32 Must-Have Items for EASY RV Living! | Our TOP Essentials After 3 Years
Welcome back, friends! Today, I'm sharing all the products that made living in a 36ft travel trailer, as a family of 6 for three years, easier for us! While I know there are many different options on the market, we found these items to be tried and true for our family! We hope you enjoy. :)
*IF YOU ARE HAVING ANY TROUBLE VIEWING THE LINKS TO THE ITEMS BELOW, I HAVE LINKED THEM IN MY AMAZON STOREFRONT HERE FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE*
1. Maxx Air Fan
This is an amazing all-in-one fan, vent, and rain shield that effortlessly brings in fresh air, and removes muggy, unwanted smells! It is remote operated which is very convenient, and can also be started manually. This fan has helped us to stay cool many nights, and our bathroom smelling fresh and clean.
2. Lasko Space Heater
When it comes to choosing a space heater, you don’t want to mess around! We went through 5 different space heaters before we chose this one for the following reasons: 1. It's NOT hot to the touch (ideal for children), 2. It has overheat protection which ensures it will avoid overheating regardless of how long it has been running! 3. It’s big enough to get the job done, but sleek enough to not be in your way! DISCLAIMER: No matter how “wonderful” a space heater may be, there are still necessary boundaries to set with young children. Remember, never to place anything on top, or in front of the space heater to avoid setting a fire!
3. Kesnos Dehumidifier
After trying countless smaller dehumidifiers throughout the RV, we finally came to terms with the reality that we needed a heavy duty dehumidifier. We placed this one in our main living space, and boy, did it do the trick! You have to manually empty it, but seeing all the water that comes out really makes it worth it!
4. RVLock
RVLock provides a keyless handle that makes entering and exiting your RV so much easier! Instead of solely carrying around an RV key (which they also provide), you have the ability to type in a personalized key code on the RVLock keypad, and voila, open your door with ease! This was extremely convenient for me as a mother of four toddlers. Had I not been graciously gifted my RVLock's, I would have definitely made the investment on my own!
5. Shower Filter
Being that we traveled often, we never knew for sure what our water source quality would be. Sadly, our RV water put my hair through a lot…as if postpartum hair loss wasn’t enough! Once we settled into a stationary RV living situation, I found our water to be ridiculously HARD. My hair had so much mineral buildup no matter how much I cleansed it, and it was breaking off daily! My husband installed this shower filter, and it was a night and day difference. My dandruff went away, my hair was squeaky clean again, had volume, and was no longer breaking off. I will never go back!
6. Clearsource RV Water Filtration System
My husband and I had a wonderful experience using this water filtration system, along with many other RV-ers I know. Nothing like having fresh, purified water, and Clearsource helps you do just that! You can even get replacement filters here!
8. Heated Hose/ Heated Tape
We learned the hard way that these two items were HUGE necessities when RV living in cold temperatures. This was especially made clear to us when our water filtration system FROZE! Switching to heated hoses, and insulating our water filtration system with heated tape/foam helped us escape the freeze, and have running water all winter long!
9. Fairy Lights
I wish we had done fairy lights sooner in our RV living experience. They added such a cozy, and enchanting feel to the RV, especially at night time!
10. Ottoman w/ Storage
We enjoyed using this faux leather ottoman to bring beauty, functionality, and storage into our tiny space!
11. Bleking Ikea Shades
When living in a tiny RV, we found that privacy for sanity was everything. These shades are beautiful, and provide just enough privacy! Sadly, I don’t believe these shades are available anymore at Ikea, but we really loved them. You can still find these shades on EBAY and other discount sites. If I end up finding an alternative, I will link them here! Tiny living can sometimes leave you feeling exposed…get the blinds!
12. Jewelry Holder
Ever wonder where people store their jewelry in an RV? Well, THIS is the “genius” way! Utilizing closet space, this organized jewelry holder, complete with an attached hanger for easy hanging, allows you to store your jewelry in an organized manner while freeing up counter space in your RV.
13. Ikea Parup Sofa w/ Washable Cover
I’ve been asked many times what couch we got to replace our old, uncomfortable one. While I know everyone may prefer a different style, here is our pick. We found this Ikea Parup Sofa to be beautiful, more comfortable than our last couch, and the washable cover made it stress-free with our four children!
14. Beddys
My husband and I bought two Beddys for our children’s bunkbeds, and although they were an investment, we found them to be worth every penny! When you live tiny, it makes a big difference to see beautiful things that also serve a purpose. Not only did Beddys make it easier for our children to make their bed in a very tight space,ht. but it gave such a clean streamline look to the children's bedroom! Seeing their uniformed beds gave me such peace of mind. We found that Beddys is beautiful, functional, and durable, and have even purchased another Beddys since leaving RV living!
