RV Living

Living in an RV can be quite different than living in a house.  We have some favorite products that we love for small space living. Some of them are unique to RVing, some of them are just regular things that just work really well for us in our RV, some of them are just great for travel in general. I’ll add to this list as I get time. Some of the links are affiliate links, which means that I earn a small (very small!LOL!) percentage of the sale if you purchase after clicking through the link (picture or underlined words); it does not effect the price you pay – if that makes you feel uncomfortable, you can just google the item and find it that way 😀 .  Whether you chose to click through the provided link (picture) or not, I would encourage you to look the items up on amazon as they usually sell there for under retail, and it’s a great place to read other users’ reviews also.
I would never put anything on here that I don’t absolutely love!

HydroChic is my favorite place to find modest swimsuits! They are a little pricer than some, but I’m a firm believer that you get what you pay for; these are well made and contain considerably more fabric than your department store swimsuits 😉
Beth has a set from them that she bought, and that we both love. I have my heart set on a certain outfit, but they have been out of my size in the top, and I’m holding out for that particular one! :)


Oreck Magnesium Upright Vacuum Cleaner
: I bought this vacuum last summer, and I LOVE it! We have a built-in vacuum, but it just doesn’t clean as well as an upright, and we really needed a powerful vacuum to keep up with our tribe! I love that it lays down flat, so I can get under the couch with it, and it is super thin for storage. It also has a 30 foot cord so I can plug it in in the kitchen or living room and do the whole coach without having to replug. Most importantly, the Magnesium weighs just 8 pounds, which is great for our GVW! :)

Better Houseware 2404/12 Bamboo Magnetic Bar
– we have a wooden magnetic knife holder mounted behind the stovetop in our toy hauler.  I wouldn’t be without it!  I keep the larger knives as well as a couple of paring knives on it, and love that they are so handy!  There are a lot of different styles, from cherry ones to silver metal ones.  You can see the one we have through this link, and search for other styles to find one that you like!

Quality Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker’s Quarter Sheet
(13″x10″).  I have 2 of these, so I can put a second pan of cookies in as soon as the first is done cooking.  I have tried the cheap, thin pans, but the thin metal doesn’t disperse the heat of RV ovens, and the cookies or bars always burn (you can turn your oven down, but it takes longer to cook…). These are thick, commercial grade aluminum, are non-rusting, and Nordic Ware is made in the USA.  :)

I really, really like Joseph Joseph products for in the RV!  This Joseph Joseph Nest 9 piece Compact Food Preparation Set 9 pc nesting set is one of  my favorites – I have tried and tried to justify buying it because it is wonderful, but it just isn’t big enough that our family of 11 would be able to use it.  If I had a smaller family tho, I would have it in a heartbeat! LOL!  (yes, I have checked it out in person)  This set includes measuring spoon and cups, sieve, colander, and 2 mixing bowls that nest as shown.   I do have, and love, the 16 piece set of nesting, rectangular storage containers – rectangles don’t waste space, and they nest, with lids, lovely!  I tend to use them for storing items in the cupboards, not so much for leftovers in the fridge. :) Joseph Joseph also some other really great quality products, and they specialize in nesting and space saving so they are ideal for RVers!


We have a large set of Rubbermaid storage containers that we use for leftovers/ingredients… and I like the Rubbermaid 12-Piece Food Storage Container Set because they are square shaped, which means less wasted space when they are in use, but I love them because they nest so well… you nest like sized containers together, then the lids for that size container snap together and the stack of them pops onto the bottom of the stack of containers.  Each size of container nests within the next size up, even with the lids on the bottom!  Ours are just like the ones in the pic (except we have quite a few more 😉 and they are the previous release in blue…).  They are a great way to store lots of containers, while looking nice too (PBA free, and they don’t tomato stain).


We LOVE our Instant Pot! It is a 7 in 1 cooker – and I use it (mainly) as a slow cooker, rice cooker, and pressure cooker (my fav since I often forget to take meat out to thaw for dinner!), but it is also a steamer and yogurt maker that warms and sautes. Because it comes with a stainless steel cooking pot, I don’t have to purchase one separately. There are multiple models of Instant Pots; ours has a 6 quart capacity so it can cook a main dish for our tribe; we got ours before the new 8 quart model came out – but that is on my wish list! :) I have yet to have any issues with food sticking or burning even though I use the IP 4 to 5 times a week! It has a delay timer so we can put dinner in in the morning, then go for a day of sightseeing and come home to our meal ready to eat. I like it so much that I wrote an entire post about it; you can find it here. :)

 

 
The Presto Fold-away 16 inch electric skillet is a great product for RVers! This larger skillet comes apart, and all pieces store inside the skillet, including the base! This was a game changer for us – we can now make pancakes and grilled cheese much more efficiently, and now have fried chicken, which we hadn’t made in years because it took too long in smaller batches!  This is great for larger meals that the Instant Pot insert is not large enough to fry/sauté.  Many RVers love electric cookers, like the Instant Pot and this skillet, because they use electricity from the campground instead of the RV’s propane which can be inconvenient (and expensive) to refill.


