Maybe you have done this before and maybe you haven’t, either way, it can be easy to overlook items that can make your life easier while on the road.  We often have more than we really need in a traditional type of home so, when it comes time to downsize for our home on wheels we don’t know where to start.

That’s where I can come in! Keep on reading for my top 10 must-haves for living in an RV full time.  (This is not a complete list, just some of the necessities.)

*Disclaimer – I am not affiliated with any of the products listed below.  These are just items that have worked for my family.

1. Anything that is multi-purpose and organizes

   

Most trailers are short on space, both inside and out.  You have to make the best of what you have for storage.  That’s where items like crock pots and instant pots for the kitchen are great to have on hand.  For both the crockpot and instant pot you can often just have the one dirty dish for many meals.  Most instant pots allow you to prepare multiple things for dinners, desserts, and even yogurt (depending on the model).  Check out my favorite instant pot here.

For organizing, over the door hangers are great for getting more out of your space.  Most come with multiple pockets for storing things like kid’s clothes, diapers, wipes, or toiletries for the bathroom.  Collapsible or nesting dishes are great for taking up less space too!

Command hooks are great for hanging your kitchen utensils instead of taking up counter space.  They also work well for extra lighting, hanging pictures and smaller shelves.  I have yet to have them rip off any of the wallpaper either!  Just make sure you do it with a little patience!!

2. A good toolset

A good toolset is a necessity.  You can buy a new RV and you will still need to do some work on it.  After everything moves and shifts on your drive out to your location things can get loose or in some cases, come completely off.  Having tools handy can save you from a big headache during setup.

For a comprehensive list of tools to carry, check out ReserveAmerica

3. Comfortable mattress

   

    

We have yet to find a mattress that is comfortable for full time sleeping.  Most RV mattresses are designed for occasional use.  Our trailer has been upgraded three times, increasing in quality of the trailer and the mattress still sucks!  We have a sleep number at home, which we love, but we were hoping to not have to spend as much to replace our RV mattress.  We are currently contemplating one of those mattresses that come in the mail.

Not sure which one yet, let me know if you have any recommendations below!!

4. Totes for packing

Did I mention you are limited on space?

Totes are great for storing things in your “basement” storage or under your bed.  They keep things dry, in case of a leak, and they keep little creepy crawlies out!!  We like to pack our clothes in seasons.  We keep 1-2 seasons for wearing (depending on space) and the other 2 are in totes in the basement.  Same with extra winter gear that you don’t need every day.

If you have kids, it works great for toy storage or outdoor play toys too!

We put just about everything we don’t use all the time in to a tote and in the basement.  What is great too is that they stack together when they are not in use, to take up less space.

Speaking of space, I need to mention item #4.5…Space bags!  Have you seen these yet?  They are AMAZING at shrinking down bulky items and storing them.  All you need is the bag and a vacuum to suck the excess air out.

5. Dehumidifier

Moisture in your RV is the worst!  It often builds up during the winter when you are cooking and heating the inside but it is oh so cold outside!  If not handled it can lead to mold and lots of damage.  Moisture is most noticeable on your skylights (think, raindrops keep falling on my head) and on your windows. Having a good dehumidifier can help greatly in keeping excess moisture managed.

6. Portable heater/fans

RVs are notorious for being drafty.  Make sure you take into consideration the R-value for your RV if you will be using it during the winter.  Generally, the higher the R number, the better.  The number of slides affects the ability to retain heat as well.  Most areas around the slides are not as well insulated and that little rubber flap doesn’t do much to keep it all in. Portable heaters are great for keeping you warmer in addition to a fireplace.

Same thing for hotter climates, where a fan can be your best friend.  Try to find shaded spots to park so your A/C doesn’t have to work as hard as well as some fans to help move cooler air around inside.  We have found that the simple desktop fans or an air purifier with a fan option work the best for us.

7. Water filters/softeners

Water filters and water softeners are a necessity because you just never know what kind of water you will be getting.  Filters help make your water safer to drink.  We often have one for the outside connection as well as a Brita filtered pitcher inside. A softener will help keep that hard, staining water at bay.

8. Grill

There are a few reasons to take a grill with you if you are not already equipped with one on your RV.

-It gets hot cooking inside in the summer

It doesn’t take long for your RV to heat up in the summer.  From the heat outside to the heat conducted from your burners and/or oven, it can make you feel like you are in an oven!  Not to mention all those things create more moisture inside (see #5 dehumidifier).

-Minimal cooking space in the kitchen

Most of the stovetops only come with about 3 tiny burners that do not accommodate our pots and pans as well as they do at home.  If you’re trying to sauté some meat, while boiling potatoes you may not have room to throw on those veggies to boil or steam.

-Grilled food tastes good!

In my opinion, you just can’t go wrong with grilled food!  It adds a lot of extra flavor to whatever you are cooking.  I find that it can add some depth to a unique dish that is traditionally prepared inside.  The grill isn’t just for meat!!

9. WIFI/cell phone booster

As you travel, you are bound to be set up somewhere that your cell carrier doesn’t have enough towers to give you the strong signal you are used to receiving.  Having a cell phone booster can help get you back up to speed.

The same goes for WIFI. Some campgrounds offer free WIFI but many do not.  Leaving you to rely on your cell phone for the internet.  Have a MiFi or WIFI booster allows you to give your cell a break or even just get signal wherever you may be.  We have Verizon and their MiFi has helped us out a lot more

10. TV stick or own satellite

Living in an RV full time is different from just taking it out camping.  So, if you are a TV person than you may want to buy a TV stick like Amazon, Roku, or Apple TV to get your favorite programming.  Although many campgrounds provide TV connection, they do not always offer a big selection of programs.

