Wander With Wonder – Discovering Wow Moments Around the World or Across the Street
Ready for your first RV adventure? Discover the must-have RV essentials for beginners and nice-to-haves that will ensure your trip is smooth, safe, and unforgettable. Let’s hit the road!
You have a new RV and are ready to hit the road for your first adventure, but hold on a minute. There are a few things that don’t come with your RV that you must have and a few more that aren’t essential but you probably want.
Susan and I live full-time in our 37-foot Jayco North Point fifth-wheel travel trailer. We have traveled both coasts and most of the Midwest, and during our travels, we have learned a few things about what is essential, what is optional, and, most of all, what works.
There are several RV essentials you must have to operate safely. They usually don’t come with a new RV, and the dealership often wants to sell them to you when you purchase your RV. While buying from the dealership is convenient, you usually pay a premium for that convenience. In this article, we offer our choices for the basic RV essentials. We recommend these products—they are the RV must-haves we rely on in our travels. They will benefit you whether you’re out for a camping vacation or taking to the road as a digital nomad. Read on for our list of essentials.
When you have the essentials, you’re ready to set out on your RV adventures. Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham
Safety and Maintenance
You must have these things to maintain your RV and protect yourself and others. When choosing what to pack in your RV, the cardinal rule is that less is better, but you should not skimp on these things.
Chocks
You place chocks under your tires to keep your RV from rolling away while parked. Many styles work, but I prefer the triangular sets connected by a rope. Sometimes, the RV settles, and the chock gets stuck under the tire. In that case, the rope lets you pull the chock out without moving the RV
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Water Hose
The water hose allows you to connect your RV to a faucet to fill your storage tank or bypass the tank and use water directly from the faucet in your RV. Garden hoses release chemicals into the water as they flow through the hose, so you should use a hose made for drinking water. Most campgrounds are configured so that a 25-foot hose can reach from the park to your RV’s water connection. However, sometimes 25 feet is not enough. To avoid any issues, we carry two 25-foot hoses. Most newer RVs have a connection to flush the black (sewage) tank. Many people recommend carrying a separate hose for the black tank to keep drinking water and sewage separate.
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Sewer Hose
If you don’t get anything else on this list, you must get a sewer hose! When your holding tanks get full, you must dump them, and without a suitable sewer hose, it is a disgusting job. I prefer the RhinoFLEX hose. It comes with bayonet connectors on the ends that allow easy connection to the RV’s dump valve and allow you to connect multiple hoses together for a more extended reach. The hose compresses for easier storage and adjusts to the ideal length for connecting.
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Sewer Elbow
You must buy a sewer elbow if your sewer hose does not come with one. Most sewer connections point straight up, and your hose runs across the ground. The sewer elbow turns the corner without kinking your hose and adapts to various sewer connection types and sizes.
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Sewer Hose Support
Many jurisdictions prohibit laying the sewer hose directly on the ground. To avoid letting the hose touch the ground, you need a hose support. Because of the way these supports fold, they are often called” stinky slinkys.”
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Unique Tank Treatment
You should avoid putting anything down your RV drains besides water, sewage, and toilet paper. Solids tend to collect at the bottom of storage tanks and can clog drain lines or jamb valves. Cleaning foreign material from storage tanks is an unpleasant and often expensive job. To keep things flowing smoothly, you should use a tank treatment that dissolves solids in your tank. Treatments come as liquid, powder, or pods. I prefer Unique RV Digest-It Pods. They are easy to use, and I don’t have to measure. Digest-It contains beneficial bacteria that are harmless to pets and humans but eat up solids, including toilet paper, in the holding tank.
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RV Toilet Paper
Because of the problems associated with clogs in your sewage system, you should use toilet paper created for RVs. This paper dissolves very quickly and allows your tank treatment to work efficiently. I have read that you can use inexpensive single-ply toilet paper, but for the small extra cost per month, I don’t take the chance. Susan is picky about our toilet paper and prefers the Scott Brand Rapid-Dissolving paper.
Water Pressure Regulator
You should check your RV’s owner’s manual to determine the maximum pressure your water system can take. Many modern RVs recommend nothing over 50 lbs. Some RV parks can supply pressure well over the maximum, so having a pressure regulator between the faucet and your trailer is a good idea. I have used both fixed pressure and adjustable regulators, and I prefer the adjustable. I find that the fixed regulators reduce not only the pressure of the water but also the flow. The adjustable regulators control the pressure without cutting off the water flow inside.
