MUST Have RV Accessories, Essentials & Supplies for Beginners in 2023!

we are covering so much RV stuff today I'm  really excited to bring this video to you   guys RV Essentials are all the things that  you need in your RV but don't necessarily   come with the purchase of an RV there's a lot  of processes like setting up tearing down black   tank maintenance I'm going to show you all  the essentials that we carry and if you're   a beginner to rving you're going to have a  good idea of what to be thinking about and   that's really the purpose of this video all good  all right let's get this video started [Music] okay the essential items that we're covering  today are in no specific order of importance   or cost and I'm going to throw in some tips here  and there as we're covering specific items and   if there's something that we don't mention that  you carry please leave us a comment down below   let's start with the water connection the first  thing you're going to need is a water filter the   Camco inline filter is probably the most popular  filter out there you can also get filter kits that   provide better filtration I see a lot of full-time  rvers using these we use an inline filter it's   just personal preference you're also going to  need a water pressure regulator Campground water   pressure can be all over the place depending  on where you are and your RV's Plumbing has   specs that you need to stay within depending on  the RV that you have you may see manufacturer   specs rating anywhere from 60 to 100 PSI I would  recommend staying in the 45 to 50 psi range there   are adjustable pressure regulators and static  pressure regulators that are already preset I   would recommend the adjustable version that way  you can dial in exactly where you need to be and   of course you're going to need a water hose if  you plan on drinking water from the campground   connection consider getting a drinking water safe  water hose now in recent years a lot of rvers have   ditched the rubber hoses and have gone to the  expandable and collapsible hoses they're just   a lot easier to store and I would also recommend  getting at least 50 feet of water hose 75 to 100   feet even better something else I want to mention  real quick it's not necessarily essential but it   comes in handy and it's one of these pipe tees  this will allow you to have water access outside   without disconnecting all of your equipment in  case you want to wash your hands or fill up a   bucket to put out a campfire now depending  on the water hose that you get it may come   with some additional gaskets if it doesn't pick  a few of these up they definitely come in handy   if you have a leak somewhere on your water line  you should also pick up one of these 90 degree   fittings it keeps the weight of the hose off of  the fitting on your RV plus it prevents the hose   from kinking now there's no right or wrong order  to put this equipment in but if you put the water   filter after the hose you're running unfiltered  water through your hose which could contaminate   the hose and shorten its life much quicker than  if it was filtered water so here is my setup the t   is always first the water filter then my pressure  regulator the hose and last the 90 degree fitting   quick tip guys when packing up your camping trip  you want to disconnect your hose here and leave   the 90 connected to your camper because the camper  fitting is most likely plastic and will wear out   from constant connecting and disconnecting much  quicker than a metal fitting and as things wear   it's much easier to replace this 90 than it is to  replace the RV fitting all right let's jump over   to the essentials that you'll need to connect  your RV to power you're not going to need much   first your power cord which comes with your RV and  that leaves us with two more things both essential   one is electrical protection in either the form  of a surge protector or an electrical management   system also known as an EMS unit now this is an  Essentials video so I'm not going to get into the   differences between a surge protector and an EMS  unit but I'll keep it simple just get yourself an   EMS unit they just provide better electrical  protection for your RV because replacing an   electrical system or even just an appliance can  get expensive really quickly I use the Hues Auto   former portable power Watchdog EMS unit they also  make hard-wired options now in my opinion this is   the best electrical protection you can get for  an RV and let me say something we were not given   this EMS unit I purchased it with my own money  because I knew it was something that I wanted in   my RV it's Bluetooth capable so you can monitor  the campground's power pedestal right from your   phone it's also got emergency power shut off  for high and low voltage and that's important   because low voltage can be just as bad for your  RV as high voltage the EMS you buy should match   the power plug for your camper for example if you  