Packing the essentials

HI again! ๐Ÿ™‚

RV life is great, and just like everything else, there’s some stuff you’ll need, and some stuff you might want. Here’s my pick of the essential gear, the stuff I use, and some stuff from what i’ve learned along the way.

YOU GOTTA HAVE:

  1. Connections!
    1. For getting power to your rig, you’ll need a power cord (which your rig should come with) and some adapters. You should have adapters to connect your rig to 50, 30, and 15 amp power connections, but keep in mind you’ll have one of those built in, depending on if your rig uses 30 or 50 amp power. Also note that you can run a 50 amp rig on 30 amps, albeit with an eye towards amp usage, and you can run a 30 amp rig on 50 amp, but you don’t get more power by plugging a 30 amp rig into a 50 amp outlet.
      You might also consider some kind of surge protection device. These can be expensive, but they’re far cheaper than replacing the electrical system in your RV if there’s a bad enough issue.
    2. For water, you should have one fresh water hose (make sure it’s drinking water safe!) that’s ONLY used for fresh water (not for anything else).
      You may want a second hose for gray water/sewer flushing/general hose use, and/or another fresh water hose to make sure you can reach the faucet (or as a backup!).
      I also use a pressure regulator to make sure the water pressure coming into my rig is not above the 55 PSI, per, the manufacturer specs for my rig.
      My primary regulator has a gauge and is adjustable, but my backup regulator is pre-set at 45 PSI, and doesn’t have a gauge.
      I also have splitters, shut-off valves, and 90 degree elbows for my particular setup, but that’s all up to you.
    3. For sewer, you need to have a sewer hose, an elbow (preferably clear so you can see the motion inside), and a threaded adapter.
      I also recommend an angled clear connector for the rig’s connection end, and mine has a hose connection that I really like for cleaning out the line.
      My kit has two main hoses, each extendable up to 10′ feet long, a coupler, caps for both ends of both hoses, a clear angled connector, a threaded sewer adapter, and a riser.
      The idea is to be able to connect to just about anywhere you go, so having all these pieces will make sure you can connect when you need to.
  2. Tools!
    1. Make sure you have a few tools on board, even if it’s just a few generic/multi use tools. At a minimum I recommend:
      1. Adjustable wrenches, one large, one small
      2. Channel locks, one large, one small
      3. Screwdrivers, either a multi-big driver, or Phillips #0, #1, #2, a small and medium flat head, a few torx drivers or bits, and anything specific to your rig.
      4. Allen wrenches! These are super handy when you need them.
      5. A small socket set can’t hurt, but check around in your rig and see what you might need to get stuff handled.
      6. A multi-meter. Even if you don’t know a whole lot about electricity, it’s still a great tool to have (and I can walk you through the steps to find the info you need for electrical issues!).
  3. Spare parts!
    1. I like to make sure I have spare stuff of anything important; the less I have to go run and find, the more I can enjoy camping!
      1. Fuses! (check the type of DC fuses used in your rig, and get an assortment of them to have on hand.
      2. Connections! Anything you use to connect your rig to the land, you should consider having an extra for. Some things matter more than others, so ponder on it awhile and figure it out as you go.
      3. Nuts, bolts, screws, and such. Even if they’re just generic sizes, make sure to have a few on hand for that ‘just-in-case’ scenario.
      4. Hose clamps! I’ve always kept a few different sizes of hose clamps around, and they’re super handy when you need them.
      5. Tapes! I always make sure to have electrical, gorilla, and plumbers tape on hand. These are the three most common tapes used, and painters tape is also handy for so many things.
      6. Spare tire/wheel seems obvious, but make sure you have it, and can get to it when needed. I have two spare wheel/tire combos ready to go since I travel so much, and if you’re full timing or travelling a lot, I recommend you do the same.

 

There’s a whole bunch of other stuff you can have on board, but these are the things that I believe you just have to have. The rest is optional! ๐Ÿ™‚


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