This is my admittedly-biased list of 4 items that I find absolutely indispensable for RV living.

1. Electrical Surge Protector  You can’t ever count on the quality of a campground’s electrical feed. It can surge, experience low voltage, be wired improperly, or fail entirely. With all of the expensive electronics in our rigs these days (TV’s, DVD’s, microwaves, etc), you don’t want an unexpected power surge to take them out. The first thing I do at a campsite is plug our Progressive Surge Protector into the electric pedestal  and allow it to diagnose the circuit. After it shows normal operation, only then do I attach our 50 amp plug to the surge protector. This one is quite pricy, so in dicey campgrounds we padlock it securely to the pedestal. There are variations on this model, including an in-line option, depending on your RV’s needs.

2. Water Pressure Regulator  We are more likely to deal with low water pressure at a site than high pressure. But, we HAVE encountered instances where the campground water pressure is extremely high, risking blowing out our internal piping. Just as with the surge protector, we always hook up a water pressure regulator first, then our water pre-filter, and then our water hose. You can get cheaper pressure regulators without a gauge, but we like seeing exactly what the pressure is, and make any adjustments needed.

3. Weboost 4GX Cell Phone Signal Booster   Cell signals have a tough time punching through big metal boxes, like our motorhome. This device boosts any cell phone signal and re-broadcasts it inside our rig, making decent signals stronger and marginal signals usable. Without it, our AT&T hotspot would be almost useless and we’d be making phone calls outside.  Now, it won’t help you if there is NO signal – nothing can help you with that. But for marginal to normal strength signal, the difference is quite significant.

4. Sticky anti-slip Gel Pads  One of the features I love about my motorhome floor plan is the china cabinet. It just makes the living space feel homier. But placing glass items on glass shelves with glass doors – that seems almost incompatible with a moving home. Enter — the glue pad! These sticky silicone gel pads make almost everything stick to anything. And they are re-positionable. For example, I tack down our stemless wine glasses inside the china cabinet using the sticky pad, pull a glass out when needed, and when finished, just stick it back on the sticky pad. No residue, no problem. I have stuck things down all over the bus and they stay put! You can also cut them and use smaller pieces as needed. They are like my secret weapon. Eventually, dust can coat the surface and make them less tacky. Theoretically, you can wash and regenerate them, but I just replace it at that point. They aren’t that expensive so I keep a spare package around at all times.

And there you have it – the indispensable tools that we use every single day!