The "Essentials" For Your New RV!
You may think that, once you pick up your new (or, new to you) RV, you'll be able to hook up and head right out for your first adventure. That is not the case. There are a number of things you're going to have to purchase before your RV is actually usable! In this week's blog, and in the accompanying video on YouTube, we discuss what essentials you'll need before heading out.
When we picked up our first RV, we had no idea that we were going to have to make an additional investment in order to actually use it. Below is a list of the items, along with a little explanation, that you'll need to buy whether you're buying your RV new or used.
For your Water:
- A potable water hose - Water is a necessity for your RV and, if you're not boondocking and using your freshwater tank exclusively, you'll need a water hose to hook up to the spigot at the RV park. Be sure to select one that is for drinking water! All of the items that I'll be mentioning in today's blog are available here: Essential RV Items for New RV'ers
- A 90 degree elbow for your water hookup - The weight of a water hose is going to wear out our RV's plastic water connections. The 90 degree elbow alleviates much of that weight and cuts down dramatically on that wear.
- A water filter - Whether you use the standard RV water filter from Camco or a much more elaborate water filtration system, a water filter is an absolute must! We've been in probably a hundred or more RV parks and have yet to find water that we would trust to drink straight out of the spigot.
- A water pressure regulator - We've been in RV parks where the water pressure was around 75 psi. Simply stated, that would have blown the water lines in our rig. Because of that varying water pressure, it is important to have a water pressure regulator! We recommend an adjustable one, like the one in our Amazon store.
Tank Maintenance Needs
- Sewer Hose - Now, this is an absolute necessity whether you're boondocking or in an RV park. That being said, one would think it would be supplied with a new RV. It is not. So, you're going to have to buy one. We highly recommend the kit that we have in our Amazon store. It has everything you need to hook up including a transparent elbow to hook up to the sewer connection so you can monitor the flow of your tanks.
- Black tank treatment - To keep your black tank flowing well and odor free, you're going to need some sort of chemical treatment. What we use is "Supreme Green" and, although it is not available on Amazon, it is available through Camping World
- A "Honey Wagon" - This is an "extra" item that is only necessary if you'll be boondocking or camping in state parks that generally do not have sewer hookups available. I have no idea why someone found it necessary to call it a "honey wagon" but it's basically a portable sewer that can take to a dump station to empty
Power Needs
- Power Cord Extension - Although your RV will come with a power cord, having an extension is very helpful. We have been in RV parks that had the hookups at the complete other end of the site.
- Surge Protector or "EMS" - Much like we wouldn't drink water straight from any RV park spigot, we also wouldn't risk our RV b connecting directly to the electric without our EMS or "Electrical Monitoring System". We've been in parks where it saved us from everything from ground faults to a damaged circuit breaker.
- Surge Protector Security - When you buy your surge protector or "EMS" you'll be spending anywhere from $250 - $500. You will then be hanging it from the utility pole outside for all to see. You're going to want to protect your investment with a simple cable lock.
Safety
- Chocks - I see many people using those cheap, plastic chocks for their tires and I have to say, those things are junk. Invest just a little more in the hard rubber chocks and you'll increase your safety immeasurably.
- Leveling Blocks - From helping to keep the legs of your steps from sinking into the ground to actually leveling your RV, a set of leveling blocks is an absolute necessity!
- Fire Extinguisher - Most RV's come with one but I probably don't have to say why this is a MUST for your RV!
- Hitch Lock - This is for simple peace of mind in preventing someone from backing up and pulling away with your rig
- TPMS - A "TPMS" or "Tire Pressure Monitoring System" will allow you to monitor your tire pressures and temperatures while on the road, helping to avoid blow outs.
A Few "Extras"
- A Generator or Solar Setup - If you're going to be boondocking, and especially in areas where the temperatures can get pretty hot, you'll want to be able to use your air conditioning. Without a sufficient generator or solar setup, you won't be able to do that.
- Cable for your TV - We keep 100' of television cable in our RV for RV parks that have cable hookups
- This Fork to Release Your Hitch -
This has become one of my favorite tools! It allows yu to easily release your hitch ball when unhooking and has not failed me yet! It is available at "Jimmy Lever"
Thanks for reading and I hope this has been helpful!
Check into our Amazon Store to purchase all of your essentials!
See the video below for more detail: