We have some exciting news to share! We are getting back on the road again with our family of 4, and going Full Time in our new RV!
For those of you who know us, you know B is a Bass Fisherman for a living, and has to travel all around the country on the tournament trail. When we first started, we had a truck camper that we loved, and then we had our first baby. It was barely big enough for the 3 of us, so when we were expecting our second baby, we had to make the tough decision for the babies and I to stay “home” while B would fly back and forth between tournaments.
Well, this coming season, we are all joining B on the road again and we purchased our very first RV!
So, we want to share with you the essentials we have found to even start this full time RV life…
RV Gift Guide: The Must Haves
RVLock
One less stress about during your RV outings… When we’re at a campsite, there is enough to worry about with trying to go out with the littles. I hated having to remember “Who has the keys?” “Where are the keys?” “Did I grab the keys?” No more worries with the RV Lock!
This was our very first upgrade when we got our truck camper, and you better believe it was our first upgrade with our new RV too!
The RV Lock is a super simple swap for your old lock. This one comes with the ability to lock and unlock with a key…but my favorite part…I can completely forget about the keys and get in with our own combination.
PLUS, it has a remote key fob too!
No more worrying about locking ourselves out while B is on the water, or having to add keys to the checklist every time we step foot out of the door.
Highly recommend you make this switch NOW!! (And be on the look out for their Black Friday deals!)
Clearsource Ultra Mini™ RV Water Filter System
The next thing I always make sure of while on the road…don’t drink (or cook with) the water from the campground! But that all changes when you have an awesome water filtration system.
The Clearsource Ultra Mini has not just one…not even 2…but THREE filters that your water goes through to filter out all the bad stuff that you do not want in your water.
They have several different versions depending on how much you are going to use it (weekender campers vs full timers) as well as how much space you have for one.
I love that we can worry less about the water we are using every day when Clearsource is helping to filter out some bacterias, heavy metals, and even viruses.
We use tons of water every day, so it definitely helps so we don’t have to purchase and store gallons of water at a time.
Beech Lane Wireless RV Leveling System
& Camper Levelers
If you’ve ever been to a few campsites, you’ll quickly notice many of them do not have level ground. Leveling your camper is a MUST if you want everything to work properly…but you are going to want all the help you can get to avoid frustrations.
Beech Lane has an awesome wireless RV leveling system that can help you level your camper from your phone! Just download the app, and follow which way you need your camper to go with your leveling equipment.
The Beech Lane Camper Levelers are also a game changer when you’re setting up camp. No going back and forth stacking plastic blocks or pieces of wood to figure out how much you need. These levelers are made from nylon polymer, so it’s much stronger than the plastic many others are made of.
They come in a 1-pack, 2-pack and a 2-pack with carrying case. The 2 pack comes with 2 curved levelers, 2 chocks, 2 rubber grip mats, and there’s an option for a carrying bag as well.
RV/Car Accessories
BTECH GMRS Radios
Cell service is never guaranteed when you’re driving around the country, so you’ll want to be prepared with a set of radios so you can communicate with each other and other RVers if you’d like. And it’s a great idea to use when you’re backing up your camper as well.
Here are some of the highlights for the GMRS-V2:
- Exceptional Range: Up to 5 miles in open terrain, perfect for caravans or large campgrounds.
- High-Quality Audio: Clear, crisp sound for effective communication.
- Versatility: Compatible with both GMRS and FRS (Family Radio Service) frequencies.
- Privacy: Offers multiple channels and privacy codes to ensure your conversations stay your own.
- Easy to Use: Intuitive design suitable for all ages.
- Durability: Built to last, even under tough conditions.
BTECH is on a mission to make CH19 the common and unofficial RV Channel so RVers can communicate with each other when traveling down the road. If you’re an RVer, hop on over to Channel 19 and connect with other travelers.
Alpaca Gear by Gregory
Living on the road means less room, and less “stuff”. It’s important that everything has its place. Gregory just came out with a great new line, perfect for travel!
From gear boxes to totes, wagons to duffels, this new line has everything you need to stay organized and ready for whatever adventure lies ahead.
My favorite lately has been the Gear Tote 30, which helps us pack up what we need from the camper for our long road trips, and I have everything we need handy while driving with 2 toddlers in the back seat. B loves the hard case Gear Box 45 for all our gear to pack away and pull out when we need it. It has a clear top, so you can easily see what is inside, and it’s waterproof, dustproof, and smashproof! We pair this with the gear pods to help keep everything organized and in its place.
We highly recommend checking out Gregory’s Alpaca collection and seeing which items can help make your travels easier.
