The Best RV Camping Gear 2024: Field-Tested Essentials for Every Trip

I’ve run a 28-foot travel trailer from the Sonoran Desert to the Canadian Rockies for three summers straight, and I’ve burned through enough bad equipment to know exactly what’s worth the money and what’ll fail you at mile 400.

What follows is what I actually run. What I’ve replaced. What I’ve watched other campers regret skipping. The premium option on most of this list pays for itself before the second season — I’ll tell you why when it does.

Power Systems: The Foundation of Modern RV Life

Portable Solar: Jackery Explorer 1000 Pro

Shore power and generators cap where you can camp. The Jackery Explorer 1000 Pro fixed that for me. It delivers 1002Wh of capacity with a 1000W AC output, and the LFP battery chemistry gets you 4,000+ charge cycles before capacity degrades — roughly 10 years of regular use.

Six weeks in Utah’s canyon country last spring, charging daily off two 200W SolarSaga panels: it ran a CPAP every night, kept phones and laptops topped off, and powered a small fan without complaint. The one thing it won’t touch is a residential air conditioner — you need a 2000W+ unit for that. For everything else, 25.4 lbs is the right tradeoff at this capacity.

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Surge Protector: Progressive Industries EMS-PT30X

Every RV owner I know who skipped a quality surge protector eventually paid for it. Campground power is dirty — voltage fluctuations, miswired pedestals, random surges. It’s not a matter of if, it’s when. The Progressive Industries EMS-PT30X monitors 21 electrical faults and disconnects automatically when voltage drops below 102V or spikes above 132V.

It’s cut power on me at two different campgrounds in two years — once in Arkansas, once outside Moab. Both times I’d have been looking at a fried inverter and damaged appliances without it. At around $200, it’s the cheapest insurance you’ll buy for your rig. Don’t plug in without it.

Cookware: Eat Well Without a Full Kitchen

Cast Iron: Lodge 12-Inch Skillet

I’ve run ceramic-coated pans, stainless sets, and carbon steel in the field. I keep coming back to the Lodge 12-inch cast iron skillet because it works identically on a propane burner, a campfire grate, or an induction cooktop. Pre-seasoned from the factory, 8.1 lbs, and it’ll outlast your rig.

Cast iron’s heat retention matters at altitude, where propane pressure drops and you need the pan doing more work. I’ve used mine at 11,000 feet in Colorado — same performance as sea level. Maintenance is two minutes: dry it, wipe it with a thin layer of oil. That’s it.

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Outdoor Cooking: Camp Chef Flat Top 600

The Camp Chef Flat Top 600 is a four-burner, 604 square inch griddle putting out 60,000 BTUs total. It gets screaming hot fast and recovers temperature quickly when you load it with cold food. I’ve cooked breakfast for eight people in under 20 minutes on this thing.

What separates it from cheaper griddles is the rear grease trap — it actually works, unlike front-drain designs that send hot grease toward your feet. The rolled steel surface seasons like cast iron and gets better with use. After two seasons, mine has a near-nonstick surface I’d put up against any coated pan. It folds flat and fits under most RV beds.

Coffee: AeroPress Go Travel Coffee Maker

Camp coffee is a hill I’ll die on. The AeroPress Go makes a cleaner cup than any percolator or cowboy coffee setup, brews in under two minutes, and the entire kit fits in a mug that doubles as the travel case. It weighs 11.5 oz. Nothing to break, nothing to clog, no electricity required.

I’ve used one every morning for four years across dozens of trips. Paper filters are available everywhere, or run the reusable metal filter and skip consumables entirely. If you’re spending $4 a day at campground coffee shops, this pays for itself in a week.

