Must-Have RV Accessories for Families:
What We Actually Used on a One-Year Road Trip
After a full year traveling across the U.S. with our kids in a Winnebago travel trailer, we learned pretty quickly which RV accessories truly matter — and which ones just take up space.
This list includes the gear we actually used again and again: the hook-up essentials, water and sewer equipment, safety items, and small comforts that made daily RV life easier.
This is not a sponsored list. Some of the links below are Amazon affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend gear we personally used or would buy again.
A simple family meal outside our Winnebago travel trailer during our year on the road.
Essential RV Hook-Up Gear You Shouldn’t Travel Without
These are the basic RV hook-up accessories we used almost every time we arrived at a campsite. They are not exciting purchases, but they protect your trailer, make setup easier, and help avoid some very annoying problems on the road.
RV Surge Protector: A surge protector is one of the first RV accessories we’d recommend buying. It protects your trailer’s electrical system from power surges and poorly wired campground connections — problems that can lead to expensive repairs. We used the Progressive Industries SSP-30X RV Surge Protector and found it to be a good balance of reliability, simplicity, and price.
Water Pressure Regulator: Campground water pressure can vary a lot, and too much pressure can damage your RV’s plumbing system. A water pressure regulator helps keep the incoming water at a safe level, which makes it one of those small but important pieces of RV gear. We used an adjustable water pressure regulator with a gauge, which made it easy to see and control the pressure before connecting the water to the trailer.
Brass Elbow for Water Tank Connections: THe Camco 22504 Hose Elbow is a small and inexpensive piece of gear, but we were really glad we had it. This 90-degree brass elbow connector reduces the stress on your RV’s water inlet, especially when you connect and disconnect the hose often. Instead of pulling directly on the trailer’s water connection, the hose connects through the Camco 22504 Hose Elbow, which helps protect the RV’s main connection point over time.
RV Tank Rinser: The Valterra Flush King is not the most glamorous RV accessory, but it was definitely one of the most useful. It helps you flush and clean the sewer system more thoroughly, which makes dumping and maintenance easier and more sanitary. The clear fitting lets you see what is going on while rinsing — not pretty, but very practical.
Wheel Stabilizer: The X-Chock stabilizer helps reduce movement inside the trailer when you are parked. With kids moving around, climbing in and out, and running through the trailer, this made a noticeable difference for us. It was simple to use and gave the trailer a much more stable feeling at camp.
RV Water, Sewer & Everyday Comfort Gear
Once the basic hook-up gear is covered, these are the accessories that made daily RV life cleaner, easier, and more comfortable — especially when traveling with kids.
Sewer Hose Supports: Sewer hose supports may not seem essential at first, but they make dumping much easier and cleaner. They help keep the sewer hose at the right angle, so waste flows properly instead of sitting in low spots along the hose. For us, this was one of those simple accessories that made campsite setup feel more organized and less messy.
Levelers: Levelers are one of the first things we used almost every time we parked the trailer. A level RV is much more comfortable to sleep in, and it also helps systems like the refrigerator and plumbing work properly. They are simple, lightweight, and easy to store — but they make a big difference when you arrive at an uneven campsite.
Water Filter: A good water filter gave us much more peace of mind when connecting to different campground water systems across the U.S. Not every campsite has the same water quality, and having a reliable filter made the water feel safer and better for drinking, cooking, showering, and washing dishes. We used the Camco Evo Water Filter, and it became part of our regular campsite setup.
Drinking Water Hose: A dedicated drinking water hose is one of those basic RV items you really do need from the beginning. We wanted something lightweight, flexible, and easy to store, especially because we were setting up and packing down often. The Zero-G 4001-25 8 Inch by 25 Feet Lightweight Hose was one of our favorite practical purchases. It was much easier to handle than a traditional bulky hose, and it saved us a lot of frustration at campsites.
Sewer Hose : A good sewer hose makes one of the least pleasant parts of RV life much easier. We wanted something durable, flexible, and simple to connect and disconnect without making the whole process harder than it needed to be. The Camco RhinoFLEX 20 Sewer Hose worked well for us and felt like a reliable choice for regular RV travel
What We’d Buy Again First
If we had to start over and buy only the most important RV accessories first, we’d begin with a surge protector, a water pressure regulator, a good sewer hose, levelers, and a reliable water filter.
These were the items that made the biggest difference in daily RV life. They helped us avoid common campsite problems, made setup and dumping easier, and gave us more peace of mind while traveling with kids.
