Must Have RV Gadgets 2022
We own every item listed below, except for the chairs now, because someone needed them more than we did, I guess. We love all the items below, there are many other items we own that didn’t make the cut, and I will do a write-up on those as well.
All items are linked to Amazon so you can get a full description and view user ratings and reviews.
Our Boil Kettle. This was purchased after watching many other full timers rave about it. It’s one of those things that pays for itself, so it’s a no brainer. Stop using propane to boil water! It takes about 7 minutes to boil a quart of cold water. Here is my YouTube video of this in action. We make our coffee with a French press. I’ll turn on the boil kettle then jump in the shower. When I’m done, voila, hot boiling water. Even when we have to use propane to cook something like pasta, we will boil the water in the kettle and then just pour it into a pot.
Our Magma Nesting Cookware. When we installed our dishwasher, the cabinet space we lost was where we stored our pots and pans. They were from our sticks and bricks house and took up a lot of space. We had never used the Magma cookware before, but we took a chance and we love them. They are very solid, with a very thick bottom for even cooking. We got the ones with the Ceramica Non-Stick, and it outperforms any of the expensive ones we had before. The handles lock in place and it is all very sturdy. Everything fits compactly when stored, its about the size of a watermelon when in the cupboard now.
Our Igloo Compact Ice Maker. We have a 13 cubic foot refrigerator, which is large by RV standards. Ice trays are no big deal, other than the fact that they take away from our freezer storage capability. We went with the Igloo brand because it had the best reviews in regards to function and reliability. This ice maker is super cool. Its quiet, something we were worried about. It plops out ice about every 7 minutes, holds over 2 pounds, and makes 26 pounds of ice in a day (if you kept emptying the bin). Brandy drinks a ton of ice water, so this also kept us from having to constantly empty and refill freezer ice trays.
Our Smoker Grill. If you like to bbq or smoke your meats, this is the RV grill to have. It’s made for tailgating, but it is perfect for our use too. Folds up small and uses 12v, it can be controlled by wifi from your phone to set the perfect program to cook your feast. I can’t describe enough how awesome this grill is. If you’re in the market for one, be sure to research this one as you look at others.
Our Washer/Dryer. We read online that people said they were gimmicks just to make the sale. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Is it as perfect as a sticks and bricks washer and dryer? No, but its pretty darn close. Obviously it’s smaller, but that’s not an issue for us (2-3 people). The loads take a little longer, 2-2.5 hours, but you don’t have to remember to move them to the dryer. This unit made our RV feel more like a home than anything else. No more lugging everything to the laundromat. It uses about 10-15 gallons per load, so keep that in mind if you are not hooked up to the dump hose. Other than being heavy, it’s easy to install and it will change your life.
Our Nature’s Head Composting Toilet: We got rid of our standard RV toilet and made the leap. We had a leak in our black tank. The fix was so expensive that we saved money by installing this composting toilet. We absolutely love it. Yes, it takes a little getting used to, but nothing major by any means. Also, no more black tank dumps, and you can either use your black tank as an additional grey water tank, or replace it with additional fresh water storage.
Our RV’s Dishwasher: This is more of a convenience item and not required, but it is one of our favorite add ons. It is about 6″ narrower than a normal dishwasher, but there is plenty of room in there, even if it were more than just the two of us. It cleans just as good as any other dishwasher and now our sinks are empty again. As for installation, you need 110v power, a water line, and access to a gray tank. I did a write up on our install which can be viewed HERE.
Wifi Extender: If you are near wifi, such as in RV parks, you will want this. Now, for the most part, it won’t matter what spot your parked in. Let this large antenna repeat the signal over a much larger distance. It even sets up your own wifi network, so you can have a secure network just like at work or homes.
LED Cabinet Lights: If your RV is like ours, you have lots of dark places. Cabinets, the bathroom at 2 in the morning, our closet, are all examples. These mount with a magnetic sticker so they can also be used in hand. They operate on AAA batteries, and depending on the location they will last up to a year.
Solar Outdoor Lights: A great and pretty way to not have to use your RV’s battery for lights. These charge their own battery, and provide a small amount of light, reducing the need to use your RV’s exterior lights. These lights deflate for super this storage. When you click the link, look at the pictures, these are truly amazing, and the reviews agree.
GPS Tracker: We live in our RV full time. If it were ever stolen while we were out, it would be devastating. This GPS tracker would allow you to find the RV (with police help of course) quickly so hopefully it’s still unharmed. Wired to a 12V source, it is powered 24/7 indefinitely. A $6.99 monthly plan is required, but well worth it.
Shower Head – NOT Oxygenics: There are videos out there that debunk the low GPM claims of the oxygenics shower head. Liquids move due to pressure versus flow. If one changes, so does the other. We love our true 1.5 GPM shower head. Its not RV specific, but that is easily fixed with the cheap shut off mentioned valve below.
