Luxury RV Accessories & Gadgets To Level-Up Your RV Travels
Looking for the latest and greatest luxury RV accessories to take your RV getaways to the next level? As full-time RVers, we have a lot of experience with what luxury accessories are worth it and what you will actually use vs. what will be a waste of money or precious space. In this article, we break down the luxury RV accessories that we feel have been game changers in our RV adventures throughout the U.S. and Canada to help you find those special items that while not necessarily be essential, might just be worth investing in!
Luxury RV Gadgets To Level-Up Your Camping Experience
Outside of the basic RV essentials every RVer needs to have, this is a list of the additional luxuries that have made the cut for us as full-time RVers. These unique gadgets and cool accessories have helped our time on the road to be more comfortable and more fun. They’ve made our RV feel more like home! We are always looking to find a balance between making our RV lifestyle sustainable long-term and optimizing our time to spend more hours out exploring. The items on this list have helped us to accomplish just that!
Blackstone Griddle
Our Blackstone Griddle quickly became one of our favorite outdoor items for our RV! We purchased the 17-inch griddle, which has allowed us to cook large meals while entertaining. It encourages us to cook and eat outside, limits smells and mess inside the RV, makes for easy clean up (which is also great when boondocking and trying to be conservative with water), and is stowed easily in our fifth wheel’s basement.
Portable 17" inch flat top griddle perfect for RV camping and making meals for up to 4 people. Features one cooking zone with one temperature control
Blackstone also offers a 22-inch griddle that offers a larger cooking surface and two cooking zones with separate temperature controls. This is a popular option among people who RV with larger families, but does take up a bit more space!
Portable 22" inch flat top griddle perfect for RV camping and making meals for 4+ people. Features two cooking zones with independent temperature controls
Auxillary Fuel Tank & Tool Box
We drive a Ram 3500 long bed dually, towing our 20,000-pound DRV Mobile Suites Fifth Wheel. While towing we get about 10 miles to the gallon, which is typically good for about 300 miles of towing. As we found out when exploring the western United States, you can encounter long stretches through remote areas where fuel is hard to come by. Our fuel mileage goes down dramatically when towing through mountains or at elevation and our auxiliary fuel tank doubles our range, giving us the piece of mind that we will not run out of fuel.
In addition, it allows us to stock up on Diesel when we find a place that has it at a low price. The combo of the toolbox also allows us to make good use of that additional storage space for all of the tools and truck and RV accessories we need while traveling North America full time with our home in tow!
A great option for optimizing space in your truck bed for tool organization and carrying additional fuel for long travel days. This is especially helpful in remote or mountainous areas!
Clam Screen Tent
The Clam Quick-Set portable screen tent is easy enough for one person to pop up or take down in just around a minute and is the perfect way to extend your living space into the outdoors! Not only does it provide shade, but also a waterproof and bug-proof place to spend time outside of your RV.
Our Clam has been the perfect place to eat during rain storms or on buggy summer nights, read a book in the shade when the wind is too strong to have our awnings out, or enjoy a night around the propane fire pit away from the elements.
A portable screen room that goes up and comes down in a matter of minutes. Durable, packable, and comes with panels that are great for added privacy and protection from the sun and wind
High-Quality Camping Chairs: Like Zero Gravity or GCI Rockers
Part of the joy and one of the major benefits of camping or RVing, is being able to spend more time immersed in nature.
Your RV is your vehicle to get there, but the landscape outside of it is really where you want to be! Having high-quality chairs or seating helps to take that outside time to the next level. We love having portable options that allow us to bring our chairs over to have a meal or fire with new friends, as well as a larger option like the zero-gravity chair for laying back and enjoying a star-filled sky or meditation time in a gentle summer’s breeze.
We resisted upgrading our chairs for the longest time, but when we finally did we couldn’t believe we waited so long, Just keep in mind how much storage space you have! The chairs we chose are certainly not as small and compact as our $10 fold-up ones.
Drone
Our DJI Mavic Air 2 drone is one of our favorite luxury RV gadgets! This is a unique RV accessory because at first glance you might be wondering what it has to do with the RV at all. While it does serve the purpose of capturing the beautiful landscapes we have the opportunity to experience, it also has been a helpful tool for our RV as well!
Our drone has been extremely useful for scouting boondocking spots to keep us from getting stuck and taking a quick peak at our RV’s roof in between times we climb up for closer inspection or to sweep the slides off.
