When you go on the road, you will get a lot of advice about what you need to take with you. Every YouTube channel offers its must-haves for full-time RV living. What do you really need? What are the essential must-haves for full-time RV living? Let’s find out.
12 Essential Must-Haves for Full Time RV Living
These 12 essential must-haves are not the only things you must have for full-timing, but if you forget these, you could be risking your RV, your sanity, or your safety. See what we think are the most important things to have with you when traveling.
WeBoost Cell Signal Booster
The WeBoost Cell Signal Booster is a crucial kit for those considering being on the road for any length of time. These days, many things are done online. Having reliable connectivity is very important. The WeBoost Cell Signal Booster will boost signals for all US cell carriers. The kit is expensive at $599.99. However, it includes everything you will need for installation. It extends the cellular signal range, creates faster data downloads, and adds more time for talking in areas where the signal is poor.
RV GPS
For an RV GPS, we recommend a Garmin RV 780 GPS Navigator with Traffic. Garmin is a great company when it comes to maps and navigation systems. You can enter your RV size and weight to find the best travel route, giving warnings about sharp curves and steep grades. It also helps find RV parks and campgrounds with reviews.
The screen is over 6 inches for good visibility. It also has Bluetooth to connect to smartphones.
Surge Protector for 30 or 50amp
A surge protector will keep your RV circuits and electrical systems from getting a surge of power and shorting things out. It protects the RV from voltage fluctuations and incorrectly wired shore power. The surge protector should tell you if there is a problem with the electricity at that tower.
The surge protector will connect to the campground’s electrical tower, and you will plug into the surge protector as long as it indicates that it’s safe. There are quite a few choices for surge protectors. Make sure you choose the right for your rig to be in 30 amps or 50 amps.
VIAIR Air Compressor
RVs are not like cars. To inflate the tires, you will need a more powerful air compressor than you might have at home. At 10.75 pounds, this unit won’t take up a lot of space or weight. The Viair RV Portable Compressors work on a 12-volt system and can work for 40 minutes at a time.
The kit comes with everything you will need to pump up various items, including your RV tires. Need your paddleboard or kayak inflated? This will do the job in much less time than manually inflating it with your lungs or even using a traditional pump.
Water Pressure Regulator
Water pressure regulators aren’t sexy, but they help improve your water pressure when it leaves the RV park’s water spigot. If there’s too much water pressure, you could risk damaging your water systems, plumbing, and fixtures, and if there’s not enough pressure, well, your shower will be depressing.
The only problem with the water pressure regulator is that you need to remember to detach it from the water at the campground before leaving. It’s too valuable of an item to leave it behind.
Water-Saving Showerhead
The RV showerhead that we recommend is the Oxygenics RV handheld showerhead. It will help save water, increase or decrease water pressure and achieve top performance using your tank size and water pressure limits, which you controlled with your water pressure regulator. This showerhead has five different settings for water distribution to fit every shower lover’s preference.
It also has a long hose to reach all around the shower, and you can switch the showerhead to be in water conservation mode or residential shower mode if you have full hookups. It comes with everything you need to install it yourself.
Comfortable Mattress
The early days of camping on a blow-up mattress are over. Now you can get a good night’s sleep on a comfortable gel memory foam mattress, created especially for RVs. Dynasty Mattress has a good reputation for making mattresses that allow airflow and comfort. The beds come in a variety of sizes, from twins to California Kings. If you wanted, you could carry the mattress back and forth from the RV to your sticks-and-bricks house; you’ll enjoy it that much.
Wheel Chocks
If you’ve ever seen the movie “RV” with Robin Williams, you know how vital wheel chocks are. Wheel chocks get put behind your wheels so that your RV doesn’t roll away. When searching for the right chocks, look for tough and durable ones, work regardless of weather, convenient, and hard to forget. Bright colors are best. Look for versatile chocks and work with your tow-behind, an RV, and a boat trailer. They will hold back up to 20,000 pounds.
Leveling Blocks
Another essential thing to have is leveling blocks. Making your trailer or camper level is critical for sleeping vertically and not having all the blood rush to your head, and for some units, the refrigerator needs to be level to work correctly. The packages come with ten blocks that you can stack to make various heights.
The blocks can be used under your jacks, wheels, or tow tongue. They also come in a zippered carrying bag.
MARCell Temperature Monitoring System for RVers with Pets
If you travel with pets, you’re going to want to have something to make sure they are watched over and taken care of when it comes to the RV temperature. This device, in particular, works with Verizon’s cellular signal and operates when there is a power outage. There is a monthly subscription fee for the connectivity.
You get an alert if the temperature or humidity levels get dangerously high or low or if the power goes out. It will continue to work for 48 hours without power. It can also be used to monitor vacation homes or your RV if you’ve traveled somewhere without your rig.
Comfy Campsite Chairs
You want to be able to sit outside in nature and relax comfortably. Having a good place to sit that you enjoy is essential after a long day of exploring or working at the dinette. Zero gravity chairs are fantastic. They recline, lifting your legs at the same time, taking pressure off your lower back. They take a little getting used to when getting out of them.
Some people have traded in their zero gravity chairs because they are heavy and aren’t compact, though they fold relatively flat. However, sometimes comfort wins over practicality, like in this case.
Durable Sewer Hose Kit
The sewer hose that comes standard with your RV or free from your dealership is going to be, for lack of a better word, crap. Cheap plastic, prone to splitting, and you don’t want or need to deal with that. Upgrade to a Rhino hose that will provide you the confidence that your hose will keep the black and gray tank holdings where they need to be.
When searching for the hose kits, look for what you need. If you don’t have two black tanks, you don’t need a tandem hose, so read what you are ordering. Rhino hoses come in kits containing everything you need to connect, including a transparent elbow and storage caps. The hose is made out of materials that will not dent, rust or crush, even if you run over it with your rig.
Don’t Leave Without the Essentials
Sure, you can camp without most of these items. However, you risk significant damage to your rig and its systems. RVs are not inexpensive, and why would you want to take the chance of causing damage that could cost three times as much as the preceding items? Some of the needs could be considered wants, like comfy chairs and a new RV mattress, but if you’re going to camp in an RV, you should be comfortable; otherwise, camp in a tent on the hard ground.
In addition, this list would be a great list to give family and friends who want to celebrate your new rig and a new way of camping. They, too, will benefit from the safety and comfort of your RV when they come to visit. These must-haves for full time RV living are just a start to your adventure. Get these items first, then consider how to decorate.
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