Many that travel choose to invest in a satellite through Dish or DirecTV to get whatever programs they choose.  They may have this provider at home already and it is just an extension of their home programming or it is separate.  Either way, it is a bit more of a cost compared to the TV sticks and the options they offer.

Well, there you have it! My top 10 must-haves for living in an RV full time.  I hope you found it helpful!  Remember, these are just a handful of gadgets and items that can make living in an RV full time a bit easier.

Let me know below what your top 10 items are when you are traveling full time in an RV!!

As always, thanks for reading!

–Katie

So, how do we fix that?

Keep reading below for more information!

I love to look at them over and over but don’t always get to share as many as I would like with others.  With more pictures being taken on our phones or digital cameras they are not being seen and shared as often anymore.

I have always loved looking at them, taking them.  There is something about the jog down memory lane it can take me down.  I love seeing a look in to my family’s past and how they lived.  When I think about it, it may be a bit strange that I didn’t pursue a career in photography.  Back when it was time to figure out initially what to do with my life photography wasn’t exactly a great paying job or an encouraged profession to get in to.

I had considered it when I decided to join the Army but again it was encouraged to choose an occupation I could use outside the military.  Ultimately, I chose linguistics because I liked the places my sister in law had traveled and she was a linguist.  Isn’t that how everyone chooses their profession?  LOL  Now I’m a SAHM (stay at home mom) who is dabbling in blogging about my family’s travel lifestyle.  Now, if only his work would take us overseas!  Funny how our lives play out sometimes.

Back to those pictures and memories…

There are several reasons I focus on preserving those picture and memories now;

Your story to tell

As I mentioned above those pictures can provide a flashback for you or a talking point if you are sharing the pictures with someone else.  You could be showing your children, another family member or a friend. If you get in to some business with photos it could be a complete stranger.  Whoever it may be, you have a story to tell and you SHOULD tell it!

Family history

Whether it be for your own children or maybe your family historian your pictures are able to show how you lived, what you liked to do and where you traveled.  They document the growth of your family.  The types of things you were in to, the clothes you wore and even the food you enjoyed.

Pictures capture all your achievements too!  These pictures help us remember where we came from and where we are now.  What obstacles we crossed to get to here.

All in the details

If you are anything like me, you will forget a lot!  I barely remember what we did yesterday let alone what job we were on back in 2007. My pictures help me with that, along with my chronicles on Facebook and most recently Instagram.

Our memories play tricks on us as well.  I remember a trip that I took with my oldest brother, his wife and my parents to a wilderness area near Ely, MN that escapes me right now.  (SEE, I told you your memory will fail!). It had Boundary or boundaries in it.

OH WAIT!  I remember now, Boundary Waters.  Beautiful place in northern MN!!  Anywhoo, for years after I told everyone that we went there for a month right before I went to basic.  When I shared this fact with my family, they looked at me like I was crazy.  We had spent just two weeks there.

You would think based on my exaggerated timeline that it was not an enjoyable trip but on the contrary it was
one of my most memorable!  I went kayaking for my first time, we camped in a tent the entire time, crossed paths with moose and my mom tried to save her camera over me when we capsized in the lake.  Who could forget those moments!!

Now on to where you should keep these photos.  Obviously, it is your choice what pictures to keep and how you want to display them but here are some of the ways that I help preserve our memories;

Annual book

The annual book is something I started around 2013 when I found out we were pregnant with our first child.  I wanted a reminder (hello pregnancy brain!) of what we had done through the year, whether it was travels or special occasions within the family.  The ones I use are through Shutterfly and I generally do an 8×11 book using their storytelling layouts.  They basically create a template and you insert your pics. They can store your pics and they usually have pretty great sales all year!  Plus, on Groupon you can get them for $5 when they run specials.

Social media

Social media is great for the daily remembrances.  Sometimes just a lot of fillers or random pics but generally we document something interesting that happened.  These have been great for helping me remember where we were and specific dates.

Blogging

Blogging is something new that I have added.  This pertains more to me sharing my story of our life and hoping that there are people out there that want to read about it! Saving your pictures here means you also get to tell the story that goes along with the picture!!  I’ll be sharing our travel pictures, family pictures and also pictures I have created in relation to the blog.

Scrapbooks/Baby books

Scrapbooks are more like just a photo album with some random mementos thrown in at the end.  This used to be all I did until I found Shutterfly. This was prior to most social media as well so I am talking real camera photos, not just on my phone photos.  We had to take the film out of the camera and bring it to a store or professional where they would develop the pictures. You had no idea if they were any good most of the time and almost everyone I know got duplicates because you might want to hand them out.

Baby books are another great option for documenting your little one’s lives.  I did pretty good with our first and got a bit behind with our second.  For both books I have yet to actually print any pics and put them in a book.  At least I tried, right?

Hindsight is 20/20 so, of course, I wish I would have started blogging or keeping a journal a lot sooner to document our travel life.  Even just my life earlier.  I did actually do interesting things before I met my husband!!  LOL

Most of us tend to think our life is not exciting but to others not living it, it can be.  Even if you don’t share your pictures with others do it for yourself!!

As always, thanks for reading!

–Katie

Here are a few links for the type of memory preservation I used…

https://www.shutterfly.com/custom-path/stylecatalog.sfly?fromLocation=lightbox&order=false&defaultBookTitle=My%20Photo%20Book&bookSize=8×11&occasions=Our%20Top%20Picks

https://www.amazon.com/Pearhead-First-Memory-Sonogram-Insert/dp/B072PSF84S/ref=sr_1_14?crid=2XT8EDSLJVNNW&keywords=baby%2Bmemory%2Bbook&qid=1552654556&s=gateway&sprefix=baby%2Bmemory%2B%2Caps%2C161&sr=8-14&th=1