There are a number of gadgets from the RV that we can use in the house, too. They have migrated their way into the house with us over the winter. Being full-time RVers for the last eight years, I never had to remember what to pack. We carried everything with us. This is the first time in that many years that I need to actually pack up the motorhome.
The standard items, dishes, pots and pans, towels, blankets, and camping equipment, are still in the RV just counting the days till we roll again. I just can’t forget to pack these 12 gadgets!
12 gadgets and accessories I can’t do without in the RV
These are the things we use in the house and in the motorhome and I just can’t forget to pack them. Most of them are so important to us when RVing I have done articles on them!
- Instant Pot. I love the slow cooker and pressure cooking functions. Here are a couple of the recipes I make when camping. I even used it yesterday to make a cheap, tough round steak edible!
- Air pop popcorn popper. Our popcorn popper of choice used to be a stir-crazy but all that wonderful popping oil was getting me a bit crazy on the scale, so, sigh, air pop it is.
- Viair portable air compressor. We use it at home for bike tires, truck and car tires. On the road, I have found it indispensable for the RV tires. No trying to find a place to air up.
- Dyson handheld vacuum with attachments including the one for tile floors. Great for the motorhome and quick pick-ups around the house.
- Southwire Elite Power Station with solar charger. Love it in the RV when boondocking. We used the 900 watts of power when our electricity went out at the house.
- Lectric eBike with charger, helmet and my bright you-can’t-miss-me construction vest! I’ve ridden it more than 520 miles now and I thoroughly enjoy it. I even take it to the grocery store to pick up a few things. I love that a lot of parks have amazing, dedicated bike trails.
- Hollywood bike rack has carried our bikes all over the country. Mine is a heavy electric one and it has no problem handling it. This year we are mounting it on the back of a pickup truck we are towing and not the back of the motorhome.
- UBeesize camera/phone tripod. It is so functional for mounting my cellphone for group pics, close-ups and even for a timed exposure or two.
- Neewer light set. Used it on the road and the house for lighting when I needed to copy things, digitize the family photos, and scan documents.
- Honeywell portable heaters. It still gets chilly in the house in winter, even in AZ. These take the chill off and actually heat the RV pretty well. I never use them unattended or at night and have not had a safety issue with them ever.
- Digital Inspection Endoscope. Plumbers use it, electricians use it and I use it in the RV. I had left it in the RV in storage and found so many places to use it at the house for following wiring behind cabinets and the nest of wires behind the TVs. I had to go get it out of the motorhome.
- Blackstone Griddle. I love the Blackstone! It is easy to set up, easy to clean and I, a non-cook, can cook on it. I will admit I don’t use it as much at the house as I should. Having an oven and a griddle built in has made me a bit lazy. However, there is nothing like the smell of bacon cooking outside to call the neighbors to brunch!
It is a lot of work!
I am finding it is a lot of work packing up all the gadgets and unloading a motorhome! At least with these, the essentials, packed I can add some clothes, toiletries, medicine, documents, food and water and we are ready to go for the summer.
##RVT1106
Thank you, Nanci! Well, you are quasi-full-time. We travel considerably less often and use the Viair compressor. We also have an endoscope, but have never used it. Our RV has a central vacuum that works well, so no additional vacuum.
Forget the air popper. Just another thing to store. Brown paper lunch bag. 1/4 cup popcorn. Fold over top of bag. One staple. Microwave for 2-4 minutes. Listen for popping to slow down. Open bag carefully. ENJOY.
What kind of a staple can you use in a microwave? I would like to do this, but it would blow up my “nuker.”
pop corn popper over the fire, small amount of oil and kernels single level in old time corn popper…no electricity
I often think back to our days of weekend camping, then stationary seasonal camping and compare that to our current eight year stint as full time RVers. This is just so much easier!
We have 7 out of the 12!