October 8, 2025 Wednesday 12:37 AM
RV 101
To help you get down the road and back home safely.
New Product Announcements 15 Things I Had to Buy After Getting a New Travel Trailer 2023-06-01 10:32:24 submitted by kevin.is.out.there@outlook.com -
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Basic Accessories and Tools - Before you leave ,
Some day you'll upgrade to these , Options for the resident expert
Frequently the dealer will offer a starter kit to new RVers to help get you out the door and on the road. This will normally the minimum basics like a two or four pack of RV toilet paper, a water pressure regulator, maybe some tank deoderizer, and possibly even an intrduction to sewer hoses kit. It's enough to get you through a shakedown cruise, but you need more if your plans include any time at all.
Below you'll find some of the things we added to the basic kit based on some lessons along the highways from Round Rock, to Destin, Buena Vista, Badlands, Birch Bay, Eminence, and Oceanside.
I've broken them out into things you'll need early in your journeys, things you'll probably trade up to when the basics wear out, and a few items will let you handle more challenges and maybe even earn some respect from the oldtimers in your campground.
Fresh Water Supply
Water hose - BPA Free (RV hose) Get a white or blue "Pure Water" or "Taste Pure" or other "RV type" water hose that is free of harmful BPA chemicals. Store it isolated, well from any contaminate potential like the stinky slinky, rugs, or other things often found in storage compartments.
Examples
Water hose gaskets You know them as either impossible to get out of the end of the hose or nozzle, or so loose they fall out every time you disassemble. Pick up a bag full or a 12-pack. You'll probably thank me at some point.
Examples
Water line pressure regulator Campgrounds, and even home water lines, may run at high enough pressure to damage the water lines inside your rig. We've had internal water leaks due to inadequate assembly on two RVs in the last few years, possibly brought out by high campground water pressure. Normally such leaks would be caught by the manufacturer's functioinal testing, assuming such tests are conducted, but we had a leak under the sinks of a Micro Minnie Winnie and a Cougar, both known as quality product lines. Do yourself and your rig a favor, and add an inline water pressure regulator. Make sure you get one with a rock screen / filter on the front end. We stayed at a brand new resort in late 2020, and every time I disconnected the water I had to clean out the little rock filter/screen. It was full of tiny gravel from the new lines that could have wedged themselves into the regulator. And yes, I installed that upstream from the filter (that would do the same thing) to keep potentially high water pressure from "expanding" the in-line water filter.
It's a good idea to have the flexible extension shown alongside the water filter (below) in case the regulator's rock screen doesn't fit into the water faucet well enough to seal properly. Sometimes that happens when the site has an anti-siphon valve permanently attached. Just put the extension in between the faucet and the regulator.
Example 1 Inline Regulator
Example 2 Inline Regulator
Example 3 Inline Regulator + Gauge
Example 4 Variable Inline Regulator + Gauge
Water line anti-siphon / backflow preventer Many parks already have these attached to the spigots to protect the infrastructure from accidental poisoning. Be a good steward and buy your own to make sure you never backflow anything into the water system. If you have a black tank flush fitting, buy another anti-siphon valve and dedicate it solely to the black tank role. Make absolutely sure to mark/label it for this application only, or leave it attached to the flush port. And remove the setscrew, it's only necessary for permanent mounts and will mess up the threads on your hose.
Water filter These should be used for anything you put into the tanks or lines, to eliminate smells, tastes, particulate and protect the rig and most of your water fittings.
Example with hose protector
Water pressure gauge Understanding the incoming water pressure can help you identify and/or avoid many plumbing challenges. It's nice (for me, as an engineer) to know both the pre and post regulator pressures, but common sense says the most valuable place to measure is post-regulator, to know what goes into your rig. There's no need for the bluetooth or wifi models unless you're willing to admit to being geekier than me..
Example
Water line adapters: 90 degree This might be as simple as a right angle elbow to let your waterhose drop straight down along the camper wall and reduce the stress on the connector. You never want to hang the water filter or the weight of the (full) water hose out from the rig, that's inviting cracks and leaks. My current Cougar has a water connection door with freshwater in, black tank flush in, and a hot/cold faucet line out. I use an assortment of fittings to let the lines pass through the door's openings, while letting the hoses hang nicely down to the manifold. So if you buy one, get a few more to make the line run where you want it. Some even have built-in valves.
Water Hose Elbows
Water "Bandit"
You will eventually come across water hoses lacking a fitting or ending in a damaged fitting. This doohicky will let you seal your hose to it with little or no leakage. If you ever intend to use it with your tank flush hose, buy a second, label it, and keep it with your stinky supplies.
Hose Protector / Short water hose with kink eliminator spring (BPA FREE!)
Water hose splitter/manifold, 2, 3 or 4 way (gauge, fresh, flush, rinse)
Many Examples
Even one with WiFi!
