When we got our first RV, we were clueless! There was so much we did not know and we learned a lot through trial and error! We’ve compiled a small list of some RV Upgrades & Mods we’ve made over the past few years (and some products that we just can’t live without now!) We know you’re going to LOVE some of these products and several of these RV Upgrades might not be as “pricy” as you think.
RV Mattress
A new mattress. “This mattress that came with our RV is so comfortable,” SAID NO ONE EVER! For several years we used a mattress topper to get us by, but this past year we finally decided to make this RV Upgrade and replaced our factory mattress with a new one from RVmattress.com by Brooklyn Bedding. Their mattresses are made right here in the US, shipped for FREE, and come with a 10-year warranty so we are set for a VERY long time! They offer a 120-night sleep guarantee and to help you choose the best mattress for you, check out this guide and take the FREE quiz! (We also love our chunky knit weighted blanket from RV Mattress as well)!
Electrical Outlet for RV’s
You probably already know by now that RVs are NOT like a sticks/bricks house when it comes to finding an electrical outlet. And with so many things powered with a USB now, having enough space to charge all the things can be a challenge when living the RV Life! These little gadgets solve a big problem for us 🙂
RV Ladder Bike Rack
Since we have 4 people so we need to transport 4 bikes. We have a hitch mount rack that carries 2 of our 4 bikes, but the other two (kids’ bikes) we put on our RV ladder rack, which works GREAT! They are super secure on this rack and it easily folds out of the way when not in use. This is a great small RV upgrade to make!
Surge Protector (Energy Management System)
This is one of the best RV upgrades anyone can make. That is because this RV upgrade can save you THOUSANDS of dollars in potential damage. A problem with the electrical pedestal at campgrounds can wreak havoc on your RV electrical system. You will want to make sure you’re protected with one of these. We have done a ton of research and chose this particular surge protector from Progressive Industries. We’ve been using it for about 1 year now and it’s super easy to use and provides great protection.
Garmin RV GPS
Have you ever found yourself on a dead-end, 1-way street in your GIANT RV? Or have you found yourself when pulling a trailer in a situation where you need to turn around but it’s a tight fit? We found ourselves in situations like this more than once and had a “never again” moment. We sprang for this RV GPS! You can program your RV info such as height and length and this Garmin GPS. It will help keep you off those sketchy roads! As a side note, we also got the swivel mount that helps to keep it on the dash and eliminates the need to mount it on a glass surface.
RV Cooler
When we travel, we are rarely at the RV Park or Campground all day unless we need a full work day. This means that most days we are out exploring, sightseeing, hiking, biking, etc. We also keep costs down by NOT eating out often. Do you know how expensive that becomes with two kids who are pre-teens? Since we bring food and ESPECIALLY drinks along with us, a soft-sided cooler is a great product to own. Why soft-sided? Because having an item easy to “smush” into a smaller space in the RV is a game changer for storage! We received this cooler from Bouge RV to try out. And it’s been working great! (Much better than the old Coleman one we had). It’s waterproof inside and out and keeps ice and things cold for a good, full day!
RV Snap Pads
We are SO GLAD we installed these SnapPads on our RV. We’ve camped in several areas where the campground did not have cement or gravel pads to park on, but rather we parked in a grassy area. After being parked for a few days, guess what? Yep, we sunk. And THEN if you are off-kilter in the rain, guess what happens? (Leaks!) These are game changers for leveling and are super easy to install (check out our video on the installation process).
RV Security Cameras
A recent RV Upgrade we did to our RV was to install some security cameras. These cameras from Reolink are wireless and you can use the app to check on things as needed. The other thing that is great about these cameras is that they have a small solar panel for charging. How cool is that? We added two of these cameras (more in our video) one for the inside of the RV and one for the outside.
Water Hose Quick Connect
Quick connectors make hooking up to the water at a campground super easy. No need to screw and unscrew the hose fittings any longer. Easily connect the hoses to the RV when hooking up your RV.
RV Button Lights
We added these button lights when we renovated our RV. It’s easy to see why we love them! They are flush mount and easy to turn off and on. Also, since they are LED they do not get hot like most RV lights and put out a nice amount of light. Very easy to install too!
Dish Dry Rack
This roll-up dish rack has been a lifesaver and it was one of the first purchases I made for RV Life. Being able to roll and unroll for storage is very helpful! Plus, it’s a super easy (and cheap) item that makes RV Living much easier.
Microfiber Travel Towels
Have you ever noticed how long it takes traditional terry cloth towels to fry when they are hung in an rv? Especially since you cannot hang them like in a sticks and bricks house. (Most of us are using hooks instead of a towel rack). Or if you’re using a towel rack, they are lying on top of each other. These microfiber towels have CHANGED all of that! They dry very quickly and I can wash 4 of them in our small RV washer/dryer unit! PLUS Venture 4th gave us a great discount for our viewers! Save 25% by using the code: 25OFF259 when purchasing on Amazon.
Nano Tape
This is a product that has revolutionized RV Life for me! This “nano” mounting tape is reusable and washable! It holds up to 5 pounds. We’ve used to mount several things in our RV including photos, command hooks, and some small wooden boxes. It also works great to secure items to counter surfaces, etc.
Shelf Liner Paper
Shelf liner not only is helpful for the actual shelves and drawers but also for being able to put things on the counter on travel days (see our video for more information on how we do this!)
Marshmallow Roasting Sticks
Did you know we have two private-label products available on Amazon? We love our extra-long bamboo marshmallow roasting sticks that are disposable. (Insert the hallelujah chorus here for NO messy clean up)! These are also semi-pointed so kids are “safer” for s’mores night.
