I didn’t read that anywhere!
I recently purchased a new (to me) Class C RV and picked it up to bring it to its new home. Reading all the manuals and learning as much as possible about how everything works. There are so many bells and whistles to read about, what they are for and how to operate them, but nothing about the Must Have RV Accessories for my first time out in the RV.
No matter what type of RV you bring home after shopping, you need certain RV accessories for your unit to function as intended. More than just the best RV accessories, this list of items are the basic camper accessories that every rig should have onboard.
What must-have RV accessories do I need for my first time out?
If you are wanting to use the amenities that most RVs have these days, you will need to purchase a few extras. These items include Sewer Hose and connectors, Water hose, and connectors. Additional items may include Power Cord Connections, a Water Filter and Pressure Regulator, Surge Protector, and any needed Leveling/Stabilizing equipment.
Most likely you will not read about any of these items in your owner’s manual. Hopefully, we can shed some light on what you actually will want to gather before you head down the road with, 10 essential items the RV newbie must-have for their first time out.
10 must-have RV Accessories every RV newbie needs for their first time out
1. Stinky Slinky
A sewer hose is a must-have if you plan on using your bathroom at all. Often called the stinky slinky (I am sure you can understand why). My favorite is the Camco RhinoFLEX 20-Foot RV Sewer Hose Kit due to its lock-tight fittings. The last thing you want is your hose popping off mid-dump as you could imagine. The clear elbow is also great for seeing watercolor as it is coming out and knowing if additional flushing of tanks is needed.
Set Includes: RV sewer hose kit comes with two 10-foot RhinoFLEX sewer hoses with pre-attached swivel bayonet and lug fittings, a transparent elbow with a 4-in-1 adapter, and four storage caps
2. Electrical Surge Protector
You have just made a large investment most likely and need to protect it. There are some shady electrical hookups at campgrounds and the best way to assure your whole electrical system does not get fried is a surge protector. As with most anything, you get what you pay for. There are cheaper models out there, but they will not give you the peace of mind that you are looking for. I went with the Hughes Autoformers PWD30-EPO, 30 Amp Spike Power Watchdog due to the great reviews on them. It can also be paired to your phone for monitoring while away from your unit.
30 amp surge protection that you can monitor from your phone via wifi. Allows you peace of mind when you hook up to an electrical pedestal at any campground.
3. Water Pressure Regulator
Just like with your electrical system, your water lines need to be protected too. I use the RVGUARD RV Water Pressure Regulator Valve, Brass Lead-Free Adjustable Water Pressure Reducer with Gauge. The gauge makes me feel a little safer as I can see the actual pressure instead of just setting a device and hoping it is working. So, add this to your Must Have RV Accessories shopping list.
Prevent water pipes from being damaged due to high pressure, suitable for the camper, trailer, and RV plumbing systems.
Factory Setting: 45 PSI, adjust pressure up to 160 PSI, water pressure setting can be easily adjusted to whatever water pressure you need by turning the screwdriver. Turn clockwise to increase pressure, and turn counterclockwise to decrease pressure.
10 Must-Have RV Accessories for your first time out on an adventure
4. Is this water clean to drink?
Since we are talking about water, let’s also make sure you have some clean water to drink and shower with. The best option if you don’t have one already built into your RV is the inline filters from RVGUARD. This filter states it is good for up to 15k gals of water use but I just swap it out every 6 months just to make sure.
NSF 42 certification for material safety, greatly reduces Chlorine, Bad Taste, Odor, and sediment, and provides you with clean and safe drinking water.
RVGUARD inline water filter can be attached to any standard gardening, water hose, or faucet, great for RV, Marine, Camping, Gardening, Planting, Farming, and much more.
5. Leveling/Stabilizing
Depending on your RV, you may need to invest in leveling blocks and/or stabilizers. To find out more about what you are needing please check out, How do my RV stabilizer jacks work? In a Class C RV, you will most likely need leveling blocks unless you get lucky and your sight is perfectly level. The stabilizer jacks are more of a convenience to stop side-to-side sway when walking around.