Organization
Clean Water / "Used" Water Isolation
Most rigs have a pass-through for storage. All rigs require storage for clean water items. All rigs require storage for not-so-clean water items. Keep the stinky slinky hoses in the bumper, dedicated outside storage, or in a sealable tote in the back of your truck or on the bumper. Smaller (dedicated) used water connectors stay in a bag on the "dirty" side of our pass-through. Clean water fittings, hoses and filters stay in bags or wound up on the other end of the pass-through. And they never get mixed even for a second's convenience.
Cleaning supplies in a tub
Two flavors here. One is for the storage of interior cleaning supplies stored in a tote with a handle. Solid bottom to keep leaky chemicals from staining the carpet or flooring. The other flavor is for the more personal cleaning supplies that often reside in the shower. A similar handled tote will work, but you can store the tote in the shower (if there's room) by drilling a few holes in the bottom corners to let it drain.
Small storage tubs for organization in closets/overheads
IKEA's SAMLA series is clear, lightweight plastic in an a range of sizes, all stackable to some degree.
Clear containers are a "clear" benefit to knowing what's inside.
Spare / extra blankets, towels, pillows, clothing
RVs aren't nearly as climate controlled as a home so it makes sense to have a way to provide heat/warmth is specific locations. Likewise during the summer, it might be nice to spread out the bodies, so spare pillows and sheets add to the flexibility coefficient. The more years we camp, the more we dedicate to the operation. The items live in interior storage tubs after cleaning. The rig gets parked in the driveway for a night or two upon return, during which everything is cleaned and replaced into the right spots ready for the next adventure.
Electrical
Electric Plug adapters
If your rig is 50A, you'll need a 50A to 30A adapter. If you have a 30A rig, you'll need a 30A to 50A adapter, and a 30A to 110 outlet adapter for barebones charging at home. (110V=>30A=>50A and 50A=>30A=>110V)
Surge Protector
I'm torn between describing this as mandatory or a potential upgrade. Some experts say to always use one. We've RV'd for decades from Washington to Florida, from California to Kentucky and never needed one. But it only takes one event to ruin your day. External corded models from $100-300 are good insurance and in some places you'll want to lock them up. I'm planning to add an internal unit to avoid the hassle and storage requirements. Our coach had one built in like many higher end rigs.
Battery Charger or a solar solution
Your battery WILL drain at some point, if you can't plug the rig in you will need to be able to charge the battery outside the rig, so a 10/6/2A or even a trickle charger will make that possible.
100 Watt (min) solar panel + charge controller
That's just to keep the basics online. If you plan to really use the system off grid you'll need several times that. Example, a Keurig draws 1500W to startup, most solar systems can't support that directly so you'll need to be able to charge the battery for 1500W/XWatts where X is the capacity of your solar system. A 300W system will need to charge the battery for 5 times as long as the Keurig runs, not counting any other losses. If the Keurig runs for 2 minutes, you'll need full sunlight and no other load for 10 minutes between mugs. It's actually a little more complicated, but solar is a slow, continuous charge while the loads tend to be intermittent and larger. More on this later. And, it only charges in daylight...
Inverter / Transfer Switch / Big Battery
It's changing, but right now many/most RVs aren't set up for enjoying 110V appliances while boondocking or overnighting without an incoming AC feed. An inverter will attach to the battery system and provide 110V AC for a few outlets if your rig is pre-wired for it. Ours has a loop in the basement that allows insertion of a Transfer Switch between the breaker box and 4 or 5 outlet. I set up an automatic transfer switch to default to shore power but cut over to the inverter when it gets turned on. The conversion from the 12V battery supply to 110V AC requires a lot of battery capability. Example, our 2000W inverter could draw a peak of more than 110 amps from the battery to power something like a Keurig coffee maker. That means very large wire and fuses between the battery and inverter. It also means a very large battery (or several) if the load occurs very often.
Sewer & Black/Gray Tanks
Get some gloves The 6mil thick black nitrile gloces work surprisingly well. Yes, you'll sweat, but personal cleanup is much easier.
Example
Stinky Slinky / Sewer hose No matter how tempting it might be to save a few bucks, do not, and I mean DO NOT buy the hose without permanently attached fittings. I like the Valterra Dominator hoses for the ability to collapse and stay collapsed. It makes them easy to route and they generally stay in place. The 10 foot sections collapse to less than 3 1/2 feet. Almost all hoses use the standard bayonet fittings, although some may be tighter than others. You want a snug connection, but they should separate without the use of cheater bars. And don't skimp on the quality, remember the scene in the movie "RV"?
90 degree clear elbow Let the fun begin
Gasket This goes between the elbow and the sewer opening. Some sewers have threaded PVC pipe that fits the elbow perfectly, the gasket is for those that don't. Be prepared.
RV Toilet paper Some experts say special toilet paper isn't needed if you use plenty of water. Other say to always use RV toilet paper and plenty of water. The RVTP is thinner than the luxurious stuff advertised on TV but it is designed to dissolve more completely. We have survived using it since 1997 with no clogs to show off. Also available at virtually every Wal-Mart in the country.