Sleeping and Comfort: Don’t Cheap Out Here

Bedding: Rumpl Original Puffy Blanket

RV mattresses are notoriously bad, and even if you’ve upgraded yours, temperature regulation is still a problem when you’re camping at elevation or in the desert where nights drop 40 degrees from the afternoon high. The Rumpl Original Puffy Blanket runs a 30D ripstop nylon shell with 133g/m² recycled PrimaLoft fill — water-resistant, packs to the size of a football, and washes in a standard machine without clumping.

I keep one on the bed and one in the outdoor seating area. The queen size weighs 2 lbs 4 oz and holds comfortable down to about 45°F as a top layer over a standard sheet. It’s not a sleeping bag replacement, but for shoulder-season temperature swings it’s the most versatile piece of bedding I’ve found.

Camp Chairs: Helinox Chair Two

Most camp chairs are either too heavy to bother with or so flimsy they fold under a real adult. The Helinox Chair Two weighs 2 lbs 12 oz, supports 320 lbs, and packs into a 6x6x21-inch stuff sack. The DAC aluminum pole structure is the same technology used in ultralight tent poles, and it’s genuinely comfortable for hours — not just tolerable.

Three years on mine and the only wear is cosmetic. The 600D polyester fabric has a UV inhibitor built in, and Helinox sells replacement parts for everything: poles, feet, fabric panels. At $200 it’s expensive for a camp chair. It’s also the last camp chair you’ll buy.

Storage and Organization: The Gear That Makes Gear Usable

Cooler: YETI Tundra 45

I’ve tested the YETI Tundra 45 against Pelican, Orca, and Engel hard coolers over multiple seasons. The YETI wins on ice retention, build quality, and the fact that it’s certified bearproof by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee — which matters in the Northern Rockies or anywhere with active bear populations.

Last August in Arizona, ambient temps around 95°F: the Tundra 45 held ice for 6 days running a 2:1 ice-to-contents ratio with twice-daily access. That’s real-world performance. The 45-quart size is the sweet spot for two people on a week-long trip — fits most RV exterior storage bays and doubles as a step stool rated to 300 lbs standing load.

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Cargo Carrier: MaxxHaul 70107 Hitch Mount Cargo Carrier

Travel trailers eat interior storage fast. The MaxxHaul 70107 is a 60×24-inch steel platform with a 500 lb weight capacity and a fold-up design that keeps it out of the way when you’re not loaded. It fits any 2-inch receiver hitch and runs about $80 — one of the few places on this list where the budget option is the right call.

I use mine for firewood, wet gear, and muddy boots — anything that doesn’t belong inside the trailer. Pair it with a RoofBag Explorer waterproof cargo bag and you’ve got a weatherproof external storage solution that adds real capacity without changing how your rig handles on the highway.

Extension Cord: Camco 25-Foot 30-Amp RV Extension Cord

Campground pedestals are almost never where you want them. The Camco 25-foot 30-amp cord is 10-gauge wire with locking connectors and a molded grip that stays dry in rain. Cheap extension cords at this amperage get warm under load — that’s a fire risk, not just an inconvenience.

Get the 25-foot version even if you think you’ll only need 10 feet. You’ll use every inch of it at least once per season, and the extra length costs almost nothing compared to being six feet short of the pedestal.

Lighting: Better Than Whatever Came With Your Rig

Outdoor String Lights: Brightech Ambience Pro LED

The overhead lighting in most RVs is functional and joyless. Brightech Ambience Pro string lights run on standard 120V, use 1W LED bulbs rated for 25,000 hours, and are weatherproof to IP44. A 48-foot strand covers a standard campsite perimeter and draws less than 50 watts total.

I’ve run the same set for two seasons through rain, wind, and one memorable hailstorm in Wyoming. Zero bulb failures. The connectors are solid and the wire is heavy enough that it doesn’t tangle into a nightmare every time you pack it. Cheapest upgrade you can make to your outdoor living space.

