RV Accessories for Outside Your Camper
Everything that happens outside the trailer happens in a fixed order, and each step has one piece of gear. Buy them in that order and the first arrival stops being a scramble.
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The short answer
The first outside purchase is interlocking leveling blocks, because nothing else at the site can be done properly until the trailer is level. Then, in the order you will use them: wheel chocks, a complete sewer hose kit, a step rug, and tire covers for whenever the trailer is parked for more than a week.
Part of our first-season starter kit guide, and the outside half of a pair — RV accessories for inside covers the cupboards. This page is in use order rather than price order, because the thing that makes a first arrival stressful is not cost, it is discovering mid-setup that the next step needs something you do not own.
Our picks at a glance
Tap any row to jump to the full write-up.
| # | Product | Best for | Beginner fit | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Camco FasTen Leveling Blocks (10-pack)The default first purchase for a travel trailer: interlocking blocks you stack into a ramp, cheap enough to buy two sets. | Most first trailers | Strong | |
| 2 |  Camco Heavy-Duty Wheel Chocks (pair)The chock that stops the trailer rolling. Not the one that stops it rocking, which is a different product, and you need both. | The non-negotiable basics | Strong | |
| 3 |  Camco RhinoFLEX 20-Ft Sewer Hose KitThe complete first kit: 20 ft in two sections, both fittings, and a clear elbow so you can see when the tank is actually done. | The first sewer hose to own | Strong | |
| 4 |  Camco Wrap-Around RV Step RugThe cheapest way to stop tracking the campsite through the trailer. It clips over the entry step in seconds. | Keeping the site outside | Strong | |
| 5 |  Camco Wheel and Tire Protector Covers (pair)Basic vinyl covers that do the one job that matters: keeping sun off the sidewalls. Buy two pairs for a tandem axle. | The cheapest way to stop UV damage | Strong |
Prices come from Amazon and were last checked November 12, 2026. They change constantly, so a price older than 48 hours is withdrawn rather than shown stale — those rows read “Check price on Amazon” instead and go straight to the current listing. #ad — these are affiliate links.
Why the order matters more than the list
Arriving at a site is a sequence, and each step depends on the one before it. You cannot sensibly chock a trailer you are about to move onto blocks. You cannot level a trailer after you have already lowered the stabilizers. You should not be hunting for a sewer fitting with the tank already open. Every “RV essentials” list in existence is alphabetical or price-ordered, and neither of those is the order you will stand in the gravel needing things.
Step one: get level, side to side
Blocks go under the low-side tires before anything else is touched, because this is the only step that requires moving the trailer. Get it wrong and you undo everything downstream. Ten interlocking blocks covers one axle on most sites, and the interlock is the feature — loose blocks shuffle apart under a tire and a two-high stack of them is genuinely unsafe. The method itself is in how to level a travel trailer, and how many you need answers the quantity question properly.
Step two: stop it rolling
Chocks go in once the trailer is in its final position and before you unhitch. This is the cheapest genuinely essential item on the whole site and the one people most often borrow from a neighbor on night one. Note what a chock does and does not do: it stops the trailer rolling, and it does nothing about the trailer rocking when you walk across it. Those are two different products. We separate them in X-chocks versus wheel chocks, and how many wheel chocks you need settles the quantity.
Step three: hook up water and sewer
A complete sewer kit, not a bare hose. The difference is the fittings and the clear elbow, and the clear elbow is the only reliable way to know a tank has finished draining rather than probably finished. Buy the kit that arrives complete, because the alternative is standing at a dump station with a hose that does not connect to anything. The full walkthrough is in how to hook up an RV sewer hose, and RV sewer connections explained names every fitting in order.
Step four: keep the campsite outside
A step rug is the least impressive item on this page and the one that changes daily life most. A travel trailer entry step sits directly on gravel or grass, and without something at the threshold the site comes inside on everyone’s shoes for the whole stay. It clips on in seconds and it is the cheapest comfort upgrade in RVing.
The rug fixes the mud. It does not fix the other complaint about that entry step, which is that the drop from the bottom step to the ground is a stretch — especially once the trailer is up on leveling blocks. That is a platform step, a stair set with a handrail or a twenty-dollar brace depending on which version of the problem you have, and the RV steps roundup sorts out which.
Step five: cover the tires, if you are staying a while
This one is not for a weekend. Trailer tires fail from ultraviolet exposure far more often than they wear out from mileage, because a travel trailer spends most of the year parked with one side facing the sun. If the trailer sits for more than a week at a time, covers are the cheapest tire life you can buy. Which kind depends on your axle count — see tire covers versus wheel covers.