Black tank deodorizer
You want this or something like it before your first trip. drop it in the potty and add a couple of gallons of water. Simple as that. This one's even Orange "Flavored". The plastic wrappers can build up, so make sure you can flush the tank well. There are also liquid deodorizers as an alternative. Only disadvantage of the liquid is that it's not quite as convenient.
Note: This is no substitute for using plenty of water to flush the black tank. Copious water is your friend.
5 or 10 inch extension in black or clear for ease in hose attachment and/or flush verification. It makes attaching the hose much more pleasant if the dump port is way up under the rig.
Examples:
Valterra 10 inch, Black or
Camco 5 inch, Clear
Magnetic bumper covers to retain sewer hose For two years I have recommended these, but when I picked up the trailer the other day one was missing. I don't know if it fell off while driving, but a side marker light on the same side was also missing. Not sure if it was due to wind or pranksters.
Sewer hose 'Y' adapter
Designed for multiple gray tanks on larger rigs. If this applies to you, and you intend to stay in one place for several dumps or just want to be able to leave the hoses set up during your stay, you will want to add this Y fitting and additional hoses to your collection. There's nothing preventing you from moving the hoses from front to back when dumping, but consider this a serious convenience enhancement. We used it for several months waiting on a home build to complete, but have only used it once since.
Parking Safety, Security, Stability
Leveling Blocks
Wheel Chocks Rubber wheel chocks are ideal. Plastic chocks will work on some surfaces but you'll eventually want to upgrade to rubber for concrete. I now travel with 4 rubber for concrete pads and driveways, and 4 plastic for gravel and dirt.
Locks for the tongue, hitch Preferably with matching keys
Jack for changing the trailer tires.
It might be a simple as using the leveling blocks on the adjacent tire when tandem, it might be a real scissor jack, or ideally the built-in electric jacks.
First Aid Kit
Dedicated Toolkit for RV repairs and upgrades
Flashlights: magnetic, rechargeable (maybe USB)
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Pliers
needlenose, channel-locks, diagonal cutters, crescent wrench
Combination Wrench large enough for hitch repairs
Screwdrivers
P1, P2, large and small blade, Torx bit set
Small and large pry bar
Or body and trim tool - Plastic
Box Cutter
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Multimeter for AC and DC voltages, and continuity/ohmmeter
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Combo toolset with 1/4 in and 3/8 in ratchets, 1/4 inch drill adapters for the sockets
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cordless drill/driver, with a jack adapter for the drill.
This is an awesome setup if you have manual jacks, but the cordless drill/driver is a necessity anyway.
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Repairs On The Road
12V air compressor and a compatible plugs
Wire stripper and wire crimper
Heat Shrink tubing + solder connectors
Spare fuses and lightbulbs
Silicone caulk
Miscellaneous
Boeshield T-9 Rust and Corrosion Protection/Inhibitor and Waterproof Lubrication It is expensive but well worth the added cost. Get the two pack, you'll want it in your garage, also.
QuickTips - Planning Get an RV-dedicated Planning App
Know the height of your Rig! And know it in the appropriate units! - Think bridges, signs, trees, gas station overhangs. And never tow through a fast food drivethrough! Just sayin'
QuickTips - Travel Days Pack On-The-Road snacks and food
KNow the weather forecast
Avoid Rush Hour Traffic - You take trips in your RV to avoid stress and get away from the daily grind. Why put yourself back in the middle of that daily commute?
Take Breaks
QuickTips - Upon Arrival
QuickTips - Breaking Camp Check your tow and toad tire pressure when it's cool our. - Use a tire iron to tap them mlike a trucker, check the tread and sidewalls for flaws, and use a tire pressure gauge frequently.
Walk Around 1 - Make absolutely your chains and breakaway are attached properly, the towing latches and locks are in the right positions, and all pins and hitches are positively locked correctly.
Walk Around 2 - Stow the steps, fold the handles, pull the chocks..
Walk Around 3 - Take a full tour of the camper and tow vehicle, looking for things hanging down, sticking out, unlatched, unlocked, or in a condition obviously not ready for highspeed adventure
Dump the Tanks! - Don't carry the excess weight, and keep the 'stuff' from sloshing very far, especially if you have one of the defective Dometic plastic potties on secret recall.
QuickTips - Cleanup
QuickTips - Checklist Items
Tool Videos https:// remote site -
May 31, 2023 Must-Have Accessories 15 Things I Had to Buy After Getting a New Travel Trailer Camper Smarts -
June 14, 2020 / May 30, 2023 The call of the road is stronger than ever, and you’re ready to hit the gas pedal. You bought a camper, now you need to prepare for the road.
Your wallet may feel like it’s smoking from the large amount of money you just spent on your RV, but now you have some essential gear you’ll have to purchase. The good part is the amount of money you need to complete your travel trailer supply checklist is like adding a few sticks to the fire, not another gas can.
To make this as painless as possible, we’ve put together an organized list for first-time travel trailer owners on what you should keep in your camper trailer. You don’t need to wait until you have your RV, this is what you need to know before buying a travel trailer concerning essential gear.
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