Okay Redesigners - This is YOUR chance to fire off about all the gear and "must haves" that TH-cam channels have been telling you that you NEED to have in order to go RV'ing. Drop that comment below!
As for matress sizes, I'm happy for you that you have a standard residential size bed in your rv. Many of us do not. Some of us even have notched corner, angled corner, or radius corner. A residential king is 76x80. Rv kings can be 72x80, 70x74, 70x80, or 72x75. A residential queen is 60x80. Rv queens can be 60x74 or 66x80. Rv bunks are 42x80 which isn't a twin or full. Snap pads aren't necessary but very nice to have. They stay on. Many campgrounds and national park campgrounds require something between you jacks and the ground. With our snap pads we don't have to get out and put wood blocks or plastic blocks under our jacks before leveling. We live in the southwest and have fire restrictions almost all summer so we carry a propane fire pit in that season. We carry our solo stove the rest of the time. We camp at least twice a month and 2-3 longer (10-14 day) trips a year. The solo stove allows us to have a wood fire every night without the smoke. Before we got it we often skipped the fire because of the smoke stinking up our hair and clothes and jackets and it seems no matter where I move the smoke followed me with took the fun out of it. To each their own. I agree that you do not need everything they are selling. Get the basics and get out there. You'll figure out what you need soon enough.
As we said in the video, this is for the majority of RV’ers. If you are the exception and these things are something you need - then this video may just not apply to your particular situation.
We quit hauling our Solo Stove around as it took up too much space. We replaced it with a small portable propane fire pit and use it much more. I will say if you like a real fire but not the smoke Solo Stove is great.
Agree 100% as we loved it when we had a our house. When we hit the road, the reality for full time RV Life is that it is exactly what you said - too big
Hi again… I agree with pretty much everything you said with one exception. We have a class a motorhome and RV snap pads have saved us. If you park on grass or gravel, and there are wet conditions without them, you can do tremendous damage to your. Leveling feet. Ours are round and they have gotten stuck in the grass and we actually have one that is pretty bent up and should be replaced. A set of four RV snap pads cost us under $150 for our RV and they were well worth it. If we are on gravel or grass we no longer sink especially if conditions are wet and we have had no problems at all when we go to retract our levelers. I agree that if you’re using them on top of other leveling pads, that seems a little ridiculous. We have never had to do that, but it has saved us having to replace that one mangled leveling pad at least for the moment. Depending on the type of RUV, you have, they may not be a necessity, but they are definitely a help.
We totally respect if you have a use for snap pads. For the purposes of this video however - they are not needed for RV living, they would be more of a want. On a side note: be sure to check you leveling feet periodically, lots of complaints about pour water drainage and leveling being completely rotted away
Great advice y'all. My wife and I are about a year into our RV (part time) adventures. I bought a bunch of stuff for the RV, but that gear was focused on utillity and safety. I bought things like higher end sewer gear, a surge protector, heavy duty chocks, etc. We decided to hold off on buying other items until we had a chance to use our RV for a while to see what we did and didn't need. My rig came with solar, and I had them add an extra panel and an extra battery (lead acid) so I could reliably use my c-pap off grid. I did by a level mate style levelling system because our floor plan is a PITA to level with a carpenter's level. We still have our original mattress and we both like it so, we don't see the need to buy a fancy new one. I think eventually, I will pull the trigger on a set of higher end vent fans. Doing it this way we don't waste money on stuff we don't need.
I am a single girl ready to buy her first pop-up. (I have tent camped for years, so not new to camping) Not going to be full time but this video has helped me so much. It's hard to know what is super handy and what is over rated. I just found your channel last week and I love it!
Hi guys, love your channel, been following for a while, compared yours to others in the RVing space. My wife and I are just starting out on our American RV tour for 30 months, we have been RVing in New Zealand and Australia for 24 years. We have never needed solar. The gas(Propane?), batteries and generators have been sufficient. We have never worried about our leveling jacks getting dirty?!? that's just weird and having off cuts of timber is free. One thing that we always pack is our wok burner and wok, we cook outside any curries etc so not to stink out the RV, added bonus is the other campers envy from all the glorious aroma's. Brent & Jaynee.
Liked this video i really do… I travel in a RoadTrek 190 as you know it’s a van and there isnt much room for STUFF. Matter of fact there is no room LOL. Butt iam solo that makes it easier…. As far as SOLAR guess iam power hungry. That AGM battery just didn’t cut it with me so i upgraded it and added a Couple hundred watts of solar. That’s all and i can boondock for along time .. YALL are right you dont need all the extra junk to haul around….
We give you guys two thumbs up👍👍 we tell everybody we’re not here to sell you a camper, a mattress or a water filtration system! Great video, you guys rock!
After living in our RV full-time for about 2 years, albeit mostly stationary, all you need is a few pads for the landing gear. Wheel locks, 10' & 20' potable water hose, 50' garden hose, this is to flush out the toilet with the poop stick you will need. Also to wash the RV. And of course the septic house. It would be a good idea to get a good extension cord, I bought a 20', you never know what kind of setup you'll run into. And you never want to plug in another extension cord to another. That is it. As far as my butt goes, we buy basic toilet paper and wipes to polish 😊. We dispose of those in a trash can. But as you stated solar is definitely a personal preference depending on the application of RV life. I personally would enjoy solar so that I would not need to rely on the costly RV parks. Also the seasonal Parks that you pay for the entire season charge for electric, it would be nice to have a smaller bill. I could see someone using their solar full-time and plugging into charge their solar system if they are in the shade.
Love it! We boondock so a generator is a must. We added one extra solar panel($179) to our overlander pkg to keep our starlink, blink camera system and fridge going til we get back. One TH-cam thing that has been good is the storage solutions people use. BTW, our amazon Redodo lithium batteries have been great, we bought 4 - 100ah batteries for the price of 1 Battleborn 100ah battery.
We camp in the mountains and foothills up here in Alberta so Everytime I see those long rigs parking in the meadows with neighbours not 5 feet away I appreciate our quiet generator to top up the battery and we get to park in the trees with the creeks running by our door to fill our tanks. Oh and no neighbours 🤣🤣 Cheers to doing you.
Spot on guys, so many people falling for the products pushed by the sponsors on YT, Dealers ect, We are guilty as well, e-bike, snap pads ect. But we are glad we did not fall into the solar trap. So many dealers were pushing this on us. We did realize after our 1st year that we need to justify our purchases as a "have nice" to have and a "need to have" list. If we buy something it has to replace something and it has to have a needed purpose. The things we started seeing on YT being sponsored we started adding to the nice to have list, none came into the need to have. Now were saving money. Someone came up to me, as someone always does and starts conversation like it always happens when you are dumping your tanks or connecting your rv. He starts telling me about these expensive products that clean his tanks so well. yadda yadda. So I show him my tank sensors working fine after I dumped, they are reading E or 1/3. He asked me what the hell I was using so, I go and get him and empty milk gallon jug, tell him to fill this up 10 times (or just add 10gal of water to the tanks) and dump it in the toilet and drive down the road to the next destination. When he gets to his destination, flush, dump it and check your tank levels. if you're having issues with smells add about a cup of pine-sol . smells will be gone. I spend 7$ on a half-gallon of pine sol and it lasts 6 months not 49.99 for some RV tank cleaner that I saw on work perfect on YT, Safe Travels!
Absolutely well said! Major problem with the world today is creating “solutions” for problems that don’t exist. For how many decades did RVer’s survive without all this nonsense? 😂😂
It all comes down to each their own. We love boondocking so solar is our friend and Thousand Trails would be worthless for us, but Harvest Host comes in handy. I think the one thing you missed on your list is the DRAMA. So many "influencers" play off the drama, especially in their thumbnails. I have unsubscribed to several because their channels have become inundated with product endorsements, and they use the drama thumbnails to get the clicks because they really don't have any real content. As you say RV life should be about the experiences. Rant over.
