Stuff Every RV’er Should Have . . . Maybe
Since today was a rainy do-nothing day I thought I’d continue with a list I started on a post back in June. It’s a combination of things we like and use, and some of the items from the 10 Things Every RV’er Needs seminar that I used to give at Nick and Terry Russell’s late, lamented Gypsy Journal Rallies. We’ve found all of these either very useful, or very necessary, or both.
First up are things electrical.
1. A Three Light Outlet Tester is just plain necessary, for your home or your RV. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve plugged into a 20 amp or 30 amp campground outlet and found a Open Neutral, an Open Ground, or a Reversed Open/Neutral. All of which under some conditions can get you shocked. Or keep the power from making it through your Electrical Management System (EMS) and into your rig. About $6.
2. The Kill-A-Watt is another must-have. With it you can check the voltage of the outlet of course, but also the current draw in Amps of whatever you have plugged into it. And you can also check the frequency in Hz, the power consumed in Watts and KWH (Kilowatt Hours). I use it to set the frequency on the diesel generators when we gate guard, so our clocks run right. About $23.
3. A Digital Volt Ohm Multimeter (VOM) is another must-have item. With it you can check battery voltages, fuses, pretty much anything electrical. About $6.
3a. Just a better VOM, this one with auto-ranging which means you don’t have to preset the voltage range before taking a measurement, i.e. 0 to 200 volts, or 0 to 20 volts. About $20.
4: These are the super bright LED strips that I came across recently due to Ed Hurlburt of the RV Tips area on Facebook. They’re bright white, and are perfect replacement for your F15T8 fluorescent bulbs. Here’s my blog post on how I replaced my fluorescent tubes with these. About $9 per set of 2.
5. This is a temperature-controlled outlet that I use during the winter. I have a small cube heater that I put in the our water bay during very cold weather. The heater plugs into this outlet which is plugged into the rig AC power. The heater is turned on, but only operates below 35° and then cuts off at 45°. About $12.
6. This one is for diesel rig owners. You should always carry a spare filter or filters when you’re on the road. Both Nick Russell and I can attest to that. What I was surprised to learn about was all the Cummins Fleetguard products that Amazon carries, including both of my fuel filters shown below.
The FS1022 is a very fine filter located right on the engine. About $22.
This FS1242 is a 1st stage coarser filter located near the back bumper. About $20.
One thing nice about getting these through Amazon is that they’re cheaper than directly from Cummins.
7. I went through a number of different inside dual extensions that always started leaking after a few months, until I found these braided stainless steel ones. Going on two years now, and they’re still airtight. About $19 for a set of 2.
8. This Water Pressure Gauge has backed up a couple of my complaints about low water pressure at several parks. They would say the pressure was fine, and I would show them that 10 psi is way too low. About $12.
9. This High Flow Dual Outlet lets me hook up a hose for washing the truck or the rig, or even the pressure gauge above. And unlike a lot of cheaper ones, it doesn’t restrict the water flow. About $18.
Nelson Rezimar High-Water Flow Dual Outlet Kink-Free Flex Hose Adapter
10. Staying with the water theme, every RV’er seems to rave about the Oxygenics shower heads, and we’re no different. Low flow so your hot water lasts longer, high pressure for a good shower, and easy installation. About $33.
11. These last two are my favorites. The first up is this Flying Ball Helicopter that’s great for flying inside, or outside too. But the globe protects the blades in the close quarters of the rig without hindering the flying, and makes for more enjoyment, and cheaper flying. About $22.
12. All our readers know my penchant for hot stuff, but these are the hottest peppers in the world. Dried Trinidad Scorpion peppers. I grind these up with our Mr. Coffee coffee bean grinder. I know better now, but the first time I did this, I didn’t allow for the lethality of the fumes generated. Now I do it with the doors and windows open and fans going on full.
Hopefully this list will prove useful to you, so if you have any questions or comments, let me know.
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Thought for the Day:
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