SUV pulling Mantis travel trailer down dirt road

Top 10 Upgrades for Your Camper

We love our campers, but there are things about our campers that simply don't work well for us or our family. Maybe you wish the lights were brighter, the kitchen or bathroom had better organization, or maybe you wish it were easier to get in and out of the camper.

Upgrades are a great way to make your camper work better for you. If we don't have to spend time rearranging or searching for our things, we can spend more time enjoying our vacation.

Top 10 Upgrades

TorkLift GlowStep Revolution

Lippert SolidStep

1. Camper Steps

Most OE camper steps aren't ideal for use by the whole family. They tend to leave too much or too little space from the last step to the ground and are usually a little bouncy because they aren't fully supported. This can make camper steps a challenge for small children, grandparents, and anyone with an injury that makes even standard steps difficult. Many people carry an extra step stool with them to help when there is too much space, but this can also be unstable when coming in and out of the trailer. Upgrading the steps to a style that is supported at both the top and bottom of the step is a great solution. The TorkLift GlowStep Revolution and the Lippert SolidStep are both great options to upgrade the camper's OEM steps to a more stable model.

The TorkLift GlowStep Revolution features a scissor step design with landing gear on the last step to make the stairs stable. The aluminum and stainless steel construction of the steps make them easy to extend and place on the ground. Glow tape on each step helps with visibility when getting in or out of the camper at night. When upgrading the existing camper steps, the GlowStep Revolution mounts in place of the existing steps and doesn't require any assembly because the landing gear comes already installed. TorkLift offers GlowStep Revolution steps in 2 to 6 step options, with weight capacities ranging from 300 to 350 pounds, so there is sure to be an option that fits the camper well.

The Lippert SoildStep is a fold-down style camper step. These steps don't need to be pulled and manuvered out of a small storage space under the door, but instead are stored inside the camper door frame so they can be easily folded down and set on the ground. For extra stability, the SolidStep offers extra deep steps. The top step measures 13 inches deep for easy landing and entry and every other step measures 8-1/2 inches deep to provide sure footing while climbing into the camper. Like the GlowStep Revolution, the SolidStep comes pre-assembled to help make installation easy. To fit a wide variety of trailers, the SolidStep is available in 3 and 4 step options and models to fit a variety of door widths. All models of the SolidStep carry a 400 pound weight rating.

MaxxAir MaxxFan Roof Vent

Fan-Tastic Vent Roof Vent

2. Upgrade Vent Fan

If you're looking for a way to cool your camper without using the air conditioner, upgrading the vent fan is a great option. Because roof vent fans help circulate the air inside your camper rather than work to cool it, they will help keep you comfortable while you sleep without requiring the same amount of power draw as an air conditioner.

Standard vent fans move 100 cubic feet of air per minute. In small spaces, such as a bathroom, a fan that moves 100 CFM works efficiently; but in larger spaces of the camper, a fan that can larger amounts of air in the same amount of time is more effective. By upgrading your vent fan, this air movement can be increased to up to 920 cubic feet per minute. Upgraded fans are designed to move much more air while also staying quiet.

Fan

Speeds

Cubic Feet Per Minute

Ventline Ventadome

100 CFM

MaxxAir MaxxFan

900 CFM

MaxxAir MaxxFan Plus

900 CFM

MaxxAir MaxxFan Deluxe

900 CFM

Fan-Tastic Vent

920 CFM

Fan-Tastic Vent

920 CFM

3. Kitchen Organization

The kitchen needs to be as functional as possible to help meal times be low-stress situations. With minimal counter and cabinet space, it is important to be organized and make sure everything has a place.

There are a number of gadgets that help keep items such as paper towels and paper plates off of your kitchen counters. Mounting these types of holders below your upper cabinets or inside cabinet doors frees up the counter space or cabinet space that can be better utilized by other items.

To help keep things in place in your cabinets and refrigerator, spring-loaded bars are a great solution. They are simple to install and remove, making it easy if you only want to keep them on while traveling.

Cupboard Bars and Refrigerator Bars

Paper Towel Holder

4. Bathroom Organization

Some bathrooms are so small in size there is barely room to turn around inside. Other bathrooms have little to no storage space. Many campers don't come with any particular place to hang hand towels or put toilet paper. These are some of the basics that we don't always realize are missing until we take the camper on our first trip.

If your shower uses a shower curtain, another great upgrade is to swap out a straight curtain rod for an Extend-A-Shower curtain rod. This curtain rod is adjustable so that when more space is needed in the shower, the rod curves out. But when more space is needed in the bathroom, the rod adjusts to curve in.

Radial Ply Trailer Tire

5. Tire Upgrade

Depending on the quality and condition of the factory or existing camper tires, replacing the camper's tires can be one of the biggest safety upgrades to make. Trailer tires should be replaced every 5 years if other factors, such as tread depth or dry rot, haven't required the tires be replaced sooner.

