What are your favorite small appliances to use in your RV? We have a growing list of appliances that we love to travel with. Most of them have a permanent home in our camper, though there are a couple that we share between house and camper. Check out our must-haves and let us know which ones you can’t hit the road without!
When you bring your new camper home, you start to stock it with the essential supplies for your camping adventures. One thing that we realized early on in our camping journey is that every single trip that we took helped to hone our must-haves. There were some things that we packed and never used. Those items were eventually kicked out of the camper to free up space for things we actually would use. Other trips found us on the road wishing that we had one item or another and upon returning home, we’d pick it up at the store for the next time.
Packing the Appliances: Only Take What You Need!
Now obviously you can only bring what your camper can hold. So while we list our favorite small appliances, know that it might not be realistic (or physically possible) to bring ALL of these things EVERY trip. You might have to pick and choose! For the cooking appliances, you can plan your camping menu around the appliances you plan to take on that trip.
Consider combo appliances that perform more than one cooking method. For example, if you take your Instant Pot, most IPs also have a slow cooker function, so unless you are planning to throw a campsite potluck, you probably won’t also need your slow cooker. Likewise, there are now pressure cookers that have built-in air fryers, etc. Multi-function appliances are great options for conserving space!
Best Small Appliances for Your RV
If you love this list, be sure to check out our most popular post of all-time (and read the comments section, too!): things you don’t NEED but will LOVE in your RV.
One of the items that we use more than we EVER thought we would is our beloved countertop ice maker. Don’t let the size of these compact machines fool you – they really pump out the ice and do so quickly. It’s MUCH quicker than freezing water in your ice cube trays in the freezer and much more cost effective than buying bags of ice from the campground store.
Ice is perfect for chilling a variety of cold drinks, from soda to iced coffee. It’s also nice to have ice on hand for those inevitable bumps or bruises that the kids seem to get and need an ice pack to remedy. We have never regretted our ice maker. (Though we do unplug it at night because every time it dumps ice, it wakes me up. LOL!)
Coffee Maker
I probably don’t need to say too much about this one, right? If ya can’t go without your cup (or 3) of joe in the morning, you will definitely want to bring along a coffee maker. You can opt for a simple coffee maker that will make a communal pot of coffee. If you like regular brewed coffee but also occasionally enjoy an espresso drink (like a latte), I highly recommend the Ninja Coffee Bar. Of course, if it’s convenience and single serve that you’re interested in, the Keurig Brewer gets the job done with little mess (or required brainpower).
Toaster
Perfect for a quick piece of toast or frozen waffles or pancakes, we use our toaster most mornings that we camp. Our family also loves bagels with cream cheese for breakfast. The toaster gets a lot of use!
Slow Cooker
When we are home, one of the most common reasons that we use the slow cooker is simply tossing ingredients in around lunchtime and having a delicious, homemade dinner without a lot of prep or legwork. The same goes for camping. The slow cooker is the perfect way to enjoy a flavorful meal without taking away from your R&R. Set the cooker up in your camper or even outside on the picnic table and let dinner cook itself.
Instant Pot
The Instant Pot is an awesome appliance to have in your home away from home. Most of the models have multiple functions, including a slow cooker. We love using the pressure cooker function to make a quick and hearty dinner after a long day of driving. Check out these RV Instant Pot recipes when you’re ready to meal plan your next trip.
Air Fryer
We were fairly new to the air fryer game until last year. Now, it is probably our most used appliance! On our last camping trip, we set up our air fryer on the picnic table at our campsite. We enjoyed hot dogs for lunch, air fryer s’mores on the nights we didn’t have a campfire going and more.
What Appliances Do You Use Most?
When it comes to camping in your RV, what appliances do you find are your most-used? Do some see more regular use than others?
This post we wrote about understanding an RV electrical system can be a helpful read as well!
Figuring out what items (all, not just appliances) will earn a permanent home in your camper is something that you will do after time and travel. It is definitely a process and one that you will fine tune a little more after every trip you take. Each time you complete a trip in your RV, you will more than likely pull some things out of the camper and replace them with items you had wished for during your time away.
We hope this list is helpful to you as a starting point for your loading your own camper with supplies! Remember – when it comes to camping: you do you.
Drop us a comment and let us know what appliances have earned a permanent spot in your camper! Which ones did you start out with that you ended up leaving at home? What is on your wish list?