Easily level your trailer any increment between 1/2″ and 4″ soon. Determine the height you want to achieve. Put the anti-slip pad before placing the curved leveler. Drive the motorhome onto the leveler and stop at the height you want to achieve. Then add the chock under the leveler.
This RV stabilizer features a 7,500-lb capacity which helps to keep your trailer level and stable. It adjusts from 4″ to 24″ inches as your situation requires, and the bow-tie base steadies the jack on soft surfaces.
6. This is really bugging me!
This might sound insignificant, but trust me unless you are friends with the wasp community, it is a worthy investment. It was actually one of the first items I bought when I purchased my RV. I have had too many run-ins with those little buggers to not spend a few nickels to protect myself. These cover your hot water heater vent and heat exhaust vent that wasps love to build nests in.
3 Refrigerator Vent Mesh Screens 8.1×1.5″: For Dometic refrigerators with 8.13″ vents; 1 Rectangular mesh RV Screen 8.5×6″: For Atwood 6 & 10 Gallon and Suburban 6 Gallon water heater vents; 2 Circular Mesh RV Screens 2.8: For most Duo-therm and Suburban furnace vents.
10 items the RV newbie must-have for their first time out
7. Just can’t seem to reach
Here is another item I often use since for some reason I always get a site that is farthest from the electrical box. This one is 15 feet, but they do take longer if you think you will need it. I always seem to need an extra 2 or 3 feet, oh! so close.
RVGUARD 30 Amp 50 Feet RV Power Extension Cord, Heavy Duty STW Cord with LED Power Indicator and Cord Organizer, 30 Amp Male Standard to 30 Amp Female Locking Connector, Green, ETL Listed
8. Check your tire pressure
With all the stories I heard about blowouts and the damage they cause, this was a must-have for me. I really like that it is solar and you can monitor 8-10 tires at once. This is a perfect fit for any RV configuration. GUTA Solar Tire Pressure Monitoring System.
Never underestimate the importance of monitoring your tire pressure before, during, and after trips. Before and after are pretty self-explanatory, during is where you will need a little help. This is where a quality TPMS comes into play and takes the guessing work out of it.
Can Monitor Up to 8-10 Tires] GUTA RV tire pressure monitoring system is equipped with high-end external sensors. Long monitoring sensing distances up to 36 feet make the TPMS adapted to different vehicles. The TPMS can monitor the real-time tire pressure of 8 main tires and 2 spare tires at the most to protect your driving safety. Note: The package does not include the repeater.
9. Are we there yet?
Here is one of my favorite purchases that to me is a must-have also. It is perfect for keeping myself out of tight situations and not having to turn around because I am unable to get under an overpass. It also has preloaded campgrounds and settings for custom routes. Also, it can also be paired up with the below wireless backup camera so only one monitor is needed.
10. See where you are going safely
One of the most stressful things when it comes to driving an RV is the backing up process. With a little practice, it most likely will become second nature over time. There are a few helpful items that can make this situation go a bit smoother and one of them is installing a quality backup camera.
Vision S Sharkfin Camera is an easy plug-and-play for pre-prepped RVs, eliminating extensive drilling requirements. Easy set-up even for non-prepped RVs, with instructions mentioned in the User Manual.
4.3″ Touch Screen Anti-glare Monitor: Comes with park assist marker lines. The windshield and table mount allows for easy viewing.
RV backup camera with Unique digital signal dedicated dual antenna, power, transmission distance, stability, and durability are improved by at least 50%. The RV car camera can send 1080P videos to the display via a stronger signal. The signal can reach 984ft in an open area and work on a vehicle range under 320ft.
Imagine
Close your eyes for a moment and just think about this. It’s sunrise, you roll out of your RV, morning air feeling brisk, fire from the night before taking its last breath as it’s trying to reignite. You find your favorite chair on the site, turn it to look out over the lake, and nestle in to relax. Birds chirping and fish jumping as the new day begins. This is what it’s all about!………. Now imagine a hot cup of coffee in your hand. Life just got so much better!
If you are a coffee lover like me please check the GRIND coffee shop for all your caffeine needs and tons of informational material.
