Essentials for Stocking Your RV for the First Time
- RV Basics. The first rule of stocking your RV is “less is more.” Keep in mind your space limitations and load capacity, and start with the basics.
- Kitchen Essentials. The easiest and cheapest way to stock up your RV kitchen is to raid your kitchen at home for any duplicate or underutilized items.
- Bath and Shower. When stocking your RV bathroom, start your supply search at home.
- Cleaning Supplies. With the limited space you have in an RV, there’s not much room for the traditional array of cleaning supplies.
- Bedroom Essentials. The RV bedroom is a great place for old bedding to find a new home.
- RV Accessories. Even though space is tight, you can always make room for everything you need to have fun outdoors by utilizing your storage compartments.
- Pet Supplies
- Important Items. While this checklist might seem lengthy, keep in mind it only covers the basics. ...
What should I stock my RV with?
The first rule of stocking your RV is “less is more.” Keep in mind your space limitations and load capacity, and start with the basics. If you purchased an RV from a dealer, it might have come with an RV starter kit, complete with RV everything you need to get set up on your first day of camping.
How to stock up your RV kitchen in an emergency?
To make sure you’re covered in the event of the most common emergency situations, bring: The easiest and cheapest way to stock up your RV kitchen is to raid your kitchen at home for any duplicate or underutilized items. Most people more pots, pans, mugs, and cooking utensils than they need to be stuffed into in their kitchen cabinets.
How do you organize stuff in an RV?
Use packing cubes to ease storage woes RVs are notorious for having small storage spaces, and it’s easy to get things jumbled if you’re digging through the cabinets. Use color-coded packing cubes or storage bins to sort your items. That way, you’ll only have to pull out a cube or bin to get exactly what you need.
How do I make a packing list for my RV?
Make a personalized packing list You can easily find many RV-stocking checklists online. Find one that seems the most complete, and make your own version of it with only the items that are important to you. Use it for each and every trip. After a season of camping, you’ll figure out what items to add and which ones can be marked off.
What should you stock in your RV?
The key is to bring everything you need, and nothing that you don't. After your new RV is all stocked up, check out these tips and trips to keep all your supplies neat and organized....Bedroom EssentialsSheets, pillows, and blankets.Clothes hamper.Clothes hangers.Clothes you can leave in the camper.
What is the 2 2 2 rule for RV?
The RVing 2/2/2 rule is a safe and effective way to plan your travel. It means drive no more than 200 miles a day, stop every 2 hours, and stay 2 nights in each place. Some RVers also put an appendix on the rule encouraging drivers to arrive at an overnight destination by 2:00 p.m.
What does every RV owner need?
The Checklist Every First Time RVer NeedsDrinking Water Hose.Sewer Kit.Surge Protector.Generator.Electrical Adapters.Water Pressure Regulator.Tire Pressure Gauge.Duct Tape.More items...•
What should you not pack in your RV?
What Not To Pack For Your RV VacationCanned food. Seriously, you'll never eat all the emergency supplies you're tempted to hoard in your RV. ... Electronic items. This includes laptops, tablets and video game consoles. ... Kitchen appliances. Keep your meals simple. ... Fresh water. ... Firewood.
What is the 333 rule for RV?
By adhering to this simple rule of thumb, you can make traveling easier for your whole family. What is this? First, limit your travel to no more than 300 miles in one day. Second, arrive no later than 3 p.m. Finally, stay at your destination for at least three days.
How far should you drive an RV in one day?
4. Never drive more than 500 miles per day.
Can you poop in RV toilet?
RV toilets are designed to handle all human waste, including your poop. If you are properly maintaining your black tank and RV toilet, plus using plenty of fresh water when flushing, you will be able to poop in your RV without experiencing clogs or smells.
Is buying a RV a good investment?
Is an RV a Financial Investment? The short answer is no. With the exception of some in-demand vintage models, the value of an RV depreciates over time. An RV is an investment in a lifestyle, but you can mitigate the expense by renting it out when not in use through a third-party rental site like Outdoorsy or RVshare.
