There are several things that you may want for your camper but that don’t fit nicely into any our previous “Stocking your Camper” posts. So we are putting them here! Most of these items aren’t necessary per se, but they are all very nice to have.
First, you buy the camper. Then, you stock the camper. Although this is the fun part, it can seem overwhelming at first. But fear not! We got you. This post is the fifth in a series about stocking your camper. With these posts, you can easily make your camper comfortable and functional. Check out our previous posts about stocking the kitchen, the bedroom, the bathroom, and the fun, unnecessary stuff here.
Propane Y-Splitter and Propane Hose. When we bought our camper, we had the dealership add a second 20 pound propane tank. Highly recommended, if you’re thinking about it; we also added a second battery. Yet, for the first year we camped, and even though we always hauled tons of propane, we were using those small 1-pound propane tanks to run our grill. Then it donned on us, why don’t we use the propane we already have?! The problem was that we had no way to get the propane from the 20 pound tank to the grill. The solution? A Y-Splitter and a hose. One end of the Y-Splitter goes on the propane tank that is fueling the camper, one end attaches to the camper, and we attach the hose to the third end. We then attach that hose to our grill (or other propane accessories) and BOOM! Seemingly endless propane for all of your camp grilling needs…
Speaking of grilling, we carry a small(ish) Weber grill in our camper. Some of the fancier camper models have grills pre-attached, but we weren’t quite so lucky. I keep the grill under our dinette while we’re driving (along with many of our other toys), which works very well! Note: If you are camping with only two people, you can get a smaller grill. We use this grill because Ryan used it in his old apartment.
7 Gallon Water Jugs. Our trailer has a 30 gallon fresh water tank. That is enough for two to three day trips, but we usually need more for longer trips. Especially if we want to shower… These jugs (we carry two) provide a ton of extra water. We use a fancy pump system to get the water from the jug to the camper. I’ll have Ryan write a post about that soon…. because I have no idea how it works! Of course, extra water is not necessary if you plan to camp with full hookups.
3 Gallon Drinking Water Jug. If you prefer to drink water from your fresh water tank, this is probably completely unnecessary for you. Rest assured, fresh water tanks provide clean, safe water. But I like this water jug so I don’t feel like I need to limit my water intake. (see water shortage issues above…) I fill this water jug regardless of the length of our planned trip and we use it as our exclusive source of drinking water.
Headlamps. Even though you likely have lights on the outside of your camper, you might want headlamps if you plan to spend your evenings by the fire. Depending on the campsite, you may have a bit of a trek from your rig to the fire ring and you miiiiight want to be able to see where you are stepping! These also come in super handy when you’re trying to fish things out of your pass-throughs!
Lantern. A lantern is a helpful gadget if you want to eat dinner after dark outside of your camper. Honestly, it is helpful if you plan to do anything outside of your camper after dark. You can place it on a table for perfect dinner ambiance or take it with you for a late night stroll.
Heat Resistant Gloves. These gloves are a must-have no matter where or when you plan to camp. We use them as pot holders when we’re cooking and we use them to move logs in the fire – they are so handy!
Rope. You’ll use rope while you’re camping more than you think. The main use for our rope is to tie down our awning during windy days. The camper will feel a lot more stable if the awning isn’t acting as a sail!
Rubber Mallet. We use our rubber mallet to stake down our awning (with the rope, above) and to stake down our outdoor rug. This is another item that you will use more than you might think.
Wool Blankets. As I mentioned in our post about bedding, I keep two wool blankets for use outside the camper. These are super warm and it doesn’t matter if they get dirty or smell like campfire – because they are outside blankets! I keep ours in the front pass-through for easy access.
Full Size Broom. For the first few years we camped, I used one of those small hand-held brooms to sweep the floor in the camper. Sweeping required getting on my hands and knees, which was such a grind… It also meant that I didn’t do it often… Then one day I realized that someone smart had invented a broom that allowed you to stand and sweep! Honestly, getting a full size broom was a game changer. It is (obviously) much bigger, but we have a small cut-out space near our dinette where it fits perfectly. Now, I will sweep periodically throughout a trip because it is so easy. Even though this takes up space – I would highly recommend it!
Swiffer. Around the same time I got the broom, I also got a Swiffer. If you want to learn how gross the floor in your camper is… get a Swiffer! I clean the inside of the camper at the end of every trip and the last thing I do is run a Swiffer over the floor – it makes a huge difference! I store the Swiffer with the broom.
First Aid Kit. Hopefully, you’ll never need this! But it is a must-have, because you never know when you might need it. Campgrounds can be many miles (or hours) to the nearest medical care, so you should always be prepared to handle minor injuries.
