If this is the year you’ve been waiting for, the year you’re finally ready to purchase a recreational vehicle, a list of “must-haves” can help you buy your perfect RV.
Overwhelmed and confused
If you’ve ever attended a big RV show or visited a large RV dealership, you know how easy it is to lose focus. I’ve found that if you go into either with a list of your “must-haves,” you’re less likely to become overwhelmed and confused.
RV “must-haves” to buy your perfect RV
Everyone is different, so your “must-haves” will probably differ from mine. Here’s a list of common “must-haves”—those features and amenities that are non-negotiable for many folks. Perhaps they’ll spark your own personal “must-have” list.
Access
An important “must-have” that is non-negotiable for many RVers is access to the refrigerator and bathroom when the slides are retracted. That way, RVers can grab food from the fridge or access the restroom while traveling.
Flooring
I love that RV manufacturers now use vinyl flooring instead of carpeting. You can always add a small area rug to the TV/living area and a rug near the bed for comfort.
Kitchen
Stove burners. A minimum of three burners is on my “must-have” list. Your choice may be different from mine, but if you know before you go to the RV show, it can help narrow down your choices for certain makes and models.
Bathroom
Dry bath. I prefer a dry bath, where the shower is in its separate enclosure and doesn’t share the same space as the toilet or sink.
Medicine cabinet. We often live in our RV for months at a time when volunteering on job sites. That means we pack more over-the-counter medicines than if we were RVing for, say, just a weekend. We take ibuprofen, Band-Aids, muscle liniment, elbow and knee wraps, and a host of other things. A medicine cabinet is on our list of “must-haves” for this reason.
Bedroom
Clothes storage. I always count the number of drawers in the RV bedroom. We’ve learned that a minimum of four drawers is needed for any extended travel. If the RV doesn’t have a dresser with the minimum number of drawers, we stop looking at that model and move on to the next RV.
Nightstand. Whether it’s a sturdy shelf or a bedside table, this is another “must-have” for us. Why? My husband’s CPAP machine needs a place to stay for overnight trips. I’ve seen many RVs that really wowed me, but without a nightstand, I quickly took them off my list of RV contenders.
Bedroom door. Sometimes we take our grandchildren along in our RV. It’s important that the smallest one has a separate place to nap. Even when it’s just my husband and me, I prefer a door to a curtain. Sometimes he enjoys watching a late-night sports game and I can close the bedroom door to block out much of the TV’s sound.
Basement storage
We often travel with various carpentry tools (e.g., ladders, large toolboxes, power cords), so adequate basement storage is on our “must-have” list. Easy access to the basement storage is also a requirement.
Workarounds
A list of “must-haves” can help you buy your perfect RV. But what happens if the RV you love doesn’t offer every item on your “must-have” list? Look for workarounds—ways you can accommodate your needs.
For example, a bedroom door is on my “must-have” list. As I consider it, perhaps my husband could use Bluetooth headphones like these as he watches a late-night game or movie. I could use earplugs or a sound machine to block out the TV noise, too. These are easy workarounds, but you’ll want to check to make sure that the RV’s television has a jack that fits headphones or is Bluetooth-compatible. Also, our 2-year-old granddaughter won’t always require a nap, so the bedroom door is only a requirement for a year or two, at most.
If the RV you really like checks off most of your “must-haves,” look for ways to work around those deficiencies.
What “must-haves” top your list when buying an RV? Tell me in the comments section below—I’m curious to know what they are for you.
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Most all of yours are on my list too. I sit in the bathroom and shut the door to see how much room there is. Also check where plug in outlets are to see if they are where we need them. I check the outside storage areas to see if they are big enough to hold lawn chairs.
Our “must haves” with our current rig were: no carpet, no floor vents, slide toppers, and one of the ACs to be a heat pump.
Realize that your must have list will change. In 8 years of full time RVing we have used the outdoor TV maybe six times!
When we are finally in a position to purchase an RV, I want a Class C or Class A with these characteristics (in order)
Twin beds, must have. Under 30 feet. Carrying weight at or near 1000 pounds.
Might have a longer list of “don’t needs.”