Solar is super handy for us, we actually use it. YOU don’t need it because you go park next to pedestals all the time. We like the remote campsites where the nearest neighbor is at least 100’ away, and to do that you need solar and lithium or run the dang generator everyday at least once, if not more. Actually I get annoyed that more people should have solar, it is a lot more quiet. The neighbors with crappy batteries and high current needs (12 volt fridges) are running their genny, and it is damn annoying.
It’s only a NEED for the way YOU choose to camp. For the vast majority of RV owners it is not a necessity- the point of the video. Nothing wrong if it works for you 😀
really enjoyed your post. Everything is individual. After 20 years of backpacking, we've put in 20 years of rving in a 5th wheel. Our needs have changed right along with our ages. We aren't full timers, more the weekend warrior type. We don't need tv or satellite; others can't be without it. We don't need levelers or stabilizers or special shocks or sway bars or solar panels or lithium batteries. What we do need is incorporated in the design of the smaller and easier to handle rv we purchased last year (Leisure Travel Van 2018 UTB) and in the extras that we carry, mostly firewood, 2 folding chairs and some drinking water from home. One "upgrade" I might do at the end of the year is remove the onboard gen. It's noisy and we are almost always plugged in. Oh, and I might "upgrade" the automatic awning back to manual. It really depends on your personal, individual style of camping and whether or not you are full time.
My wife and I started with a pop up in 2015 that had a full water system with shower but no tank. By 2017 we had removed the water, propane, and the flip down coutner. Why? We did not use it. We are always in campgrounds with toilets and showers and electric hook ups. I added an extra 20 amp electrical circuit and we heat with electric; we cook with electric. We put ice in the fridge on a travel day. We freed up a lot of space and greatly lightened it as well.
What about the big youtuber "Berkeley Water Filters" you know that giant chrome thing that is on the counter in the background of the mega channels? Surely that is a must! Oh and what about the Battle Born batteries, you can't go to the RV park without a half dozen of those surely.
LMAO - that Water Filter is hardly ever seen anymore oh and those Battle Born batteries... yeah that sponsorship money dried up ... give it a few weeks, they have moved to other battery companies and will start soon with the full press. We have turned down 4 companies so far.
@@liferedesigned The Berkey still around just moved to the "Prepper" channels! Loved this video and just subscribed. We want to retire in the next couple of years and want to buy off road trailer. So all this helped as what to look out for!
Good Day Karri and Bob, This was a great video. With Jenn and I we have looked at all the different things you talked about. One of my favorite things is the Snap Pads. These things were being pushed at almost every vendor at the RV show we went to. I asked a question in a forum about them and no one could give me a specific answer as to why they were needed. Never bought them. Jenn and I have actually been going through all our stuff and have actually gotten rid of items that we have not used over the last six trips and stops. TP, we went to a owners rally and met Kleen Tank. Their first thing to mention is go buy your favorite TP. Use water and you will be fins. Also do not use the chemicals also. waste of money. You are just flushing money down the drain.
Great advise from Kleen Tank. There is a time and a place for chemicals BUT not as a daily like the "influencers" will tell you. They actually turn waste into a peanut butter like sludge that defeats sensors over time and actually cause the smells they are meant to get rid of. Once a month as a maintainer thing is okay but nothing more than that!
We received this formula from Kleen Tank to help keep you having a great clean tank. This also will help you with the tank sensors and has proven to work 2 oz of Calgon to 10 oz of Pine Sol (calgon ageless bath series renewing pearls. Pine-sol Pro multi surface cleaner. ) From Kleen tank this will make the inside of your tank slippery and not allow materials to stick. They say they use this on all their tanks and when they come to do a tank Clean they will use it on your tanks as well. Fill your tanks when you do this. @@liferedesigned
Cool video and you are so right on many of these. Honestly, I am so sick of this “sponsor” concept and how many RV TH-camrs will pimp off anything for a buck. I feel like it is ruining RV YiuTube channels. Also, if I hear “RV Mateess” one more time, I think I’ll explode 😂
Blackstones are a “luxury “ but I enjoy cooking outside as we boondock A LOT. Have the Blackstone and cook almost everything g on it! Curious how many people take a bbq with them!?😃 No argument here just my personal preference! Safe travels all!!
We're a class A and do a good amount of nights on non-concrete, non-gravel sites (BW, HH, and dispersed). I did put on Snap Pads and haven't had an issue with them (My lower back also hates getting down to add/remove DIY pads, which I had before). Like you, I do get a kick out of the gear heads. Agree about all the other "must have" stuff - just can't see my way to letting go of the $10K it'd take to set this thing up right when I have a 8Kw genset on board.
Hey! How are you guys? It has helped a bit - She also found out she was having issues with caffeine of all things - so that went out as well :) Hope you both are doing well!
Whenever humans get involved things get complicated is the nature of the Beast I've been doing this for 10 years now and I have downsized what I started with keeping it simple translates to enjoying it more
Yup the tolet paper needs to be septic safe. Hubby was a service advisor for RVs for many years. With the influencers I totally get it. They’re just trying to make money, but they’re starting to cross the line of feeling like an MLM. You don’t know if these people want to be your friends or if they just want to sell you something or have you join their team. We are out here trying to create relationships for ourselves and our children. Another thing is so many people are keeping up with the Jones but with Rv life instead of sticks and bricks. Amen to simplify! I hate stuff!!! Have since we were full time in 2014. Hope we get to see you on the road! You definitely travel where we do :) have a blessed day!
The vast majority of “influencers” we have met are only interested in growing their brand. All it takes is to follow them on Facebook and see how they are constantly looking for more followers because that is what brings the sponsors. It really is sad
Hi Bob, hi Karri, “Steve here”. (JK) I have thought the same thing about RV living, in the beginning it was a way for people to live as minimalists, but has turned into a big ol market to sell RVers shtuffff! I just want to point out, I am NOT a full time RVer, but I am an RV enthusiast. SAFE TRAVELS TO YA ✌️
Some people have more money than sense 😂. We had a travel trailer and had everything. It was a bit ridiculous. I got tired of setting it all up and taking it down. Awing lights, rug, chairs, extension cords, screen rooms, satellite dish, clothes line. It was hours to break camp. Now we plop down 2 chairs and call it done. I can now leave in 10 minutes. I prefer the simpler life and when I retire in 2 1/2 years I want to keep it that way. I do like my lithium and solar. We boondock and I want to do it more. I’m amazed what I can do with 200ah. But to each their own ✌🏼
We needed a good mattress, but not a RV mattress. - in our Imagine we have a regular 6” latex foam mattress on a Murphy bed - no cut / fold & it’s fine. I agree - needs v. wants is a big difference. And honestly, depending on where & how you RV will tell you that. On the West Coast / Arizona / Montana solar is great - in the South where most sites have power, not so much.
I do mostly boondocking I do have 500 watts of solor I use it manly to run my refrigerator even when I stay in a campground I very rarely pay for electric it's just cheaper not to
Agree with most, with the exception of snap pads-a lot of places we have stayed have gravel sites, also for moochdocking on family property, finally popped for them as the larger surface area helps with less sinking after leveling. But do agree if you mostly stay on concrete pads-not a NEED item
another thing to keep an eye out with those is water drainage - hearing from a lot of people that water does not drain out properly and leads to the rotting of your levelers
We just cancelled our Harvest Host subscription, we found that by the time we got done with the obligatory purchase from the host that many times we could have stayed in an RV park with full hookups.
My snap pads became almost worthless because I put Moryde independent suspension and it raised my rv up a little high (love) I need blocks. RV mattress, mine is 70x80 not common
Not sure I agree with sponsors are necessary, but that’s ok. My daughter while in high school. Was big on Tik Tok. Had about a million followers and no sponsors. Went to college and gave it all up but she still laughs at the sponsor craze.