Tire construction is another thing to consider. Radial tires are designed for highway use and will run cooler than bias ply tires for highway use. The design of the radial tire allows for a higher weight capacity when compared to bias tires. With their weight capacities and cooler running temperature, radial tries are the most popular style of tire used on camper trailers. Bias ply tires are best for use in utility applications when travel is slower and over a shorter distance, such as with utility tires transporting cargo across town.

Flush Valve

Sewer Hose

Sewer Hose Carrier

6. Sewer Accessories

While no one wants to think about the sewer system, certainly no one wants to smell the sewer system. There are a number of upgrades available for sewer system components that can help keep your camper and hoses looking and smelling great.

Swapping out the standard waste valve for a flush valve is a great option to keep the waste tank on the camper clean. These adapters and flush valves, like the Flush King Reverse Flush Valve, hook into the waste system between the gray- or black-water tank and the sewer hose. Fitted with an inlet for a flush hose, the flush valve allows the tank to be rinsed without worry of backflow into the water hose and the rinse water can be drained through the sewer hose.

Upgrading from the standard sewer hose that came with the camper is another great way to make your camping life easier. The standard hoses tend to be thin and can crack if they are stepped on. They tend to have a mind of their own when you're trying to pack up and store the sewer hose without making a mess. By upgrading the camper's sewer hose, you can choose a hose that is stronger to resist being stepped on, brighter in color to make it more visible among the dirt and the grass, and even some hoses are collapsible, like the Dominator RV Sewer Hose, so that they stay however you manipulate them.

To keep your waste setup parts separate from any of the rest of your cargo, adding a sewer hose carrier is a great option. These carriers come in a variety of lengths to best suit whatever length of hose you need, and they can be positioned wherever works best for you on the underside of your trailer frame. A popular option is the Valterra RV Sewer Hose Carrier that adjusts from 50 inches to 94 inches. These carriers are a great option to allow you to keep a dump hose in close proximity to your waste tanks, making dump stops easier, instead of fishing the long hose back out of bumper or dig it out of a storage compartment.

7. LED Lights

If your camper primarily uses incandescent lights, switching the incandescent bulbs to LED bulbs is a great upgrade. LED bulbs require significantly less power than incandescent, which is ideal for when you're running off battery, generator, or solar power. The easiest solution is to simply swap out the bulbs, but if that isn't an option we have a wide variety of interior and exterior light assemblies for your camper.

Another great way to upgrade your camper with LED lights is by installing some in the pantry, cabinet, closet or storage compartment. These spaces are often deep, making it dark and harder to see inside. A small light or light strip will provide ample light to help you see everything you need.

LED RV Porch Light

LED Interior Light

LED Trailer Lights

8. Leveling Aid

Tired of walking around your camper with a level to make sure everything is squared up? A leveling aid can make setting up your camper a much simpler and smoother process. A basic bubble level, like the Hopkins Cross-Check Trailer Level, makes it easier to check your setup without an additional level.

An electronic level can tell you with just a quick glance what part of the trailer needs to be adjusted so that it is level. Some electronic levels are even able to tell you wirelessly which part of your trailer is not level. The base of the leveling aid will sit in the camper, while the handheld unit shows which corner of the camper needs to be adjusted in order for the camper to sit level.

Hopkins Level+Plus Trailer Level

Hopkins Electronic LED Smart Level

CIPA Wireless Level

9. Slide-Out Awning

Adding a slide-out awning is a great upgrade for your trailer. These awnings help extend the life of the slide-out roof and seal by protecting them from harmful UV rays as well as debris and water. Leaves, twigs, and water fall off the awning as the slide is retracted. Having an awning over the slide-out means you don't have to remember to clean off the top of the slide before closing up the camper.

Other benefits of adding slide-out awnings include helping keep your camper cooler and adding value to the camper. By keeping the sun from directly hitting the slide-out roof, an awning can help keep the inside of the camper from heating up so quickly. Also, adding slide-out awnings can increase your camper's value when it comes time to trade it in. Some dealers consider adding slide-out awnings as an upgrade having been made to the trailer, protecting your investment in your camper in multiple ways.

Black Slide-Out Awning

Slide-Out Awning Open on 5th Wheel Trailer

White Slide-Out Awning

10. RV Storage Covers

Upgrading your camper's storage cover to a premium model is a great solution to keep your camper in great condition. The best cover for your camper depends on the climate where your camper is stored. Covers are also designed to fit RVs based on the type of RV or camper and the length.

Storage covers protect your RV from damage done by the elements. Using a storage cover will help keep your camper dry inside and out, they take the brunt of the damage done by UV rays, and they keep the dirt, dust, and bird droppins off the top off your RV. Storage covers can be grouped into categories that offer good, better, or best uv/dust/weather protection.

Good

Shop Good UV/Dust/Weather Protection Covers

Better

Shop Better UV/Dust/Weather Protection Covers

Best

Shop Best UV/Dust/Weather Protection Covers

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Fifth Wheel Camper Storage Cover

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Written by: Victoria B.

Updated by: Jacob J

Updated on: 2/16/2024

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