A lot of people buy pop up camper because they are less costly and at the same time give awesome RVing experience. They are the modest form of RV’s that need minimum investment. But, still you have to buy things that are needed for Rving. It gives you very little space inside and thus you need to be very thoughtful before putting in stuff inside. New pop up camper user often have this question “what should i buy for my pop up camper?”.
You in-fact need to get items that are compact and collapsible. There are lots of collapsible items for your kitchen, living area and also for storage. Surf the internet online stores and get the best items possible. There are lots of pop up camper necessities that will eventually make your life easier while camping.
So, just got a new or used pop up camper, now what next? In this article lets check out what all things you need for your pop up camper. These are the essentials that you need to shop for once you get the pop up camper. Or even if you have it for years, make sure you have these items before you RV next time.
1. Pop up lift system
Do yourself a favor and get this lift system for your pop up camper. Check one such on amazon at this link. Manual lifting can be tough and you don’t want to waste your energy just before starting the camping. Also while you pack up it can get very annoying unless you have this luxury of lift system for your camper. You should be able to get this at less cost on amazon. Do try it out as it will make your camping super easy and fun.
2. Generator
Second tip is to get a portable generator. Pop up camper wont have in-built generator for sure so how do you manage? Well, get a portable one ! A generator is a must when you boondock or dry camp. It can provide power to run your appliances which may not be really possible with DC battery.
Try to buy a low weight one like this honda portable genertaor on amazon. It weighs just 29 lbs and is also super quite.
An air conditioner or refrigerator cannot be easily run using DC battery. Also getting solar to run all these big appliances is a challenge ( its not that you can’t though). The best way to stay safe is to have a good sized generator.
Most new portable generators weigh very less and are economically. And thus getting one for your pop up tent trailer is a must have. Lot of manufacturer produce good quality portable generators. Honda, champion, Yamaha are among the best sellers and produce very little noise (as low as 50 db).
3. A small heater
A pop up camper can be tough to camp in during winter time. But, if you have decided to take that path then be sure to also have a good heater inside like this one on amazon. Cold nights can make things worse if you dint have good heat. You can buy a small heater at less cost on amazon. Pop up campers have very thin walls and that does not provide good insulation and thus having good heater is a must in your pop up camper checklist.
4. Leveling blocks
Not leveling the RV can cause lot of issue. It can cause your refrigerator to malfunction and reduce its lfe. A lot of people use leveling blocks for their Rv’s. Getting a very leveled park area is difficult and having these blocks inside the camper will always come handy. You can buy them online at very reasonable prices. Camco is a well known brand in leveling blocks. You can check these camco leveling blocks on amazon.
A not so leveled RV can also make cooking difficult. Even sleeping can be hard on such not leveled RV’s. And if you have kids on board then it will be double trouble for you. You don’t want to roll off from your bed, don’t you?
With not so leveled RV, the reading of the water tanks can also get affected. So overall RV need to be leveled and you can either do it by mechanical leveling or by using leveling blocks.
Pop up campers don’t come with mechanical automatic leveling and thus getting those blocks is the only option. You can buy such leveling blocks online, you get them as pack of 10 or more. And that should be fine for your smaller pop up tent trailer.
5. Fold-able table and chairs
This is my next favorite tip. Unlike bigger RV’s like travel trailer, fifth wheel, Class c motorhome or Class A motorhome, pop up campers are small. When you are tight on space inside your camper the best thing to do is to innovate and use space nicely. Getting collapsible products can help in saving the space. Get yourself such furniture that can fold and take less space when packed, like this foldable chair on amazon.
You can use such chairs and table while you are camping in a campground or boondocking. Pop up are tiny and do not include much space and thus buying such items will keep things organized and tidy. Having such items is a great way to optimize the available space in proper way.
6. Hitch dolly
Get a hitch dolly and your life will become easy while camping with a pop up tent trailer. It can be very helpful in moving the camper. Make sure you get one that is capable enough for your camper. A lot of people struggle with moving heavy things and this can be a perfect one to make it easy for you.
7. Dehumidifier
Camping on budget means you want to restrict on spending as far as possible. But, at times having certain accessories will save money on repairs and fixing. Condensation can result in molds and mildew inside the camper. And removing molds and mildews can be time consuming and very irritating.
There are few ways by which you can avoid it and using a dehumidifier like this one on amazon is a better way to prevent it. Outside temperature and inside temperature difference result in condensation and dehumidifier removes all the moist air which can make sure there is no condensation.
Most of the times keeping the camper closed causes stale air to remain inside and stops air circulation. To avoid this, either get the camper opened up or at-least make sure dehumidifier is running that will keep it in good condition.
8. Brake controller
Electric brakes on trailer or camper need brake controllers. This need to be installed on tow vehicle. Its actually easy to install and operate them. There are lots of brake controllers available online. Check with your RV professional for installation if you are not sure about it. If you have bought a used pop up camper then do ask the owner on existing brakes.