With the amount of work that goes into videos, the keyboard warriors and the amount of money for equipment etc - 90% of the people that make quality content would stop if they weren’t at least making something for their efforts. Huge difference between making a long format TH-cam video and make shorts/reels and Tik Tok videos.
Yep, you're gonna get a lot of "feedback" 😆 I think you hit on just about every product/service the RV influncer channels are pushing (I enjoy watching you stir the pot!). Only thing I think you missed is the internet plans geared for RVers - granted, since Nomad took a sh*t a few months back, you don't really see anybody pushing a particular provider...give it time. In the end, everybody RVs different, to each their own. Thanks guys!
We don't get worked up over it because it is a simple position to defend. It is an internet company that provides a service that works. Unlike Nomad, ConnecTen never promotes themselves for anything more than what they are - 5g internet. If you have coverage it works - if you don't have coverage it is not for you. @@StuPedasso
@@liferedesigned Was just meant as friendly jab. As I said, to each their own. Other channels promote products which they can "justify". It's sad to think that people buy a product/service JUST because their favorite TH-camr pushes it. Perhaps channels should focus more on their objection to a "sub par" product rather than the people shilling it and let the consumer decide?
I prefer dry camp or boondocking so I gear my wants to solar lights, solar power packs, etc, to give me several days to a week before I have to recharge the house power. Other than that, I've really simplified my "stuff."
Living in Florida, we do find Harvest Host convenient when traveling multiple days to destinations out west. 100% agree on Snap Pads!! We use wood blocks with a rubber pad secured to them when needed. Also I know you know of the RV couple that just debuted their new mega rig at the Fl rv show. Just wait for the all the new stuff they will be pushing since they have multiple “sponsors” now. I’d be surprised their rig isn’t classified as a commercial rig!
I saw that rig at the Tampa show and its so far over the top and this is coming from someone that has a 45' rig that is already pretty ridiculous. The thing is so big It makes my rig look practical. RE: Harvest hosts. We love that membership and use it for overnights instead of trying to find a cracker barrel or a wal mart etc. We like to stay on farms and the places we have gone are generally very quiet and nice to stay at. We also like that we can help support a small business when we shop in their store. I feel like its a win-win thing. We get a great place to stay and the business gets a customer. It does not end up being "free" for us but hey if i can get a quiet place to stay and grab some nice locally raised steaks in the process i'm all in.... We do have snap pads. We would not want our RV's feet to get cold would we? Seriously when the weight of our rig the extra surface area helps keep the feet from sinking in soft ground. We are currently in a park in Bushnell, Fl on a grass site and its very sandy. We have not had any real sinkage in the month we have been here but our former neighbors who had a similar sized rig and no pads ended up getting moved to a concrete site because they were sinking and way out of level after just a week. I get some boards would also cure it but im fancy and cant be bothered with carrying them..
We have been going back and forth on this for over a year. When we get to the point that we have the time to dedicate to one - it is on the top of our list!
Agree with most of your list. We bought a used Class A RV last year, "fully loaded", the basement storage was full of crap we'll never use, and many duplicates of most of it. Who needs a hug rubber maid tub full of sewer connectors and parts?? 2 Rhino kits from Walmart has enough hoses and fittings for just about any situation. Biggest ripoff out there?? $500 water filtration systems. How about a couple $19.99 10" fiilter canisters, a handful of plumbing fittings a bottle of bleach and a sack full of 5 and 10 micron filter cartridges. $60.00 will put together a system that will give you better water than at home and it'll last a lifetime of camping trips. BTW, we love our $600 RV Mattress, the "discount codes" everyone puts out there are a sham, but the mattress great Rivals the one we paid 3X as much for at home.
Wow you guys are daring. The nerve of you not to follow the rest of the RV lemmings all I have to say is GOOD FOR YOU!!!!!! I was full time for three years and your right I felt like my life was over because I wasn't using the right toilet paper.LOL Really your very right we need to get back to the days were camping didn't involve rubbers for our jacks and sand paper for our butts. Great job!!
I think the one that disturbs me the most is the solar pushers. I've done (use case appropriate) solar installs and just cringe whenever these people come on, because I know better. My TT came with a 200W panel and that's all I need to keep the 12V refrigerator running on a travel day. I may add some battery in case it's cloudy or night time, but that's all I'll need. That said, I'm gonna plead the fif on the mattresses. I'm an old dude and know what I like. The heavily promoted brand had what I wanted, for about the same price as 2-3 others, and was the only one who's website made me confident I would get exactly what I ordered, on time. They didn't disappoint, and it arrived in under a week. No regerts!
As long as you like any of these products it is all good. Just can’t stand when people think they “need” all the things to get out there. Never have any regerts!
I'm in a minivan n my boyfriend custom built his Nissian 2500 Van for his part time living, he has batteries ( not lithium) and solar too. I have a 100 wtt solar panel n my 800 wtt bluetti ps and I have a no build build in my minivan, I call it my bedroom on wheels. I do full time live in mine except when the outside temps prevent me to do so. I also just had my 4th open heart surgery 4 months ago so I'm moochdocking in a friends back porch recooperating. Anyway, I have 1 question for u only because I have to catch up on ur vids again but there's one thing I see alot of the big time channels have is a Burke water system, do you have that? When I'm out on the road I go to walmart and fill my jugs with the .59 water from their primo water tank . I'm different from an Rver though, I know that. I don't like to have too much stuff either, I've been homeless going on 4 years now after I lost my trailer here in Michigan and haven't been able to get into something bigger n better yet other then my minivan, I know I don't want another place so when I can I'll get something bigger for myself. Alot of my rver friends have all the gadgets n stuff they get from their sponsors n patreons, my channel is still too small for all that. I travel when I can cuz I enjoy it and I love going to parks, museums etc instead of a campground/rv park every single time I go somewhere.
I agree with most everything you said. How ever lol we left the van life and got a class c because we were old and have 2 dogs. We would stay in a RV park and never plug in. My goal is to be there with the new rig because we love boon docking even at 70. Love your channel keep it up. Solar rocks!
I agree with most everything you mentioned except the rv mattress. Our 5th wheel has a rv king and a standard king would not fit. We measured to be sure. I purchased a topper instead of a new mattress.
That is the exception to the rule is sizing. Other than the very small cases that require an oddball size - ther is virtually no difference between a standard mattress and an Rv mattress. But to give credit where it is due - they are brilliant marketing people!
It’s all spot on. Snap pads, what a joke. I just recently had a conversation with a guy that was going to buy them. I said that they do not increase the foot print at all and that yep you’re gonna have to level your rv with additional stuff. I carry 2x10x10 blocks for my motorhome. Those are my snap pads.
Amazon and Camping World thrive on the gadget addicts lol, Ive seen rvs that remind me of those kayaks with so much crap attached the person cant even move, great video here guys, although some will scoff😂because they live to have every single gadget.
I enjoyed your video, and almost 100% agree with you. However, I'm plugged in at an RV park with my solar. When the power went out, guess what I switched to? It sure wasn't my noisy generator. I also boondock because my rig is set up, so I have options. Solar isn't necessary, but it sure is nice. 🙂👍
@liferedesigned I was headed out to Quartzsite for winter, stopped in Texas, and decided paying for a site was about the same cost as the diesel round-trip plus I get electricity (notice how I'm beating around the bush?). That said, one could argue that even in Quartzsite, it could be considered a want. Go a step further, and an RV is a want, and a tent would suffice . You're right, solar is a want and I'm glad I have it.
Great advice, I have been suck in. New thought; what about 10 ply tires. Everyone seems to want you to buy 10 ply tires for your truck and trailer. Thoughts?