A walk around bed! Dry bath as well for us. Quality cabinetry. The option to EXCLUDE an oven and microwave. 19-20 foot box, so we have more flexibility for campsites across the country. We are not full timers. We are ‘long timers’ 2-3 month trips at a stretch each year.
What is this trailer?
In the kitchen we want a 12 volt compressor fridge. Cools down quickly and is not effected as much by outside heat. And forget the LP pizza oven, we need to have a micro/ convection oven. Can cook much larger things much better.
Every RV is a compromise. A huge must for us was bumper tow – or more accurately, no interior steps. In 2017 that put a crimp into a remote work office space (I was still employed FT at the time). Pretty much impossible with other requirements in a bumper tow. The compromise? We moved one of the two recliners into storage. I created a dual monitor, dual laptop, full keyboard/mouse, scanner/printer, video conferencing work center in that 40″ wide space. After I retired, the recliner was moved back in.
Many focus on the interior options and floorplans, which are important. But my list starts with a QUALITY build. Chassis or frame strength, suspension, serviceability, wall, floor, and roof construction method. Easily reached sewer connection and dump handles…NO CABLES…I want a solid connection to the valve. The list could go on.
My number one demand is a bathroom with plenty of room. My first TT’s bathroom was so small you literally had to get into position before closing the door as when you closed the door you could barely move.
Must have a black holding tank. Anyone who would consider a cassette toilet has never dumped one into a rest room toilet. BTDT
Hi Gail,
My wife and I have been RVing since the 90’s and finally learned a valuable lesson after owning 5 travel trailers. There is no such thing as a perfect RV. so we finally decided to purchase “quality” as our #1 deciding factor. In 2016 we bought a new LANCE 2285 and have been very happy with this wonderful RV
I agree! I’m glad you found a great RV. Happy travels!
For me a dual axle is a must have and in fact saved us our first trip out because we blew a tire.
Also a separate freezer from fridge.
No Murphy bed.
A dry bathroom as well.
Our mini allows us access to the bed, the bathroom and the kitchen with the slide in.
Sometimes we stop overnight to just sleep and getting to those things are important.
This sounds like our camper now….lucky us. We had an
inside height issue due to my 6’4” build and that really limited us for a tow behind unit. Fortunately, Flagstaff microlite 21FBRS fit the bill with your list and our additional wants…2019 and still loving it. Pimped the solar and added lithium batteries (2) and added Select comfort bedI agree with Walt Sinkhorn that no RV is perfect. You have to make some compromises. One not mentioned yet is the ability to handle below freezing temperatures. We live in CO and often camp at 8-10,000’ elevation. A cold snap can surprise you even in the summer months. Also getting harder to find, but I
Iike the electric/propane refrigerator. Ours has worked well, and it’s great for several days without an electric hookup or generator, just a portable solar suitcase to keep our 2 batteries charged.
A very timely article! Just made the decision to sell the campervan and buy a travel trailer since we already own the F250 7.3 turbo diesel. As we age and the more we travel, having a full dry bath has become more of a priority. Build quality, suspension, and 4 season use are also tops. We had to consider a workaround with the bed. Picking up our new Ember Overland 170mrb next month!
Everyone’s must-haves are different and will change over time and experience. But you make a great point. The important thing is to make that list before you go shopping for a new RV. It is so easy to forget something once you start looking. It is also good to consider alternative solutions if a model doesn’t have a particular feature you want. Otherwise, you may never find that “perfect” one. Nice article!
600 ponies and she can pick the rest.
A driver would be swell so I could just enjoy the views..
Tons of horsepower too.
How ’bout a ride on a Greyhound bus, David?🤣 Have a good night 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Lol
Thanks, Mike. I just never know where this 77-year-old brain is gonna go. (It obviously went for a ride that day.😅) BTW, does your email address have anything to do with Boeing? Have a good evening/night. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Thank you, Gail! We traded RVs last July. My must-have was an emergency exit door. DWs must-haves were a sleeper-sofa and an aisle of at least 14″ when in travel mode. Our new RV has all, but at the cost of a strongly-wanted passenger-side dinette, given the available floor plans of the make and models we identified.