RV Accessories To Make Life Easier
- V.Gray
- Jul 15, 2022
- 8 min read
Before we moved into our RV full time, we did a lot of research. During the winter lockdown 2021 in Canada, all we did was research full time RVing. We read all the owners manuals (ours came in 5 thick books), forums, blogs, watched documentaries on Netflix and Youtube and Pinterest. We listened to all the do's and don't, along with the how to's. Then we started compiling a list of all the items we believed we needed to make our lives easier when we moved into our RV full time.
I broke it down by indoor and outdoor items we like and use all the time. Our top 11 items for both categories. Depending on the size of your RV or trailer will decide what you have room for, everyone's lists are different.
Inside our RV:
- Vent Insulator - We found these very helpful, especially on the really windy days. They do help keep some of the heat in, however do not rely on these alone.
- Font Windshield SunShade - Trying to find a way to keep heat in and cold out or vice versa? We found this small addition made a large impact in the summer in keeping the RV cool. This is cut-able to size too, so the extra lengths we actually cut to fit additional windows we do not always open. https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07D7G8YD3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- Magnetic Screen Door - When it's nice out we tend to leave our main door open and we found the screen door does not seal well. We also noticed that kids, friends and family in and out during the weekend, would invite mosquitos in. This magnetic screen is one of my top favourite purchases so far! We used velcro around the top and sides to seal the screen to the RV (easy and quick install or removal), the weight base means it does not move around (as much), and easy entry/exit.
- FlexBrew Coffee Maker - We have always had a single serve Kerugie coffee maker, which we really liked. We knew we would probably have a few nights with friends staying over or family coming for coffee in the morning, so we decided this machine was a better idea for us. This machine is so easy to use, clean and makes our morning coffee more enjoyable. Waking up and having coffee waiting is amazing. We got ours off of Amazon, we did compare it to BestBuy and other stores, Amazon was the cheapest.
- Crockpot- We have had our crockpot for a long time now and love it. We have always used our crockpot a lot, so this was one item we did not want to part with. With container space, stove top space being limited in the RV and convection oven, we end up using our crock pot a lot. Soups, roast, chickens etc. It's nice to set it and walk away until dinner time.
- Rice Cooker - We bought one when we lived in Bali and honestly this kitchen accessory has saved my life multiple times. With limited stove top space (we have 3 burners, 1 large and 2 small) which can make cooking difficult. I got this rice cooker at our local grocery store for $17 and do not regret it.
- Collapsible Dish Drying Rack - You could go to the dollar store and get a two piece drying rack, but hear me out on why we got this one. This drying rack is durable, folds up small, it fits perfectly in the sink, easy to clean and does not hold the water and has lots of grooves for plates, cutlery, cups etc.
- Toilet Treatment- Camping for the weekend is fine, the smells don't stick around too much. However as full timers sometimes those stinks stick. My in-laws had this product in their trailer when we borrowed it and it works amazing. We use it in our toilet when we notice it starts to get a bit funky and also in the sinks just to clear the lines out.
- Mini dehumidifier - We started with just the small Pro Breeze dehumidifier to help dry out the shower room (we worry about mould). This mini one works great, is easy to move around the RV, empty and easy to store.
- Dehumidifier - We found the small dehumidifier was great to help dry out a small area, however to remove the moisture that occurs through the day (humid in the summer and chilly in the fall/winter). We needed a heavier duty dehumidifier, we found mould growing quickly in the window sills and did not want it to spread. We got this bigger model at Canadian Tire on sale. This unit works great, the settings are easy to set up, split in two (bucket and top dehumidifier) making it easy to dump and store.
- Water Dispenser - When we were travelling in Bali, Indonesia. We ran into this really cool water bottle dispenser that doesn't require you to lift that 5 gal jug of water and flip it upside down. This dispenser is awesome, you open the bottle and place it on the top! It is rechargeable and a charge normally lasts 3 months. YOMYM Water Bottle Dispenser Portable Electric Water Bottle Pump for Universal 5 Gallon Bottle
Outside the RV:
- 30amp/50amp Extension Cord - You can not always be close to outlets and the cord on board is not very long. Everywhere we read highly recommended getting an extension cord, just in case. We use our cord all the time, so it was worth the investment. We found everywhere we looked 30amp/50amp extension cord were over $150, in store and online.
- Additional length of Sewer Hose - Some dump sites are a bit tricky and can require you to have longer sewage hose. If you are boon docking and want to dump your grey water, it best to not dump right beside the RV (making mud or soft spots where you park). We use the hose extension every time we dump and coming apart into two sections makes it easy to use and store.
