Congratulations, you’re the proud owner of a new RV! It’s an exciting time and you probably want to jump on the road to enjoy your first RVing adventure. But before you pack up the RV, there are a few things you should know. While your new RV probably has all kinds of great and useful bells and whistles, there are a few preventative equipment upgrades you should know about.
Making sure you have these things in place will help make your RVing trip more enjoyable and help you avoid unnecessary wear and tear. Here are 6 equipment upgrades new RVers need to know about.
1. Mud Dauber Screens
Most people think about the need for keeping bugs and pests out of the inside of their RV, but far fewer people think about protecting their RV appliances. Mud Daubers and other insects or pests like to make their homes in the vents of RV appliances. RV Bug Screens or Mud Dauber Screens help keep them out.
This might seem like a minor issue, but if these insects are restricting the necessary airflow for your appliances, you’re going to shorten the lifespan of your appliances by making it work harder. You can help avoid unnecessary repairs and replacements by using screens to keep the vents clear.
2. Roof Vent Covers
There are so many reasons to add roof vent covers to your RV. The roof vents play an important role in the circulation and airflow in your RV. It helps let cool air in while letting odor and humidity out.
Adding covers to your vents allows you to keep them open while you’re traveling. They also allow you to keep them open when it’s raining. Covers also help protect your vents from low-hanging tree branches, falling objects, and natural elements like wind and hail.
Putting covers on can help you avoid unnecessary repairs.
3. Backup cameras
We’re all familiar with the benefits of having a backup camera in our vehicles. They help us pull out of parking spots and make sure kids aren’t behind us before we put it in reverse. There are even more reasons to install a backup camera on your RV.
The most obvious benefit is that it provides you with a rear-view mirror as you drive. We’re used to having this luxury in our everyday vehicles, but RVs don’t provide the same kind of sightlines. A backup camera helps remove the blind spots for you.
Backing up an RV is challenging for many people and can be even more difficult if you’re trying to back into a space solo. The use of a backup camera gives you eyes on the back of your RV. You can see how far you have to go and what type of space you’re working with.
And just like in a car, the backup camera helps you confirm that no one is behind you before you start to back up.
An additional benefit if you’re driving a motorhome and towing a vehicle, the backup camera allows you to keep an eye on your vehicle. It can help you spot any potential issues that may be arising.
4. Wifi
WiFi is no longer an option for many RVers. Whether you’re working on the road, doing school from the road, or just like to unwind with Netflix after a long day of driving, you want to make sure you have a strong signal.
But do you really need to worry about WiFi? It’s listed on almost every campground site as an amenity, right? Wrong!
If having access to an internet connection is important to you then you want to take matters into your own hands. You don’t want to rely on the public WiFi connection. You may end up with insecure campground networks or a poor connection. Getting WiFi installed in your travel trailer or motorhome can be a gamechanger. If reliable service matters to you, this is a must-do upgrade.
5. Solar
Adding a solar panel system to your RV can also be a game-changer. You no longer have to rely solely on finding a campground with hookups or relying on a generator. And the systems generally require little to no maintenance. When the sun is shining, they provide a dependable source of electricity.
If you’re interested in getting into boondocking, you’ll definitely want to explore your options for solar power to extend the time that you can be off-grid.
6. Slide Toppers
There are plenty of advantages to having slides in your RV. They provide additional space that you wouldn’t be able to have in your RV otherwise. But there are some common concerns with RV slides as well. You have to make sure dirt and debris aren’t getting caught in the slide. You need to protect the seals to keep water from leaking. Overall, if you want your slide to keep working smoothly, you need to make sure you’re protecting it and caring for it.
Slide toppers make it easy to care for your slides. They protect the roof slide to assure pine needles, leaves, dirt, and other debris isn’t getting caught in the slide. They help prevent rainwater deterioration of your slides. And they help protect the gears and motors for your slides.
Making RV improvements and upgrades
At Sky River RV, we want to help you have the best experience with your new RV. Ask about our new owner packages that make these addons affordable and easy!
