RV'ing Must Haves & What we Like, Love & Can Do Without

Well after 63 days straight on the road we decided to compile a short list of what we have like, love and what we can do without! To make it a little more personal, we decided to capture our lists by each member of our family. Also for those wanting to embark on this kind of adventure we also made a list of RV'ing must haves based on our own experiences thus far. Here goes!

What We Like, Love & Can Do Without

Shyla

Likes: Living in a trailer, rock climbing and all the hot weather.

Loves: Spending time with the whole family everyday and not having to go to school :)

Can Do Without: Dealing with fire ants and not being able to be barefoot outside (especially in Texas and Arizona), getting car sickness on long drives and having a smelly toilet. 

Lennon

Likes: Looking at new bugs and animals at each park we visit and using his new binoculars to scope out new sights.

Loves: Playing in the rivers, sleeping in bunkbeds and meeting new friends to play with at each new park we go to.

Can Do Without: The extreme heat almost everyday, sunburns and having a smelly toilet (I sense a trend).

Madden

​Likes: Playing with siblings everyday all day
 
Loves: Unlimited rock throwing and bugs to play with (and sometimes eat).

Can Do Without: Mommy having to buy him a leash for the Grand Canyon and constantly getting in trouble for throwing everything!

Alex

Likes: Relaxing outdoors and finding new places to sleep in his hammock. Enjoying a morning cup of coffee while soaking in the beauty of each new place.

Loves: The amazing weather....and spending time with the kids hiking/biking and not being tied to a busy schedule everyday.

Can Do Without: Cleaning out the sewer tank, having RV problems every once in a while and hates when someone gets sick in the RV.

Wendy

Likes: The nice weather and living in the trailer. The stars in the sky at night and seeing the kids together learning and playing.

Loves: Exploring the outdoors everyday, family time and catching all the amazing moments.

​Can Do Without: The long (and sometimes bumpy) drives, only being able to stay in US for 6 months and having to advance book the national parks.

RV'ing Must Haves!

1. Big Berkie water filter (this ones first on our list since we go through a huge amount of water and since we're on the road its tough to know the quality of water from one location to another. This amazing filter actually removes all pathogens and other nasty stuff from any water source and gives us delicious drinking water...its amazing!)
2. Dodge Ram 2500 (this is more of a wish list for us as we only have a Ram 1500 at the moment. Regardless, when you're towing a 9000 lb trailer we've learned that a 1/4 ton truck just simply isn't enough truck to give you a smooth drive. Don't listen to the sales folks at the truck dealership or the RV dealership like we did...if you're trailer is over 5000 lb just get the 2500 3/4 ton truck as it'll reduce the amount of sway the trailer gives you and makes your truck work less. Learn from our mistakes).
3. Blue Ox heavy duty trailer hitch (regardless of what truck you choose make sure you upgrade your trailer hitch to ensure a stable, safe and smooth ride. Our Blue Ox has stabilizer bars that are relatively easy to put on and help distribute the weight. I wouldn't attempt to pull any reasonable size trailer without a heavy duty trailer hitch).
4. Verizon Jet Pack (internet has become pretty essential for us whether its booking our next stay, using GPS or emailing and connecting with friends. We managed to find a deal where we pay around $70 USD/month for about 12GB of data which is much better than paying the Canadian roaming fees. One catch...they have unlimited data too, but after you reach the 12GB mark they reduce the speed dramatically to the point where you can't even use it to surf the net. Buyer beware.)
5. Marriott Rewards Visa (the most amazing benefits of this card is that they don't charge you any foreign transaction fees on top of the exchange rates saving you $$. Most cards charge an additional 2.5% fee ON TOP of the exchange so if you plan on making lots of foreign transactions its best to get this card. There aren't many others that waive this fee. Plus the points you accumulate for Marriott rewards are pretty nice too!)
6. Well stocked first aid kit (you never know when you're gonna have a shin buster lol and need all those bandages, gauze and tape. Get a good one and hope you don't use it)
7. Command Strips hooks by 3M (this has been a life saver to help us reduce clutter in such a small space. Also, since the RV walls are pretty flimsy its impossible to put any nails or screws in the wall. These little hooks are held up by strong tape that holds up to 5lbs or so and are easily removed without any damage to the wall
8. Paper plates and disposable cutlery (who wants to do dishes all the time especially when water is sometimes pretty scarce and our tanks fill up fast! Plus the plates double as kindling for fires)
9. Extra bedding & clothes (we've learned quickly that it really sucks doing laundry on the road so having some extra clothes to buy you a few more days until laundry day is a good idea. Also, when our kids got sick and were barfing due to some crazy stomach flu its always a bonus to have fresh sheets on hand in the middle of the night)
10. Water shoes (great for showering in campsites to avoid going barefoot and of course swimming in rivers and lakes with rocky bottoms)
11. Extra long sewer hose and water hoses (you never know exactly how far the connections are in each site so its best to come prepared)
12. Tools (There's constantly something popping off or breaking on an RV so having a basic set of tools on hand is a good thing. Apart from the basic stuff ensure you also have channel locks, various nuts, bolts, washers, sheet metal screws, duct tape and power drill on hand)