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Surge Protector
RV parks have notoriously bad electric quality. Low voltage, high voltage, and power fluctuations can damage your RV’s electrical systems and appliances, costing thousands of dollars to repair. To prevent this damage, you should always use a surge protector when connecting to shore power (the term used for power in the RV park).
Protectors run a range of simple disconnects to sophisticated circuit analyzers. A surge can destroy the cheapest surge protectors, while you can reset the more expensive devices. At a minimum, you should have a protector with lights to indicate clean power when you plug in. The most sophisticated devices include continuous monitoring and connection to your smartphone. Given the risk, you should purchase the best protector you can afford. Surge suppressors typically come in 30 amp or 50 amp. Be sure to get the one that matches your RV.
This is an example of a minimum surge protector.
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This is a more expensive and more sophisticated surge protector.
Water Filter
Many modern RVs have onboard water filters, which should be serviced according to the owner’s manual. However, an inexpensive in-line water filter can catch the biggest particles and extend the life of your onboard systems. Be aware that neither the onboard nor in-line filters protect against water-borne illnesses. Always make sure you are connected to a safe water source.
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Leveling Blocks
Your RV will have some type of jacks to level and stabilize the platform. These work great when you have a stable surface for them to sit on, but the jacks may sink into the soft ground if the surface is soft. In this case, you need something to distribute the weight and keep the jacks from sinking. This is where leveling blocks are helpful. If your camping spot is not level, leveling blocks can be stacked to help even the surface. You can also roll the tires on one side or the other to help level from side to side.
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Travel Planning Apps
Nearly everyone uses a GPS navigation system for travel planning, but the most common ones, such as Google Maps, Apple, or Waze, don’t account for large vehicles like RVs. They tend to route you without considering low bridges or weight restricted bridges. I use RV Life Trip Wizard to plan the next day’s travel to ensure that there are no restrictions I should be aware of.
Decorating, Comfort, and Convenience
Now that we have covered the essentials, it is time to look at what makes your RV seem more homey. Adding artwork and lighting can help set the right ambiance to take your RV stay to the next level.
You’ll want things inside your RV to make it more comfortable and feel like home. Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham
Fast Drying Towels
Since space in an RV is limited, you want to reuse towels. You want towels that fold compactly and dry quickly. Geometry House makes towels in a wide array of designs to match any décor. They are super absorbent and made from post-consumer waste. In the past few months, we have replaced almost all the bath and kitchen towels with Geometry towels.
Outdoor Rug
Putting down a rug outside your RV door instantly creates an inviting and cozy outdoor room. It also helps control dirt and debris that would otherwise be tracked into the RV. Good, quick-drying outdoor rugs come in a variety of patterns and sizes to fit anyone’s needs. Make sure that whatever size you choose will fit into a compartment for transport.
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Folding Chairs
Folding chairs are almost an essential for camping. We love these CGI Rocker Chairs. They are comfortable and fold compactly to fit into the RV storage compartment.
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For a slightly more relaxed position, we like Zero-Gravity Reclining Chairs. They are great for napping and fold very flat. And, speaking from experience, keep the headrest pillow under the folded chair when transporting it in an open truck, or the pillow can blow off.
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Solar Lights
Lighting can set the mood while camping. In RV parks, you are often close to your neighbors and you want to make sure only to have subdued lights so that you aren’t setting the mood for your neighbor. These solar lights are an excellent choice because they give off enough light that you aren’t stumbling around in the dark, but not so much that they disturb others. They gather enough energy during the day to stay lit all night. We have both of these. The taller solar lights stick in the ground while the little lanterns are nicely scattered about the area, on the picnic table and our side table.
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Table Cloth
Most RV spaces in campgrounds have a picnic table. We like using a tablecloth to cover dirt and add a splash of color. We use light, semi-disposable table cloths so that we can change up the colors and patterns with the seasons and holidays.
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Table Cloth Clips
We tried fitted tablecloths for picnic tables for a while to keep the cloth from blowing off, but every campground seemed to have a different-sized table, so we seldom used the fitted cloth. Instead, we went old school and started using flat tablecloths and spring clips to hold the cloth on the table. We find that using six clips works best.