have a 30 amp camper you're always getting a 30   amp EMS if you have a 50 amp camper get a 50 amp  EMS and with the power Watchdog you can purchase   and replace the part of the surge protector that  sacrifices itself during a surge so you don't have   to buy a whole new EMS Hughes is the only one to  offer this so pick up an extra module when you   order your EMS because if you need this you're  going to need it right away the next essential   power item is what's called a dog bone it's  going to allow you to connect a 30 amp camper   to a 50 amp pedestal and vice versa so if you're  a beginner you might just be asking why not just   get a campsite that matches my RV's power plug  the problem is not all campgrounds or campsites   for that matter have both 30 and 50 amp service  it actually happens more than you think but the   dog bone adapter will give you that flexibility  to plug your camper into a different sized plug   let's take a walk outside and I'll show you how  that will look so if you have a 30 amp RV you'll   plug your power cord directly into your EMS as  you would normally and then this is 30 amp our   power pedestal is 50 amp which we can't plug into  so we'll just connect this to the dog bone and   this is the 50 amp connection which will go to  the pedestal the last power connection essential   I'll cover today is not necessarily essential but  it's worth mentioning because a lot of campgrounds   have cable or satellite TV hookups pick up about  30 feet of RG6 coax cable just in case you get   rained in for a minute okay let's move over to the  Sewer connection you're only going to need a few   essentials here but the most important thing  that you're going to need is a box of rubber   gloves don't worry about powder free or medical  or food grade just get something that is six mil   thick not only do you want to be wearing rubber  gloves anytime you're touching anything black tank   related outside of the RV but they also come in  handy when you're doing repairs remember some of   us are boondocking and that means limited water  you don't have to waste getting oil and grease   off your hands next is your sewer hose I have used  the Camco Rhino flex hose going on six years now I   would recommend the sewer hose to anyone I would  not however recommend getting the cheapest sewer   hose you can find this is not a product you want  to skimp out on in addition to your sewer hose I   would recommend getting one of these clear elbows  it attaches between the end of your sewer hose and   the actual sewer itself it's got four different  size fittings and it will connect to most sewer   connections and listen nobody really wants to be  looking at what's coming out of their black tank   but it is important to see if what's coming out  is clear or not and if it's not clear you need to   keep rinsing and dumping rinsing and dumping until  it is clear this product is a must-have and even   though these clear elbows come apart they still  won't fit in your standard RV bumper where you   store your sewer hose and if that's the case on  your RV pick up a bin with a lockable lid you want   to make sure that you're keeping these separated  from everything else there's two other items I   want to talk about real quick while they might not  be essential to everybody they could save you some   headaches their sewer host supports that allow  you to keep your hose going downhill so everything   you flush out goes directly into the sewer and  it's not sitting in your hose and over time you   may notice that your tank seals start to leak a  little bit once you take the cap off of your sewer   connection if that is the case you can get an  external gate valve that allow you to connect your   hose before you actually open the flow a lot of  people swear by these I'll put a link down below   while on the subject let's just jump over to tank  treatments years ago I started with Thetford Aqua   Chem it did have formaldehyde which I didn't like  but then it went on a national backorder so I was   kind of forced to switch over and I switched over  to happy campers now it didn't break down waste as   much as I hoped it would and it will Clump if you  don't pour it slowly enough into your toilet but   it worked fine I guess I was just never overly  impressed with its ability to break down Solid   Waste then one day out of the blue matte from  Matt's RV reviews called me up and said hey   Ross I'm going to send you a tank treatment that  I helped develop try it out if you don't like it   throw it away no hard feelings but if you do like  it spread the word and this product is called   liquefied so I tried it Odor Control is great it's  got a really nice orange scent and the really nice   thing about this product is it does break down  and liquefy solid waste so thank you Matt after   trying this product it did work for me and I would  recommend it and you can use this on your gray   tanks as well also pick up a bottle of Thetford  toilet seal conditioner