The picks, in use order
1. Best for Most first trailers
Camco FasTen Leveling Blocks (10-pack)
The default first purchase for a travel trailer: interlocking blocks you stack into a ramp, cheap enough to buy two sets.
- Specification
- Interlocking 10-pack
- Specification
- Stacks into a ramp
- Specification
- Carry bag sold separately
What it does well
- The blocks lock together, so a two-high stack does not shuffle apart when the tire rolls onto it
- Ten blocks covers one axle on most sites and two axles on gently sloped ones
- Cheap enough that losing one in the grass is annoying rather than expensive
The real tradeoff
- You still guess how many to stack, then pull forward and re-check
- On soft ground they sink, and nothing in the design prevents that
How it measures up
These are judgments from published specifications and what we see at the lodge, not laboratory results. How we choose.
- Beginner fit
- Strong — No instructions needed. Stack, drive up, stop.
- Stability once set
- Good — The interlock is what keeps a stack honest.
- Speed to level
- Adequate — Trial and error. You will pull forward twice.
- Value
- Strong — The least money you can spend and still do this properly.
Specifications from Camco.
2. Best for The non-negotiable basics
Camco Heavy-Duty Wheel Chocks (pair)
The chock that stops the trailer rolling. Not the one that stops it rocking, which is a different product, and you need both.
- Specification
- Wedge chock, sold in pairs
- Specification
- Molded grip handle
- Specification
- Works on any axle count
What it does well
- This is the part you are practically obliged to have, and it costs very little
- Works on any trailer, any axle count. There is no compatibility question
- Bright color means you notice them before you drive off
The real tradeoff
- Stops rolling, does nothing about rocking
- Plastic wedges skate on wet concrete if you do not seat them properly
How it measures up
These are judgments from published specifications and what we see at the lodge, not laboratory results. How we choose.
- Beginner fit
- Strong — Push it against the tire. That is the whole method.
- Stability once set
- Good — Against rolling, yes. Against rocking, no.
- Speed to level
- Strong — Instant.
- Value
- Strong — The cheapest genuinely essential thing on this site.
Specifications from Camco.
3. Best for The first sewer hose to own
Camco RhinoFLEX 20-Ft Sewer Hose Kit
The complete first kit: 20 ft in two sections, both fittings, and a clear elbow so you can see when the tank is actually done.
- Specification
- 20 ft supplied as two 10 ft sections
- Specification
- Swivel bayonet fitting at the rig end
- Specification
- Clear 45-degree adapter included in the kit
What it does well
- The kit arrives complete: hose, both fittings and the clear elbow, so nothing is missing at the first dump station
- Two 10 ft sections means you use 10 ft at most sites and 20 ft when you need it, instead of coiling slack
- The clear elbow lets you see when the tank has actually finished, which is the entire job
The real tradeoff
- Bulkier collapsed than a thin-wall hose, and a 4-inch bumper will not take 20 ft of it
- The bayonet fittings need a firm quarter-turn. A lazy connection is how people end up with a mess
How it measures up
These are judgments from published specifications and what we see at the lodge, not laboratory results. How we choose.
- Beginner fit
- Strong — Nothing to buy separately, nothing to work out.
- Durability
- Good — Thicker than the hose bundled with a used trailer.
- Storage
- Adequate — Twenty feet will not fit a 4-inch bumper. Plan for that.
- Value
- Strong — The category default, and deservedly.
Specifications from Camco.
4. Best for Keeping the site outside
Camco Wrap-Around RV Step Rug
The cheapest way to stop tracking the campsite through the trailer. It clips over the entry step in seconds.
- Specification
- Wraps the entry step
- Specification
- Spring-clip attachment
- Specification
- Outdoor carpet material
What it does well
- The single most effective thing for keeping gravel and grass out of the trailer
- Clips on in seconds and stays put through weather
The real tradeoff
- Holds water after rain
- Wears at the clips over several seasons
How it measures up
These are judgments from published specifications and what we see at the lodge, not laboratory results. How we choose.
- Beginner fit
- Strong — Clip it on.
- Component quality
- Good — Normal outdoor carpet.
- Completeness
- Strong — Nothing else needed.
- Value
- Strong — Small money, daily benefit.
Specifications from Camco.
5. Best for The cheapest way to stop UV damage
Camco Wheel and Tire Protector Covers (pair)
Basic vinyl covers that do the one job that matters: keeping sun off the sidewalls. Buy two pairs for a tandem axle.