What should I buy for my new RV?
While each RV will have different essentials, based on the type and it's features, here's a basic list of must-haves.Sewer hose.Fresh water hose.Leveling blocks.Wheel chocks.15M/30F amp power adapter.RV septic-safe toilet paper.Water pressure regulator.RV cleaning items (wash, wax, ladder, bucket, sponge)
How do you pack an RV like a pro?
8 RV Packing Tips For BeginnersMake a List of Necessary Items Based on Daily Activities. ... Safeguard Your Plans With The Dyrt PRO. ... Bring Some Entertainment. ... Plan Your Meals and Bring Food With You. ... Bring Basic Tools, But Don't Over Do It. ... Dump Tanks Early and Often. ... Pack Light and Evenly. ... Leave The Breakables At Home.
Do you need special dish soap for RV?
One of the best parts about using Dawn dish soap in RV black tanks is that it's an environmentally-friendly soap. It doesn't contain phosphates and can be broken down by bacteria. This means that it's a safe and biodegradable soap to use, even if you're cleaning/dumping your tank in a strict or natural environment.
What toilet paper is safe for RV?
If you wish to stay with an RV-approved toilet paper, Thetford Quick Dissolve, Camco RV, Thetford Aqua-Soft and Scott's Rapidly Dissolving (with claims that it breaks down 4X faster than other brands) are well-known for dissolving and moving quickly through the RV black tank.
Essential RV Camping Gear
While there are all sorts of fancy RV accessories on the market, designed to make every aspect of your trip easier and more convenient, there are really only a few pieces of camping gear you absolutely must have — like the sewer and drinking water hoses, as discussed above.
How to Stock an RV
Although you can fill your rig with unique camping gear and clever storage accessories, that’s probably not what you’ll really appreciate having when it comes right down to it. Instead, the stuff you definitely want to make sure you’ve got with you is a lot more basic… which means it’s accessible and easy to find, too!
What to Stock in an RV
Another piece of RV cooking gear that many campers swear by is the Instant Pot, which allows you to perform all sorts of different cooking functions (and therefore whip up all sorts of different tasty treats) all in one easy-to-use appliance.
Best RV Camping Gear
Other items that are very nice to have when you’re camping include outdoor furniture, like foldable camp chairs, as well as a portable grill in case you’re camping somewhere that doesn’t have one. You may also want a large outdoor cooler so you don’t have to keep going inside to the fridge every time you want a cold drink.
How to cook in an RV?
Pack an electric hot water pot; this is handy for a quick cup when you don't want to fire up the stove. Add a spatula, vegetable peeler, bottle and/or can opener, plastic cutting board and serving spoons. If your RV has an oven, pack a baking pan. Use unbreakable plates and cutlery.
What to store in RV storage?
Most RVs have storage compartments on the outside of the rigs. Some of the items stocked in these areas include the sewer hose, sewer hose fittings and gloves. Surgical gloves work best because you can toss them after emptying the tank. All of these items must be kept separate from your freshwater hose, preferably in another storage compartment. Other items you should carry include wheel chocks and leveling blocks -- both used when the RV is parked -- spare fuses, extra bulbs and a tool kit. If you have the space, store fold-up patio furniture, a patio mat and outdoor cooking gear.
How to make a long trip more relaxing?
It's OK to have a few elaborate meals planned, but easily prepared items that don't require extra appliances will make your trip more relaxing.
Do you have to pack an RV before?
If you've never packed an RV before, it might seem like the rig has an endless supply of cupboards, shelves and closets for all your gear. When you start to load your stuff, however, you'll probably find that space is at more of a premium than you'd imagined.
Can you get close to a Class A motor home?
If you have a Class A motor home or large trailer, you could get close, but even these RVs have space limitations. To get around the space issues, carry multipurpose cooking equipment. For example, if you have a frying pan and a cooking pan that use the same size lid, pack one for both.
What is the first rule of stocking an RV?