Shower On/Off Valve: A great way to safe water and still be able to use any shower head you want. It simply installs inline with your shower head or hose, and has an easy turning valve to control the flow, or completely turn off the flow.
Propane Space Heater: When your RV is not plugged in to shore power, the furnace not only uses a lot of propane, but it also uses a lot of power. This heater is very efficient, comes with the safety designs you’d hope for, and with an optional hose can be hooked up to an RV size propane tank.
Two-Way Radios: These have come a long way since I played with them as a kid. The range is now advertised to be 30 miles+, but regardless of what brand/model you buy, don’t expect anything more than 1-4 miles, depending on your surroundings. They can be used in anything from communicating while backing up the RV to using them while one person goes on a hike/bike. Save your cell phone battery power.
Stainless Steel Double Wall French Press: Another great energy saver. French press’s make the most delicious coffee, you simply add boiling water. You can boil water with either propane or a boil pot. Propane will save electricity when boondocking, and an electric boil pot will save propane while plugged in. Get the double walled version so the coffee stays hotter longer.
Compact Spice Rack: Space is king in an RV. You can’t get much more compact than this. Ours stick right to our refrigerator. They hold on well, even with heavy items like garlic salt. We do take them down when we travel, and that’s it. When on the fridge, they do not fall off, which is what I was most worried about. We also get many compliments on the look as well.
Awesome Outdoor Chairs: This is probably the most important item on this whole list. Why go camping if you can comfortably enjoy hanging out in the outdoors. Many models are available, but we like this one the most because it offers good lumbar support, reclines fully, and has a drink holder. The headrest is adjustable and can be slid down to your lower back for lumbar (Greg loves this).
EMS Surge Protector: RV park electricity is not always the most reliable. The most common problem is a ‘brown out’. This is when so many of the residents are using power that the electricity drops below usable levels. Devices like residential refrigerators and air conditioners are dramatically affected by this and leads to them needing to be replaced. This protector does much more, click to read all the details.
Rubber Wheel Chocks: A couple of reasons for these. If you accidentally run over them, they are not ruined. They also usually hold a higher weight, and grip significantly better on paved sloped surfaces. Cheap and small.
Tire Pressure Monitoring System: You’ve probably seen a tire that is low on air, the one with the bulge on the bottom sides of the tire. As a tire rotates, that bulge bends the rubber of whichever part of the tire contacts the ground, generating heat. Think about that, especially as you are driving 60+ mph. This device helps prevent blowouts by monitoring the pressure and temperature of the tire, and will alert you if there is an issue. If you decide for a cheaper brand, make sure it monitors up to the pressure your tires are inflated at.
Camco Water Filter: You never will truly know the water quality of the water you put in your RV. This simple inline filter is a cheap and easy way to get piece of mind on the quality of your potable water. It comes with a short adapter that is a hose in a spring so the filter doesn’t put too much stress on your inlet.
Water Pressure Regulator: RVs are only designed to accept about 50 psi from a city water hookup. RV parks are famous for having too high of a pressure, which will blow out a line inside your RV once attached. There are two types of regulators, fixed and adjustable. The adjustable is superior because if the pressure is already low, the fixed type will lower it even more.
Twist-On Waste Valve: When you are dumping your tanks, when you take the pipe’s cap off and some ‘fluid’ drains out and the valves are closed, then this is for you. This valve simply twists on the pipe, and your dump hose connects to it. Rather than spend big money to replace your leaking valve, this is a super cheap and effective solution. We no longer have a black tanks because of our composting toilet. This valve has allowed us to combine our gray water system for one giant tank.
Rain-X: A simple solution to help prevent shower glass stains. Also works great on exterior windows to prevent dried water spots. Of course, it is a miracle worker for the front windshield when it rains.
Roof Gutter Drip Extenders: A simple way to stop the water from rolling down the side of your RV from the standard short gutters that are normally installed. A cheap and easy solution to direct water away from your RV, and reduce or eliminate the stains associated with the shorter gutters.
Dish Rack: This is a must have. We like the black ones instead of the white or stainless steel ones. The black color ‘hides’ better. Counter space is limited, so we didn’t like the shiny or bright ones because it was the first thing you noticed when looking in the kitchen. This one has feet on the bottom that fold out so you can adjust it to get the water to drain in the sink even if you are not perfectly level.
Stainless Steel Fitted Sink Strainer: These are a perfect fit in our RV sinks. It’s a typical strainer, but it is built to look like your existing drain. No cheap or gaudy plastic strainer, this looks like it is part of the sink. Stop letting stuff you don’t want, like coffee grounds, getting into your gray tank.
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