When living in an RV (part-time or full-time) you need some things to get up and running and make the RV liveable.
Here is a comprehensive list of things we bought…
MUST HAVES:
- Drinking Water Hose – Get at least a 50ft hose. The potable hoses are a pain in the rear to wind and store. We don’t drink our tap water, so we have upgraded to a kink-free hose (here).
- Garden Hose Splitter – We use this to have our freshwater and black tank hoses connected at all times or to have an additional water source so you don’t have to disconnect your fresh water connection just to wash your hands or clean out your black tank.
- 90 Degree Elbow – Most water connections to the RV are obstructed or could cause additional wear and tear because of the angle at which the hose hangs, so this prevents those things.
- Water Filter – These keep your pipes and tubes from getting any unwanted sediment. Many RV parks do not have good water filtration systems. Even if you don’t drink your water, I recommend getting these for the sake of the longevity of your rig.
- Wheel Chocks – These are used to keep your RV from rolling away once it is unhooked from your vehicle.
- 20ft RV Sewer Hose (with the clear elbow) – Many times you only need to use 10ft, but in the rare instances you need longer, you do not want to be without a sewer hose, especially with 3 kids. I know this is nasty, but the clear elbow allows you to see your waste emptying and the water running clear to know you really cleaned it ALL out.
- RV Sewer Hose Support – This helps the flow of your black tank. You don’t want some nasty black or gray water sitting in your hose and stinking up your RV.
- Holding Tank Treatment – This helps to break apart toilet paper and other unmentionables.
- Leveling Blocks (2 sets) – We use these for not only leveling our RV (putting them under our tires when a site is not level) but also under the stabilizers so there is less strain on them. We use 2 sets on a regular basis.
- Hand Tool Kit – This kit has the square head needed for RV screws, which are not your traditional screws.
- Water Pressure Regulator – Every RV park is different when it comes to water pressure. Sometimes the pressure is so low it won’t register the hot water heater to light and other times it is so high we don’t want to bust a pipe. The regulator lets you adjust the pressure of the water that you send into the RV.
- Surge Protector – If electricity surges, you definitely want to protect your RV. If you didn’t have a surge protector (just like a lightning storm can affect your appliances and TVs in your home) the same can happen in your RV.
Definitely RECOMMEND (but don’t HAVE TO HAVE):
- Electrical Adapter – This converts your electrical connection type to a non-traditional RV park set-up, like if you are visiting Uncle Jerry and need to plug your RV into his house power. There are a multitude of adaptors you might need depending on where you are staying, so it really depends on your needs.
- Oven Thermometer – The RV oven is gas powered and isn’t 100% accurate, so we bought an oven thermometer that hangs on the rack so we know the correct temperature inside.
- Collapsible Outdoor Utility Wagon – We use this a TON. If we need to carry laundry to the laundry room or carry things to the beach, park, car, this wagon is AWESOME! Even if you do not live in an RV, this thing is a MUST HAVE!
- LED Road Flares – When you are changing a flat tire on the side of the road, these flares can be set out day or night to help alert drivers so you can safely change the flat.
- Headlamp Flashlight – We honestly use this often. Not only when Zach is working on the RV outside, but also for nighttime walks or taking the dog out.
- First Aid Kit – We keep our first aid kit in the car. I think having one on hand is smart even for non-RV owners. This kit has helped us out in many situations with the kids.
- Baking Stone/Pizza Pan – RV ovens burn your food. The flame is down the center of the oven, so the middle of your dishes burn and the rest remains uncooked. Let me introduce you to your new best friend, the pizza stone and/or pizza pan. We use both! We have cooked everything you can cook in your home oven without it burning.
- Camper Storage Shower Curtain – This is a great storage solution for your bathroom. It is a shower curtain that has pockets on one side which we use to store bath toys, hair products, face products, etc. We have a ton in ours and it has yet to break the shower hooks (knock on wood).
- Mattress Pad – Unless you buy a fancy RV mattress, you will need some padding. Now we feel like we aren’t sleeping on the floor or a piece of plywood.
WE BOUGHT, but don’t use/recommend:
- Adjustable Spring Tension Rods – We read another RV blog that they used these to keep food/dishes from moving around while traveling, but we found that storage containers and baskets do a much better job.
- Outdoor Solar Lights – We have yet to use these.
- *This* tire pressure monitoring system – We installed it and it DID NOT WORK. We need to find a new one for our travels through the hot deserts in Arizona so we don’t blow a tire. Let me know if you find one you like and recommend.
What are some things you bought and recommend or do not recommend? Are you thinking about being a full-time RVer?
Have any questions for us? We would love to hear from you!
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XO,
The Fabulous Life of an RV Wife
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