So You Want To Live In An RV: What Will You Need?

Trent and I have received a few questions lately to the effect of, "We're thinking about RVing full time. What should we bring?" Because space in an RV is so limited, it's important to think critically about what you need/want to haul and what you can/should leave behind (we now realize that even though we worked hard to bring only the necessities, we still brought too much!)

We've compiled a list of products that we purchased, use on a regular basis, and highly recommend to other RVers and would-be RVers. (Note: these links are Amazon affiliate links, meaning that if you purchase the product via the link, Amazon will toss us a few cents in loose change. Many digital nomads are using this as a way to generate a little extra income.) We've also briefly described what we use each product for and why we like it so much.

A disclaimer: We can only speak to what's worked well for our 29 foot Coachmen Freelander. Obviously, certain specific products (such as the RV cover) will not work for every type of rig. With RVs, one size does not fit all.

RV ELECTRONICS:

1. Progressive Industries EMS-PT30C Portable EMS RV Surge Protector - 30 Amp

• What it does: Protects our RV from a range of electrical issues and helps us monitor our amp draw so we know how close we are to our 30 amp limit.
• Why we like it: When selecting a camping site, we check the electric post with the surge protector BEFORE we set up everything else. This device lets us know everything is in working order and within acceptable limits. If not, we can select a new site before setting everything else up.

2. Camco 55501 PowerGrip 25' Cord with 30 AMP Male Standard/30 AMP Female Locking Adapter

• What it does: Works as an extension cord for our RV.
• Why we like it: It allows us to park farther away from the electrical post if we need to find level ground, better shade, or a nice view.

3. Camco 55175 18" PowerGrip Dogbone Electrical Adapter with Handle

• What it does: Allows us to hook our 30 amp RV to a 50 amp outlet.
• Why we like it: If the only site left is 50 amps, we could stay at that site. Also, sometimes the 50 amp outlet is in better condition than the 30 amp outlet on the same electric post. This device gives us a better chance of a good electrical hook-up.

4. Camco 55165 15M/30F 12" PowerGrip Dogbone Electrical Adapter with Handle

• What it does: Allows us to hook up our 30 amp RV to a standard household outlet.
• Why we like it: If we park in someone's driveway for the night, we can still get electricity to the RV.

WATER AND SEWER GEAR:

1. Camco 43051 20' Sidewinder Plastic Sewer Hose Support

• What it does: Keeps the gray and black water moving in the right direction and prevents, well, stagnation...
• Why we like it: Flexible yet sturdy.

2. Camco 40285 RV Green Disposable Dump Glove - 50 Pairs

• What it does: Protects our hands while we deal with the sewage tanks.
• Why we like it: Because nobody wants to touch poop water or contaminate the entire family.

3. Walex TOI-91799 Deodorizer

• What it does: Eliminates unseemly odors that emanate from the black tank.
• Why we like it: Because we'd rather not smell our toilet.

4. Camco 20123 Brass Water Wye Valve

• What it does: Bifurcates a single water outlet.
• Why we like it: With this valve, we can hook up both a freshwater hose and a hose for washing or flushing the tanks.

5. Camco 40043 TastePURE Water Filter with Flexible Hose Protector

• What it does: Helps clean/filter water from city water lines.
• Why we like it: Light, effective, easy to install, easy to store.

6. Camco 39062 Dual Flush Pro Holding Tank Rinser with Gate Valve

• What it does: Makes emptying the gray and black tanks easy and sanitary.
• Why we like it: Permits easy cleaning of the black tank to remove any remaining residue.

7. Camco 22783 TastePURE Drinking Water Hose (5/8"ID x 25') - Lead Free 

• What it does: Serves as designated hose for drinking water.
• Why we like it: A standard hose is not suitable for drinking water, and we like to drink water!

8. Camco 22505 90 Degree Hose Elbow - Lead Free

• What it does: Hooks up to your water intake and connects to the water hose.
• Why we like it: It allows the hose to run straight down and not out and down forcing the hose to bend. This reduces wear and tear on the hose.

9. Camco 39761 RhinoFLEX 15' RV Sewer Hose Kit with Swivel Fittings

• What it does: Hooks up to the sewage tanks (black and gray) and runs to the sewage dump.
• Why we like it: It's easy to connect and disconnect and compresses into a much smaller size for storage.

10. ETL 26781 White Body Spa Oxygenics Shower with 60" Hose 

• What it does: Maximizes water pressure while reducing excess use of water.
• Why we like it: You can press a knob to turn off the water flow while you're soaping up; easy to install.

RV MAINTENANCE:

1. ADCO 2509 Clear RV Windshield Cover

• What it does: Keeps the windshield covered while we're in camp and helps manage indoor air temperature.
• Why we like it: Easy to put on and take off; easy to store; relatively inexpensive.

