My 10 Favorite, Must-Have Gadgets for Full Timers
10-05-2015
Author: Blog Editor in RV Tips & Education
By Stephanie Mayberry
Becoming a full timer meant that I had to downsize – a lot. However, it didn’t mean that I had to give up certain creature comforts. These are my top 10. Enjoy.
10. Wireless Weather Station
One of the reasons you bought an RV was to enjoy the great outdoors, right? Well, knowing what the weather is doing or what the forecast is will help you enjoy it even more. This extremely cool little gadget is a little weather station. The Ambient Weather WS-1171B tells you the temperature inside and outside, plus it gives you the forecast, barometric pressure, dew point, and humidity. It is small and will fit on a table or mount on the wall.
OK, full disclosure, I did not get this just for our RV. I had one when I worked for FEMA as a reservist and I loved it – I love weather gadgets. It served me well then when the weather was my job and it serves me well now when the weather determines my play time.
9. Awesome Camping Chairs
When you are full timing your awning becomes your porch and the world is your backyard. Great camping chairs are a necessity. Think about it. Would you rather sit in a flimsy, $7 camping chair you picked up at the dollar store (that you will have to replace over and over), or in one that is comfy and oversized like a Coleman camping chair that will last? Believe me, camping chairs, well worth the investment. You will thank me later.
8. Bicycles
Even if you have your car or truck with you, bicycles are still smart to have. I am not much for off road biking; I prefer to use my bike to explore town and trails. There are just some things you can’t see from a car and some places a car can’t go. This Schwinn Discover is really nice, an easy ride, but bicycles are really a more personal thing. You have to find one that fits your needs. It’s great exercise too, especially when quarters get just a little too close and you feel like you are tripping over your RV mate at every turn – not that I’ve ever experienced that or anything, not with my darling husband…
7. Portable Speaker
We enjoy our music and we have tons of it – all in digital format of course. We keep our libraries on our laptops, but my husband also keeps his on his phone. I keep mine on my Kindle (more on that later). A good wireless, rechargeable, Bluetooth speaker, like the Jam portable speaker, is a must for music lovers, YouTube watchers, or any time you want great, crystal clear sound that you can carry through your RV, out under the awning, or around the campfire.
6. Fireproof, Waterproof Chest
If something happened, say there was a flash flood or a fire, what would happen with your important documents? As full timers our important documents are with us, so getting a safe that is waterproof and fireproof is vital. There are flash drives that are very secure and also waterproof, but we went with the safe instead. The SureSeal SS103 by FireKing works great for us. It is small, durable, waterproof, fireproof, and we feel very comfortable keeping our important documents in it. We haven’t actually put it to the test, thank goodness, but it has favorable reviews on several sites, including Amazon.
5. Swiffer WetJet
I love my Swiffer WetJet. There, I said it. I know there are some folks who don’t like it, but I love mine. I sweep and mop once a week unless it is ucky outside, then I do it more. It is great for deep cleaning as well as quick, spot cleaning. You don’t have to saturate the floor with the solution, it spreads pretty well. Plus it smells awesome! When you walk in my little house it just smells so clean. The solution also compliments the Febreze I use inside to freshen the place. It all works rather nicely and gives the place a homey feel.
4. Ceramic Space Heater
Most RVs have heating capabilities, usually propane furnaces with electric blowers. While that can get you pretty toasty, it does use a lot of power and a lot of propane. When you just need to take the chill off or it isn’t too terribly cold outside, a nice space heater will often do the trick. We got my mother a Lasko 755320 Ceramic Tower Heater for her bedroom in her home and it worked so well we picked up one for our camper. It has a remote control and digital display, doesn’t use a lot of power and it heats really well. There are others with different features, but this one works great and it was pretty easy on the wallet.
3. Rechargeable Vacuum
A broom and mop work great in an RV but if you are full timing a vacuum is essential. There are just some things, some messes, that require the suction power of a good vacuum cleaner. I only have carpet in a tiny strip in my living area and a bit in the bedroom, but stuff gets tracked in, that’s just the nature of the beast. We remove our shoes when we come in, but inevitably the great outdoors makes it way indoors. I have a Bissell Easy Vac that I just love – and I’m not even gonna lie, I got it at a yard sale for $6 – attachments included. There are fancier vacs out there, newer too, but I love mine and it works great.
2. A Great Camera
I don’t go anywhere without my Nikon d3100. I have several different lenses, including a macro and I enjoy getting great shots of everything from a breathtaking sunset to a bee on a flower. I shoot street scenes, nature, you name it, and I do it all with my Nikon. Now, I realize that an SLR is not for everyone, especially if you prefer to venture into more rugged territory. In that case a great point and shoot sport camera may be the better deal for you. Make sure you get a good one with both still shot and video capability. That way you can make sure you get all the action.
1. Ereader
I am a bibliophile from the get go. I absolutely love my books. Unfortunately, an RV usually doesn’t have a lot of book shelves, or much room for a book collection. Enter my trusty Kindle Fire HD 6. It isn’t the biggest Kindle, but it fits my needs perfectly. I keep all my books, including versions of the Bible, my music, and photos (it has a camera – rear and front facing). I can check my email, surf the web, jump on Facebook, it’s a pretty handy little tablet. I get BookBub in my email every day so I get many of my ebooks for free or on sale. Sure, I miss being able to hold a book and feel the pages beneath my fingers, however, it’s a pretty good trade-off to be able to buy just about any book I want without ever leaving my sofa – and I get it immediately. Score!
So there you have it, my top ten can’t live without gadgets as an RV full timer. What are yours?
Comment
No comments found! Be the first one to write a comment!
Author Information Not Available