Portable Car Vacuum
We’re doing the Full-time RV thing, but we will be on the go a lot this next year…which means, we’ll be in the car a lot as well. Keeping the car clean with 2 toddlers is not an easy feat, but this Eufy portable vacuum makes it a little bit easier.
It’s super lightweight (less than a pound and a half) and can be charged in the car. It comes with different car-specific attachments to help you get into every space you need.
Now we just need to make sure B doesn’t try to steal it for his boat!
Beech Lane Fridge Fan
Have you ever been frustrated with your refrigerator freezing food on the top shelf, and barely keeping things cold on another? RV fridges are known to not have very balanced temps throughout, so as soon as we learned about trying a fridge fan, we knew this was one thing we would want to try.
Beech Lane has a portable RV fridge fan that helps circulate the cold air throughout your fridge. They also have an evaporator fin fan that will help prevent ice build up and push cold air throughout.
Stop the frustration of uneven cooling in your fridge and grab one of these!
Outdoor Essentials
One thing I said to B when we were discussing the truck camper life; I wanted it to feel like a “home” and not a camper. There are several things that can make your RV or trailer feel more homey and not so camper-y…(anyone else understand?! ha!) Here are some of my favorite at home feels that make road life more cozy:
Beurer Electric Blanket & Insect Bite Healer
Two things I have a hard time with when going full-time…the cold weather, and the mosquitos!! So a must have for me is a heated blanket.
Cozy up with this Beurer faux fur heated electric blanket. It has 4 heat settings, auto shut-off, fast heating & overheating protection. It’s machine washable (needed with 2 babies!) and the cable length is over 8 feet long!
The other part of camping that is tough, is all the mosquitos…and I’m allergic. So I’m excited to try the insect bite healer to help relieve the itch and annoyance of the bites.
The Beurer insect bite healer, BR60 has a treatment that dissolves insect venom, saliva, and other irritants left under the skin using a quick-warming ceramic hot plate. So definitely something I’m ready to try whenever we get bites.
A Pair of GCI Freestyle XL Rockers
We spend a TON of time outside while living the RV life, so of course having a comfortable place to hang out is important. The GCI Rockers are one of their most popular chairs, and for good reason.
Our favorite is the GCI Freestyle Rocker XL. It’s a heavy duty foldable rocking chair that you can take camping! And it actually folds up pretty thin just like a normal camping chair, so it won’t take up too much space.
It has a 400 pound weight capacity, Spring-Action Rocking Technology for smooth rocking, and is taller and wider than a lot of other camping chairs.
We got 2 of these, a his and her pair, so we can each have our own and not have to call dibs on who gets the “good chair”. Highly recommend!
LITO Camping Rugs and Outdoor Table Cloths
It’s not hard to track mud and dirt into your camper even if you remove your shoes at the door. So a good camping rug is a must. It’s also great to help keep the dust at a minimum while your kids are playing outside, or you are eating dinner and watching the sunset.
And those picnic tables at most campgrounds have seen better days, so a waterproof tablecloth was definitely on my list of something I really wanted. Lito has some really beautiful waterproof tablecloths, with tons of different patterns, that fasten under the table so you don’t have to worry about them flying away. They also have lots of different colored wine tumblers to match that will make your table scape the prettiest one in the campground!
LITO stands for Luxury in The Outdoors, and while we aren’t high maintenance campers, we do love things that make you more comfortable when this is your full time living. Check out their other awesome products like their candles, lanterns and wine tumblers too.
JordiLight Camping Kit
Of course you’re going to need light at night. And the easiest way to do anything around the campground with a light is to wear a headlamp. It’ll free up your hands and let you do what you need to do despite the dark.
JordiLight is a super versatile headlamp flashlight that you actually don’t just wear on your head. You can hold it, wear it or hang it. There are adapters for you to put it on your bike or helmet as well.
The JordiLight has 256 different colors you can use, and 19 different light intensities that you can change with a touch of a button. It also has a great safety feature that will send an emergency message to your contact if it detects a fall.
The camping kit comes with the JordiLight, a portable charger, and a carabiner clip attachment. It’s perfect for all our camping needs.
The Wearables/Self Care
Costa Sunglasses
When you think of the outdoors, you probably first think of sunglasses, right? Gotta protect those eyes from the sun, and they can also help you see better when you’re doing or doing certain activities out side when it’s bright out.
We’ve been fans of Costa glasses for years and it’s still our number 1 brand when we’re looking for a new pair. While B is out on the water, he needs good protection and the blue or green colored lenses depending on the water to help him see past the reflections on the water.
We were excited to try out their new King Tide 6, which is perfect for those out on the water. It features removable side shields and have venting that helps prevent any fog effect. They also have a non-skid hooding which help your glasses stay in place.