- Rubber Gloves - Emptying the sewage or even the grey water sometimes gets messy. Disconnecting the hoses, water will continue to drain out of the RV, resulting in wet hands. We have a pair of heavy duty rubber gloves that we keep in the water compartment for this job specifically.
- O-Ring Gaskets for Waste Valves - In our first season in the RV, we found sometimes the valves to empty the grey and black water leaked and we would find small pools of water in the compartment. We read online this was a common problem. We went to a local RV dealership (Delmastro RV) and purchased a few extra O-Ring Gaskets. We only have to replace them once, however having them handy if we run into this issue again is reassuring.
- Additional Propane Tank Set Up- I mentioned in an earlier post, we did our first 6 weeks in the fall/start of winter 2020. We figured out how long the onboard propane tank would last and decided we wanted a back plan. One factor was we did not have to start up the RV every couple of days and fill the onboard propane tank. Our Rv came with an additional adapter hose to link a back up tank in. Our set up is pretty basic, two 100Lb propane tanks beside the RV with propane hose pigtails (cost about $40 on Amazon), additional hoses (local store about $50) and a changeover regulator kit (lets us know which tank is empty and automatic switches to the other tank $90). This system saves us if one tank runs out in the middle of the night, it automatically switches to the next full tank and we do not wake up freezing.
- Water Hose - We have two garden hoses, one standard 50ft hose and one 50ft retractable hose with a quick shut off valve. We do not always use both lengths, however having a back up hose in case one starts to leak or if you are further away from the water hook up than you thought is handy. The 50ft length is an expandable hose, it's light, easy to put away and pull out and the shut off valve.
- Surge protector - Every Facebook Group, forum, Pinterest posts and blog we read all recommended getting a surge protector. You never know what will happen when you plug in at a campsite or a friend's house for the weekend. We know that this surge protector has saved us a few times, during power outages and brownouts. It is reassuring to know our RV and appliances are safe and protected. We got this surge protector and it works great! It is easy to use between the RV cord and extension cord, while also checking if it is working (green is good, red is bad).
- Foam Wash Gun - Every blog we read had the same story about; people arriving at their campsite down south and washing their RV. Cleaning all the road gunk off, while doing a full once over the RV. This is not my favourite chore to do but needs to be done. With saying I fully understand we have to take care of the RV inside and OUTSIDE. A big "no" we found was using a power washer on the RV because it is hard on seals and paint, and will actually cause a lot of harm. So we had to find a different way to clean the RV (13ft tall and 41ft long). Looking around online, we found this foam gun. It is great to spray the RV down with soap, then we rigged up a microfibre cloth on a retractable pole to clean, then use a garden hose to rinse and finish with a microfibre cloth to try and remove some water marks.
- Camp Chairs - We wanted something supportive, comfortable, easy to fold up, and durable. The worst is the camp chairs that you get out of and your back hurts or are too low to the ground. We found the normal camp chairs only last a year or two before they start to wear and break. We found these King Camp chairs online. They are everything we wanted, the side shelf and storage pouch on the side were an extra bonus too. We also have two zero-gravity chairs for guests or for lounging around on sunny days. KingCamp Heavy Duty Camping Folding Director Chair Oversize Padded Seat with Side Table and Side Pockets, Supports 396 lbs (Black/Red-2 Pack
- Napoleon Travel ProQ285X BBQ - We looked at other camp BBQ models at Canadian Tire, Walmart and TSC. We found they were low quality, had bad reviews and did not have a warranty. Some of the BBQ's were smaller than this one, since we knew we would be using it daily we wanted a bigger grilling space. Some of the smaller bbq's also did not have a stand, the grates were not cast iron and they were not as durable as this one. We really like this model, it has cast iron grates, two side shelves, has a built in stand with wheels, it is easy to fold up, put away and set it up as well. We purchased an adapter ($20) to hook up the full size propane tank and a cover for it.
- Traeger Tailgater Pellet Grill- This is by far my FAVOURITE purchase for the RV. We use this pellet grill/smoker Fridays through to Sundays and if it's a long weekend Monday too. We pre cook dinners for the week, bake bread or muffins, pizza's, full turkeys/chicken, jerky, nachos etc. This pellet grill/smoker is easy to use, easy to fold up/unfold legs to stand and store, clean and maintain. We got ours from a local dealer in Canada along with our pellets.
Everyone's RVing needs are different. After doing our research this is what we decided was what we needed to make our lives easier and better for full time RV living.
Cheers!
**Please note that all opinions and views expressed in this post are my own, from my own experiences. If you would like to see more pictures follow me on Instagram vikki.gray **
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