When we bought our first RV we spent the next several days watching a lot of YouTube videos and reading posts about items we thought we needed. We made our list of must haves and got on Amazon, we thought we were going to have to invite the delivery guy to Christmas dinner he was stopping by the house so much, lol. If you are not close to an RV supply store, no worries, Amazon is a great place to get most of your RV needs. A few other places to get your supplies from are Camping World and Wal-Mart.
Here is our This is our list of what we think you will need when starting out.
- Power Surge Protector
We purchased the Progressive Industries (RV Smart Surge Protector with Cover) Surge Protector. We’ve purchased both the 30amp and 50amp and have no complaints on how they have worked. With the light indicator legend on the cover, it’s vey simple to know if the power is connected properly. It’s great having the peace of mind knowing your RV is protected.
- Fresh Water Supplies
* Having a water pressure regulator is so important to have because you will be able to control the amount of water pressure coming into your trailer. Most RV experts recommend to not have more than 60 psi entering your rig. Somewhere around 40-50 psi is ideal for most RVs. We recommend the 3/4” Threaded brass adjustable RV pressure Regulator with Pressure gauge. This will allow you to see the campground pressure and adjust accordingly. We have set ours one time and have never changed it and have no issues in the last 3 years. Side note: Since our came in a foam line cardboard box, we store it in there when not in use.
* EZ Dial Double Hose Shut Off Fitting– This 2 way water splitter is great addition for your water system. It lets you keep your fresh water hose attached and still be able to use your black tank flush or any other type of hose needed while your camping.
* Camco 25FT TastePURE Drinking Water Hose– When connecting your fresh water hose, be sure to use a NSF Certified drinking water safe hose. This hose is BPA and Phthalate free and will not give you that “rubber hose taste” that we tasted when we were kids.
* RV water Filters– There are so many different ones out there that you can choose from, just go with what’s best for you and your rig.
* Camco (22505) 90° Hose Elbow Solid Brass– This elbow will eliminate stress and strain on your RV water Intake Hose Connection on your rig.
- Stinky Slinky Stuff
* RV Sewer Hose Kit- We recommend the Thetford Titan 20 ft. sewer hose kit. In this kit you will get the sewer hose as well as the sewer attachment. This is a very durable and long lasting hose. We would still have ours but it decided to slide out of the bumper and drag behind the rig, a friendly driver had to pull up to us and let us know. Yeah we were those people! LOL
* Sewer Hose Support- We just purchased the Thedford Titan RV Sewer hose support system and have been very pleased with it, highly recommend. It is a 5 stage incline support system, it comes in a slim vinyl bag that stores nicely in your storage bay. In our opinion it is more stable than the popular sidewinder hose support.
* Clear/Transparent 45° Sewer Adapter- The final piece of the sewer puzzle that we recommend is the Camco RhinoFLEX Clear 45° RV Sewer Hose Swivel Fitting or Camco Rhino Blaster Sewer Tank Rinser. We all know that it’s not very pleasant to see what’s coming out of your black tank but it’s very important that you do so you can watch for clogs and backups. Most newer models come with a black tank flush, if your doesn’t then use the elbow with the tank rinser attachment.
* Gray/Black Water Tank Clean Out Hose- Camco 25FT RhinoFLEX Gray/Black Water Tank Clean Out Hose YES, You need 2 different types of hoses, You never want to use your drinking water hose for anything else but for fresh water connection.
* Reusable Nitrile or Disposable Nitrile Gloves– These are needed when you are working with any sewer connections.
* RV Holding Tank Treatments for your Black and Grey Tanks. There are so many types and brands out there that we really can’t recommend one specific brand. We are still in the process of finding one that we truly like.
- Tire Pressure Management System (TPMS)– In our eyes this is a must item to keep you and your rig safe going down the road. Before you connect to leave for any trip, ALWAYS make sure you check your tire pressure and set to manufacturers pressure. Another good thing to check is your valve stems, these will tend to dry rot easily due to heat. The TPMS we went with is the TST 507 4 Sensor Tire Monitoring System with Color Display. Do your research and pick what’s best for you and your rig.
- Rubber Wheel Chocks – This is a MUST to have, this will prevent your rig from moving while you are unhooking from tow vehicle. This is the first thing we arrive at our destination, weather at the campground or at storage facility.
- Camper Leveling Blocks – There are soo many types and styles of the leveling blocks that you can choose from. We use the Tri-Lynx 00015 Lynx Levelers- 10 Pack, Orange, we own several sets of them. We use them for more than just leveling, we use them under our tongue jack, under our stabilizers and even have used them when we had to change a tire on the rig.
* 2’ or 4’ Level – You always want to level East to West before you unhook your your tow vehicle in case you need to add some leveling blocks under the tires.
We hope you have found this list helpful, we do consider all these items a must have when purchasing your first RV. We have used every item we have listed above and have even upgraded some items to make setting up a bit easier. Be sure to look for our upcoming blogs where we will discuss some of of new upgrades we currently use.
Jennifer & Patrick