This gear post will be an ever-changing list of items and upgrades that we are looking at purchasing for our RV life. Purchased items will remain on the list, and any review will be linked.
(items are linked to amazon.ca if possible)
Already Purchased
Drone
Bought ourselves a DJI Spark Mini drone with massive features. We are loving it so far but would like to change it out for a Mini2 eventually.
Ultimately, if we had the cash to spend, a Mavic Pro II or Mavic Air would be our go-to.
Paddleboards
Our inflatable stand up paddleboards are SereneLife from amazon, Tricias, and Morgans
Other designs are available.
Surge Protector
Progressive Industries EMS-PT30C Portable Electrical Management System – 30 Amp. This was one of our first purchases before taking our original trailer to a park. We were worried about the quality of power at the pedestal so decided to purchase this bit of insurance. This can also be purchased as a 50A guard or a 30A or 50A plug-in type surge protector.
We decided to get the permanent Surge Guard so that we would never forget to use it, and wouldn’t have to worry about it being stolen.
Another item that we bought for this surge protector is a Remote Bypass Switch. This allows us to bypass the surge protector when we are using a generator.
A pair of radios
Anything that can make communication between husband and wife easier will make everyone much happier. I once heard that when you are backing up a trailer, there isn’t much difference between “woah” and “go.” We bought a pair of Motorola radios for our Mini Trip (Great Canadian Bacon Invasion 2018). Our Talkabout radios worked great on that trip, allowing us to keep in contact with the group leader without any issues.
Canon Rebel XSi
Our first DSLR has been quite the learning curve. We changed the kit 18-55mm lens out with a Tamron 18-200mm. This ended up being a bad idea because the Tamron doesn’t seem to be a very good lens at any length. We also have the Canon 50mm lens. One thing I wish the camera was able to do is shoot video. We are now looking into a new Camera, possibly a Canon T7i or Canon 77D.
Contour ROAM
We have owned the Contour ROAM for a few years, but haven’t really created content with it. The camera will shoot 1080 video at 120 degrees or 720p at 170 degrees. It also has the ability to shoot 5MP photos instead of video, a feature we used when on the Maid of the Mist in Niagara Falls. We will most likely switch to a Go-Pro in the future, or try the new DJI Osmo Action or Osmo Pocket..
Composting Toilet
One trick to extending our ability to boondock is eliminating our black water tank entirely and using a composting toilet. Nature’s Head toilets have been used by other fulltime RV’ers that we follow. We have installed this and look forward to seeing how this works out for us.
Tripod
We film a lot on our phones at the moment, and for that, we bought a small GorillaPod. We also bought a VideoMicro microphone to record better quality audio. We have noticed that having the microphone on the GorillaPod, is making a rattle noise due to not fitting correctly.
Lithium Batteries
We bought a trio of 100ah lithium batteries from Battleborn. Many full-time families that we follow are using these batteries with great results, and we are looking forward to installing them.
Solar Charge Controller
The solar charge controller we chose is the Victron BlueSolar 100/50. Originally we had purchased the 100/30 controller but decided that it may not allow us to expand our solar install in the future. A better upgrade would be the SmartSolar MPPT 100/50 Charge Controller with Bluetooth, to allow monitoring of the charge controller from your phone.
Inverter
Another key aspect of our power system is the inverter, allowing us to convert the 12v power in our lithium batteries to 120v. For this task, we purchased the Victron Multiplus 2000W. Along with being an inverter, this will replace the charger in our trailer, and it has the ability to use different power supplies at once. An example of this would be starting the air conditioner using both battery power and generator power, allowing us to have a smaller generator.
RV Plug Conversion Kit
One of the concerns I had when installing my surge protector was that the shore power plug could be wet when I was storing it, introducing that moisture into the bay where the surge protector is installed. In order to fix this, we bought the Furrion FCKIT30-PS 30A RV Conversion Kit, to replace our shore power cable with just a plug. The kit provided the inlet to mount onto the trailer and the plug end for your cord.
RV Roof Sealant
Liquid Rubber RV Roof Repair Kit
This kit comes with the roof cleaner, rubber seam tape, primer, and the coating/sealant. They also include two roller inserts and gloves to protect your hands.
Post here
3M 4941 VHB Double Sided Foam Tape
We used this 3M 4941 to mount our Ikea vanity mirror in the bathroom to the wall. Worked pretty well, until the west coast humidity weakened it.
Outdoor Speakers
Our outdoor speakers were damaged when we purchased the trailer and we replaced them with these Pyle PLMRS5W 5.25-Inch 2 Way Marine Speakers. They weren’t expensive, so I assume we are going to get what we pay for, but having loud music outside isn’t really a priority.
Looking
Wi-Fi Booster
The Wi-Fi Ranger products have been used by a few of the other full-time RV bloggers we have followed. This will boost available Wi-Fi signals, and can also set up a Wi-Fi network inside the trailer to connect all your devices to.
Additional old research
These are items that we have researched, but we don’t want or need anymore. Some items were researched during the time that we were planning to renovate our old fifth-wheel trailer.
Heating
We had been looking at different ways of heating the trailer to replace the inefficient forced air propane furnace. One recommendation was to go with a diesel air heater from Webasto or Eberspaecher. Aqua-Hot & Trailer Life Post
Electrical in floor heat Step RV
Marine AC
Laundry
One item that we would have liked to add to the trailer was an all in one washer dryer for when we move into fulltime RV living. Splendide has been recommended as the best brand available for RV’s. The Splendide WD2100XC White Vented Combo Washer/Dryer seems to be a great option for our RV.
Dishwasher
Another dream appliance we want to build into the trailer is a dishwasher. Camping World offers a VESTA built-in drawer style dishwasher that has caught our eye and has good reviews.
Lithium Batteries
Some other companies to source lithium batteries:
LiFeBlue (LiFePO4) – 12V 300ah $2798 12V 100ah $998
Battle Born (LiFePO4) – 12V 100ah $949
Smart Battery – 12V 300ah $3500 12V 100ah $1300
RELiON – 12V 300ah $3920 12V 100ah $1428
*We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This page also includes affiliate links to our partners. Everything is 100% private and you don’t pay anything more.