Table of Contents
Must Have RV Parts and Accessories
RV Sewer Hose
Price: $40 to $175
You’ll need a sewer hose – or “stinky slinky” – to dump your grey and black tanks.
If you don’t have a sewer hose to control the flow, then the, ehem, “contents” in your black tank will spew all over, causing a big mess. Trust me here, you really want a sewer hose.
Choose a higher quality sewer hose to make sure you don’t have any leaks or “accidents.”
If you don’t already have one, an elbow attachment is also important. The elbow will either screw into or sit on top of the dump station, so you can dump your waste without using your hands.
Just a heads up – make sure to always close your black tank valve.
An open valve can cause the waste in your tank to dry out. Dry waste won’t flow and could block your tank. A blockage can damage your black tank and cost you money down the line.
We regularly see first time campers who forget to close their valve at our service facilities. Doing this one small thing will mean you won’t be one of them.
Toilet Chemical
Price: $11 to $50
You’ll want to use toilet chemicals to clean your RV’s black tank.
Toilet chemicals have enzymes that break down waste and tissue in your black tank, which makes it easier to empty the tank and prevents blockages.
If you don’t use these chemicals it cause a buildup of sludge in your black tank, which can damage your tank monitors, cause nasty odors, and restrict your tank from dumping properly.
Learn more about how to choose and use toilet chemicals.
Water Hose
Price: $25 to $60 (standard), $350 to $500 (upper-end, heated hose)
You will use a fresh water hose to fill up your fresh water tank or to plug straight into a city water port if you’re at a campsite with water plug-ins.
A fresh water hose could be something as simple as an extra garden hose or something more luxurious, like a powered and heated water hose.
Where you plan to stay can determine what kind of fresh water hose you will need. Powered and heated water hoses are helpful if you’re camping in cold climates because they are made to prevent freezing.
RV Toilet Paper
Price: $5 to $10 (4-roll pack)
RV toilet paper dissolves faster than regular toilet paper. A faster dissolve means it will flush easily without clogging your black tank.
The toilet paper needs to dissolve quickly and be fully biodegradable for it to be considered safe to flush in your RV.
Some RVers have had success using regular toilet paper, but, I always recommend RV toilet paper to prevent any sort of clogging issue.
Water Pressure Regulator Valve
Price: $15 to $130
If the water pressure coming into your RV is too strong, your water lines can blow and cause interior leaks and water damage.
A water pressure regulator valve controls the pressure too protect your RV.
A pressure valve is especially important if you camp in many locations, since the water pressure levels at each campground are different.
The basic regulator models are preset to keep your water at a certain pressure range. Higher-end models will allow you to dial in the pressure yourself and include a monitor to set your water pressure.
Wheel Chocks
Price: $3 (plastic wheel chocks) to $240 (x-chocks)
Campsites can be uneven and the last thing you want to worry about is your camper running away from you on its own!
Wheel chocks were designed to keep this from happening. Once they are in place they prevent your camper from rolling.
There are several types of wheel chocks to keep your camper stable. Some find that cheaper, plastic wheel chocks do the job just fine, while others opt for fancier x-chock wheel chocks that lock your double-axle and tires into place.
Along with preventing your camper from rolling, x-chocks also reduce swaying and rocking.
There is a drastic price difference between these chocks since they do perform different tasks.
If you choose regular wheel chocks, both Josh the RV Nerd and I recommend you spend a few more dollars to buy rubber wheel chocks since they are higher quality and won’t wear down as fast as some of the cheap, plastic ones will.
Watch this video for more ideas on which RV parts are worthwhile, and what parts aren’t:
Power Adapter Cord
Price: $25 to $75
An RV adapter cord converts the energy up or down depending on where you are plugging in your camper.
You will need to convert your camper plug to the outlet you are plugging into. Some campers require 30 amp service while others require 50.
Some campsites will only provide 30 amp service. You should always take this into consideration when you are choosing a campground, since a camper with 50 amp service that is plugged into a 30 amp energy source, can run all of your essential appliances, but won’t be able to do things like run multiple ACs at a time, washer and dryers, and residential dishwashers.
RV Surge Protector
Costs: $140 to $480
A power surge can completely fry your camper’s electronics and electrical lines. A surge protectors prevents this from happening.
A power surge without a protector may mean you have to replace all the lines or electronics that are damaged, and that would likely be all of them.
With a surge protector, you will not have to worry about this, as the surge will be stopped at the surge protector. Higher-end surge protectors can even be hardwired to the camper.
Although this part is not essential to go camping, we list this as an essential item because, in our experience, Rvers who experience power surges without a surge protector are very unhappy they did not have one to protect their camper.
The risk of a surge event and the damage it could cause far outweighs the cost.
Helpful RV Parts
Water Filter
Price: $50 (water filter) to $580 (water purifier)
Most RV campsites will have some sort of water filter, but not all do, so you may have to use well water.
We recommend using a water filter to keep you and your family healthy and drinking clean water, even though it’s not always necessary.
A water filter will get rid of sediment and larger debris and smooth the water. A water purification system will clean the water more completely. A purification system will clean out bacteria in the water, giving you clean, purified water.
If you are at a campground, you probably won’t need a full purification system because the water is likely filtered already. At a campground a water filter is all you need to improve the quality of the water, if this is the case.
If you are pulling your water from an untouched source (for example, from a well or river stream), the water will still carry all of the natural bacteria. A purifier to filter and clean your water is definitely a good choice for this situation.
Level
Costs: $5 to $35
A simple stick-on level can be surprisingly helpful.
This inexpensive tool can tell you when your camper is level. Being level will help with the sway when you are walking around inside your camper.
Some campers do already have levels on them, so be sure to check your RV before buying one.
Overall Cost of Must-Have RV Parts
At Bish’s RV, we make purchasing essential parts simple by providing a recommended parts guide for customers to choose from, with pricing attached.
All of the items on this list will cost about $350 for a Bish’s RV owner. For all of the essential parts (excluding the surge protector and level), it will cost about $175. These prices reflect the Diamond Club Membership discount customers receive when they purchase a camper from Bish’s RV. Keep in mind, the overall cost of parts will depend on the parts you buy.
We hope this guide eliminates any surprising extra costs for necessary parts during your RV buying journey. Buying a new RV is fun, but can also be frustrating if you don’t know what costs to anticipate, so we hope to have saved you some frustration.
Bish’s RV would love to help answer any further questions you have about buying an RV or the parts you need. Reach out to hear from one of our RV Outfitters by clicking the link below!
Subscribe to our email to get insider RV tips sent directly to your email!