Capture impressive 48MP photos with a 1/2-inch CMOS sensor while the 3-axis gimbal provides 4K/60fps video. Set includes everything you need: Mavic Air 2 Aircraft, Remote Controller, 3x Intelligent Flight Battery, 6x Low-Noise Propellers (Pair), RC Cables (USB Type-C, Lightning, Standard Micro-USB), Control Stick, Gimbal Protector, Battery Charger, Battery Charging Hub, Battery to Power Bank Adapter, Shoulder Bag, ND Filters Set (ND16/64/256), Manuals, AC Power Cable, Type-C Cable.
Propane Fire Pit
When you live full-time in your RV or even just when camping, you don’t always want to smell like a fire or have the worry or maintenance of a real wood fire. A propane fire pit gives you to option to quickly start and end a fire whenever you’d like, easily adjusting for fire size and warmth.
Mobile Internet Set Up
As working RVers and digital nomads, it is imperative that we have an internet connection to work during our travels. We currently use 3 different services to ensure we are connected in all types of scenarios!
Starlink: Perfect for remote destinations without cell service and high-speed internet in areas with open skies
Pepwave Router + Booster: Great for utilizing cell provider data plans and boosting for stronger service. Can be used anywhere cell service is available, even in the trees!
T-Mobile Home Internet: Our newest addition! $50 dollars/month for unlimited internet in places with T-mobile service. Also works well in heavily forested areas!
Portable Inverter Generator
A must for boondocking or dry camping as a backup for those bad weather stretches or any other unforeseen circumstances that might keep us from being able to keep our batteries charged up with our solar panels alone. We have loved our Generac Portable Inverter Generator and it has performed well for over a year with minimal maintenance. It is lightweight and quiet, which are both important factors when it comes to choosing a portable generator as you will have to take it out and put it away. You’ll also want to enjoy your space with it running!
At just under 60 pounds, this is a powerful portable generator that is lighter and quieter than many other options on the market. We have used this consistently in our RV travels off-grid for powering appliances including our air fryer, convection oven, and A/C
READ MORE ON OFF-GRID POWER: What Does An Inverter Do In An RV? & Can You Run Your RV A/C on Solar?
Solar Setup for any off-grid adventures
We added a solar system to our RV so we can boondock off-grid in comfort. Having the ability to produce energy without any emissions or noise has been priceless. In addition, we can go adventuring for the day with the peace of mind that our batteries are charging back up to 100%. Learn more about off-grid power systems in our article on RV inverters and RV power.
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Portable Waste Tank
It might not sound like a luxury…but having a portable waste tank or “blue boy” allows us to utilize more of our RV’s “amenities” (like our laundry and dishwasher) when boondocking, dry camping, or staying in sites with partial hook-ups and extend our stays by being able to empty our gray and black tanks without having to move our fifth wheel.
They come in different sizes, but we have found 32 gallons to be a good fit for our tanks (50 gallon black, 75 gallon gray) and space available for storing it. If you have an RV with smaller tanks, you may be able to opt for a smaller version!
32-gallon portable waste tank for emptying RV holding tanks without having to move your RV. Great for boondocking or use at partial hook-up campsites.
Water Bladder & Pump
A couple more unique RV accessories that are helpful for extending your stays when you are boondocking or do not have water hookups. Our 60-gallon water bladder in combination with our remco water pump and portable waste tank has also allowed us to use more water (for slightly longer showers and more use of our dishwasher or laundry when needed) to continue striking the balance of minimizing our ecological footprint and living and traveling in a way that is comfortable and feels sustainable long term.
This portable water bladder is made of durable material that folds up into a small square when not in use, but is capable of holding 60 gallons of water to re-fill your RV's fresh water tank.
A water pump that can be used to force water from a water bladder into your RV fresh tank more efficiently than gravity fill methods. Also serves as a great backup for our RV water pump should it encounter issues while we are traveling (this will vary based on your specific RV brand)!
Not every RV has a shower and there are some differences compared to showers in a sticks and bricks home, but our RV shower is one of our favorite amenities while traveling full-time. Check out our article on showers for more information about RV bathrooms and camper showers.
Water Softener System
A water softener is a unique RV accessory that can level up your RVing experience. Hard water can damage your water lines or appliances like your faucets and shower heads. You’ll also notice much soapier showers with soft water, an added bonus!