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Portable Propane Gas Fire Pit
We love sitting outdoors in the evening with a fire going. However, when you spend all of your time in an RV, the allure of lighting a fire with wood, stoking the fire, keeping it going, and then having to air out smoke-filled clothes loses a bit of the appeal it has when you’re only camping on holidays. Our solution was to get the BONOVO portable propane gas fire pit. It closes up small, fits into a carrying case, and goes in the back of the truck for transport. It can hook up to the propane in our RV, but we purchased a small, slender propane tank to place it away from the trailer and not risk anyone falling over the hose. It’s easy to light, gives off nice heat, and does a fine job roasting marshmallows!
Command Strips
Command Strips are an RV’s best friend. They stick securely to nearly any surface and are easy to remove without damaging the walls. The styles we use most are Velcro and hooks. The Velcro Command Strips work like double-backed tape but pull apart like Velcro. We use it to hang pictures and even to stick electronic components to the walls.
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We use the Command Strip hooks to hang towels and kitchen utensils. We also use a hook and a rubber band to keep a pesky cabinet door closed during transport.
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Museum Putty
Museum putty is the sticky stuff that comes off clean when finished. We primarily use Gorilla Mounting Putty to keep things like lamps and keepsakes in place on counters during transport. It keeps the clock by the bed on the shelf and holds the kitchen utensils jar in place when we travel. We also use it to keep things that hang by a string from swinging.
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Storage & Organization
Plastic Baskets
Plastic baskets are indispensable for storing clothes, shoes, towels, and anything else you want to keep together. Baskets in a corner or the bottom of a closet keep things organized and easy to find. We use these larger baskets at the end of our bed with shirts, socks, and sleepwear
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I use smaller baskets to organize office supplies, smaller kitchen utensils, and items we might have normally placed in a bedside table.
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We also use clear plastic bins to hold spices in the kitchen cabinets and toiletries in the bathroom and to prevent condiments and soda cans from rolling around in the refrigerator.
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Water Tight Storage Boxes
We were using storage totes with folding lids for basement storage in our RV, but one day, we had a water leak and the water went through the interlocking top and filled the containers with water. After that experience, we swapped out the totes for watertight storage containers. These containers are heavy-duty and come in a variety of stackable sizes. They keep our belongings safe and secure.
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Folding Table
It’s always nice to have some extra table space outside. This folding table is sturdy and corrosion-proof. It also folds small enough to fit in the RV storage compartment.
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Velcro Straps
Velcro straps help keep things organized. We use them to secure rolled hoses and cables and to secure cabinet doors during transport. When not in use, they are easy to store.
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Foldable Storage Cubes
We use 12″ foldable storage cubes to gather loose items for transport. They don’t take up much space and are easy to fill. We fold them into a shopping bag for storage when not in use.
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Travel Fun
Starlink
Most larger RVs come with at least one smart TV. This is an excellent accessory for seasonal or full-time campers, or even if you don’t want to miss the game over a weekend. The trouble with a smart TV in an RV is that it must have an internet connection to work. You can use a cellular hotspot, but cellular service is often inconsistent in many places where people like to camp. Many campgrounds offer WiFi service, but most of the time, campground WiFi is barely good enough for text and email. We have found that Starlink is the most versatile and usable solution for the internet. It works anywhere in the US (and most of the world) where you can see the sky clearly. It is fast enough to handle multiple streaming services at the same time, as well as bandwidth-hungry tasks such as online photo editing and teleconferencing.
Board Games
Board games are great fun while camping; having several games in a single box saves space.
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Travel Map
Many RVers memorialize their travels with a travel map. The map is blank when you start, and you will add a sticker for each new state where you stay. We put ours on the end of the slide to be visible while we are parked and protected while traveling.
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Camping Journal
A camping journal is a nice way to remember the places you have stayed, and it is fun to look back through it with your kids in the years to come. This one that we created helps guide what to record by asking questions and offering travel prompts. It also includes several handy checklists when you’re ready to hit the road.
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National Park Passport Book
National Park Passports are fun! We love to collect stamps and stickers at each national park we visit and place them in our National Park Passport Book. In addition to national parks and monuments, other places, such as state parks and Corps of Engineers sites, have stamps for you to collect.
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Begin Your RV Adventures
Get ready to hit the road and embark on your first RV adventure! Your trip will be smooth, safe, and unforgettable with the must-have RV essentials for beginners and some nice-to-haves. Don’t miss out on these products to enhance your experience on the open road. It’s time to make memories and create new stories. Don’t wait any longer. Purchase the necessary products and explore the great outdoors in your RV. Happy travels!