We really like our Oxygenics BodySpa SkinCare Handheld Shower Head…this brand of shower head is popular with RVers because it’s pressurizing technology gives you better water pressure while using less water.  The picture links to the style of shower head we bought, but there are several different Oxygenics designs. so check out the others too.  I really like the water pressure (actually washes the shampoo out of my hair), yet my gray tank is filling up slower.  It also has a nice long hose that is great for washing littles’ hair, and for cleaning the shower.

Perfect Aire 3PAD30 Dehumidifier If you are planning on spending any amount of time in your rv in either humid climates, or in cold weather, then it’s prudent to invest in a appropriately sized dehumidifier.  In humid climates, the close quarters of your rv can become breeding grounds for mold, particles, especially in corners and edges where there is not good air flow.(corner in a closet, behind the couch, along the cushions of the dinette, in cupboards especially in slides).  In cold weather, condensation from cooking and breathing can collect on windows, and in those same problem areas. A dehumidifier will pull that moisture out of the air so it can’t damage the inside of your rv.  A dry RV is a longer-lasting RV  😉  Don’t forget when choosing a dehumidifier to balance the amount of water the collection bin can hold between emptying, and the weight of the unit (and it doesn’t hurt to check out customer reviews!).

Gear Ties.  These probably seem like a silly ‘RV Must Have’, but I LOVE these: Nite Ize Gear Tie – Assorted 16 Pack.  Gear Ties are great for keeping all those charging and HDMI cords wound up neatly, shorten laptop and heater cords so they aren’t strung out as tripping hazards, and tuck that cord up behind the tv to make it look more aesthetically pleasing.  :)  Gear Ties come in smaller packages, and tons of colors.  I have my charge cords color coded, and I don’t even have to unwind them to use them.  They look much nicer than bread ties 😉 and can be bent and straightened (used!) over and over and over again.

RVers typically love to be outside.  That’s why we do what we can do – to check out new places.  All that sun and weather can be hard on books, and if you like to take your Bible with you, it probably won’t last long! LOL!  I could not believe it when I found the Waterproof Bible
!  We LOVE ours, and it is practically indestructible (Caleb is free to look at it all he wants and it’s still in like new condition!).  The entire book is waterproof, tear-proof, and it FLOATS!  Perfect for the beach, pool, and playground.  <3   (check out our review or click on pic to visit it on Amazon – available in many versions and different cover designs)


Magformers are great imaginative/building toys no matter where you live, these are great for fulltimers and in ‘grampa and gramma’s camper’!  These good quality, durable building toys encourage imaginative play and problem solving skills.  They are lightweight, and super compact as they cling together and stack.  There are dozens of different sets, including purple and pink sets.  Check out the Magformers Space set or the princess castle set, both are a good deal (anything under a dollar a piece is a good price).


Our littles love the WeeRide LTD Kangaroo Child Bike Seat.  Bikes are popular with RV families; they are a great way to get around in campgrounds, or to take trail rides through nature.  Wee Ride is unique because it sits your little on in FRONT of you so they aren’t staring at your back the entire ride!  We love ours (we have 2) because we can see our babes, and interact with them during the ride.  There are 2 different designs – this is the more plush one, and for the $4 difference, it’s worth it to buy the LTD style.  (Made in the USA :) which is always brownie points with our family!)

We have had the Lifetime Kid’s Picnic Table for years.  It folds flat; we carry it inside our rv, slid in the slide at the end of the couch.  We use it inside and outside, and it is very durable.  Perfect for up to age 6, but even Emma and Joel (8 and 10) will sit at it.

This is the Camp Chef Big Gas 3 Burner Grill
.  It is a heavy duty grill that is portable.  It is a little on the heavy side, but that is because it is heavy duty.  It’s the only grill we would take on the road with us, and we are on our second.  The legs are removable, as is the grill top so you can use the base for big pots of chili or boiling crawfish and crab.  :)  We fill the grill with burgers, and can still put a pot on the side to keep the heat from cooking out of the camper.

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