10 Tips for RV Life & Best Gear for the Road

This is a sponsored post about the best gear for RVers.

best gear for RVers

Earlier this month, we hit the road again for “Round 2” of our RV trip! We’re so excited to be continuing on (21 states down, 29 more to go) but the day we left we were also talking about all the fears/issues that can pop up from living on the road and how, this year, we want to live with more peace and joy (even in moments when our RV breaks down in Kansas with the closest RV repair shop 80 miles away and a tornado heading our way!). We feel so grateful to be on this trip and want to continually remember that…even when it’s not easy.

After only 36 hours into Round 2, we’d already fishtailed in the snow, crashed our drone, had water dripping from both the dishwasher and the ceiling, had to refill our tire pressure, shattered a glass pan, and broke our steps. All of which were thankfully not a big deal, but hey, nothing like the present to test having a positive attitude! :)

Since being on the road for a year, we’ve learned that RV life isn’t always the most comfortable, but there are certainly ways to make it more that way! Prior to our trip, we did a lot of research about essential RV items (i.e. extension cords, leveling blocks, oh and you definitely don’t want to forget a sewer hose!). What we didn’t find was a more in-depth list of products that would help allow:

  • the RV feel more like home no matter where it is (even Walmart parking lots)
  • more peace of mind
  • convenience and functionality
  • the journey more enjoyable

So – for our fellow RVers – we thought we’d share items we consider to be the best gear for the road (after you’ve purchased that sewer hose, of course)! We’ve organized it within 10 tips for RV life.

best gear for RVers

1. Make your RV feel like home.

Although our RV renovation was a lot of work, we are SO grateful we took the time to do it! We spend the majority of our nights in Walmart parking lots, and it’s amazing how our RV feels like home no matter where we are.

Maybe you don’t have time for a full renovation, but are looking for ways to make your RV feel a little more cozy and luxurious than what it currently is. One of the easiest renovation projects we did was to install backsplash in our kitchen and bathroom. We used Mineral Tiles because they offer real glass tile backsplash in a simple stick-on format!

best gear for RVers

I really wanted to cover up the wallpaper in those areas with backsplash, but didn’t want Hud to have to do all the work of laying down cement, and didn’t like the standard thin plastic peel-and-stick backsplash options for RVs. So I was really grateful to find glass mosaic subway tile that transformed our kitchen and bathroom with ease!

best gear for RVers

best gear for RVers

If you’re thinking of renovating your RV, or just want to make simple changes that make a big difference, I’d recommend this:

  • 1. Write down a list of everything you can possibly think of changing in your RV.
  • 2. Rank each of those with 1-5 for how big of a difference it’d make (1 being the biggest transformation, 5 being the smallest).
  • 3. Rank each of those with 5-1 for how much work it would take (5 taking the most amount of work, 1 taking the least).
  • 4. Add those two numbers.
  • 5. Start with the projects that have the smallest numbers (meaning they make the biggest difference for the least amount of work)!

best gear for RVers

2. Organize your RV well.

Downsizing into a small space is NOT easy. Even with all the resources that tell you what to bring on the road (like this one :) only you can decide what things YOU will want to have. After determining what you’ll bring, the next thing is to figure out how to organize it – which can be equally as challenging. I knew I wanted to use drawer organizers to maximize my storage and organization, but our RV drawers are thin and long, and no pre-designed organizers would fit.

THEN we came across OrganizeMyDrawer.com, where you can create custom drawer organizers based on exact dimensions of your own drawers. Here’s a video showing how it works – the organizers are so easy to create and allow for everything to have a place while maximizing your storage well.

best gear for RVers

I’ve also found that our drawer organizers help keep our items safe. For example, RVers typically recommend using plastic dishes so they don’t break when you drive, but there’s just something about “real” dishes that feels like home to me. So we created a custom organizer that is about 4 inches high, and it holds everything safely and securely! And OrganizeMyDrawer.com now offers fabric liners for added protection!

If you’re wanting to organize your RV but don’t know where to begin, my recommendation is to start with just one cabinet or drawer, and don’t move on (or even look at :) the next one until you’ve organized that one well!

best gear for RVers

3. Plan to go “off the grid.”

When planning for our trip, we had budgeted money to stay in a campground almost every night – because we thought that’s just what RVers did. However, we quickly realized that we typically prefer to NOT stay in a campground because (1) we can save money, (2) we’re not the best at booking things ahead of time, and (3) there are so many beautiful places to boondock. It’s pretty easy to find places to stay for free, and our water tanks hold 90 gallons – so we can go about 7-10 days without having to dump and refill our tanks.

