This is not a list of things you can bolt to an RV. It is a list of upgrades that change what you can do with it: stay out longer, sleep better, tow safer, or stop doing a chore. Each one names the part, the price, and the guide, and they are ordered roughly by how often owners tell us "that one changed everything." Prices are from our catalog today.
1. A real battery monitor
Nothing else on this list works properly until you can see the state of charge. The Victron SmartShunt (from $99.99) counts amps in and out and reports a percentage to your phone. Install guide.
2. Lithium house battery
Twice the usable capacity of lead-acid per rated amp-hour, a third of the weight, thousands of cycles. The Eco-Worthy 12 V 280 Ah ($399.00) is the value pick; the Victron LiFePO4 Smart (from $444.00) is the system pick. Read flooded vs AGM vs lithium first, and make sure every charger is set to a lithium profile.
3. Solar with an MPPT controller
Roof solar plus a SmartSolar MPPT 100/30 or 100/50 (from $109.99) turns a two-night camper into a week-long one. A Renogy 200 W panel ($199.00) each, or the pre-fit kit for HQ19/HQ21 ($1,820.00). Roof solar install.
4. DC-DC charging from the tow vehicle
Arrive with a full battery instead of a half-full one. The Victron Orion XS (from $324.99) charges at up to 50 A on the drive. Orion install.
5. An inverter/charger
One box that charges from shore power and makes 120 V from the battery, with automatic switching. The Victron MultiPlus (from $274.99) for small loads, the MultiPlus 2000 VA (from $599.99) for a microwave and coffee maker. Sizing guide.
6. A roof vent fan that reverses
A Carbonogy 12 V roof vent fan ($225.00) with a rain sensor and remote turns a stuffy camper into a breezy one at almost no battery cost. Replacement how-to.
7. Diesel heat
The upgrade that adds two seasons. A 12 V 8 kW diesel air heater ($228.00) with a digital thermostat ($24.99). Diesel vs propane vs electric.
8. A fridge condenser fan
If your compressor fridge loses the fight on hot afternoons, a fridge vent fan ($60.00) is the whole fix most of the time. Fridge troubleshooting.
9. Water filtration you can trust
Stop hauling bottled water. A 6-layer 0.5 micron inline filter ($139.99) at the hose, or the 3-stage 0.2 micron system ($300.00) under the sink. Filter guide.
10. A waterless trap in every drain
The HepvO trap ($34.99) ends the smell that comes up the sink after a day on the road. Install.
11. Off-road shocks or remote-reservoir shocks
Tired shocks make a loaded camper wander and shake the cabinetry loose. Off-road shocks, pair ($380.00), or the Radflo remote-reservoir shock ($700.00) for long corrugated roads. Best HQ suspension upgrades.
12. An articulating off-road coupling
If you tow on dirt with a ball coupling, the Cruisemaster DO35 ($349.99) removes the bind and the bang on uneven ground. DO35 install.
13. Lighting that matches how you use the space
Warm touch puck lights ($9.99) over the bed, a 12 V under-cabinet LED ($16.99) over the counter, swivel reading lights ($19.99) at the dinette, and a solar motion light ($55.00) at the door. Ceiling light how-to.
14. Electric entry steps
Stop bending down to fold the step every time you move. The Black Series OEM electric two-step ($500.00) for HQ campers, or a universal electric 1-step with LED ($159.99). Installing electric steps.
15. Whole-system monitoring
Once you have four or five Victron devices, a Cerbo GX MK2 ($264.00) with a GX Touch (from $214.99) puts solar, alternator, shore, battery, and inverter on one screen and on the VRM portal from anywhere. Cerbo setup.
Three that did not make the list, and why
A bigger inverter. Most owners who ask for a 3,000 VA inverter want to run an air conditioner from the battery, and the battery and roof it takes to do that cost far more than the inverter. Fix charging (2, 3, 4) before you fix inverting (5).
A second A/C. Ventilation (6), shade, and parking orientation handle most of what a second A/C would, at a fraction of the power.
Cosmetic interior work. Wallpaper and cushions are fine, but they do not change how long you can stay out or how well you sleep at 35°F. Do them after the fifteen above.
Where to start
If you are doing one thing this year, do number 1. If you are doing three, do 1, 3, and 8. If the RV is new to you, read the budget upgrades list first; most of the sub-$50 items there should come before anything on this page. Larger items are grouped in RV Upgrades and Big Upgrades ($500+), and the Expedition Upgrades collection is the off-road subset.
Shop this
- Victron SmartShunt — from $99.99
- Eco-Worthy 12V 280Ah LiFePO4 — $399.00
- Victron Orion XS DC-DC Charger — from $324.99
- Carbonogy 12V Roof Vent Fan — $225.00
- 12V 8kW Diesel Air Heater — $228.00
- RV Upgrades (collection)