The Reefton pair is always our first recommendation to any fisherman as they are a lightweight, durable, and performance ready pair too, and they come with lenses in both polarized glass and polarized polycarbonate.
You can’t go wrong with a pair of Costa’s. They’re perfect for on and off the water, and have so many different styles for men and women!
Vionic Shoes
We do SO MUCH Walking when out at campgrounds. We take multiple family walks, we go on hikes, we walk to the lake, walk around at the weigh ins, etc. So a comfy pair of shoes is definitely an essential.
I’ve been having trouble with my feet lately, so I was recommended Vionic Shoes from my mom and sisters who swear by them. They have amazing arch support (which is the #1 thing I need) lots of cushioning, and are super stylish (obviously a plus!).
These creme white strider sneakers were my number 1 pick and have been loving them from the moment I put them on.
Another awesome thing about Vionic, is they have a great line of supportive and cute sandals too. Check them out and give your feet the gift of support and comfort!
Minky Couture Everywhere Blanket
Outdoor blanket, meet cozy luxury! This everywhere blanket by Minky Couture is a campers dream. Soft minky lining inside, with a water resistant quilted material on the other.
It comes in a backpack so you can take it wherever your adventure takes you…a picnic, sitting around a campfire, or my favorite-cozying up outside, trying to block mosquitos.
It’s the perfect cross between cozy and functional.
Another added feature is an attached hood that can be zipped on and off, and 2 hand holds for easy wrap around. It comes in lots of different colors as well.
Sunlighten lumiNIR 4-n-1
While you’re traveling, you aren’t quite popping into the spa for some self care. So sometimes you’ve gotta do your own pampering, which is why I am excited to try Sunlighten’s 4 in 1 lumiNIR set.
It’s light therapy for your skin. You can try 4 different LED attachments, including:
- NIR light LED attachment for cell repair
- Red light LED attachment for anti-aging
- Blue light LED attachment for clear skin
- NIR and red light LED attachment for pain relief and muscle recovery
“Each attachment has 51 light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs that deliver different therapeutic wavelengths for specific skin care benefits”
Working on better skin while traveling? This can be your go-to system for all you need.
RV Entertainment
Trika Fishing Rods
If you know us, you know we’re a family traveling around the country with B fishing the Bassmaster Opens…so of course fishing is a huge thing in our lives. It’s no surprise fishing is always our first recommendation for outdoor entertainment for the whole family.
It’s a fun family activity to do together together, and you can fish anywhere. There’s probably a body of water really close to all of your campgrounds anyway!
Grab a Trika rod, a fishing license and go catch some dinner to grill over the firepit…or do some catch and release like the Bassmasters!
Story Bug Personalized Books For Kids
One of the best things about full timing in an RV is getting away from the screens. Which for us also means lots of play, imagination, and reading. We came across these cute Story Bug Books where you can personalize the books to have your kids be IN the story!
You can add their names and even a cartoon version of your children that will be on the pages throughout the book.
They have a great selection of boys and girls books, adventure books, baby books, and Christmas books too.
You can even make a book for grandparents or parents too!
Minelab X-Terra Pro Metal Detector
A fun hobby for the whole family! Head out on your walks together and bring this Minelab X-Terra Pro metal detector. There are so many hidden treasures out there you can find with it. Whether you want to stick to the campground or head out in the water, the X-Terra Pro is a great choice for beginners all the way up to the advanced level.
There are settings for Park, Field and Beach Search Modes and it is waterproof up to 16 feet deep! It’s fun for both adults and kids, and we love that we can start a new hobby all together.
We’ll be close to water at every stop, so having the underwater features was what sold us. We’re excited to see what treasures we can find on our new adventures!
Nex Playground
A fun new game making waves is this interactive Nex Playground console. It’s an “active entertainment system that gets you moving”.
Simply plug your Nex player into your TV and enjoy lots of laughs and fun times with your family. It comes with 4 games included, and you can subscribe to a Play Pass to unlock all the fun!
Its a great system for the whole family to play together and be active. Talk about perfect for rainy days stuck in the camper!
Coming Soon…
Sol Angeles Loungewear
Sara, a seasoned expert in wedding planning and date ideas, brings a wealth of experience to our couples blog. With a background in the television industry and hands-on involvement in a dozen weddings, including working as a wedding assistant on "My Fair Wedding with David Tutera," Sara has an innate understanding of the magic that makes weddings truly special. Growing up with four sisters has given her unique insights into the dating world, making her a go-to source for practical and heartfelt dating advice. Her knowledge and enthusiasm make her the perfect guide for couples seeking to infuse their relationships with creativity and love.