After 3 years of RVing full time, we have learned a lot on what makes us comfortable in our tiny home on wheels. There’s a lot of pressure to decide what you need and don’t need when moving from a house to something so small. For us, it was trial and error. Some things we gave away only to turn around and purchase once we realized we missed it (and that’s okay!). Other things we held onto and after not being used for a year, finally discarded.
Here are our top tips on what we wish we knew before rving full time that would’ve saved us money and time. You see an in-depth list on our storefront here.
Things we suggest bringing:
Electric Skillet, most propane stoves take forever to boil water + most rv stoves use propane so you will save money by investing in a skillet.
Ninja Foodi, we use our foodi to cook most meals and it doesn’t waste our propane so it’s a win/win.
Blackstone grill, the table top one is too heavy for a fold out table, get the blackstone with the legs!
Outdoor rug at the door, the insane amount of dirt, sand and gravel that tracks into the rig without a rug is insane!
Clam tent, buy the ones with sides attached and you’ll thank me later. Also snag an outdoor rug for this, don’t buy the bottoms because they fill with water and it’s a pain!
Command hooks, self explanatory.
Reflectix (helps keep heat in during winter, a/c in during summer by placing in your windows).
Surge protector - Watchdog, get the hardwired, it’s worth the investment!
Clothing hangers - non slip, moving around makes clothes hanging on slick hangers fall.
Bin for shoes, having a dedicated spot by the door for shoes makes less dirt throughout the tiny space + no tripping over shoes! The bin needs to stay inside due to bugs/snakes/spiders that can crawl into closed toed shoes.
Happy campers tank treatment is our go-to after each sewer dump.
Tank cleaner, even with tank treatments you will need to clean the tanks.
Viar air compressor, many fuel stations don’t have one that can hold RV limits so it’s important to check and fill your tires before every move.
4ft adjustable folding table, this gets used nearly everyday…in the clam tent, cooking, playing games, crafts, school work, and more!.
Dehumidifier, we can easily pull 2-3 gallons a day in humid states! Don’t buy a tiny, cheap one because they won’t pull enough water out.
Nonbreakable dishes we love the Corelle brand and have only needed to buy this set when we first bought our RV 3 years ago.
Pool noodles for the slides by the panel, buy from the dollar tree.
Portable dump tank, we personally don’t use this but know some do if they boondocks a lot so it depends on your style of camping and how many people you’ll have in your rig.
Straps/bungy cords in different sizes, these get used a ton! MUST HAVE!
Water filter system, we use an alexapur and love it! It’s similar to a Berkey.
Extra fuses, fuses blow sometimes and it’s a cheap fix if you plan in advance.
Fitted picnic table covers, unfitted ones always flap around. You NEED a table cover because the picnic tables are filthy, people sit their sewer hoses on the tables! GROSS!
Disposable gloves, you want these for handling the sewer hoses.
Small backpack cooler, we use ours every time we spend the day away from the rig to avoid eating out. The backpack version is great for hiking or a beach day.
Insulated water bottles so you don’t have a ton of cups to wash.
Portable fan if you have room, moving the air around helps so much!
Portable space heater, this will save $$$ on propane if you don’t have a fireplace; we even use it in FL sometimes! We carry around 2 since we have a 42’ rig.
Camelbak if you like to spend the day hiking.
Fire extinguishers for each room, better safe than sorry.
Cordless drill + basic tools (screwdrivers, measuring tapes, hammer…).
Outdoor lights if you don’t have lights on your rig. We use these for the clam, when electric goes out, boonedocking and such (they’re magnetic!). We also use these to hang in the clam tent to make light when we have friends over, make sure whatever lights you choose that they’re shatterproof.
You can see more of our must-haves on Amazon here.
Things to leave in storage or sell
Additional pots/pans
Too many (or too heavy) cups/bowls/plates
Sentimental items - in case of fire or wreck
Too many clothes/shoes/hats
Seasonal decor
Hard books, they’re heavy & take up space, invest in online books (some libraries have reading apps free!).
Craft supplies unless you’re an avid crafter (2x’s a year doesn’t count!).
Extra TV’s, you really only need 1 at most.
Walkie talkies, use your phones. It’s just one more thing you’ll have to keep track of and worry about charging.
Some people may add or take away from this list, it really varies from family to family. Don’t worry about the small stuff, just focus to getting on the road.
-Amanda