One thing we REALLY wish we had, and hope to add within the next year, is solar. We do have a generator and inverter that allows us to use battery power, but for energy and money saving purposes it would be really nice to have a solar kit to stay connected on the road. This would also make keeping our batteries (and also our phones, laptops, etc.) charged a lot more simple. Go Power! offers dependable and cost-effective solutions for mobile power needs.

best gear for RVers
image by Go Power!

Here is more info about how Go Power! solar-recharged battery systems work in RVs. I love their list of why solar is great for RVers: it allows more freedom, is quiet, saves money, is a great backup, and is a renewable power source. They also have a great calculator to help you determine what solar elements you need.

If you’re an RVer looking for free places to stay, our recommendations are to utilize FreeCampsites.net, BoondockersWelcome.com, and good ol’ Google to find great options!

best gar for RVers

4. Be prepared for RV issues.

Prior to hitting the road, we had read that you should be prepared for RV issues, regardless of whether you get a new or used RV. We can only comment on a used RV, but that has certainly had to be the case with us. We are extremely grateful that everything has turned out to be fairly minor, but you just can never know what to expect with RVs!

Last year, we blew a tire, and this leg of our trip, we’ve had ongoing issues with our tire pressure. The tire pressure was low when we hit the road, and since then we’ve had a valve extension leak in two different tires.

The good news is, prior to this leg of the trip we got a Viair 40047 400P-RV Automatic Portable Compressor Kit, which has made a HUGE difference in being prepared for tire pressure issues and allows us to have much more peace of mind on the road!

best gear for RVers
image by Viair

Last year when we had tire pressure issues, we searched for a gas station that had free air, but their air wouldn’t go over 100 PSI (and our tires need 115 PSI). So then we had to search even more to find a tire shop that could help us, but not just any tire shop – we needed a truck tire shop that could handle our size tires. And THIS year, all we have to do is jump out of the RV and use our Viair compressor kit to get up and running in no time!

Here is more info about how the portable compressor works – one thing we especially love is its automatic shut-off function, which allows for us to move from one tire to another without having to turn it off between tire fills. It’s also very compact for easy storage in the RV.

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5. Be aware, but don’t be worried.

One thing I’m SO grateful for is that I feel safe in our RV no matter where we are! I was worried about not feeling safe, but thankfully that has not been an issue at all. Obviously we try to be very aware of our surroundings, but we’ve realized that other than that it’s best not to wonder about the “what ifs.”

One thing that can help give added peace of mind is a keyless entry system. This is something we really want to add to our RV this year because not only does it provide extra security, but also convenience! It’s no fun having bags of Walmart groceries in your hand and then having to fumble for the key vs. being able to just enter the code and open the door!

Bauer Products has created great solutions for this – the Bauer NE is perfect for trailers, and the Bauer EM is great for motorized vehicles (primarily Class C motorhomes). NE and EM actually stand for the initials of the owners’ grandparents, as Bauer Products is a third generation family business – I love that! Their products are easy to install and are battery operated (they will operate for about a year on just one set of four good AA batteries).

best gear for RVers
image by Bauer Products

Bauer Products also sells Keyed Alike, which allows RV owners to have just one key for all entrance and baggage doors, providing convenience and security because most baggage doors can be opened with one generic key (something I never knew before)!

best gear for RVers

6. Don’t neglect your health.

Since we’re always moving (normally only 1-2 nights in a place) and have very fast-paced travel, it can be difficult to focus on staying healthy. Whether that means eating healthy foods, making time to exercise, or just getting some fresh air, it is not always the easiest thing to do.

I recently heard about the difference a Levoit air purifier can make, and was thinking that in a stuffy RV with dirt, oils, and fumes this would be such a helpful product! We got the Levoit LV-PUR131, and really look forward to the difference it will make on our health.

best gear for RVers
image by Levoit

Levoit air purifiers help remove dust, pollen, mold, and other pollutants as well as capture and neutralized household odors – perfect for life on the road!

best gear for RVers

7. Set a weekly time to clean.

Keeping a clean RV on the road can be difficult, especially when there is not much storage for cleaning supplies. One thing that has helped us is setting a weekly time to clean the RV before dirt can build up too much. :)

I have absolutely LOVED having a Shark IONFlex vacuum to keep our RV clean. The thin body makes it really easy to store between the passenger seat chair and our closet (otherwise unused space).