The first rule of stocking your RV is “less is more.”. Keep in mind your space limitations and load capacity, and start with the basics. If you purchased an RV from a dealer, it might have come with an RV starter kit, complete with RV everything you need to get set up on your first day of camping. If building your own starter kit, you’ll need ...
What to put in RV bedroom?
You should be able to stock your RV bedroom without ever going to the store by bringing these items from your home: Sheets, pillows, and blankets. Clothes hamper. Clothes hangers. Clothes you can leave in the camper.
Why are things left behind in RVs?
Unfortunately, they are also things that often get left behind by RVers—likely because campers tend to focus mostly on camping-specific supplies. However, these things are no less important for those looking to have a good time: Sunscreen — Nobody likes to be sunburned on vacation.
What to do when bugs are out in summer?
Citronella Candles — Summertime is when the bugs are out in full force. Keep them off of your campsite by setting up citronella candles. Hiking Supplies — Hiking is great any time of year. That said, summer is peak hiking season.
Is a refillable water bottle better than a book?
Refillable Water Bottle — Sure, you could buy a pack of disposable water bottles. However, a refillable bottle is much better for the environment. A Book — As awesome as relaxing can be alone, it can quickly and easily become a little dull.
Can you keep drinks cold in an RV?
Ice Chest — Sure, you could simply keep beverages cold in your RV fridge. That said, you’re going to need to stay hydrated during the hot summer months, and an outdoor ice chest makes it much easier to keep plenty of drinks cold without using up your limited fridge space. Oscillating Fan — Good for use both inside and outside the RV, ...
How to save money on RV?
1. Buy duplicates of necessities. It’s tempting to try to save money by using your home items in your RV. This is great, until you’re lugging pillows, skillets, and camping chairs in and out of the house for every trip. If at all possible, buy extras of the things you’ll use most, and leave them in the RV.
How long should I pack for a campground?
Instead of packing your whole wardrobe, pack enough for a few days or a week. Most campgrounds have laundry facilities, making it easy to do a few loads (even several at once!) while you’re enjoying the campground amenities.
Can you take everything with you on an RV trip?
However, packing all of this into your rig can get tiresome. You don’t have to take everything with you for every trip. Focus on the items you’ll use most.
What to keep in mind when stocking an RV?
One last thing to keep in mind when stocking your RV is to be sure and distribute the weight. You want as much of the weight up front as possible. Do not over load your camper as well. Keep these things in mind when stocking up your RV.
Do you have to spend money to stock up a camper?
In addition, move over old items, like the towels, from the house to into the camper. You do not have to spend a lot of money to stock up your camper. These items don’t have to be the quality you have in your home, as they will only be used while traveling.
Do you know what you need in a camper?
Usually, you don’t know what you need in the camper until you are at the campground putting said camper to use. Camper inventory does have certain must have items but, some items are a personal choice. For example, some people keep a separate set of clothing in their camper, so they just have to hookup and go.
Protect your Vehicle
Your RV is an investment and if taken care of properly, can last for years. To help increase its lifespan, it’s important to take the right steps when it comes to cleaning and preserving your investment. Selecting the right products is key, and you should make sure you have a cleaner, a protectant and a fabric guard on hand.
Kitchen Considerations
When you are on the road, you likely won’t be dining on fine china, and while paper plates are convenient, they also get to be expensive and take up more room in your small space. You can find reasonably priced tableware and silverware at your local dollar store or discount retailer.
Hit the Right Place for TP
Believe it or not, there is special toilet paper for RVs. RV TP is specially designed to protect and maintain your black water tank and it breaks down faster to avoid clogs. However, don’t flush your money down the toilet buying toilet paper at the pricey RV store.
Clothes that Stay Behind
Nothing blows your budget faster than getting to your destination and realizing that you don’t have a jacket for a cold night or a swimsuit for an unexpectedly warm day. Look for clearance specials and good deals on seasonal clothes that you’ll leave in the camper. Include at least one jacket, a pair of sweatpants and a swimsuit.