15. Washable Pee Mats
Being that we had NO washer, or dryer in the RV, we desperately needed a solution for washing less bedding when those dreaded nightly accidents occurred. We laid these washable pee mats inside of their Beddys, and many times we were able to spare having to wash their ENTIRE bedding in the midst of an accident! Instead, we just washed the pee mats.
16. Detachable Faucet
Our kitchen sink had a fixed faucet who’s water flow couldn’t even reach the edges of our sink, so my husband and I made the unified decision to opt for a detachable faucet! It was a small purchase that made cleaning my dishes and my sink, much easier. A small change can make a big difference!
17. High Pressure Shower Head
Speaking of big differences, it felt extremely fancy to get a high pressure shower head! Unlike our previous shower head, this one comes with many different settings, and is able to be conveniently held in your hand while showering.
18. Command Strips/Velcro Tape
I’ve always been hesitant to put holes in our RV walls. These two items were my best friends because they gave me the freedom and independence to decorate my walls without putting holes in them.
19. Waterproof Storage Containers
During our years of RV living, my husband had the brilliant idea to make our own storage! He went to Home Depot, and bought these Husky waterproof storage containers. We filled them with seasonal clothing, keepsakes, and miscellaneous items that were not in daily use, and stored them under our RV. If you choose to do this, you can even place your RV skirt on to give your containers under your RV some added privacy. Throughout all four seasons, NONE of our items were destroyed in these containers!
20. Happy Camper Tank Treatment
AH, the dreaded blank tank. We’ve all had those days when upon flushing, the most despicable smell has entered our bathroom. For us, that meant it was time to pull out the Happy Camper tank treatment to get rid of the odor in our black tank. It always worked like a charm! I also love that it is fragrance free!
21. Bamboo Squatty Potty
If you have never heard of a squatty potty, then you are severely missing out. It basically helps align your body just right when using your bathroom so that your bowels can flow. It all started with our first plastic squatty potty, and then we fell in love when we found out they sold it in BAMBOO?! Unfortunately, I checked Amazon, and it's currently only available in CANADA?! Alternative linked here!
22. Bunk Bed Gates
My husband built the most amazing bunk bed gates to ensure our children would not fall out. If you go to my Instagram @coolmomandcollected, and take a look at my highlight “RV BUNK BED GATES,” you will be able to see how the gates were built!
23. Collapsible Drainboard
This collapsible drainboard is so convenient for RV living. On travel days, you can place it in your sink, and use it like a basket for storing small items that you don’t want rolling around! It fits perfectly on my counter, and can hold enough dishware for me to get the job done.
24. IKEA Fruit Bags
I’ll say it louder for the people in the back…“GET THINGS OFF OF YOUR COUNTERS!” These Ikea fruit bags do a wonderful job of keeping “fruit clutter” away!
25. Toothbrush Wall Mount
I’ve never been the kind of gal that wants her toothbrush out in the open, exposed to the outside world! That’s why we purchased this toothbrush wall mount…to get our toothbrushes OFF the counter, and stored away for safe keeping!
26. Turkish Towels
The last thing you want in a tiny bathroom are not-so-tiny towels! These Turkish towels are not only absorbent, stylish, and durable, but they fold up small for easy storing!
27. Foam Mattress Topper
One of the first things we did upon entering RV life was order a foam mattress topper to replace our toddlers’ thin, cheap bunk bed mattresses! We measured and cut it to size (since RV beds love to measure wonky), and it worked out so perfectly for our children! We paired them with twin mattress protectors, and our Beddys! You can also buy suspenders to tighten any extra fabric from loose bedding on this topper!
28. Den Dry Mattress Underlay
Who wants to deal with MOLD under their mattress?! NOT ME! RV mattresses are known for gathering all sorts of funk, and are always in dire need of good airflow! This den dry mattress underlay goes in between our mattress and the board of our bed which provides peace of mind for a mold-free sleep.
29. Spice Rack
All RV-ers have that one cabinet in their RV that they have NO clue what they should do with! Thankfully, that cabinet for us was the perfect size to install these pull-out spice rack drawers and matching glass spice jars. I have a blog post you can find here on how I put it all together! We even used these glass uniformed jars, and labels to keep everything nice and tidy!
30. Pantry Shelving
When it came to our RV pantry, we knew we were in severe need of a solution! Instead of having to reach far into the back of our DEEP pantry for items we needed, we installed pull-out pantry drawers, and now, finding what we need is so much easier!
31. Fire Alarm/Carbon Monoxide/Propane Detector
One of the first things that my husband does whenever we move to a new home is install smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and in our case while RV living…propane detectors! These safety products are something we would never go without.
32. Plant Wall Holders
I won these flower pot holders in an Instagram giveaway, and we added pots and plants from Ikea. They brought so much LIFE and COLOR to our RV! Normally, I don’t like to put holes in our wall, but these were worth being the exception.
Thank you so much for reading these must-have items for EASY RV living! It has been so sad to end this chapter on my blog, but I look forward to all the new blogging adventures up ahead!