A water softener is a filtration system that works to remove high concentrations of calcium and magnesium that cause hard water through an ion exchange, where calcium and magnesium ions from hard water are replaced with sodium.
When traveling throughout the U.S. and through various campgrounds, you are bound to experience various levels of hard water and a water softener can be used when bringing water into your fresh tank or when staying at a site with water hookups.
Helps combat hard water that can damage RV plumbing, cause build-up that impacts water pressure, and can leave behind rust and stains. Work with regular table salt!
Keyless Entry
Our RV came with a keyless RV entry and it is a feature we would not want to be without. This is a common RV upgrade in the RVing community as a keyless entry provides additional ease of entry, while also serving as additional protection. Did you know many RVs can be accessed with the same keys and are not unique between units!?
Utilizes key, keypad code, and key fob entry, upgrading your RV's security while providing the convenience of safe and easy keyless entry options.
Simpli Safe Security System
As nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts, we love traveling to new National Parks and camping/boondocking in remote areas. To keep ourselves safe and keep an eye on our adventure pup Azalea when we are out hiking in National Parks where she is not allowed, we invested in a SimpliSafe Security system. This alarms our doors and compartments and provides us with a live video connection to our RV to make sure everything is safe. It also provides us with the ability to get alerts or send them to our emergency contacts (as opposed to the police like you might have in a stationary house).
A well-rounded security system for your RV doors and storage bays that allow for greater peace of mind when traveling or away from your RV
Temp Stick
In addition to our SimpliSafe security system, our Temp Stick gives us further peace of mind when we leave Azalea in the RV. As with anything, RVs can break and that can mean your furnace or A/C might quit when you are out and your pet is home alone. Our Temp Stick allows us to check in on the temperature and environment of the RV to make sure it is safe and comfortable for Azalea at all times!
Remote WiFi temperature and humidity monitor with no monthly fees and a 3-year warranty
Air Purifier
To put it simply, traveling in an RV can be a dirty endeavor. If you are boondocking or spending time in the Southwest or along the coast you can expect plenty of dust, sand, and pollen. It’s a small space with a high amount of traffic coming in and out, and if you are like us, you might have the addition of a furry friend adding to the dirt and dust.
Our air purifier helps to keep our air clean and filtered and has caught so much dirt and grime since purchasing it. It is also helpful for cutting down allergens and overall just gives us a nice peace of mind.
Powerful air purifier in a small package that has both whisper-quiet and night modes to limit disruptions
Digital Camera
The beauty of traveling by RV and camping is that you bring yourself right into some of the most beautiful natural areas our world has to offer. One of the best ways to experience the powerful benefits of these new experiences or spending time in nature is to savor those positive memories for the long term.
Capturing the places and experiences along your travels with a high-quality digital camera is a great way to do this. Upgrading our camera in year 2 of our full-time travel adventure was one of the best upgrades we made! We love looking back at our photos and being able to transport right back to some of our most cherished memories.
This was the best we found in terms of a balance between image quality and size and weight for taking it along on hikes and excursions. The X-T5 features the class-leading, 40.2-megapixel X-Trans 5 HR CMOS sensor in a compact, lightweight body that maximizes functionality and portability. X-T5’s improved image processing algorithm delivers outstanding results, packed with detail right across the native ISO range, which now extends to ISO 125.
TIPS & GUIDES FOR ALL THINGS RVING
- Basic RV Camping Essentials
- RV Tips 101: Education Guide For Beginner RVers
- Complete Guide to RV Boondocking & 51 Best Boondocking Tips
- Best RV Apps: Proven Reliable Resources & Best Apps For Boondocking
Finding Campgrounds & Free Camping
Our favorite resources for finding great campgrounds and campsites include :
- Harvest Host: For finding unique and convenient overnight stays at breweries, vineyards, farms, and more! Perfect for a fun weekend getaway or stopover during a long travel stretch.
- Campspot: For finding and booking great campgrounds and RV parks conveniently and easily all in one place!
- RV Life: RV safe GPS, RV Trip Wizard route planning, maintenance tracker, campground reviews and more. Everything any RVer needs, all in one place!
- Campendium & iOverlander: For finding free camping spots
You can also check out HipCamp and TheDyrt for more unique camping experiences and accommodations.
If you are looking to get closer to nature but don’t have an RV, consider renting one through Outdoorsy or RV Share. We used both of these services when renting out our Casita and found them to be high quality and easy to use!
