8 Essentials for the Ultimate RV Experience

Your packing list for an RV excursion is entirely different from the one you create when your destination includes a hotel. As your home (on wheels) away from home, you have the freedom to make it your own.

What should you bring along for the ride to ensure you’re well-supplied, well-traveled and well-rested? Keep reading to tap into your inner road warrior.

1. RV GPS

As smart as your smart phone may be, getting an RV specific GPS can be a game changer--taking into consideration the size, weight, horsepower and other specifications of your RV to determine your suggested route. You can find rest areas, campsites, and any other needed amenities with just the touch of a button, which is key when your eyes are set on the adventure ahead.

2. Signal Booster/Battery Pack

Some of the most incredible views on the road don’t equate to incredible cell phone service. Tech items like a booster for a cellular signal can give you killer hot spots when needed. And you can have them installed directly into your rig, or even grab a portable one. The same goes for your phone battery: grab a portable charger to make sure you don’t lose your smart device power when you’re far from an electrical source.

3. Mattress

After a full day adventuring on the wide-open road, falling into the perfect bed is a detail you don’t want to overlook. To ensure your best trip, you also need to ensure your best rest. In case you’re not in the know yet, you can’t just squeeze any old mattress into an RV sleep space—shorter sizes are the norm. Companies like Brooklyn Bedding offer a wide array of mattresses for every type of sleeper and every type of home on wheels.

In other words, they get you.

4. Accessories: Pillows + Sheets + Blankets

Once you’ve decided on your ultimate sleep solution, you can’t skip out on accessories! While standards sizes typically work in an RV, factors like materials, ease of care, temperature moderation and more play into a quality night’s sleep.

When it comes to choosing a pillow, both materials and loft matter. You can get a detailed look at how to choose the best pillow based on sleep position here. If you tend to sleep hot, look for cooling technology and ventilated foams that will assure a temperature neutral surface.

You also can’t forget to cover up come nightfall. Depending on the temperature outdoors, and the indoor RV temperature you’ll either want to keep cool or keep warm. Weighted blankets like Brooklyn Bedding’s Chunky Knit Weighted Blanket can work great in ever-changing temperature struggles. One side gives you that traditional cozy warmth of a blanket while the other gives you a satisfying cooling, so you can achieve amazing sleep, no matter what the thermostat says.

5. Levelers/Stabilizers

When the day winds down and you’ve parked your home on wheels, you’re going to want to make sure it’s as stable as can be, even if the surface below you isn’t very cooperative. An unlevel RV can cause a lot of damage, to your tires, your rig, or even you! Some campgrounds make it easy with concrete pads or overall level-ness, and some RVs even have auto-leveling. If you’re not that lucky, you’ll want to invest in leveling blocks and learn how to use them manually. Using levelers and stabilizers are on your rig will help you rest easy, providing an even surface to catch some ZZZs while ensuring everything else inside stays put.

6. Vent Covers

In an ideal camping world, you should be able to both maximize airflow and protect your living space. As any experienced road tripper will tell you, roof mounted air vents are critical for circulating fresh air throughout the RV—and yet nothing can put a damper (literally) on your experience, than a wet or a stuffy and humid interior. While it’s critical to keep rain and other elements that can damage the inside of your RV out, totally sealing off your space can be incredibly uncomfortable (and smelly). Enter your new BFF: the upgraded vent cover. The benefits of upgraded covers include protection of vents and seals in all types of weather conditions in addition to achieving maximum internal air flow. Need a quick tutorial on how to choose the best type of vent cover for your RV? You can check out all the details here.

7. Water Filter

Water is essential. Finding clean, great tasting water isn’t always easy on the road. To choose the right filtration system you can start with general tips here. Bottled water or even a pitcher style water filter may be the easiest pick in terms of price and transportation. If you want something more substantial and permanent, or you plan on filtering water with high levels of dirt, try a filter that attaches to your RV hose—which processes the water before it even reaches your rig. Bottom line: make sure you take into account factors of water use as well as your current RV features to determine the best system for you.

8. Shower Head

After a day in the elements, cleaning off can be just as important as sleeping it off. Make sure your shower head has great water pressure to compensate for the lackluster experience that typically comes standard with your RV. While you can’t expect a total spa experience on the road (let’s be realistic here), you can—with a small upgrade—actually get head-to-toe clean at the end of the day. Look for low gallons per minute (to better conserve water, especially when it’s scarce) and a shut-off or low-flow valve, as well as a handheld head, for easy use in the small space.

So there you have it—our top tricks, tips, and gadgets to ensure you’re one happy camper.

When traveling, being well-rested is crucial to fully enjoying all the sights and activities. Be sure to read our article on the Best RV Mattress options of the year for a guide on upgrading your sleep on the road!