Fun fact for you - Bob (in a former life) was a Sales Manager for Goodyear. A quality trailer tire such as GoodYear Endurance is all that is needed for your trailer. Where most people fail is maintenance and running at proper PSI. As for Truck tires, A 10 ply tire has a load range of E (either E1 or E2), which means the tire can handle up to 1,520 lbs at the proper air pressure. Each truck manufacture has specific requirements to handle payload. The last thing we would EVER recommend is taking tire advice from a TH-camr (Ourselves included) If you are looking for tire recommendations, Check with your local Tire Shop, they will have far more experience than anybody with a camera 😂
@@liferedesigned I appreciate you going into all the details. May have built them but when you watch TH-cam too much ( like I do sometimes) things get confusing. 😂
I was so glad to see "lots of $$$$" was the first thing on your list. As I've mentioned before, I'm trying to get into RV life for $10k or less initial investment and will have approx $3k/mo income to live off of in addition to some savings. I also plan/hope to find temp jobs along the way to help keep the bank account up. While I don't expect or want to have luxury living conditions, I also don't want to be living in harsh/Spartan conditions, either. And is 'RV' toilet paper similar to John Wayne toilet paper? Love your content...keep it comin'!
It’s okay - we forgive you 😂 In all seriousness, if you use them and they work for you, that is awesome! The point here is that the channels that promote them as a “needed” item - it’s a want but definitely not needed 🤣
I have quit following a lot of channels because they have turned into giant advertisements. Everyone is selling telehealth mental health. Everyone who lives in their RV seems to have a problem
That is because the TeleHealth companies pay HUGE money for sponsorships. We turned down one of them because they refused to tell us who the parent company was
Definitely do not need a television. One came with the camper but we do not use it. There is too much to do outside. Plus who needs tv when you have life redesigned to watch.
I have KOA and Good Sam and like those. I canceled Harvest Host since I never used. I don’t have a generator so hard to boondock since very little in my travel trailer is 12V. So long as I am camped where I have electric and can fill my fresh water tank and a dump station I am good. Most of the things I have bought other than the necessities are for my dogs comfort and dog shows/trials.
People need to evaluate truly & Realistically just How they want to camp/RV & base purchases/equipment on That, not what other people say. Dont buy a gazillion solar panels (for example) because you Think you Might boondock some. Have a small generator on hand for emergency situations (no power in park, eg); if you find you like to boondock a lot then add those things later. I do recommend a great surge protector to place between your hardwire & the power post (found many parks power posts are not in great shape). Quality non-kinking water lines (filter is nice) & quality sewer hoses are good. Beyond that, see how you really camp & adjust from there. Oh & you do not need one of those pricey rv mats either! Too heavy! An inexpensive piece of lightweight outdoor “grass-like” carpet is much lighter & cheaper & dries quickly!! This is coming from an older gal (in-between rvs right now) but have owned just about everything over the past 27 years . . Popups to smaller tt to smaller 5vr to a used class A to a C (no toy hauler) depending on where my life journey was at the time. Interior organization is extremely important, but a lot of unnecessary stuff is a distraction!! ;-) Keep redesigning!!
Influencers = paid shrills doing infomercials. People need to wake up and notice all the reviews on everything from pocket knives , flashlights to RV mattresses all have the videos come out at nearly the same time.
So a couple of things to note. Without sponsorships, there would be no TH-cam. Plain and simple. Sponsorships are needed BUT should be limited. Then you have to ask, if everyone knows it’s a problem - why do they still watch the channels the shill every product?
@@liferedesigned some people love the reviews but the reviewers are not always honest that it was given to them. I too of course read reviews from the channels I trust. I was the GM for a motorcycle accessory company and I hired TH-camrs to do reviews. I would pay them as well as let them keep the products. I had a great deal of research done that they were going to do god and honest reviews good or bad. I would get many unsolicited emails telling me that they would give me a great review , channel size etc for product. Therefore it’s why I am always a bit suspect.
I like people like yall keeping it real! I no longer have a camper because well Indiana sucks. The manufacturers i mean, settle down Indians....if i get another on i will go the overland route from what ive been looking at. Here is another trigger....RV resorts and most campgrounds suck too but then i domt like people....put me out there with the critters!
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Okay Redesigners - This is YOUR chance to fire off about all the gear and "must haves" that TH-cam channels have been telling you that you NEED to have in order to go RV'ing. Drop that comment below!
👍👍👍👍👍
Really appreciate your honesty. You guys are real people.
Thank You - no other way to be!
Sounds good 👍 🌷Thank You for your advice.
lol, you are watching them all for sure! Thank you ❤️
Just had to jump in and say Thank You 😊.
Jumping in to say - Your Welcome! Seriously though, thank you for taking the time to comment, much appreciated 😀
Enjoy your channel keep up the content
Thank you for watching!😀
I agree about #SnapPads
As for matress sizes, I'm happy for you that you have a standard residential size bed in your rv. Many of us do not. Some of us even have notched corner, angled corner, or radius corner.
A residential king is 76x80. Rv kings can be 72x80, 70x74, 70x80, or 72x75.
A residential queen is 60x80. Rv queens can be 60x74 or 66x80.
Rv bunks are 42x80 which isn't a twin or full.
Snap pads aren't necessary but very nice to have. They stay on. Many campgrounds and national park campgrounds require something between you jacks and the ground. With our snap pads we don't have to get out and put wood blocks or plastic blocks under our jacks before leveling.
We live in the southwest and have fire restrictions almost all summer so we carry a propane fire pit in that season. We carry our solo stove the rest of the time. We camp at least twice a month and 2-3 longer (10-14 day) trips a year. The solo stove allows us to have a wood fire every night without the smoke. Before we got it we often skipped the fire because of the smoke stinking up our hair and clothes and jackets and it seems no matter where I move the smoke followed me with took the fun out of it.
To each their own. I agree that you do not need everything they are selling. Get the basics and get out there. You'll figure out what you need soon enough.
As we said in the video, this is for the majority of RV’ers. If you are the exception and these things are something you need - then this video may just not apply to your particular situation.
We quit hauling our Solo Stove around as it took up too much space. We replaced it with a small portable propane fire pit and use it much more. I will say if you like a real fire but not the smoke Solo Stove is great.
Agree 100% as we loved it when we had a our house. When we hit the road, the reality for full time RV Life is that it is exactly what you said - too big
Everything you said makes sense. I will be installing solar panels, only because we plan on boondocking.
Hi again… I agree with pretty much everything you said with one exception. We have a class a motorhome and RV snap pads have saved us. If you park on grass or gravel, and there are wet conditions without them, you can do tremendous damage to your. Leveling feet. Ours are round and they have gotten stuck in the grass and we actually have one that is pretty bent up and should be replaced. A set of four RV snap pads cost us under $150 for our RV and they were well worth it. If we are on gravel or grass we no longer sink especially if conditions are wet and we have had no problems at all when we go to retract our levelers. I agree that if you’re using them on top of other leveling pads, that seems a little ridiculous. We have never had to do that, but it has saved us having to replace that one mangled leveling pad at least for the moment. Depending on the type of RUV, you have, they may not be a necessity, but they are definitely a help.
We totally respect if you have a use for snap pads. For the purposes of this video however - they are not needed for RV living, they would be more of a want.
On a side note: be sure to check you leveling feet periodically, lots of complaints about pour water drainage and leveling being completely rotted away
No flack here! I agree,
Great advice y'all. My wife and I are about a year into our RV (part time) adventures. I bought a bunch of stuff for the RV, but that gear was focused on utillity and safety. I bought things like higher end sewer gear, a surge protector, heavy duty chocks, etc. We decided to hold off on buying other items until we had a chance to use our RV for a while to see what we did and didn't need. My rig came with solar, and I had them add an extra panel and an extra battery (lead acid) so I could reliably use my c-pap off grid. I did by a level mate style levelling system because our floor plan is a PITA to level with a carpenter's level. We still have our original mattress and we both like it so, we don't see the need to buy a fancy new one. I think eventually, I will pull the trigger on a set of higher end vent fans. Doing it this way we don't waste money on stuff we don't need.
