🚐 Van Life Entertainment: Must-Haves for Watching TV in The RV
These are all my Van Life Must-Have Essentials, Accessories + Optional Upgrades — specifically for watching TV in the RV and staying entertained while on the road.
If you didn’t already know, we actually have two RVs! Our main travel vehicle is a 2012–2013 Pleasure Way Excel TS (built on a Ford chassis), which we use as our camper van for road trips and adventures. The other is a stationary travel trailer we live in full-time at an RV park — and trust me, it NEVER moves.
Over time, we’ve collected all the van life essentials needed to live comfortably in our RV van — alongside 5 dogs and 1 cat! It’s taken more than a year (plus a few van life learning curves) to test, customize, and install all the gear that truly fits our RV lifestyle and pet-friendly travel setup.
And since this is actually our third van, we know firsthand that every RV or camper van is different when it comes to layouts, power setups, and entertainment needs. We’re always trying new things to see what works and what doesn’t.
In this series, I’ve been documenting all of the RV living essentials that help us travel, work, and relax on the road. In this post, I’m focusing on our favorite RV TV setup accessories and upgrades — the exact tools and gear we use to watch TV in our RV, stream shows in the van, and create a comfortable TV setup for van life.
So if you’re wondering how to watch TV in a camper van, what must-have RV TV accessories are worth buying, or just want ideas for van life entertainment, this is for you! — BUT the concept of getting and entertainment in an RV is the same, so you can apply these tips to your RV motorhome, fifth wheel, travel trailer, etc…
>> 🚐 TAKE A TOUR of My RV Van and see all the items mentioned below here ⬇️
🎬 Van Life: Must-Haves for Watching TV in the RV & Getting Entertainment
I’ll be honest — we don’t watch a ton of TV in the RV van, but every now and then we like to wind down with one of our favorite shows or see what local channels we can pick up while grabbing a bite to eat. Whether you’re a full-time RVer or just using your van for weekend getaways, it’s always nice to have a few entertainment options on hand when you’re parked for the night.
That said, keeping up with shows and staying entertained on the road isn’t always as simple as hitting the “on” button. Watching TV in an RV van often means working around limited power, unpredictable internet, and sometimes just making do with what you’ve got!
Here are a few of our must-have TV and entertainment accessories that make it all possible.
📺 TV
Keep in mind we have a TV and entertainment system that came built-in with the van. So I’m going to break down how we use it and the upgrades we’ve made to it. BUT one thing NOT on my list is a TV because I feel that is self-explanatory.
📡 Antenna
The RV van came with an Antenna built in (but you can always install one that’s flat and fits in the window easily, just like you would on a home TV). Keep in mind that every time you move the RV, you have to do another channel scan to see which channels pick up for that area. We’ll occasionally do a quick channel scan when parked to see what local stations we can pick up. It’s hit or miss depending on the area, but fun to check! — PS if you’re antenna has a little button, be sure to push it. And also try adjusting your antenna left to right, aka North, South, East, West — BUT be sure to put your RV antenna back down before heading out!
⚡️ Inverter
Our van came with a Built-in Inverter. This allows us to power our TV and other 120V devices when we’re not plugged in at an RV Park, campground, house, etc… by using the RV’s 110V system to run off the RV’s batteries instead. But it does drain our RV’s battery, so we only use it when we’re sure we have enough charge.
We have to have this inverter to be able to plug the TV into get power while on the road. Think of it as a way to plug a regular TV outlet plug at a house (120V) into a car’s cigarette lighter (110V) — you have to have a way to switch the power sources since the plugs won’t plug in to each other.
BUT if we are hooked up to power and the RV is plugged in to a power source, then we switch the TV plug back into the 120V outlet (they’re all in the same compartment).
📺 HDMI Cord (for Laptop-to-TV Streaming)
Sometimes the easiest way to watch what we want is to plug our laptop into the TV with an HDMI cable. This lets us stream shows or movies we’ve downloaded in advance, or pull from streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, or YouTube (if we have internet access). It’s a reliable, no-fuss setup that works great — especially when we’re off-grid and want to save data.
🔋 USB Cords (Charging & Connecting All Devices)
Between phones, tablets, streaming devices, and Bluetooth speakers, there are a LOT of things that need charging. That’s why we always carry a variety of USB cords — different lengths, and for multiple connection types (USB-A, USB-C, Lightning, USB chargers for RV, etc.). We also use multi-port charging stations to keep things organized and efficient, especially when we’re using limited power.
🔌 Extension Cords (Reach Where You Need Power)
Because our power outlets aren’t always in the most convenient spots, we always keep a couple of extension cords handy. These help when we want to charge devices or move the TV setup to a more comfortable viewing area. Make sure to use surge-protected cords, especially if you’re plugged into campground power or a generator.
💿 DVD Player
Our RV Van has some type of entertainment device installed (I think it allows for streaming, but we’ve never used it that way), and we also have a DVD Player to play CDs and DVDs. This way, when you’re off-the-grid, unable to get TV signals or even internet, you can still watch TV! So (Possibly) having a DVD Player is a good idea — Truthfully, we don’t use it much, but it’s there for those old-school movie nights!
💿 DVD Collection
One other thing we keep in the RV is a collection of (NVington’s) DVDs — typically all the ones we find on the road shopping at Goodwill.
📲 Streaming Sticks or Casting Devices
Some of the Other RV Van Entertainment Gear We Use includes Streaming Sticks or Casting Devices. We’ve played around with devices like Chromecast or Fire TV Stick when we had decent Wi-Fi, but they’re only helpful when we have stable internet, and the device you’re streaming from (i.e., phone or computer) needs to be in direct range of the receiver. So we haven’t been a fan of this in the van, but it is an option. — We actually use a Roku Streaming Stick and Device plugged in via HDMI to watch TV in our stationary RV Travel Trailer while living at the RV Park,
⚡ A Note About Power + Internet Limitations
Keep in mind: Watching TV in a van isn’t the same as lounging on the couch in a house. If we’re boondocking or running off battery power, we have to watch our power levels closely — the TV and inverter will drain the batteries if we’re not careful.
When we’re plugged into shore power at a campground or RV park, we have no problem running the TV, but internet can still be a challenge. Data isn’t always unlimited, and service can be spotty depending on location. So we try to plan ahead by downloading shows when we know we’ll be offline.
>> Learn How I Get Internet While RV Living (on the road)
🎥 Final Thoughts: Keeping It Simple
Our entertainment setup in the RV van is simple, but effective. We’ve learned that a few smart accessories and a flexible mindset go a long way on the road. Whether you’re streaming from your laptop, picking up local channels, or watching a downloaded movie off-grid, having the right cords and devices makes it easy to kick back and relax — even in a tiny space.
>> SHOP all our Van Life Essentials in our RV STORE
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>> DOWNLOAD: My RV Essentials Checklist for all of these Must-Haves and More!
Get All My Van Life Essentials
Ultimate RV Checklist for Van Life: almost everything we keep in the RV van. All our Must-Have Essentials, Accessories & Optional Upgrades
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- 🚐 Van Life: My Must-Have RV Bathroom Essentials + Upgrades
- 🚐 Van Life Entertainment: Must-Haves for Watching TV in The RV
- 🚐 Van Life Essentials: My Must-Haves for Doing Laundry on the Road
- 🚐 Van Life: Storage Solutions, Ideas + RV Upgrades (Extra Space To Stowaway Non-Essentials)
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