2. Carrand 93210 Long Chenille Microfiber Wash Mop with 48" Extension Pole

• What it does: Allows you to gently wash your RV without use of a stepladder.
• Why we like it: Effective; inexpensive; eliminates risk of someone falling off a ladder and breaking something.

3. Bug Scrubber RV Car Aircraft Bug Remover

• What it does: Removes all of the bugs that attached themselves to your windshield as you were driving.
• Why we like it: It works! Bug guts are sticky and can be hard to remove.

4. Aero Cosmetics Wet or Waterless Car Wash Wax 16 oz.

• What it does: Gently removes the grime from the side of your RV without the need for water.
• Why we like it: It's good for fast, effective spot cleaning in camp - no hoses needed.

5. Aero Cosmetics Waterless Car Wash & Wax 128 oz.

• What it does: Same as above - just in a larger size.
• Why we like it: We use this product fairly often, so we like to carry the larger size with us.

6. Dicor 501LSW1 White Lap Sealant - 10.3 oz. 

• What it does: Easily repairs small rips, tears, and weathered areas on roof of RV.
• Why we like it: Easy to apply; quickly repairs potential leak points in roof.

7. Aero Cosmetics Tire Shine Protectant, 16oz 

• What it does: Protects tires from damaging UV rays.
• Why we like it: Easy to apply.

KITCHEN TOOLS AND APPLIANCES:

1. Camco 43753 Hardwood Stove Topper and Cutting Board

• What it does: Fits over the stove, thereby creating additional counter space for food prep and improving efficiency of the kitchen area.
• Why we like it: Sturdy; doesn't move while the RV is in motion (thanks to grippy material on the base of the board).

2. Melitta Coffee Maker, Porcelain 6 Cup Pour-Over Brewer

• What it does: Provides liquid of the gods to sleepy RVers.
• Why we like it: Easy to use; easy to clean.

3. Instant Pot IP-LUX50 6-in-1 Programmable Pressure Cooker, 5Qt/900W

• What it does: Cooks everything from beans to rice to veggies to soups and stews to cheesecake - and in the fraction of time required by regular appliances.
• Why we like it: Fast, effective, and easy to clean and store.

4. Magic Bullet Blender, Small

• What it does: Blends single-serving smoothies and shakes.
• Why we like it: Small, easy to store, easy to clean.

IN CAMP:

1. Camco 42805 60" x 78" Handy Mat with Strap

• What it does: Reduces amount of dust and dirt carried into the RV.
• Why we like it: Helps maintain cleanliness of RV interior; inexpensive; colorful; easy to store.

2. Camco 44432 Wheel Chock

• What it does: Helps keep the RV from rolling away while parked. Whew!
• Why we like it: Light and inexpensive.

3. Tri-Lynx 00015 Lynx Levelers, (Pack of 10)

• What it does: Levels out your RV if you're parked on uneven ground.
• Why we like it: Light, easy to use, easy to clean and store.

4. Modkat Litter Box Kit

• What it does: Provides your cat with a relatively attractive, private place to use the facilities.
• Why we like it: It fits nicely in the cab of the RV (between the driver's and passenger's seats); reduces scatter of kitty litter throughout the rig; includes a reusable, sturdy liner.

On the Road, Day 2

We ended up leaving yesterday after all. Good thing, as most of our stuff was cleaned up, stocked away, and ready to go. We were eager to get on the road.

 

Our first stop on this journey (to nowhere in particular) is a four-day visit to the Mammoth Caves area of central Kentucky. We're at a lovely campground with full hookups (water, sewer, electricity), a swimming pool, laundry, etc. We've already met some of our neighbors, stocked up at the local IGA, run on the roads and trails surrounding the camp, and made some meals in our handy InstantPot (although my first attempt ended with me forgetting about it and leaving it outside in the pouring rain - it was fine, and the meal was delicious!)

 

We're using the next few weeks to learn more about Clark and his quirks - one being that his shower does not work properly - and decompress. I don't know about Trent, but for me, transitioning to this kind of lifestyle is going to take some adjustment. I typically like to have lists full of tasks that I can check off and feel proud of accomplishing. This way of life will also involve many tasks - lots of cleaning, lots of repairing and maintaining, lots of cooking, lots of working with my son - but without a traditional job, I know that I'll likely be a bit lost for a while.

I hope I can give myself the space to make that transition without judging myself. To help myself do that, I plan to do a lot of working out (running and Piyo), journaling, cooking, blogging, Instagramming, and seeing the sights. These are all things I love and that feel familiar and happy to me. 

 

On a totally different note: for the Biscuit fans out there, she seems to be doing really well. She loves all the vertical opportunities in the RV and enjoys climbing from the couch to the bunk and then down to the table and then back to the bed... She was a little freaked out when we first arrived, but now she's in full I Am The Queen Of My Domain mode.

