You’ve purchased your RV, you’ve planned your first trip, and you’re ready to hit the road! But not so fast! If you’re new to owning an RV or new to camping in general, we want to make sure that you avoid the many pitfalls that other first-time campers and RV owners have fallen into. Check out our 5 pieces of advice for first-time RV owners here! Or, keep reading for a list of five basic things you may not have thought to bring on your camping trip. Trust us, you’ll be glad you prepare now!
#1. Jumper Cables
Being stranded with a dead RV battery is no fun. Make sure your camping emergency kit includes a nice thick pair of jumper cables. We recommend using jumper cables designed specifically for an RV or a truck. Avoid at all costs using jumper cables designed for smaller cars as well as jumping your RV with a smaller car. This could cause you much bigger problems. Car engines are small and trying to jump an RV with a tiny engine could result in your engine being damaged. Here’s a link to the 5 Best Portable Jump Starters for RVs.
#2. Tire Pressure Gauge
Your RV is sure to rack up miles and quickly! One of the most important things to keep up with is the health of your tires, and a tire pressure gauge will help with this tremendously. All of your tires need the correct inflation. This is will help your tires last longer and your RV tow better. Here is a helpful link from RV Travel on How To Check Your RV Tire Pressure.
#3 Drinking Water Hose
We all know that water is essential, and a drinking water hose is crucial to life on the road. You’ll need fresh water for drinking, bathing, and cleaning, and other than having fresh water tanks, a drinking water or fresh water hose is necessary. Drinking water hoses differ from regular garden hoses in that they are designed for drinking. Some garden hoses contain chemicals that may be harmful for water consumption, whereas drinking water hoses are designed to be completely safe for consumption, cleaning, and bathing. If you want to read further, here is a great link to everything you need to know about drinking water hoses.
#4. Surge Protectors
We don’t know about you, but surge protectors are must-haves in our homes, and the same is true for our RVs. If you’re unfamiliar with surge protectors, they essentially protect your appliances and electronics in the event of a power surge. Large power surges, such as lightning storms, can damage or even fry circuits completely. Surge protectors help prevent this. There are various types of surge protectors and you’ll want to find the perfect one for your RV. Here is a great blog from Crazy Family Adventure on surge protectors and which kind you should buy for your RV.
#5. Black Tank Chemicals
We saved the icky, but still very important, for last. Black water tank maintenance is crucial. If not maintained properly, a black water tank can become a very serious, smelly situation and we want you to avoid those problems, so be sure to always have proper black tank chemicals on hand to keep your tank and RV as a whole smelling and operating great! Check out the link from Camping World on Black Water Tank Maintenance as well as this resource on some of the Best Black Water Tank Chemicals.
We know there are tons more camping must-haves and everyone’s list will look a little different. What are some of your essentials for camping? Tell us in the comments! We’ll continue adding to this list to ensure that every first-time camper doesn’t make the same mistakes we did! If you’re feeling ready to hit the road in your new RV, check out our first-time visitor special for 7 nights of free camping here!
Happy Camping!
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