a pack of glow sticks or glow necklaces in our camper. The kids think they’re so fun, and we feel better knowing that they are easily seen in the dark!
Bonus: I also like to light up my kid’s bike like it’s Christmas. Bike lights for the wheels, and a colorful, flashing head light are on his bike.
10. Board Games
Sometimes when you are out camping, it rains. It’s always the worst being stuck in the camper.
We do have a TV (for movie-watching only – no satellite here!) but really, we don’t love having a TV on when we’re trying to camp and unplug.
Board games are such a good idea to keep in the RV for rainy days! Some of our favorites are Yahtzee, Bananagrams (they also make an awesome kid’s version of Bananagrams game!), and LCR (Left Center Right dice game).
All of those options are nice and small. We all know space-saving is the name of the game in an RV!
We also like to keep just a regular ol’ deck of cards in there too.
11. Collapsible Laundry Basket
Okay, I just recently got one of these. Now I can’t live without it.
Before, I had a small travel laundry bag that I just brought in with me. (Which is PERFECT for trips where you’ll be in a hotel or traveling by plane!)
I don’t know about you, but we don’t have a washer or dryer in our camper. The dirty laundry usually just stays in the camper until we get back home.
I love having the collapsible laundry basket because it just holds so much more than the little bag. I keep it hanging out in the bathtub, and it can easily be moved out if someone needs to use the tub.
12. Air Freshener
I just love the smell of a campfire. But only when I’m sitting around a campfire. I hate when that smell clings to every surface of the camper.
You know what’s even worse? Cooking bacon and eggs in the RV kitchen, and living with that smell for the rest of the trip.
I love some bacon and eggs, but I don’t want to smell only that for a whole weekend.
I use a wall plug-in for our camper to keep the yucky smells away.
We keep a little small-space freshener in the bathroom as well.
13. Toilet Brush
I saved the best for last! This is something you don’t love to discuss, but let’s be honest. RV toilets don’t have a very powerful flush.
If you’re like me, and the idea of an un-clean toilet brush hanging out in the bathroom grosses you out, get the Clorox Toilet Wand!
Either way, you need a toilet brush. You just do.
Conclusion
So, there you have our list of 13 items you need in your RV that you didn’t think of!
What did we miss? Let us know in the comments- what random item do you have in your RV that you can’t camp without?
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