Getting into RV life can be exciting: New adventures, more freedom, and stepping into a brand new way to live!
But saying “Goodbye” to a regular sticks-and-bricks home and moving into a RV brings with it unexpected essentials needed for your journey on the road. From carbon monoxide detectors, dump tank hoses, and having a good tool kit on-hand, there are a few things every RVer needs…
So, before moving in to a house on wheels, here’s our list of Things You Need for a Camper Trailer that will make the transition from traditional housing to mobile living much easier!
Carbon Monoxide Detector
Carbon Monoxide detectors for RVs, regardless if you’re a full-timer or use your vehicle for camping getaways, are absolutely essential.
This small but mighty appliance can very well save your life.
The vast majority of RVs have appliances that require a generator or solar kit to run. Things that are energy hogs, like microwaves, heaters, or air conditioning units require a lot of power, and RVs typically come standard with a generator in order to operate them.
Although generators do provide your RV with a ton of power, they also produce carbon monoxide. And carbon monoxide can be lethal.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, invisible gas that is produced during combustion, and if your RV is not properly ventilated, carbon monoxide can fill your home, making you ill or can prove deadly.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) more than 430 die from CO2 poisoning annually, with over 50,000 people requiring emergency hospitalization.
To avoid becoming a statistic, RVers need to do our due diligence by making sure we’re living in a safe, healthy environment.
And rule number one of safety on the road is installing a dependable Carbon Monoxide detector.
The one we use in a our own RV is the Atwood 32703 Carbon Monoxide Detector, which has served us well in the past 7 years of RV life.
This small device is easily installed in a matter of minutes, and has been an essential appliance used since Day One.
Regardless of the CO Detector you decide to install, make sure to regularly check the batteries, and replace them as needed.
Potable Water hose
When living in a RV, you must have your own water hose for potable water only. Making a trip to a dump station for emptying and refilling your tanks, you’ll see the station’s water hose. Don’t use this.
Trust us on this one.
Travelers commonly use this to fill their own fresh water tanks, but if you’re ever waiting in line in your RV, take a look at what many people do next: They open the door to their RV, pull the hose through… what are they doing in there?
More often than not, they’re putting that hose into their black water pipe through their toilet.
…Where their sewage goes.
Then, the next travelers pull up and use that same hose to fill up their fresh water tank to drink, wash dishes, and take showers in.
So, to keep you and your family safe and healthy, do yourself a favor and make sure you have your own hose at the ready.
In order to make fresh water refills easier, make sure to have a hose filler attachment (like the one in the picture!) for your potable water hose. This screws on quickly and easily to your hose, then you place it in the freshwater hole. For us, this becomes a “hands free” experience, letting us refill our tank while picking up supplies from the dump station shop to save time.
Bungee Cords with hooks
Bungee cords have become precious gear while living as city nomads.
When traveling in any RV, an essential aspect to moving is what we call “Battening Down the Hatches”…
Before traveling, everything needs to be put away, lest you hear glasses flinging out of your cabinets and smashing to the ground while taking your RV for a turn, or doors slamming shut and obfuscating the view from your rear view mirror!
We know, because that’s what happened to us.
After shattering a few mugs while on the road we decided to invest in a small bungee cord kit with various sized cords, all of which have been used on our travels.
Bungee cords might seem like a small thing to consider for RV life, but they’ve saved us from big headaches.
Tool Kit
One thing is true for all RVers: Eventually, you’re going to need to fix something. It’s not a matter of “if”, it’s a matter of “when”.
Even if you’re inexperienced in repair work and lack fix-it skills, the silver lining is that you’re certainly going to learn a few things on the road!
Just by virtue of having your home move, things will rock our of place, come undone, wear out, break, or otherwise need a DIY repair.
And when that happens, having a complete tool kit ready for the job is a lifesaver.
When we first moved in to our RV, my father gifted us with a Ryobi Tool Kit, to which my response was, “Thank you, but you know I don’t fix things!” He just replied, “You will”.
Since then, we’ve repaired our dinette seat, kitchen sink plumbing, removed our RV toilet, replaced a water pump, tightened screws everywhere, and numerous other odds n’ ends.
Having a variety of tools at the ready when you need them is going to make mobile life exponentially easier; each problem that pops up is often a surprise and varies in complexity.
Sometimes it’s a simple tightening of a sink pipe requiring pliers or a wrench, while other repairs will require a drill. Having all of these tools in one place, at your disposal, are a must-have for RV living.
toilet treatment
Unlike a traditional home’s septic system, RV toilets require a couple accessories that may be new to you.
Mobile homes have septic holding tanks referred to as black tanks, which need to be dumped at a station or in a ground sewage line at a campsite.
In order to make this process as easy and manageable as possible, chemical treatment must be used in your RV septic tank.
There are a variety of options for chemical treatments available on the market: individual pods, powder, and liquid.
RV septic tank chemical treatment is used to help break down waste, toilet paper, and eliminate odor. By the time you’re ready to dump your tank, everything inside should become a liquid, easily passing through a dump hose until empty.
Be aware that some chemical treatments contain toxic ingredients like formaldehyde, so take a look at the bottle’s label to make sure what’s inside is non-toxic and biodegradable.
Currently, we use the Thetford Eco Smart chemical liquid for our dump tanks, which keeps our portable camping toilet clean and odor-free.