The Shark IONFlex 2X DuoClean® Cordless Ultra-Light Vacuum has an amazing cordless functionality, with two removable, rechargeable batteries that allow you to use one while charging the other. This is SO helpful for being on the road without 24/7 electricity, and is a great tool in keeping our RV clean! Shark offers a variety of vacuums, but the ultra-light vacuums are my favorite for life on the road.

best gear for RVers

8. A good night’s sleep makes a big difference.

Before we left for our trip, my aunt and uncle (who are also RVers) highly recommended that we sleep on our mattress for at least one night before hitting the road to make sure we liked it. For some reason, we never took the time to do that, and really wish we had listened to their advice! Our mattress was very uncomfortable and did not allow us to get a good night’s sleep on the road, which was not fun.

Thankfully, we were able to trade in the mattress for a better one, but in the meantime we also got a mattress pad and down alternative pillows from The Company Store that have made the bed in our RV SO very comfortable. We now often actually prefer sleeping on it over staying in a hotel!

best gear for RVers

Whether or not you have an RV, we highly recommend checking out The Company Store as their products are SO worth the investment to have a good night’s sleep (and I’m also obsessed with their home decor). They are currently having a Friends & Family sale (until 4/29/2018) where you can get up to 20% off and free shipping with the code PL20FS18!

best gear for RVers

9. Focus on quality over quantity.

This is true of so many things in life and RVing, but this current reference is regards to clothing! ;) Thankfully our RV has a bigger closet than I expected it to, and I stuffed it full of clothes on the first year of our trip. However, I ended up only wearing certain outfits and quickly realized that quality is much more important than quantity.

For Round 2 of our trip, I left a lot of clothes at home and brought only the ones I knew I’ll wear. I also looked for new clothes that are the perfect combination of comfort and fashion, and I found the cutest boutique called Sweet P & Fi. They have stylish clothing good for all occasions and weather, that are perfect for travelers! They are always adding new arrivals, but two of my current favorites are this distressed cold-shoulder top and white jeans.

best gear for RVers

Molly, the owner, is SO sweet and actually named Sweet P & Fi after her two daughters (who are so precious)! As a mom, she really cares about offering affordable pricing, yet still offers the same high-quality products as more expensive boutiques. Sweet P & Fi offers always free shipping and, when you sign up for their email list, you get a discount code for 25% off your next purchase!

10. Pack light.

Now this one I tend to struggle with…but in such a small space, less is more. As I mentioned above, quality is so much better than quantity. Prior to “Round 2” of our trip, we actually left a number of things at home because they weren’t being put to good use – and we added some new quality items.

One of those quality items is a good suitcase. Although we spend the majority of the time in our RV – for the times that we stay (at a hotel or at someone’s house) or fly (home or to an event) somewhere else, it is incredibly helpful to have a quality suitcase to pack in. Eagle Creek makes amazing products for the road – whether you are an RVer, world traveler, or occasional weekender – they have something for everyone, and their products are the definition of quality.

best gear for RVers
image by Eagle Creek

I chose the DoubleBack Carry-On because I love the ability to either wheel the suitcase or use it as a backpack. I also appreciate that it’s the size of a carry-on so that we don’t have to pay extra baggage fees on a flight.

best gear for RVers
image by Eagle Creek

And I use the Pack-It Specter Tech Cube Sets to make sure everything fits well and stays organized. It makes it so easy to just grab one cube and know that it’s shorts or shirts. The cube sets could honestly possibly be our #1 recommendation for ALL types of travelers because they have made the world of difference in staying organized and saving time on the road.

best gear for RVers

Bonus Tip: Enjoy the journey!

Each day on the road is a blessing, and our goal is to remember that even on the days where it doesn’t seem as easy. Products can certainly help make life on the road more comfortable, convenient, and enjoyable, but at the end of the day what matters most is your attitude! So our goal is to enjoy the journey, and to think of the stories we want to tell someday then go out and live them!!

If you’re an RVer…what are your favorite products you consider to be the best gear for RVers? We’d love to hear!

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Hudson and Emily

HI, WE'RE HUDSON + EMILY

We RVed the 50 states and now we’re on a mission to visit every country in the world! In addition to this blog, we share daily travel videos on Tiktok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram. We’d love to have you follow along to see the world with us. More about us here.

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