Essential RV Gear

By Sal & Rebecca, The Tin Can Travelers – We use affiliate links. When you click an affiliate link, we may receive a small compensation at no cost to you.

Traveling in a Recreational Vehicle (RV) is more involved than one might think. A RV is a self-contained home on wheels that must hold water and sewage and provide electric power. To make this happen, and help you enjoy your travels, certain gear is required. This list of essential RV Gear is different from other posts since it only lists the bare-minimum needed to enjoy your RV adventures.

Surge Protector

Campgrounds are notorious for fluctuations in their electrical grid. These problems can range from high or low voltage and polarity. And since your RV has appliances that are sensitive to these issues, they can be damaged if subjected to it. In other words, a good surge protector is not a suggestion, but rather a requirement. If you don’t want to damage your RV’s electrical system or appliances, requiring costly repairs, you must have one. We use “Surge Guard Model 34830”, which has saved our RV’s electrical system from surge and low voltage conditions on several occasions.

Chocks

Most campsites aren’t on level ground. Chocks are used to prevent the RV’s tires from moving once parked and, of course, to keep the RV from rolling away. This piece of essential RV gear comes in two styles: scissor and wedge. The scissor style chock is used between the tires on a double axel RV where there is less than a foot of separation between the two tires. The wedge style chocks are placed behind or in front of the tires depending on the grade of the campsite. We prefer “X Chock Wheel Stabilizers” but we also put wedge chocks in front and behind each tire as an added precaution.

Electrical Cord Adapter

RVs come is several electrical configurations – from the standard household 120V to 50amps. Not every campsite will meet your electrical needs, however. And if you haven’t run into this problem yet, just give it time. You soon will. An electrical power cord adapter will help you safely connect your RV’s power cord to electrical configurations different than your own. This piece of RV gear will allow you to run some, if not all, of your electrical equipment and appliances. But remember, when stepping down in amperage (50amp to 30amp) you will not be able to run all electrical/appliances without overloading the system.

Sewer Hose

Many of us have upgraded from tent-camping to RV’s in order to enjoy some of the comforts of modern living. And one of these much enjoyed and treasured comforts is running water. Whether this water is used to wash hands, dishes, yourself or flush a toilet, it has to be held somewhere onboard until it’s disposed of later. And a sewer hose is the piece of RV gear you’ll need to do just that. One end of the hose connects to your RV’s black or gray tank discharge valve, and the other end is placed in the dump station’s receiving inlet. Yes, dumping your RV’s black/gray tanks is a dirty job, but it has to be done! And having a sewer hose is the only way to do it. We use the “Thetford Titan” premium sewer hose on our rig.

Leveling Blocks

Campgrounds are seldom completely level and, depending on the size of your RV, may not accommodate its full length. Sites can have dips and ruts because of the topography of the campground or damage caused by previous guests. When your rig is too long for the site, your wheels can be lower than the pad causing the level to be off left-to-right or forward-to-rear.

Anderson levelers or stackable plastic levelers is the essential RV gear that can correct this problem. We prefer the “Anderson Levelers” and recommend purchasing one for each axel. The stackable levelers should cover the entire contact area of the tire. They should also raise the tire several inches off the ground, so make sure you purchase enough. Leveling your RV will not only help doors open and close properly, but they’ll keep you from feeling like you’re sleeping on a hill. They will also help keep your evaporation refrigerator working properly.

Water Pressure Regulator

RV plumbing is made of PEX, which is a plastic tubing made of high-density polyethylene. This plastic tubing can be damaged by high water pressure caused by city water pressure from the campsite water supply. High water pressure can result in leaking PEX joints and water damage to your RV. A water pressure regulator ensures that the water pressure coming from the source does not exceed the recommended pressure by your RV manufacturer. This essential piece of RV Gear can be purchased at your local RV dealer, RV supply store, Walmart or online. There are two types of water pressure regulators on the market: adjustable and non-adjustable. Whichever water pressure regulator you purchase, make sure you use one prior to connecting your Rig to the city water supply.

Fresh Water Hose

RVs that provide fresh water inside the unit must provide this water directly from an external source or from onboard fresh water tanks. To get potable (fresh) water into your RV, use a hose manufactured specifically for this purpose. Big box stores carry a variety of hoses in their inventory, but the majority of these, if not all of them, aren’t suitable for potable water. Purchasing the proper type of water hose will reduce freshwater tank contamination and bad tasting/smelling water.

RVing can be a great way to enjoy nature, travel and family. Ensuring you have the essential gear, such as a surge protector, chocks, electrical cord adapter, leveling blocks, water pressure regulator and a fresh water hose, can make your RVing experience a good one and help protect your investment. These items are just the basics. The more you travel in or with your RV, the more gear you will find to help make your experience more enjoyable. Wishing you safe and happy travels.

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