200 Square Feet with Catio Views

This is a diary of our unique life on the road with our two cats. I write this so we remember what we did and where. Follow along if you are curious!

RV Basics. What You Really Need to Get Started. Shakedown Trip Edition.

Thought I’d drop some RV know-how into my blog every so often in case you are inspired to join the RV community either as full-timers or to simply get out and relax once in awhile in the woods, mountains or by the ocean. Or visit all three during your once-in-a-lifetime cross country trip!

Inside and Outside of Camping Trailer
A Bit Like a Mullet: Business on the Inside, Party on the Outside!
It is strange to me that the RV industry focuses so much on beautiful interiors and marketing the lifestyle in a glamorous way and then sends you out the door owning an RV while still unable to actually go camping! In fact, you won’t even have a way to move it off the lot! You can use the toilet, but you cannot dump the tank. You can park, but you can’t make your camper level. You have sink faucets and a shower, but you can’t use them. The list goes on! This post focuses on the party side of RV life (everything that happens outside the confines of your wheeled haven).
Before you take your new camper on its shakedown trip, you will need some basic supplies that can total $1000+. At this point, resist the urge to buy every little thing you find on YouTube. Many products are awesome additions, but at this point I am discussing what you need to take that first trip to make your RV function as an RV. Here are the barebones basics that you actually NEED to make your RV shakedown trip possible. (This list is based on the needs of a travel trailer.)
  1. Trailer hitch: This requires planning ahead and installation. A sway control system of some sort is recommended for safety. This essential can be $800+ installed.
  2. Chocks: These keep your RV from rolling forward or backward when it is parked. And if you have a dual-axle trailer, X-chocks provide even more stability and safety.
  3. Leveling rockers or blocks: Perfectly level campsites are rare and make you feel like you’ve won the lottery! If you have a slide on your camper, you always need to be level before you deploy the slides.
  4. Bubble level: Carry an old school manual level with you so you can ensure that your camper is level. Even though we now have a fancy app that helps us with that, the internet and power are not always guaranteed out in the wild.
  5. Sewer hose (aka Stinky Slinky): This is required to dump your black and gray tanks. Otherwise, there is no way to connect your trailer to the sewer dump at your site or campground.
  6. Freshwater hose: Again, straight off the lot, there is no way to connect your trailer to the freshwater spigot at your campsite or to fill your freshwater tank. Buy the longest hose you can afford. Ours is 50′. Spigots are not always close to your campsite or even the road.
Clear Source Water Filter
Water Filter & Freshwater Hoses
Hughes Power Watchdog Surge Protector
Surge Protector at Pedestal
Not required to physically camp, but definitely worth incorporating ASAP:

  1. Water filter: Campground water is inconsistent and just plain nasty at times. Filters come in many configurations and quality levels. Since water is essential, get the best one you can afford!

  2. Surge protector: Many would consider this a required item from the very beginning. But since you can technically plug right into the campsite pedestal for your shakedown trip, I didn’t include it in the list above. Since the quality of electric pedestals can vary and the consequences can literally RUIN your camper, invest in a surge protector from the beginning, if you can!

There are many more supplies that were not included in our RV purchase that we have added since we took delivery. They make some processes more convenient and RV life more enjoyable and safer in general. I will list those in a future post. Happy camping!

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