After the sticker shock of Part One: Basic Outfitting of the Trailer, it is hard to imagine there is anything more a trailer owner could buy. And yet I somehow managed to spend another $2,000 in the past year on trailer accessories. Gulp. I became very friendly with our UPS driver this year.

This is the list of items I probably could have lived without, but I have been glad to have. Of course, one man’s optional is another man’s necessary. As with all things trailer-related, your mileage may vary.

Optional Outfitting of the Trailer:

• X-chocks – Despite the name, these are most definitely not chocks. My chocks come in the Andersen leveler set. But one of the reasons I bought a double-axle trailer is the increased stability. X-chocks decrease the shaking due to subtle movements of cohabitants. They won’t eliminate rocking, but you won’t feel every step. $60.05 for two
• Lynx levelers – Many use these instead of the wedge type to create a pyramid for raising one side of their trailer. I’m not sure we are skilled enough for that, but have still found lots of uses for these. They can be stacked to reduce the amount that either the front jack or stabilizer jacks need to be lowered or act as pads on soft ground. $34.72
• Cordpro cord organizers – After a year of fighting muddy and kinked hoses and cords, I am trying these. Verdict is still out. So far I am liking it better for the electric cord. $32.33 each
• Ceramic heater – The propane heater keeps the trailer toasty, but propane is expensive. If I am paying for electricity at a campground, I prefer to use it. My trailer is small enough that this one keeps it pretty warm. I keep a second personal one to take the chill off the air in the bathroom during cool mornings. $14.16 and $24.97
• Scissor jack drill adaptor – Option 1: don’t buy this and use the stabilizer jack handle to manually crank the jacks up and down, building massive upper body strength. Option 2: buy this portable drill attachment and get your upper body workout some other way. I highly suggest option number two. $4.90
• Oxygenics shower head – I will be honest that we never even tried the old shower head. I bought this based off reviews alone, and have loved it. As far as I am concerned this is a must if you like water pressure and hate filling your gray water tanks. $39.88
• Master Lock locking cable – I use this to make sure no one walks away with my surge protector. $17.83
• Spare keys – With all the chaos of camping: hiking, kayaking, hopping in and out of the truck, it is far too easy to loose track of the tiny RV keys. I have also heard horror stories of camper doors locking themselves. RVing websites make climbing through a window or storage hatch to gain access to a locked camper seem like a rite of passage. I prefer to postpone that initiation so I keep lots of extra keys around. RV locks are standardized so replacement keys can be ordered from websites such as rvlocksandmore.com. Just look at the tiny numbers printed on the keys to know which set to order. $15
• Key hider – Extra keys don’t do any good if they are sitting at home. I keep a spare hidden in one of our external storage compartments. Most of these outside trailer locks are keyed alike. I figure I should be able to borrow a neighbor’s key in the case of an emergency. $6.69
• MaxxAir II vent cover – As I said in an earlier post, it is only a matter of time before I forget to close the vent over our bed when I head out for the day. And I can just about guarantee that it will rain while I am out, soaking my bed. The reason I bought a trailer is to always have a warm, dry bed at night, so we installed a vent cover to keep it that way. $57.07
• Trimax trailer lock – I am sure this lock is really just keeping honest people honest. But it makes me feel better. I prefer to not make it easy for anyone to roll off with my second home. This lock is portable and easy to use. I will occasionally lock up the trailer if a campground is relatively empty, but mostly I am concerned with storing the trailer. $43.95
• Trimax wheel chock lock – Like the trailer lock, I use this when the trailer is in storage as an additional hurdle for any would-be thieves. $55.99
• Air compressor – I’m not sure this would have been on our list, but we got one for Christmas and find it very handy. I have used it to winterize, fill the tires, and pump up our bikes and basketballs. $57.65
• Generator – There are almost as many opinions about generators as tow vehicles. I went with one of these Wen 2000-watt generators. While they are not sufficient to run an air conditioner on their own, they are perfect for recharging batteries. They are much lighter than the heavy-duty version so are easier to load and unload. Online reviews also rank these among the quietest. I have the best of both worlds in that I have a family member who also owns a 2000-watt generator. I can borrow and parallel them together with this kit if I need to run the AC. $476 for each generator, $64.32 for the parallel kit
• Sewer hose support – As frequent visitors of state parks without sewer hook-ups, I managed to make it nearly a year without this. But it sure came in handy during a week long stay at a campground with sewer. I set up the hose when I arrived and didn’t touch it again until I left. $32.20

Total = $1,070.04

You can certainly get out on the road without spending this money. But a lot of this protects the investment you have already made. And the rest makes the camping more enjoyable.