and also a bottle of drain   valve lubricant these products help keep toilet  seals working properly these are seals you do not   want to fail okay so let's face it the mattresses  that come in most RVs are simply put just garbage   and despite all the different types of RVs and the  different reasons to purchase an RV we bought an   RV to have some of the Comforts of home otherwise  we would have just bought tents right so you're   probably going to want to change your RV mattress  right away if you're in the market for an RV   mattress we just picked one up from rvmattress.com  which is the RV division of Brooklyn Bedding we   have What's called the Brooklyn Aurora Lux it's a  standard queen for the RV and honestly we love the   mattress so much we actually picked one up for our  house the really nice thing about rvmattress.com   is they do have all your standard sizes but they  also have the weird sizes that you see in some RVs   like the short queen and the bunk size and guys  I will be the first one to admit I was a little   weary buying a mattress online something that I  couldn't test out it will make recommendations on   the type of mattress you should look at based on  how you sleep the site is really easy to navigate   they'll ship the mattress to you for free you have  120 days to try it out they come with a 10 year   warranty and all mattresses are manufactured here  in the United States and listen if you don't like   the mattress you can order another style or you  can return it within 120 days you can click the   link below or go to rvmattress.com forward slash  RV tips and you'll save 20 off by using the coupon   code RV tips the next thing I want to cover is  Tire Essentials unsafe tires can lead to a lot   of problems like accidents damage to your RV and  injury to you your family and others on the road   so let's start with a tire pressure monitoring  system also known as a TPMS my personal preference   and recommendation is anything from Tire minder we  use their a1as system it's got a large five inch   screen color easy to read this system monitors  slow leaks rapid leaks blowouts low pressure high   pressure and high temperature they make an entire  line of TPMS units for all budgets and something   that's really cool that they offer to their  customers is once a year you can request them to   send you new batteries for every tire sensor that  you have on your RV now at the time of recording   this video it does cost you five bucks for them to  send the batteries to you but as many batteries as   you need for the sensors that you have are free  free free free you'll also want to pick up a   reliable tire pressure gauge and some type of air  compressor or air pump I keep tireminders 12 volt   compressor in my truck it will completely fill  a Class A Tire to 100 PSI in 12 minutes plus it   already comes with a digital tire pressure  gauge which is accurate to plus or minus 1   PSI guys I cannot stress how important it is to  be checking your tire pressure a lot and the tire   minder TPMS system makes that process quick and  easy I also keep a backup manual pump in my RV   for any reason I might not have access to 12 volt  power while on the subject of Tire safety it's a   good idea to pick up a tire protectant in the past  I've used 303 interior and exterior protectant   I've recently switched over to the 303 aerospace  protectant some people say this is the best stuff   on the market you can use this on rubber vinyl  plastic and you can use it on all the trim on   your RV as well okay now we're going to cover all  the tools and supplies that we consider essential   now the tools that you carry going to depend on  your technical ability your RV and other things   like if you're a part-time rver or a full-time  rver something else to keep in mind is that tools   can be used to fix components on your tow vehicle  your RV and both vehicles if you're out for a ride   in your tow vehicle and you need tools those tools  are obviously doing you no good if they're packed   up in the RV now in the interest of saving time  I am going to move through this section pretty   quickly but you don't have to take notes every  Tool and Supply that we talk about will be listed   Down Below in the video description in the same  order that it's mentioned in this video these are   all the tools and supplies that we keep with us  on the road a half inch breaker bar and something   to note the lug nuts on your wheels may not be  the same size lug nuts holding your spare tire   on your RV so you're going to want to walk around  the RV and check everything so you know you have   all the right sizes it's also important to have a  nice 3 8 inch socket set I keep this DeWalt socket   set in my truck I always keep six different tapes  with me number one a turnab on tape and a roller   in case I have to make roof repairs electric tape  duct tape masking tape in case I need to make any   seal repairs on the outside of the RV I carry  two types