So you bought yourself a new camper. Now what? Before you can even go on your first camping trip, there are some essentials you will need before you leave home. You may have learned about some of these items from the service tech that showed you the ins and outs of the RV, but this is a handy list that you can reference to make sure you have what you need.
SEWER HOSE
This is pretty much how it sounds. You will need the sewer hose to flush the waste from your camper to whatever external drainage system you are hooked up to. Just make sure you get one that is long enough to make sure it reaches-I would get one that is at least 15ft. And don’t forget the rubber gloves! I like to buy a box of disposable rubber gloves; then you can just toss them when you are done.
DRINKING WATER HOSE
There is nothing like getting to your campground and setting up and then realizing that you can’t hook up to water! I may have done this once or twice. So then you end up having to go to the closest town that has a store and hope they have water hoses. I prefer to use a hose that says it is for drinking water- then you know it is safe. These are usually white colored and will say it is safe for drinking on the package. It is also a good idea (but not a necessity) to get a water filter. You never know what the quality of the water is when you are traveling to different places. Make sure you get the right size water filter for your RV.
WATER PRESSURE REGULATOR
You should get a water pressure regulator. It will prevent too much pressure from coming through and blowing up your water lines. It’s best not to go over 60psi.
LEVELING BLOCKS
You will need these to put under your jacks to stabilize and level your RV. You never really know what kind of ground you will be parking on and your jacks need a flat surface to rest on. As an alternative, you can always use wood or cement blocks too. The wood also comes in handy to put under your tires. This makes it more stable and will prevent your tires from sinking into the ground-especially if it’s rainy and the ground is muddy and wet.
BUBBLE LEVEL
If your RV is not self-leveling, you will need a bubble level to measure if your camper is too high or too low. You will be thankful for this tool! Without it, it’s challenging to determine if your camper is level or not.
BUG SCREENS
These will help prevent insects, wasps, rodents, etc. from entering your camper through the furnace and water heater exterior vents. Wasps especially like to build nests in these vents, and you don’t want that to happen! They are easy to put on; just make sure you get the right screen for your particular RV.
TOILET CHEMICALS
Don’t think you can skimp on this. It will control the odor and help break the waste down. Without it, you will have clogs and it could end up being a nightmare to drain your black tank!
RV TOILET PAPER
Yes, I know its one more special thing to buy that can seem like an unnecessary expense, but its also needed. Even though you use the chemicals to help break down the waste and toilet paper, the tank cannot handle thick paper. RV toilet paper is biodegradable and is one ply so that it will break down easier.
These are the items you will need to function comfortably in your new camper! Stay tuned for my next list of “luxury” items that are nice to have but not a necessity for your RV! Happy Camping!