Headlamp: Black Diamond Spot 400

Every person in your group needs a headlamp — not one shared flashlight. The Black Diamond Spot 400 puts out 400 lumens on high, has a red night-vision mode that won’t wreck your eyes at 2 AM, and PowerTap lets you switch between full and dimmed brightness with a single tap on the housing. IPX8 waterproof, submersible to 1.1 meters, runs on three AAA batteries available at any gas station on earth.

Dry weight is 3.2 oz with batteries. I’ve used mine down to 15°F in the Wind Rivers and it’s never flickered. At around $40, it’s the best headlamp under $50 on the market right now, and it’s been in my kit for four years without a single issue.

Water and Sanitation: Non-Negotiable Quality

Water Filter: Camco TastePURE RV Water Filter

Campground water quality varies wildly. I’ve pulled water at sites in the Southwest that smelled like a swimming pool and tasted worse. The Camco TastePURE inline filter connects directly to your RV’s water inlet hose and uses KDF/carbon media that cuts chlorine, bad taste, odors, and sediment. Rated for 3 months or 10,000 gallons and costs about $20.

This isn’t a backcountry filter — it won’t touch giardia or bacteria. It’s a taste and odor filter for municipal and campground water sources, and for that specific job it works. Pair it with a dedicated white drinking water hose and replace it on schedule. Done.

Portable Toilet: Thetford Porta Potti 365

Dispersed camping or primitive sites without hookups: a portable toilet is the difference between a comfortable night and a miserable one. The Thetford Porta Potti 365 holds 4 gallons in the waste tank, has a built-in flush mechanism, and seals completely when closed — no odor leakage in storage. Rated for 50+ uses per tank, which covers a long weekend for two people.

The 365 fits in most RV wet baths if you need it inside, or it lives in the exterior storage bay until needed. Thetford’s Aqua Kem drop-in tablets handle odor and waste breakdown without issue. You’ll be grateful for this at midnight when the campground bathhouse is a quarter mile away in the rain.

Navigation and Safety: Gear That Earns Its Weight in Emergencies

GPS: Garmin RV 890

Phone GPS will get you into serious trouble towing a trailer. It doesn’t know your rig’s height, weight, or length, and it’ll route you under a 10-foot bridge or down a road that dead-ends at a boat launch without blinking. The Garmin RV 890 is a dedicated RV navigator with an 8-inch display, preloaded campground data for 45,000+ North American sites, and routing built around your specific vehicle profile — you enter your rig’s dimensions and it routes accordingly.

Live traffic and weather overlays work through a connected smartphone, and the display is readable in direct sunlight, which matters navigating mountain passes at noon. It’s a $400 device. I’ve had mine for two seasons and it’s earned its place on the dash permanently.

Roadside Safety: Orion 3-in-1 Emergency Kit

The Orion 3-in-1 Emergency Roadside Kit includes flares, LED road triangles, and a flashlight in a single compact case. OSHA-compliant. Real flares burn at 1,500°F and are visible for over a mile — LED triangles work fine for low-traffic situations, but nothing replaces a burning flare for high-speed highway visibility.

Keep this in the tow vehicle, not the trailer. If you’re broken down on a highway shoulder, you need it immediately — not after you’ve walked back to the rig and dug through storage. It’s a $30 kit. Buy it and forget about it until you need it.

What to Buy First

Building out your RV kit from scratch and need to prioritize, here’s the order:

• Surge protector first. The Progressive Industries EMS-PT30X protects everything else on this list. Buy it before you plug in anywhere.
• Portable power second. The Jackery Explorer 1000 Pro opens up dispersed camping and cuts generator dependence immediately.
• Cooler third. The YETI Tundra 45 is expensive but it’s a one-time purchase that affects every trip you take.
• Cookware fourth. The Lodge cast iron skillet is $30 and will outlast your rig. Start there.
• Everything else fills in based on where you camp and how you use your rig.

Everything on this list is gear I’d buy again — not gear I’d tolerate. Gear that solved a real problem on a real trip and kept solving it. That’s the only standard worth spending toward.

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