 

"Put the phone down, human. You're embarrassing yourself once again." -Biscuit McDowell in a judgmental moment

We're leaving TOMORROW! Maybe! Or maybe not.

Our plan is to leave tomorrow, but we're waiting for a critical Internet-related package, so we may or may not head out then. We've already pushed back one of our campground reservations in Tennessee just in case. We figure we might want to take our time getting there anyway. 

Today was an interesting combination of busyness, fun, and relaxation.

We woke up in the RV, which is currently parked in the driveway. Here's Sam demonstrating how the over-cab bunk is supposed to work:

He loves that space. It's entirely his own and he's excited about organizing it as he sees fit.

We made huge progress in cleaning out our house. Two rooms are entirely empty, a third contains only the items we plan to drop off and store at my parents' house, the kitchen is less of a disaster than it was yesterday, and the family room now houses only the stuff that we haven't moved to the RV yet.

Biscuit freaked out at all the emptiness and spent hours hiding behind the toilet; to make her more comfortable (and bathroom use a little more private), we created a cat fort out of a folding chair and towels:

We finished cleaning out my office and turned in my keys:

And then we had some time for making a delicious dinner and playing Try-To-Spray-Me-With-The-Water-Hose-Good-Luck-I-Have-A-Moldy-Umbrella:

We're in a little bit of hurry-up-and-wait mode, but it's fine. At this point, what's the rush?

Two days to go, and here's where we're at...

Major furniture recycled or rehomed: CHECK.

Messy house achievement: UNLOCKED.

That's salt all over the counter. I had a little salt grinder accident at lunchtime.

Even the resident ants took part in the mess-tivities:

(This is a good time to be an ant in this house: there are plenty of snacks, and at this point we're too lazy to try to get rid of them.)

By late this afternoon, we'd made some progress in terms of getting items out of the house and into the RV. At least the kitchen is starting to look a little emptier and less frenetic.

Take away message: Moving is never fun - regardless of whether you're moving into a new house or a tin can on wheels.

The kitchen gear not voted off the RV island

We've made amazing progress in reducing the amount of STUFF we own and identifying what we want to take with us. Today it was all about the kitchen gear.

Here's a rundown of what we decided to take with us on the road:

1. Utensils: Four regular knives, four forks (one currently in use), four spoons, two serving spoons.

2. Knives: We like to cook, so these are important.

3. Dinnerware: Three plastic bowls, four plastic plates, four small bamboo plates, one small bamboo cereal bowl.

4. Pour-over coffee maker: We had a press pot, but cleaning it is messy. On our last shakedown RV trip, I managed to spray a full cup of soggy grounds all over the interior of our rig. This coffee maker is much easier to wash.

5. Variety of necessary kitchen paraphernalia: Stirring spoons, measuring spoons, measuring cups, bottle opener, bag clips, grater, peeler, spatula, etc.

6. Mugs and cups: So far we've got it narrowed down to four ceramic mugs, two plastic camp mugs, one beer glass, and three juice glasses. This is a small percentage of the glassware we previously owned. We need to make another cut here, but for some reason I'm having trouble letting go. Of drinking glasses. Yeah. 

7. Pyrex measuring cup: I think we've had this since we got married. It's awesome for measuring liquids as well as heating up water in the microwave. It's coming with us.

8. Pots and pans: One wooden salad bowl, one plastic mixing bowl (with handy gripper base), Pampered Chef mixing bowl (I can't part with it - I use it almost every day), saucepan, 8 x 8 glass pan.

9. Instant Pot: This thing is amazing. Every 5-star review you've seen is totally justified. Beans go from dried to fully cooked in less than 30 minutes, and it has a crockpot mode for soups and stews.

10. Our beloved, grimy toaster oven: We really thought about giving this away, but we use it all the time. We make toast in it, bake bread in it, and roast vegetables in it. We'll house it in one of the storage bays, pull it out when we're in camp, and use it as part of our outdoor kitchen.

Going through our belongings to figure out what we need to take, what we want to take, what's easy to let go of, and what we find ourselves attached to has been an interesting and informative experience in itself. What does it say about me that I have a death grip on a coffee mug? (Although come to think of it, maybe that's not too surprising...) What does it mean when we are desperate to sell things we thought we just HAD to have when we purchased them? Should we be giving out plastic- and candy-filled goodie bags at the end of every child's birthday party? (Answer from someone who just spent an hour tossing these foot-piercing pieces of cheap crap: NO! STOP WITH THE GOODIE BAGS.)

One thing I've realized is that I want to become a more thoughtful consumer. I want to spend more time weighing the pros and cons of my purchases - not only in terms of cost, but also in terms of space, emotional aspects, environmental effects, and social impact. Am I buying things because I truly need them or because I want to keep up with the latest trends I see on Instagram, Pinterest, and HGTV? Are the things I'm buying worth the price and the space? What is the cost of disposing of something that looks kind of ugly but that is still completely usable?