Very smart way to go about the extras!
I am a single girl ready to buy her first pop-up. (I have tent camped for years, so not new to camping) Not going to be full time but this video has helped me so much. It's hard to know what is super handy and what is over rated. I just found your channel last week and I love it!
Our first camper was a pop up! We had such great times with that.
Welcome to the channel!
Hi guys, love your channel, been following for a while, compared yours to others in the RVing space. My wife and I are just starting out on our American RV tour for 30 months, we have been RVing in New Zealand and Australia for 24 years. We have never needed solar. The gas(Propane?), batteries and generators have been sufficient. We have never worried about our leveling jacks getting dirty?!? that's just weird and having off cuts of timber is free. One thing that we always pack is our wok burner and wok, we cook outside any curries etc so not to stink out the RV, added bonus is the other campers envy from all the glorious aroma's. Brent & Jaynee.
Liked this video i really do… I travel in a RoadTrek 190 as you know it’s a van and there isnt much room for STUFF. Matter of fact there is no room LOL. Butt iam solo that makes it easier…. As far as SOLAR guess iam power hungry. That AGM battery just didn’t cut it with me so i upgraded it and added a Couple hundred watts of solar. That’s all and i can boondock for along time .. YALL are right you dont need all the extra junk to haul around….
We give you guys two thumbs up👍👍 we tell everybody we’re not here to sell you a camper, a mattress or a water filtration system! Great video, you guys rock!
Thanks for that! We are subbed to your channel - great content!
@@liferedesigned Thank you! We are new subscribers to you guys!
Great vid! The one thing I caved for were snap pads, and truthfully they’re actually awesome! I would purchase again!
We have zero issues if you feel they are something you wanted .. But they are definitely not needed, which is a huge difference.
After living in our RV full-time for about 2 years, albeit mostly stationary, all you need is a few pads for the landing gear. Wheel locks, 10' & 20' potable water hose, 50' garden hose, this is to flush out the toilet with the poop stick you will need. Also to wash the RV. And of course the septic house. It would be a good idea to get a good extension cord, I bought a 20', you never know what kind of setup you'll run into. And you never want to plug in another extension cord to another. That is it. As far as my butt goes, we buy basic toilet paper and wipes to polish 😊. We dispose of those in a trash can.
But as you stated solar is definitely a personal preference depending on the application of RV life. I personally would enjoy solar so that I would not need to rely on the costly RV parks. Also the seasonal Parks that you pay for the entire season charge for electric, it would be nice to have a smaller bill. I could see someone using their solar full-time and plugging into charge their solar system if they are in the shade.
You hit one of my big ones. I 100% agree. Snap Pads are dumb.
Going to make a line of Snap Pad booties so they don’t get dirty and hire Tater to sell them, going to call them Booty Tater Pads 😂😂
Love it! We boondock so a generator is a must. We added one extra solar panel($179) to our overlander pkg to keep our starlink, blink camera system and fridge going til we get back. One TH-cam thing that has been good is the storage solutions people use. BTW, our amazon Redodo lithium batteries have been great, we bought 4 - 100ah batteries for the price of 1 Battleborn 100ah battery.
Great advice! There are some really great deals to be had on lithium batteries that are not sponsored - love this!
We camp in the mountains and foothills up here in Alberta so Everytime I see those long rigs parking in the meadows with neighbours not 5 feet away I appreciate our quiet generator to top up the battery and we get to park in the trees with the creeks running by our door to fill our tanks. Oh and no neighbours 🤣🤣 Cheers to doing you.
Spot on guys, so many people falling for the products pushed by the sponsors on YT, Dealers ect, We are guilty as well, e-bike, snap pads ect. But we are glad we did not fall into the solar trap. So many dealers were pushing this on us. We did realize after our 1st year that we need to justify our purchases as a "have nice" to have and a "need to have" list. If we buy something it has to replace something and it has to have a needed purpose. The things we started seeing on YT being sponsored we started adding to the nice to have list, none came into the need to have. Now were saving money. Someone came up to me, as someone always does and starts conversation like it always happens when you are dumping your tanks or connecting your rv. He starts telling me about these expensive products that clean his tanks so well. yadda yadda. So I show him my tank sensors working fine after I dumped, they are reading E or 1/3. He asked me what the hell I was using so, I go and get him and empty milk gallon jug, tell him to fill this up 10 times (or just add 10gal of water to the tanks) and dump it in the toilet and drive down the road to the next destination. When he gets to his destination, flush, dump it and check your tank levels. if you're having issues with smells add about a cup of pine-sol . smells will be gone. I spend 7$ on a half-gallon of pine sol and it lasts 6 months not 49.99 for some RV tank cleaner that I saw on work perfect on YT, Safe Travels!
Absolutely well said! Major problem with the world today is creating “solutions” for problems that don’t exist.
For how many decades did RVer’s survive without all this nonsense? 😂😂
Spot on about the RV Mattress by Brooklyn Bedding. We fell for it early on. Overpriced!
We do agree that there is a bunch of stuff you don’t NEED.
Thank you-we will keep an eye on that then 😊
It all comes down to each their own. We love boondocking so solar is our friend and Thousand Trails would be worthless for us, but Harvest Host comes in handy. I think the one thing you missed on your list is the DRAMA. So many "influencers" play off the drama, especially in their thumbnails. I have unsubscribed to several because their channels have become inundated with product endorsements, and they use the drama thumbnails to get the clicks because they really don't have any real content. As you say RV life should be about the experiences. Rant over.
You forgot the countertop ice cube maker. 😂😂
That is another good one! We almost bought one when we first went full time - A simple ice cube tray works just fine!
And the Berkee water filter
I couldn't live without my ice maker! It is absolutely 💯 non negotiable. I eat ice all day long.
Solar is super handy for us, we actually use it. YOU don’t need it because you go park next to pedestals all the time. We like the remote campsites where the nearest neighbor is at least 100’ away, and to do that you need solar and lithium or run the dang generator everyday at least once, if not more. Actually I get annoyed that more people should have solar, it is a lot more quiet. The neighbors with crappy batteries and high current needs (12 volt fridges) are running their genny, and it is damn annoying.
It’s only a NEED for the way YOU choose to camp. For the vast majority of RV owners it is not a necessity- the point of the video.
Nothing wrong if it works for you 😀
really enjoyed your post. Everything is individual. After 20 years of backpacking, we've put in 20 years of rving in a 5th wheel. Our needs have changed right along with our ages. We aren't full timers, more the weekend warrior type. We don't need tv or satellite; others can't be without it. We don't need levelers or stabilizers or special shocks or sway bars or solar panels or lithium batteries. What we do need is incorporated in the design of the smaller and easier to handle rv we purchased last year (Leisure Travel Van 2018 UTB) and in the extras that we carry, mostly firewood, 2 folding chairs and some drinking water from home. One "upgrade" I might do at the end of the year is remove the onboard gen. It's noisy and we are almost always plugged in. Oh, and I might "upgrade" the automatic awning back to manual. It really depends on your personal, individual style of camping and whether or not you are full time.
Excellent points! Thank you for sharing 😀
My wife and I started with a pop up in 2015 that had a full water system with shower but no tank. By 2017 we had removed the water, propane, and the flip down coutner. Why? We did not use it. We are always in campgrounds with toilets and showers and electric hook ups. I added an extra 20 amp electrical circuit and we heat with electric; we cook with electric. We put ice in the fridge on a travel day. We freed up a lot of space and greatly lightened it as well.
What about the big youtuber "Berkeley Water Filters" you know that giant chrome thing that is on the counter in the background of the mega channels? Surely that is a must! Oh and what about the Battle Born batteries, you can't go to the RV park without a half dozen of those surely.