9. Storage containers
Because pop up camper is so small storage is very minimal and there fore you need to look for storage ideas. So how do you increase the space inside pop up tent trailer? Using collapsible storage containers can help improve the utilization and you don’t have to compromise on what you can bring along or not. You can buy such innovative products online at not so high costs. Check this awesome storage container on amazon.
10. Surge protector
This can help prevent your appliances from electrical surges. Get one installed on your camper and prevent such things from happening. Your costly electronic and electric appliances may get damaged due to faulty fluctuation at parks. And that’s the reason you need to have a good surge protector installed. Check this progressive industries surge protector on amazon, it is highly recommended one.
11. Tire pressure monitoring system
My next favorite accessory for pop up tent trailer is tire monitoring system. Get yourself a small portable pressure monitoring system so that you don’t get your pop up camper tires burst while driving. RV tires need to be inflated properly else they can burst while traveling. Also, maintaining proper pressure keeps them in good conditions. I recommend this tire pressure monitoring system available on amazon, do check it current price.
12. Wheel stabilizers
This help in stabilizing the camper when you are parked at a campground or you are boondocking. A lot of times the parking slot isn’t leveled and having such stabilizers can help in keeping the camper stable. Its a good investment and worth it for sure.
13. Air conditioner
Many people who haven’t had the Rving experience has this question, do pop up campers have air conditioners?. Pop up’s are small and generally do not include AC. Not haveing AC inside them is also a prime reason to why one should not buy a pop up camper. Check this air conditioner on amazon, its one of the top roof top AC’s.
Getting one installed on them can make your life easy. Pop up’s during summer times can get heated very quickly and not having AC will make it worse for you. If a roof top AC cannot be installed then at-least get a portable one that can be placed anywhere inside the camper.
14. DC battery
This is an obvious one. DC battery can help a lot while you are boondocking. While having a generator is also necessary a DC battery can power smaller things. These batteries can be heavy and therefore choose a right one that isn’t high weighing. You can check this highly rated DC battery on amazon.
First time pop up campers often pack unnecessary things that can put extra weight, thus make sure you include things that do not exceed the weight.
15. First Aid box
Having this in you RV is another pop up camper necessity and you should get one as soon as you buy your pop up camper. Get it here on amazon (affiliate link)
Include all important medicines and other basic first aid items that are needed. You can buy one online and keep it inside your camper all the time.
16. Small fan for refrigerator
Using such a fan inside your refrigerator will keep it cool when its not connected to hookup. A lot of times people are not able to keep the refrigerator on while driving and that time this will help a lot. Also, when the RV is in storage for short period this can help keep the food from getting stale. It keeps the air moving and cool. Check price of this camco refrigerator fan on amazon.
17. Camper cover
Another item in your must haves for tent trailer should be camper cover. Keeping the camper covered can help in keeping it safe. Check price of this camco cover on amazon, its one of the best one out there.
A lot of people store the campers outside and that time covers are every much necessary. They keep the roof protected and also prevent the RV from getting dirty. You can buy such covers at reasonable rates. Putting the covers on tent trailer is also not much difficult.
18. Outdoor grill
Having a outdoor grill gives you two advantages. One you can cook awesome grilled food and second you get to keep the inside stove clean. Grilling also makes smoke and you don’t want to fill your interior with that. I recommend this weber 50060001 Q1000 Liquid Propane Grill (amazon link), its super cool and durable RV grill.
Cooking inside during summer will also heat the camper. Cooking a grilled lunch outside will also make the camping cool. Setting up your grill outside and enjoying grilled food only makes it more like traditional camping.
19. Fire pit
Pop up camper is all about going back to traditional camping. You don’t get many amenities. A fire pit is one such thing that you can get and make the overall camping experience awesome. You can also use such fire pit to grill food items. Check price of this UCO fire pit on amazon.
20. Coffee maker
If you are like me then you surely like to have a cup of coffee while camping. Get yourself a coffee maker and enjoy it while you are camping. Many of us just love Starbucks and you don’t find them while you are boondocking and that’s the time to just make it yourself. Get it here it on amazon.
21. Tire covers
Tire covers is also one of the important pop up camper accessories that will help protect the tires. Tires in case of pop up campers need to be protected when in storage. Putting the tire covers keep them in good conditions. On an average tires have 3-5 years of life time and not protecting them can lower that life. Get this tire covers from camco on amazon.
22. Kitchen essentials
Now this one is a broad list. Everyone has their own preferences. Make full list of all the items you need. Some of the things that you should buy include mixing bowls, cutting boards, slow cooker, plates, bowls, glasses, cooking utensils, pots, cans, other kitchen gadgets as per your requirements.
23. Canvas repair kit
Canvas on the pop up camper need regular maintenance and thus get yourself a proper kit for repairing it. You can buy such kit online at very less price.
24. General tool kit
When you are camping in your RV it’s like your home ad thus you should have all the tools needed for any kind of repair or urgency. Buy a general tool kit that will include things like scissors, hammer, tape, small drill, volt meter, electrical wires, torch, collapsible ladder. And all other things that you feel are necessary.
25. flip flops
These will come handy when you have to wake up at night and go inside a bathroom. Small thing but a very helpful one.