- Specification
- Sold in pairs, in stepped diameter ranges such as 27-29 in and 30-32 in
- Specification
- Vinyl with seams sewn in heavy nylon thread
- Specification
- Buckle and strap fastening
What it does well
- The least money that genuinely solves the problem, which is sunlight hitting the sidewall
- Buckle and strap goes on in seconds and does not need the tire to be a perfect match for the cover
- Wipes clean, so it goes back in the compartment dry rather than damp
The real tradeoff
- Vinyl is water resistant rather than breathable, so a cover put on a wet tire stays wet underneath
- You have to know your tire diameter before ordering, and the stepped sizes are unforgiving
- A pair covers one side of a tandem axle, so most trailers need two packs
How it measures up
These are judgments from published specifications and what we see at the lodge, not laboratory results. How we choose.
- Beginner fit
- Strong — Strap it on. Check your tire diameter first.
- UV protection
- Strong — Opaque vinyl, which is the whole point.
- Fit and stay-put
- Good — The strap holds; wind can still flap a loose cover.
- Value
- Strong — The cheapest honest answer in the category.
Specifications from Camco.
What each one costs you in storage space
Outside gear has to live somewhere, and on a travel trailer that somewhere is usually one pass-through compartment and a bumper tube. Worth knowing before you order.
Where the outside gear actually lives
| Item | Where it stows | Storage note |
|---|---|---|
| Leveling blocks (10) | Pass-through, in a bag | Loose blocks migrate and disappear. A bag is the fix |
| Wheel chocks (pair) | Pass-through or a bumper tube | Small. Keep them where you can reach them without unpacking |
| 20 ft sewer kit | Bumper tube or a dedicated bin | Twenty feet will not fit a 4-inch bumper. Plan for that |
| Step rug | Anywhere flat | Holds water after rain, so do not pack it against fabric |
| Tire covers | Pass-through | A tandem axle needs two pairs, or one four-pack |
Deliberately not on this list
A few popular outside purchases are genuinely better left for later.
An outdoor rug and a patio mat. Pleasant, and they do nothing the step rug does not for the one job that matters. Buy one when you know whether you are a sit-outside camper.
A surge protector — but only on this list. It belongs on a first trip; it is just not an “accessory,” it is electrical protection, and it has its own decision. Start at do I need an RV surge protector and buy one before the first trip, not after.
Stabilizer jack pads. Needed the first time you park on wet grass and not before, which for most people is trip three. They are cheap and small, so there is no harm in buying early — see jack pads versus wood blocks.
If you only buy three things
Level, chock, drain. Those three cover the arrival sequence, and everything else can be bought after your first trip.
Best for Most first trailers
Camco FasTen Leveling Blocks (10-pack)
The default first purchase for a travel trailer: interlocking blocks you stack into a ramp, cheap enough to buy two sets.
Best for The non-negotiable basics
Camco Heavy-Duty Wheel Chocks (pair)
The chock that stops the trailer rolling. Not the one that stops it rocking, which is a different product, and you need both.
Best for The first sewer hose to own
Camco RhinoFLEX 20-Ft Sewer Hose Kit
The complete first kit: 20 ft in two sections, both fittings, and a clear elbow so you can see when the tank is actually done.
Questions people actually ask
What outside accessories does a new travel trailer need on the first trip?
Interlocking leveling blocks, a pair of wheel chocks, a complete sewer hose kit with a clear elbow, and a step rug. Add tire covers if the trailer will be parked for more than a week at a time.
What order should I use RV accessories at a campsite?
Level with blocks first, because it is the only step that needs the trailer moved. Then chock the wheels, then unhitch, then connect water and sewer, then the step rug. Doing it in any other order means undoing something.
Do I need tire covers for a travel trailer?
If it is parked for more than about a week at a time, yes. Trailer tires usually fail from sun exposure rather than mileage, because the trailer spends most of the year stationary with one side facing the sun.
Will a 20 ft sewer hose fit in my rear bumper?
Almost certainly not. A 4-inch bumper tube will not take 20 feet of modern heavy-wall hose. Either store it elsewhere or choose a hose specifically sold as bumper-storable.
Sources
Read next
First-Season Starter Kit
Best RV Steps for a Travel Trailer
Platform step stools, stair sets with handrails, step stabilizers and bolt-on replacements, ranked by which problem you actually have.
First-Season Starter Kit
RV Accessories for Inside a Camper
The inside gear that earns its cupboard space in a first season, and the popular categories that quietly do not.
First-Season Starter Kit
Travel Trailer Essentials Checklist
A first-trip checklist for a new travel trailer, grouped by utility with the commonly forgotten items called out.
First-Season Starter Kit
RV Tire Covers vs Wheel Covers
Strap-on, slip-on, drawcord and one-piece tandem covers compared by fit, axle count and what stays put in wind.
Reviewed October 11, 2026. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.