Many RVers prefer the individual pods over the liquid option as there’s no guesswork involved in measuring the amount of treatment needed; however, we’ve found that all options are user-friendly.
Just follow the directions on the product’s label for the proper ratio of chemical treatment to water, and your black tank should be should be hassle-free.
dump hose
If you decide to use a regular, flush toilet in your RV (instead of any of the other options available) then you’re going to need a dump hose.
These are ribbed, septic waste hoses that connect to your tank pipe, with the other portion stretching and connecting to a dump area.
Dump hoses come in a variety of lengths, from a very short 3′ to a long 20′. As each dump station is set up differently, we’d recommend getting a longer hose…
Just make sure it fits in your RV’s hose storage area when not in use (storage is typically located in the rear bumper; keeping your cabin free of septic waste).
Although dump stations normally have hoses available for use, they are often cracked due to daily sun exposure, overuse, and abuse from other RVers (it’s common for dump station patrons to accidentally step on the hose, bending and cracking it).
So, when you pull up ready to clean out your black tank, connect the hose and let the waste run through… you could be met with leaky hose and a messy surprise.
To keep your dump station visit clean and easy, we recommend having your own personal dump hose.
One of the most popular is the Rhinoflex (which we used until swapping out our toilet for a portable camping toilet).
The Rhinoflex is durable, and simple to use; a full Rhinoflex kit comes with a hose elbow- a transparent, plastic hose attachment that allows you to see the waste dump into the septic system.
When you run clean water through after dumping (*recommended to keep toilet paper and waste from sticking to the sides of your tanks), you will know when your tanks are clean once the water runs clear through the elbow.
mini first aid kit
Living in small quarters on the road means space is at a premium. But just because storage space is limited doesn’t mean you should skimp out on safety.
Whether you’re a city nomad or on a camping trip, having a RV emergency kit stowed away in your vehicle is always a good idea.
Since we can’t foresee every situation we’ll run into while on the road, having antiseptic wipes and band aids on deck in case of small cuts or more serious injuries are RV must haves.
From personal experience, after having a confrontation with a rabid animal outside my RV and ripping up the bottoms of my feet (there was no time for shoes!), I had to rely on family to bring me antiseptic spray, gauze and band aids.
Once I could walk again, the first thing I did was order a mini emergency kit.
This little kit fits well in small spaces like a drawer or bathroom cabinet, and contains everything you’ll need in case of an emergency: antiseptic wipes, scissors, a tourniquet, gauze, thermal blanket and other necessities.
Safety is always important, and if you plan on living in the road, it’s a must!
water jugs
Everyone living in a RV or van has their own preferred method of obtaining and using water.
Some go the regular route of filling up their water tanks when they go to a dump station or fill up with any available hose and water source, while others fill up jugs with filtered water.
For us, we’ve decided not to use our water tanks to drink from for a few reasons, including:
- Parasites
- Bacteria
- Worms and other creepy crawlies
RV pipes require a little TLC, including the occasional bleach sanitizing, otherwise you might get a visit from a few unwanted, microscopic visitors.
There is also the possibility of wildlife breaking in to unseen areas of your RV, spreading disease or laying eggs in your home’s crevices.
To avoid the stress, we opt to refill 5 gallon BPA-free jugs with filtered water. For two people who use the water for drinking and quick-showering, we go through one 5-gallon jug per week at a cost of $1.75 each.
Coming in at a grand total of $7 per month, we think it’s definitely worth it.
electric water dispenser
Having gallons of filtered, clean water in your RV is great- trying to lift those jugs up to fill a glass or wash your hair is not.
This usb-powered water dispenser makes having 3 or 5-gallon water bottles much easier to deal with on a daily basis.
To use, just charge with its accompanying usb for a few hours, and you’ll get over 10 hours of use before recharging is necessary.
Just make sure the dispenser will work with your bottles by checking to see that you have the proper lid, otherwise the tubing and dispenser itself may not fit.
portable camping washer / spinner
Having the ability to do laundry on the road is a luxury! Instead of needing to find a laundromat, park and wait a few hours to get out clothes, a washer/spinner for camping is a great alternative.
There are a variety of washer/dryers on the market for small spaces like RVs and vans, many of which require a vent and other considerations to use and function properly.
However, we found a much simpler answer to our Laundry Day woes: the Best Choice Portable Washer/Spinner combo!
This little machine washes our clothes clean in just a few minutes, then spins out the water, leaving clothes mildly damp.
Because of the washer/spinner’s simplicity, the “dryer” is really just a strong spinner– without a heating element, so once removed, clothes must be put on hangers to dry completely.
Depending on the material, dry time varies: Jeans may need overnight to dry, while a thin, cotton shirt might only take a couple hours before it’s ready to wear.
For all its efficiency, it comes in a small package: Dimensions 23″L x 13.5″W x 26″H. As you can see from the picture above, we were able to fit it in our RV’s small bathroom in between the sink and the shower.
For us, our Best Choice Washer/Spinner has been a full-time RVer game-changer: No more waiting in laundromat lines, fishing for quarters, or feeling paranoid that a stranger will try to take our clothes…
Hey, it happens. During my last visit to the laundromat a woman’s pants were stolen. All of them. She was not a happy camper!
Having this small washer/spinner in-house makes life on the road much easier!