Ten pounds of $hit in a one pound bag

Welcome to the exciting (and slightly chaotic) launch phase of RV life. We’ve been there, and we’ve learned a lot — the hard way. After two years on the road, a few thousand Amazon boxes, and more sleepless nights than we’d care to admit, we figured it’s time to share what’s actually important. Because trust us, it’s not all chairs and campfires… at least not at first.

What we wish we knew before hitting the road

So, you did the thing. You signed the buyer’s paperwork, grabbed the keys, and officially became an RV owner — whether it’s brand new or “new to you,” the adventure starts now. And almost immediately, so does the overwhelm.

“We gotta make a list.”

“Let’s go shopping.”

“Wait… what the hell do we even need??”

The Absolute Musts (Don't Skip These)

When we first parked the rig, we quickly realized we couldn’t even use it without setting up the utilities. That means power, water, and sewer — the essentials that make your RV function as a home instead of a glorified tin can.

Ours came with the 50-amp power cord, but we added a Power Watchdog surge protector almost immediately — campground power is notorious for being all over the place, and this device is cheap insurance. A couple of adapter plugs (aka “dog bones”) help in case the pedestal doesn’t match your RV’s needs.

Then comes the glamorous part: sewer. We went with the Camco RhinoFLEX hose system — it’s reliable and collapses small enough to actually store. A clear elbow fitting is something you won’t want to skip (because yes, you do want to see what’s coming out — for more reasons than you think), and we always recommend a gate valve right at the RV’s sewer cap. It gives you better control, and less chance of… accidents.

Water setup is another non-negotiable. There are tons of hoses out there, but we invested in a triple-filter system with softener — the GoBlueTech R3 Elite — and haven’t regretted it. Some people avoid drinking campground water altogether. We drink ours, and no extra limbs yet! Just don’t forget a pressure regulator and a flow meter — water pressure can vary wildly from site to site.

Don’t Forget the Ground Game

Before you even think about hooking up anything, there’s one thing you have to do first: chock those wheels. Trust me — I used to train CDL drivers and firefighters, and they’d smack me if I forgot to mention this. Always chock both sides of the tires, especially if you’re parked on a slope or plan on walking around inside the rig.

We use standard rubber chocks plus a pair of X-Chocks for added stability. Then come the stabilizers — Snap Pads on each jack, Anderson buckets for the front, and Camco leveling blocks for the rears. Sometimes we need wedge blocks too, depending on how lopsided the site is. We’re pretending I told you all this before the utility stuff, okay?

The Tech That Makes Life Easier

Trip planning was something we didn’t realize would take up so much time — until we hit our first unexpected low bridge. That’s when we found RV Life Trip Wizard, and it changed everything. It lets us punch in our rig’s height, weight, and propane restrictions so we can avoid sketchy routes. We run it alongside a Garmin 795, which adds weight-based routing. And yes, we still keep a paper atlas in the truck, just in case. (Old habits die hard.)

Google Maps and Earth are great for scouting roads and campground entrances, especially for those tight turns. And when it comes to mountain grades? We check elevation profiles before every major climb. The Rockies made sure we never skip that step again.

The Extras That Make RV Life… Life

Once the basics are covered, it’s the little things that make your setup functional — and livable. For us, it’s been a slow accumulation of gadgets and tools that smooth out daily life. We use Husky totes from Home Depot to keep our basement storage (and truck bed) organized. Propane tank sensors from Mopeka have saved us from countless mid-winter refills, and Govee water leak detectors give us peace of mind, especially near sinks and the washer.

We added a Firman inverter generator for those times we’re off-grid, plus a couple of ladders (because there’s always something to reach). A tripod stabilizer came into play once we installed a washer and dryer, and it made a noticeable difference. And yes — we also spent time sealing up the undercarriage and every nook and cranny we could find. Mice are creative. Don’t wait to find out how creative.

The Fun Stuff — Finally!

Okay, now we get to the reason we all do this in the first place — relaxing, exploring, and enjoying the outdoors. Chairs? We’ve gone through a few sets. Grills? Same story. Outdoor storage is tight, so everything moves around until it finds its “forever” spot (which might change next week). We did add a drawer fridge and outdoor TV, and picked up a Gazelle pop-up tent for those buggy evenings. Highly recommend it.

And bikes. Oh boy, bikes. We swore we weren’t getting e-bikes… and then we did. Now we’re those people. We’ve tried a couple of brands, but the Aventon Pace 500.3 is the one we settled on. Pair that with a 1Up bike rack — rated for RVs — and you’re golden. Just don’t forget to lock ‘em up.

What About Internet?

This one’s big, especially for us. Kelli works full-time remote and is in virtual meetings all day, so reliable internet isn’t optional — it’s oxygen. We started with hotspots and routers, but eventually went all in on Starlink. It works almost everywhere, and we’ve even rigged it up so it’s fully mounted and usable in the truck while we’re driving. Game. Changer. We’ll break that whole setup down in a future post — it’s too cool not to share.