LMAO - that Water Filter is hardly ever seen anymore oh and those Battle Born batteries... yeah that sponsorship money dried up ... give it a few weeks, they have moved to other battery companies and will start soon with the full press. We have turned down 4 companies so far.
@@liferedesigned The Berkey still around just moved to the "Prepper" channels! Loved this video and just subscribed. We want to retire in the next couple of years and want to buy off road trailer. So all this helped as what to look out for!
Good Day Karri and Bob, This was a great video. With Jenn and I we have looked at all the different things you talked about. One of my favorite things is the Snap Pads. These things were being pushed at almost every vendor at the RV show we went to. I asked a question in a forum about them and no one could give me a specific answer as to why they were needed. Never bought them. Jenn and I have actually been going through all our stuff and have actually gotten rid of items that we have not used over the last six trips and stops. TP, we went to a owners rally and met Kleen Tank. Their first thing to mention is go buy your favorite TP. Use water and you will be fins. Also do not use the chemicals also. waste of money. You are just flushing money down the drain.
Great advise from Kleen Tank. There is a time and a place for chemicals BUT not as a daily like the "influencers" will tell you. They actually turn waste into a peanut butter like sludge that defeats sensors over time and actually cause the smells they are meant to get rid of. Once a month as a maintainer thing is okay but nothing more than that!
We received this formula from Kleen Tank to help keep you having a great clean tank. This also will help you with the tank sensors and has proven to work 2 oz of Calgon to 10 oz of Pine Sol (calgon ageless bath series renewing pearls. Pine-sol Pro multi surface cleaner. ) From Kleen tank this will make the inside of your tank slippery and not allow materials to stick. They say they use this on all their tanks and when they come to do a tank Clean they will use it on your tanks as well. Fill your tanks when you do this.
@@liferedesigned
Cool video and you are so right on many of these. Honestly, I am so sick of this “sponsor” concept and how many RV TH-camrs will pimp off anything for a buck. I feel like it is ruining RV YiuTube channels. Also, if I hear “RV Mateess” one more time, I think I’ll explode 😂
The sad part is that sponsors are definitely needed as without them, there would be no TH-cam.
There should be limits and accountability though.
Add the Blackstone griddle to your list. And the zero gravity chairs. I got quite a few more as well.
Blackstone, or any flat top griddle. is retarded, if there's any breeze at all the heat gets blown away and takes forever to cook anything.
lol, yup you’re right! 😀
Blackstones are a “luxury “ but I enjoy cooking outside as we boondock A LOT. Have the Blackstone and cook almost everything g on it! Curious how many people take a bbq with them!?😃 No argument here just my personal preference! Safe travels all!!
Charmin will work, YES! Great list, thank you. The whole point is to have just what you need and enjoy the outdoors.
Absolutely!
I totally agree. I do not have any of those items. I just go camping.
I am not even an RVer. but I enjoy your channel.
Best compliment ever!
We use our solo stove at our house. Love it here!
We used our at our house - but on the road … not once
@@liferedesigned truthfully, we have not either!
We're a class A and do a good amount of nights on non-concrete, non-gravel sites (BW, HH, and dispersed). I did put on Snap Pads and haven't had an issue with them (My lower back also hates getting down to add/remove DIY pads, which I had before). Like you, I do get a kick out of the gear heads. Agree about all the other "must have" stuff - just can't see my way to letting go of the $10K it'd take to set this thing up right when I have a 8Kw genset on board.
I would always have solar generator. Very handy.
100%
Even during the night?
Thanks for the video, Karri looks slimmer, hope the carnivore diet is helping with dizziness issues. Keep traveling and entertaining us.
Hey! How are you guys? It has helped a bit - She also found out she was having issues with caffeine of all things - so that went out as well :)
Hope you both are doing well!
I am a fellow carnivore, it makes me super sensitive to caffeine. I hope it is helping Kerri as well.
I ❤ the channel. Happy travels
Whenever humans get involved things get complicated is the nature of the Beast I've been doing this for 10 years now and I have downsized what I started with keeping it simple translates to enjoying it more
Well stated!
Yup the tolet paper needs to be septic safe. Hubby was a service advisor for RVs for many years. With the influencers I totally get it. They’re just trying to make money, but they’re starting to cross the line of feeling like an MLM. You don’t know if these people want to be your friends or if they just want to sell you something or have you join their team. We are out here trying to create relationships for ourselves and our children. Another thing is so many people are keeping up with the Jones but with Rv life instead of sticks and bricks. Amen to simplify! I hate stuff!!! Have since we were full time in 2014. Hope we get to see you on the road! You definitely travel where we do :) have a blessed day!
The vast majority of “influencers” we have met are only interested in growing their brand. All it takes is to follow them on Facebook and see how they are constantly looking for more followers because that is what brings the sponsors. It really is sad
Hi Bob, hi Karri, “Steve here”. (JK)
I have thought the same thing about RV living, in the beginning it was a way for people to live as minimalists, but has turned into a big ol market to sell RVers shtuffff!
I just want to point out, I am NOT a full time RVer, but I am an RV enthusiast.
SAFE TRAVELS TO YA ✌️
Thank you!
Great show Bob you keep tell them how it is :)
Some people have more money than sense 😂. We had a travel trailer and had everything. It was a bit ridiculous. I got tired of setting it all up and taking it down. Awing lights, rug, chairs, extension cords, screen rooms, satellite dish, clothes line. It was hours to break camp. Now we plop down 2 chairs and call it done. I can now leave in 10 minutes. I prefer the simpler life and when I retire in 2 1/2 years I want to keep it that way.
I do like my lithium and solar. We boondock and I want to do it more. I’m amazed what I can do with 200ah. But to each their own ✌🏼
We do the same thing - plop down a chair and our grill and we are good 😂😂
Snap pads remind me of the 500$ Jordan shoes.... I'll keep the 500 and take the grandkids to the local county fair a few times.. Lot better memories
absolutely! can think of so many better upgrades and experiences to spend my money on!
We sleep on all the money we saved up to rv!! Say Snap Pad three times fast! Great show folks!
Thank You - hope y’all are doing well!
We needed a good mattress, but not a RV mattress. - in our Imagine we have a regular 6” latex foam mattress on a Murphy bed - no cut / fold & it’s fine.
I agree - needs v. wants is a big difference. And honestly, depending on where & how you RV will tell you that. On the West Coast / Arizona / Montana solar is great - in the South where most sites have power, not so much.
I do mostly boondocking I do have 500 watts of solor I use it manly to run my refrigerator even when I stay in a campground I very rarely pay for electric it's just cheaper not to
Agree with most, with the exception of snap pads-a lot of places we have stayed have gravel sites, also for moochdocking on family property, finally popped for them as the larger surface area helps with less sinking after leveling. But do agree if you mostly stay on concrete pads-not a NEED item
another thing to keep an eye out with those is water drainage - hearing from a lot of people that water does not drain out properly and leads to the rotting of your levelers
Love your perspective of FT living. You totally make sense! Especially as we prepare to do the same in April. Thank you for sharing. ❤❤❤
Thank you for watching and commenting!
That’s so exciting, April will be here before you know it!😀
Be well and Safe travels!
😂 we use Northern (better for the booty than Charming)! How did you miss the air fryer?!?!!!!!
The air fryer - we use that almost daily!
@@liferedesigned that and my slow cooker, I won’t give up.
My wife thinks Boondocking is staying at a campsite without sewer hook up! 😂
OMG - That is me (Karri) 100% 😂😂
We just cancelled our Harvest Host subscription, we found that by the time we got done with the obligatory purchase from the host that many times we could have stayed in an RV park with full hookups.
THIS right here! We understand they have some unique experiences for dry camping BUT at $30 a night - that is higher than some amazing State Parks!
Glad to hear your perspective on things like snap pads and special mattresses and the big one TP.