of Teflon tape one is your standard   plumber's Teflon tape and the other one is yellow  Teflon tape this is used on propane fittings and   will come in handy if you have a propane leak  and since we just mentioned electric tape make   sure to carry a good set of wire cutters and a  razor knife I carry a hammer and a rubber mallet   just in case there's any plumbing repairs I need  to make I carry a set of PEX crimpers along with   some PEX shark bite fittings you also might want  to stock a couple feet of extra PEX pipe just in   case you need to cut a new piece now if you need  to make a roof repair and you're not going to   use a turnab on tape you're going to use some  type of lap sealant make sure that you have a   caulking gun as well I also carry an extra hitch  pin and extra coupler pin and the socket for the   tongue jack in case I lose power this is how I'll  manually crank my tongue jack an extra bag of   just some random nuts bolts screws and washers  zip ties and a couple different ratchet straps pliers needle nose pliers and an adjustable wrench  channel locks vice grips and I also keep a tape   measure with us obviously screwdrivers are common  sense and something we should all have in our RV   but it's a good idea to peek around your RV and  see what type of screws the manufacturer put in   your RV you might find some screw heads that  are uncommon like the square bit so getting   a screwdriver kit with an assortment of bits  may be your best option just as we mentioned   the rubber gloves earlier it's also a good idea  to have work gloves on hand I keep a pair in my   truck and also a pair in my RV pick up a volt  meter you'll need one of these to do any type   of electrical Diagnostics while you're on the  road it goes without saying but flashlights   could also be a lifesaver in many situations  and also consider getting yourself a headlamp   this will allow you to keep your hands free if  you're working in the dark even if you don't   hike a backpack allows you to grab a few important  items you may need to take somewhere with you in   case of a number of different emergencies we all  have a lot of electronics with us these days so   I picked up one of these battery organizers so I  can stay stocked full of all the batteries I may   need in my RV a 5 gallon bucket can be used for  a lot of different things in an RV you can cover   your tongue jack with it you can use it as a  seat if you need to work on something that's   low you can carry firewood in it you can also use  it to access the water in your water tank if your   water pump fails and you could use it to put out  campfires if you don't have a hydraulic leveling   system leveling ramps have become pretty popular  over the last couple of years I use the Carm Tech   leveling ramps I've used them on soft ground hard  ground along with the anti-slip mats and have had   no problems with them fuses are important to have  as well it's a good idea to look through your RV   and see what type of fuses you'll need and either  get a fuse kit or stock a bag full of extra fuses   now a few people may disagree with me on this  one but I consider a ground mat essential now   there are some times that we don't use our ground  mat if we have a concrete pad but if you have a   dirt or Grass Pad it will save you a lot of time  cleaning especially on rainy days if you don't   already have one pick up a hose nozzle in case you  need to spray something off even with a hydraulic   leveling system or leveling ramps it's still a  good idea to keep some wood blocks with you you   can put wood blocks underneath your tongue jack  underneath your stabilizer Jacks you can put them   under your steps to increase the surface area so  they don't sink into the ground whether they're   wooden blocks or cutting yourself or pre-made  plastic blocks that you purchase these will   come in handy in a couple different situations I  highly recommend picking up the max Hall rubber   wheel chocks these are inexpensive heavy duty they  won't blow away or crack like plastic chalks and   they'll last you a lifetime if you RV with pets  don't forget your poop bags if you're familiar   with the channel you've probably heard me talk  about this next product a lot it's most Shield   T9 this is an amazing Lube that you can use on  the majority of loop points on your RV I'll also   carry an extra tube of all-purpose grease along  with an all-purpose cleaner for the interior you   may need to replace an exterior bulb on your RV  so don't forget to bring some marker bulbs and   brake light bulbs pack a good set of jumper cables  and if you camp remotely it might be a good idea   to think about buying a jumper pack I always have  an electric drill with us and if you have manual   crank down style stabilizer Jacks pick up  one of these stabilizer jack bits it'll make   putting your stabilizer jacks down and back  up a much quicker process don't forget an   umbrella and a couple of rain ponchos for obvious  reasons