Top Add-Ons For Your RV Trip

Josh SchukmanSeptember 30, 2022

Top Add-Ons For Your RV Trip

Renting an RV for your next vacation is a fun way to go — you’ll bring the comforts of home with you, camp with the family around a fire, and explore the off-the-beaten-path locales along the way.

Did you also know that when you rent an RV with Outdoorsy you can add on things like coolers, chairs, and paddleboards to make your vacay even more fun?

Our owners often offer add-ons like bikes and boats to help you more deeply explore the areas you’re traveling to. Add-ons like generators, airport pickup/drop-offs, RV delivery, and more are other common add-ons that’ll help make your trip more convenient and comfortable.

We even put together this page that’ll save you 10% on some of our most popular add-on types. Let’s dig in to see how you can make your next trip even more memorable with a fun add-on.

Campfire
  1. Kayaks — RVing and watersports go hand in hand. Chances are strong that there’ll be a fun body of water somewhere near your travels — this add-on will allow you to explore it.

    Imagine your stress washing away as you sit out on a serene lake with nothing more than a paddle and the fresh air to think about.

    Check out rigs for rent with Kayaks in your area


  2. Bikes and/or Bike Racks — Camping usually puts you in range of epic bike trails. That’s why this add-on is a natural fit for many RV rentals.

    Some RV owners even offer folding bikes like these so you can tackle the trails.

    Click here to see rigs with bike racks near you
  3. SUPs (aka Stand-Up Paddleboards) — These things are all the rage right now. If you’ve never heard of one, it’s sort of like a fat surfboard that you stand on and paddle around.

    Renters love these watercraft and that’s why our RV owners often provide them as an add-on option. SUPs can be inflatable too so you can deflate them and more easily bring it to any lake you want to trek to.
  4. Camp stove — This add-on is especially great when renting smaller RVs like pop-up campers and campervans. Most campsites feature a picnic table where these stoves can be placed for epic outdoor meals.

    That’s why many of our owners offer an outdoor cooking option like this. If you don’t automatically see it as an add-on for a rig you want to rent — reach out to the owner because they may have additional options to provide.


  5. Showers — Outdoor showers like these can be slick companions for RVs that lack onboard bathing. Many of our owners renting out rigs without showers will offer these as an add-on to help you keep clean on the road.

    Have a look at these shower add-on rigs in your area to see what other owners are doing
  6. Solar — If you plan to boondock off-grid, you’ll need a way to power your rig because onboard batteries last only so long. Solar is a clean, quiet, and increasingly affordable way to provide electricity.

    That’s why more and more owners are offering things like solar generators and solar panels as add-ons to their rigs.


  7. Delivery add-ons — Small-town areas — like the towns around Glacier National Park and The Tetons — often don’t have frequent Lyft/Uber services at the airport. If you’re looking to rent a rig in areas like this, selecting an airport pickup/dropoff add-on can save you a ton of headache.

    Simply search for RVs to rent that offer delivery and you’ll be off to the races. Owners will generally charge by the mile for delivery and setup add-ons.


  8. Stationary rental Speaking of delivery, did you know you can have your RV rental delivered right to your campsite? Our owners will even help you hook it up and show you the ropes right at camp! Best of all, you’ll save money on insurance by agreeing to a stationary delivery where you don’t move the rig during your vacay.
  9. Generators — Gas-fired inverter generators are quiet, reliable, and provide juice rain or shine. While we look forward to the day when clean energy tech will make these things obsolete, there’s still a place today for regular ol’ generators.

    That’s why gas-powered generators are still one of the most popular add-ons that our owners offer. If you plan to dry camp on cloudy days, generators are an add-on worth considering.
  10. Ground tents — If you rent out a small rig and plan to travel with a group of 4 or more people, you might want to consider adding some extra sleeping space.

    But if you’re flying into the city where you’re renting your RV, you may not want to travel with a bulky extra tent. That’s where our owners come in — many will offer a ground tent as an affordable add-on for this very reason.

    You can then simply arrive, pick up your RV, and have some fun extra sleeping space for the kiddos already packed in.
Tent camping in The Tetons

What About Winter Add-Ons?

Summer isn’t the only time you can rent an RV. Winter RV vacations to places like ski hills, ice-fishing lakes, and cross-country trails can be epically exciting.

And if you roll in winter-ready RVs like these, you’ll keep plenty warm. Here are some winter add-ons you could consider:

  • Ski equipment – Many of our owners offer racks, skis, and poles so you can have your own ski-in/ski-out rig alongside the mountain or beside the cross-country trail.
  • Hot cocoa-making kit – Most owners will add this in at little to no extra cost and it’s a must-have add-on for winter weather camping.
  • Portable propane fire pit – Starting a fire is fun and all, but sometimes it’s just too dang cold to spend all that time shuffling around the ring. Propane fire pits will have you rolling and warming right away.
  • Icehouse anyone? Why settle for just one winter add-on when you can get an RV packed with winter-fun features? Icehouses like this one are comfy RVs that have holes cut in the bottom so you can plop them over a (very thickly) frozen lake to enjoy camping and ice fishing all in one.
  • Ice-fishing gear – And while we’re on the topic of icehouses, many owners who rent out ice houses also offer ice-fishing gear as an add-on.
Icehouse made for RVing and ice-fishing

Add-ons are a swell way to take your RV vacation to new heights. Certain places like national parks just aren’t the same if you can’t take to the water. Camping areas are usually stacked with nearby biking trails that’ll be lonely without you. Boondocking (aka camping without hookups) opens the door to natural wonders that simply can’t be found at RV parks.

By considering the add-ons above when you rent an RV, you’ll gear yourself up to explore the outdoors in the way it was meant to be.

Get started now by searching rigs in your area to see what add-ons they’re offering and what they’re charging.

Josh and his wife gallivanted all over the country in an '88 Airstream for 4+ years of full-time RVing. They made an unexpected pitstop in Montana in 2020 and haven't left since. That's because they got hooked on the glamping resort they run by Glacier National Park. Fittingly, they keep up their RVing love by renting out vintage Airstreams and other retro RVs to travelers hitting Montana.


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