TP is such a personal thing lol, if we had to only use “RV” TP we would probably quit 🤣🤣
My snap pads became almost worthless because I put Moryde independent suspension and it raised my rv up a little high (love) I need blocks. RV mattress, mine is 70x80 not common
those odd size mattresses are definitely an issue - as we pointed out in the video the vast majority of RV's can use a standard size
Not sure I agree with sponsors are necessary, but that’s ok. My daughter while in high school. Was big on Tik Tok. Had about a million followers and no sponsors. Went to college and gave it all up but she still laughs at the sponsor craze.
With the amount of work that goes into videos, the keyboard warriors and the amount of money for equipment etc - 90% of the people that make quality content would stop if they weren’t at least making something for their efforts. Huge difference between making a long format TH-cam video and make shorts/reels and Tik Tok videos.
Yep, you're gonna get a lot of "feedback" 😆 I think you hit on just about every product/service the RV influncer channels are pushing (I enjoy watching you stir the pot!). Only thing I think you missed is the internet plans geared for RVers - granted, since Nomad took a sh*t a few months back, you don't really see anybody pushing a particular provider...give it time. In the end, everybody RVs different, to each their own. Thanks guys!
@@RVingwithLuck I was poking the bear a little there 😁🤣
@@RVingwithLuck Obviously you don't know how to react to an honest promotion of a real product - Big difference there.
We don't get worked up over it because it is a simple position to defend. It is an internet company that provides a service that works. Unlike Nomad, ConnecTen never promotes themselves for anything more than what they are - 5g internet. If you have coverage it works - if you don't have coverage it is not for you. @@StuPedasso
@@liferedesigned Was just meant as friendly jab. As I said, to each their own. Other channels promote products which they can "justify". It's sad to think that people buy a product/service JUST because their favorite TH-camr pushes it. Perhaps channels should focus more on their objection to a "sub par" product rather than the people shilling it and let the consumer decide?
I prefer dry camp or boondocking so I gear my wants to solar lights, solar power packs, etc, to give me several days to a week before I have to recharge the house power. Other than that, I've really simplified my "stuff."
We continue to downsize regularly - simplified is best!
We use the mattress that came with the rig and put a 4” topper on it…. Great for us
Love it!
Living in Florida, we do find Harvest Host convenient when traveling multiple days to destinations out west. 100% agree on Snap Pads!! We use wood blocks with a rubber pad secured to them when needed. Also I know you know of the RV couple that just debuted their new mega rig at the Fl rv show. Just wait for the all the new stuff they will be pushing since they have multiple “sponsors” now. I’d be surprised their rig isn’t classified as a commercial rig!
Yeah we don’t watch them but heard about it. We will say this, if their audience stays with them- they deserve the sponsors lol
I saw that rig at the Tampa show and its so far over the top and this is coming from someone that has a 45' rig that is already pretty ridiculous. The thing is so big It makes my rig look practical.
RE: Harvest hosts. We love that membership and use it for overnights instead of trying to find a cracker barrel or a wal mart etc. We like to stay on farms and the places we have gone are generally very quiet and nice to stay at. We also like that we can help support a small business when we shop in their store. I feel like its a win-win thing. We get a great place to stay and the business gets a customer. It does not end up being "free" for us but hey if i can get a quiet place to stay and grab some nice locally raised steaks in the process i'm all in....
We do have snap pads. We would not want our RV's feet to get cold would we? Seriously when the weight of our rig the extra surface area helps keep the feet from sinking in soft ground. We are currently in a park in Bushnell, Fl on a grass site and its very sandy. We have not had any real sinkage in the month we have been here but our former neighbors who had a similar sized rig and no pads ended up getting moved to a concrete site because they were sinking and way out of level after just a week. I get some boards would also cure it but im fancy and cant be bothered with carrying them..
1 thing you absolutely do need is a puppy 🐶
We have been going back and forth on this for over a year. When we get to the point that we have the time to dedicate to one - it is on the top of our list!
@liferedesigned that's like young couples saying "when were ready we'll have kids" YOULL NEVER HAVE THE TIME UNTIL YOU DO IT!!!!!!🤣🤣
Agree with most of your list. We bought a used Class A RV last year, "fully loaded", the basement storage was full of crap we'll never use, and many duplicates of most of it. Who needs a hug rubber maid tub full of sewer connectors and parts?? 2 Rhino kits from Walmart has enough hoses and fittings for just about any situation. Biggest ripoff out there?? $500 water filtration systems. How about a couple $19.99 10" fiilter canisters, a handful of plumbing fittings a bottle of bleach and a sack full of 5 and 10 micron filter cartridges. $60.00 will put together a system that will give you better water than at home and it'll last a lifetime of camping trips. BTW, we love our $600 RV Mattress, the "discount codes" everyone puts out there are a sham, but the mattress great Rivals the one we paid 3X as much for at home.
Great stuff, love your attitude towards "must have" NOTS! 😁
Thank you!
Wow you guys are daring. The nerve of you not to follow the rest of the RV lemmings all I have to say is GOOD FOR YOU!!!!!! I was full time for three years and your right I felt like my life was over because I wasn't using the right toilet paper.LOL Really your very right we need to get back to the days were camping didn't involve rubbers for our jacks and sand paper for our butts. Great job!!
Thank you! We’re just average people sharing real full time RV living!
I follow. One thing. In every thing I do. KEEP IT SIMPLE STUIPED
I think the one that disturbs me the most is the solar pushers. I've done (use case appropriate) solar installs and just cringe whenever these people come on, because I know better. My TT came with a 200W panel and that's all I need to keep the 12V refrigerator running on a travel day. I may add some battery in case it's cloudy or night time, but that's all I'll need. That said, I'm gonna plead the fif on the mattresses. I'm an old dude and know what I like. The heavily promoted brand had what I wanted, for about the same price as 2-3 others, and was the only one who's website made me confident I would get exactly what I ordered, on time. They didn't disappoint, and it arrived in under a week. No regerts!
As long as you like any of these products it is all good. Just can’t stand when people think they “need” all the things to get out there.
Never have any regerts!
I'm in a minivan n my boyfriend custom built his Nissian 2500 Van for his part time living, he has batteries ( not lithium) and solar too. I have a 100 wtt solar panel n my 800 wtt bluetti ps and I have a no build build in my minivan, I call it my bedroom on wheels. I do full time live in mine except when the outside temps prevent me to do so. I also just had my 4th open heart surgery 4 months ago so I'm moochdocking in a friends back porch recooperating. Anyway, I have 1 question for u only because I have to catch up on ur vids again but there's one thing I see alot of the big time channels have is a Burke water system, do you have that? When I'm out on the road I go to walmart and fill my jugs with the .59 water from their primo water tank . I'm different from an Rver though, I know that. I don't like to have too much stuff either, I've been homeless going on 4 years now after I lost my trailer here in Michigan and haven't been able to get into something bigger n better yet other then my minivan, I know I don't want another place so when I can I'll get something bigger for myself. Alot of my rver friends have all the gadgets n stuff they get from their sponsors n patreons, my channel is still too small for all that. I travel when I can cuz I enjoy it and I love going to parks, museums etc instead of a campground/rv park every single time I go somewhere.
I agree with most everything you said. How ever lol we left the van life and got a class c because we were old and have 2 dogs. We would stay in a RV park and never plug in. My goal is to be there with the new rig because we love boon docking even at 70. Love your channel keep it up. Solar rocks!
If it works for you that is great!
I agree with most everything you mentioned except the rv mattress. Our 5th wheel has a rv king and a standard king would not fit. We measured to be sure. I purchased a topper instead of a new mattress.
That is the exception to the rule is sizing. Other than the very small cases that require an oddball size - ther is virtually no difference between a standard mattress and an Rv mattress. But to give credit where it is due - they are brilliant marketing people!
Ten different water purifiers and canisters.
