By Cheri Sicard
As RVers, we use a lot of gear. And no matter how much RV gear we own, there is always a lot more available.
In the useful video below, the team from All About RVs (one of our readers’ favorite RV You Tube channels) put together a list of all the gear they bought that broke or otherwise failed them over the years, as well as what they now use instead.
Here’s what’s on the failed RV gear list:
- Camco wheel chocks: these are thin yellow plastic chocks (I have some and in my opinion, they work OK depending on what surface you are on). Jared says they are so lightweight they can blow away, and you can even drive over them (they drove over one accidentally and it was crushed). He now uses a far more solid wheel chock.
- Water pressure regulator: Jared says this item is only a half-fail as he continues to use it, but the gauge on the regulators regularly break. But even if the gauge does not display properly, the regulator continues to function. Check the video for details.
- Sewer hose support: Their original brand continually broke and blew over in the wind. They now use the more robust Stink Slink.
- RV drain hose: The team upgraded to the Rhino hose because it seems to hold its shape and hold up better overall than the flimsier hose they used to have. Of course, any hose that continually sits out in the sun and the elements will eventually get brittle and break.
- Drinking water hose: Their old white Walmart drinking water hoses were continually leaking at the fittings, necessitating repairs or replacements. Instead, they switched to Zero-G and Flexzilla hoses and have had no further issues.
- Tank Check propane sensor: This is a small gauge that you put on the outside of the bottom of the propane tank. Jared had an older system and it did not function well, especially in cold weather. They have supposedly improved, so he said he would give this one another chance but has not yet checked it out.
- Propane pressure regulator: In the past, they had a regulator that leaked and another that did not send enough fuel through the system. They switched to a regulator with a higher BTU rating and ended all issues.
- RV leveler: This leveling system’s app is no longer available, rendering it obsolete. Instead, they use the LevelMatePRO.
- EMS surge protector: They had an issue with this surge protector that was hardwired onto the RV. Jared is still trying to figure out why it did not shut down and let power through when it shouldn’t have. But they now have a better solution from Power Watchdog, both hardwired and plug-ins, that will actually protect their electrical system.
##RVT1095
Am I the only one who only takes my sewer hose out when I need to dump the tanks, and then puts it back again? Why hook it up and leave it out in the sun for days? It only adds about 3 minutes to the task to take it out and hook it up before dumping, and then rinse it and put it away afterwards.
You are not the only one. I do that too.
Pretty much. Have one for over 8 years in and out of the Arizona Sun left out for months at a time. No issues. You probably do more damage and wear and tear on it moving it in and out every time.
Be careful with Zero-G hoses. I was using one to fill the black tank inside the bathroom by way of the toilet. I needed to dump before it went to the shop for service but it wasn’t full enough so I was just adding water. Everything was going well until the fitting detached from the hose. Water was going everywhere so I tried to crimp the hose by folding it in half but that did not stop the flow. As quickly as I could I was trying to get the hose out the door. There was water sprayed from the bathroom to the windshield. I had to haul all the dinet cushions, pillows and everything made of fabric outside to dry. And then started cleaning up the walls, ceiling, floors, windows, cupboards, cab area, etc. The only thing I didn’t soak was my bed. I had a good laugh about it afterwords and ended up with a very clean MH.
Just because you’ve had issues with said products doesn’t necessarily mean they’re bad or not worth it. My white drinking hose from Walmart is heading on its sixth year of use with “no” leaks, none! The same for our sewer hose support, same one, not always breaking and have never blown away.