now nobody wants to be but you may be in   a situation where you're parked on the side of the  road and you need to change a tire or do something   to your RV keep a reflective triangle marker with  this at all times it's a good idea to have one   of these high visibility vests and I always keep  these in my truck so I have access to them before   I get out of the truck a full bottle of mineral  spirits geoflex sealer and plastic scrapers in   case I need to make any type of seal repairs on  the outside of my RV here's an obvious one that I   don't see talked about a lot utensils cups bowls  plates and it's a good idea to consider plastic   wear it's much lighter than glassware plus you  have an RV that's traveling down the road at a   cool 65 miles an hour so it's definitely worth  considering something that's not going to break   even if you drink the water from the campground  water connection it's always a good idea to bring   some bottled water water with you keep all of your  checklists on your cell phone there's a lot of   processes and procedures to owning and operating  an RV we're on our seventh year of rving and I   reference those checklists all the time this  one's common sense but worth mentioning make   sure you get first aid kits and also get one for  your RV and keep one in your tow vehicle as well   make sure you have a copy of your owner's manual  and if for whatever reason you didn't get one with   your RV go online and download the digital version  there's a lot of information in here that you may   need to access on the road a fire extinguisher  is also something you may not have gotten with   your RV and if that's the case I would pick up at  least a two and a half pound ABC fire extinguisher   and if you do have a fire extinguisher in your RV  from the manufacturer it probably looks something   like this to test it out just push this button  down and if it doesn't immediately pop back up   it's time to replace it in case you need to change  a flat tire on your RV a bottle jack is probably   the most popular Jack among rvers and the big red  10 ton torn is probably the most popular choice   of bottle jack every rver should also carry an  extension cord okay if you're not planning on   using an electronic leveling indicator system you  will need a standard level now I'm old school and   still use a standard 24 inch level it's just  personal preference I know a lot of rvers   who love the electronic systems but if you don't  have a hydraulic leveling system you're going to   need one of these two items while x-chalks are not  essential to rving I cannot speak highly enough of   this product they really do a good job of adding  stability specifically horizontal stability to   your RV by locking the wheels if you camp when  it's cold at campgrounds that don't charge you   for electricity pick up an electric heater these  will quickly pay for themselves with the amount   of money you save on propane so the next thing  I want to cover is both an essential item and   a process and I don't think it's mentioned enough  but you want to be checking the operation of your   emergency windows on a pretty regular basis and  if you camp with children you want to teach them   how to use these emergency windows I saw a  comment from one of our viewers on another   video and they said to throw a blanket over this  windowsill to make exiting a little bit safer and   easier and I think that's a great suggestion  emergency Windows like this one in the bedroom   can be quickly covered with your bed spread and  remember to keep blankets within Arm's Reach of   other emergency Windows remember RV Essentials are  not one size fits all so if there's something that   you carry that was not mentioned in this video  please help out the RV community and leave a   comment down below and one more time every item  that we mentioned today in this video is down   below in the video description if you need to  pick something up now that you have a good idea   of RV Essentials you can check out this video up  here it's going to teach you everything you need   to know about maintaining a black tank this video  up here is going to show you how to clean your air   conditioner coils this video down here is a video  about some General RV life hacks and this link   down below is to all of our video playlists thanks  for watching guys we'll see you soon [Music]

Channel: RV Tips & Travels

Views: 84,915

Keywords: rv essentials, rv must haves, rv products, rv's for beginners, rv tips, rv modifications, rv upgrades, rv mods, rv life, rv how to, rv maintenance, camping, rv travel, travel trailer, rv tips and travels, rv living, camping hacks, rv diy, rv renovation, travel trailer tips, rv, rv tips and tricks, grand design rv, rv hack, rv hacks, brinkley rv, rv must have, rv essentials for newbies, rv beginners guide, rv newbie setup checklist, rv tool kit, rv supplies, rv gear

Id: yuvS3zZL81c

Length: 20min 36sec (1236 seconds)

Published: Sun Mar 05 2023