We totally forgot about those - TONS of those pitches over the years!
It’s all spot on. Snap pads, what a joke. I just recently had a conversation with a guy that was going to buy them. I said that they do not increase the foot print at all and that yep you’re gonna have to level your rv with additional stuff. I carry 2x10x10 blocks for my motorhome. Those are my snap pads.
Smart moves!
Amazon and Camping World thrive on the gadget addicts lol, Ive seen rvs that remind me of those kayaks with so much crap attached the person cant even move, great video here guys, although some will scoff😂because they live to have every single gadget.
So true!
I enjoyed your video, and almost 100% agree with you. However, I'm plugged in at an RV park with my solar. When the power went out, guess what I switched to? It sure wasn't my noisy generator. I also boondock because my rig is set up, so I have options. Solar isn't necessary, but it sure is nice. 🙂👍
Absolutely is nice to have - but do you think that it is a need or a want 🤔
@liferedesigned I was headed out to Quartzsite for winter, stopped in Texas, and decided paying for a site was about the same cost as the diesel round-trip plus I get electricity (notice how I'm beating around the bush?). That said, one could argue that even in Quartzsite, it could be considered a want. Go a step further, and an RV is a want, and a tent would suffice . You're right, solar is a want and I'm glad I have it.
Hey guys I signed up with my Rv mail hope you get your bonus I even mentioned it to woman I talked to
Hey! Thank you for thinking of us but we are not affiliated with them. Just use their service. Great company!
@@liferedesigned awe was hoping they’d spot ya
lol, if they do we will let you know 😀 we are just happy to pass along their services to fellow RVers
A very useful piece of advice, Honesty is what matters. Oh and please, don´t ever sell your soul lol.
Regards
Great advice, I have been suck in.
New thought; what about 10 ply tires. Everyone seems to want you to buy 10 ply tires for your truck and trailer. Thoughts?
Fun fact for you - Bob (in a former life) was a Sales Manager for Goodyear. A quality trailer tire such as GoodYear Endurance is all that is needed for your trailer. Where most people fail is maintenance and running at proper PSI. As for Truck tires, A 10 ply tire has a load range of E (either E1 or E2), which means the tire can handle up to 1,520 lbs at the proper air pressure. Each truck manufacture has specific requirements to handle payload. The last thing we would EVER recommend is taking tire advice from a TH-camr (Ourselves included) If you are looking for tire recommendations, Check with your local Tire Shop, they will have far more experience than anybody with a camera 😂
@@liferedesigned 🤣 I build truck tires for 30 years for Bridgestone/Firestone in TN.
Well, now I feel silly for going into detail when you already know 😂😂
@@liferedesigned I appreciate you going into all the details. May have built them but when you watch TH-cam too much ( like I do sometimes) things get confusing. 😂
LOL im gonna get snap pads just to egg you on, LOL
Okay that may have been sarcasm.
Wouldn’t you need a 20 pack for that land yacht you have? 😂😂
@@liferedesigned I also need a fusion reactor just to boondock.
I was so glad to see "lots of $$$$" was the first thing on your list. As I've mentioned before, I'm trying to get into RV life for $10k or less initial investment and will have approx $3k/mo income to live off of in addition to some savings. I also plan/hope to find temp jobs along the way to help keep the bank account up. While I don't expect or want to have luxury living conditions, I also don't want to be living in harsh/Spartan conditions, either. And is 'RV' toilet paper similar to John Wayne toilet paper? Love your content...keep it comin'!
Any “RV” toilet paper we ever used was just way overpriced garbage 😂😂
Ok my brother I agree with you, but I love my snap pads. Lol
It’s okay - we forgive you 😂 In all seriousness, if you use them and they work for you, that is awesome!
The point here is that the channels that promote them as a “needed” item - it’s a want but definitely not needed 🤣
@@liferedesigned agreed
Lets see how many i can trigger....you dont need brand ambassadors and content creators/influencers. Lol
🤔 Don't need content creators? UM, you do know that you don't HAVE to watch right? 😂😂
I have quit following a lot of channels because they have turned into giant advertisements. Everyone is selling telehealth mental health. Everyone who lives in their RV seems to have a problem
That is because the TeleHealth companies pay HUGE money for sponsorships. We turned down one of them because they refused to tell us who the parent company was
You don't sound like you need help 😏
Yup, the RV industry has done a good job marketing crap! 💩 Decrement and common sense will save you a lot of money.
VERY well said!
Good info but dude, let Karri talk more.
Sorry - but Bob doesn’t have to “let” me talk. I speak as much or as little as I want 😀
Let Karri talk more
🤣🤣 oh you funny 😄
I like you two because you tell it like it is, I respect the way you run your channel!
Thank You - appreciate that!
Definitely do not need a television. One came with the camper but we do not use it. There is too much to do outside. Plus who needs tv when you have life redesigned to watch.
We 100% approve this message! 😂😂
I broadcast to the big screen TV and get to see more of them 😂
We also approve this message 100% 😂😂
I have KOA and Good Sam and like those. I canceled Harvest Host since I never used. I don’t have a generator so hard to boondock since very little in my travel trailer is 12V. So long as I am camped where I have electric and can fill my fresh water tank and a dump station I am good. Most of the things I have bought other than the necessities are for my dogs comfort and dog shows/trials.
Love it!
People need to evaluate truly & Realistically just How they want to camp/RV & base purchases/equipment on That, not what other people say. Dont buy a gazillion solar panels (for example) because you Think you Might boondock some. Have a small generator on hand for emergency situations (no power in park, eg); if you find you like to boondock a lot then add those things later. I do recommend a great surge protector to place between your hardwire & the power post (found many parks power posts are not in great shape). Quality non-kinking water lines (filter is nice) & quality sewer hoses are good. Beyond that, see how you really camp & adjust from there. Oh & you do not need one of those pricey rv mats either! Too heavy! An inexpensive piece of lightweight outdoor “grass-like” carpet is much lighter & cheaper & dries quickly!!
This is coming from an older gal (in-between rvs right now) but have owned just about everything over the past 27 years . . Popups to smaller tt to smaller 5vr to a used class A to a C (no toy hauler) depending on where my life journey was at the time. Interior organization is extremely important, but a lot of unnecessary stuff is a distraction!! ;-) Keep redesigning!!
Well said!
Influencers = paid shrills doing infomercials. People need to wake up and notice all the reviews on everything from pocket knives , flashlights to RV mattresses all have the videos come out at nearly the same time.
So a couple of things to note. Without sponsorships, there would be no TH-cam. Plain and simple.
Sponsorships are needed BUT should be limited.
Then you have to ask, if everyone knows it’s a problem - why do they still watch the channels the shill every product?
@@liferedesigned some people love the reviews but the reviewers are not always honest that it was given to them.
I too of course read reviews from the channels I trust. I was the GM for a motorcycle accessory company and I hired TH-camrs to do reviews. I would pay them as well as let them keep the products. I had a great deal of research done that they were going to do god and honest reviews good or bad.
I would get many unsolicited emails telling me that they would give me a great review , channel size etc for product. Therefore it’s why I am always a bit suspect.
Lol I think this is the channel I heard other channels talk about. You seem like nice people, I gave you a subscribe.
🤣🤣🤣 Thank you
I like people like yall keeping it real! I no longer have a camper because well Indiana sucks. The manufacturers i mean, settle down Indians....if i get another on i will go the overland route from what ive been looking at. Here is another trigger....RV resorts and most campgrounds suck too but then i domt like people....put me out there with the critters!
We remember the old bumper stickers that Read "the more people we meet, the more we like our dog" That so applies to RV'ing 😂
HaHa…. You ate telling on everyone. Lol
Thank you love watching you guys and appreciate your upfront honesty. 🤗
We just try to keep it real!
Enjoyed, all you need is common sense😊
Missing in a lot of places nowadays 🤣🤣