This is a long post but since it took me two years to research and buy my RPOD 180 I accumulated significant information on accessories to buy. So I am sharing my list. Feel free to add to it..
RV Assessory Checklist (items you need to buy, should buy,
or just some that are nice to have)
Extended warranty. Do not buy third party. Forest River sells a one year extended
warranty for $150.00 The dealer makes no money off of it and may not tell you
about it and try to sell you their version (which legally cannot be called a
warranty – it is an extended service plan).
You must act quickly, as offer expires (one posting said you had to buy
it within 30 days after getting RPOD).
Call Forest River directly if dealer acts ignorant. Dealer service plans are generally expensive
and most reviews are negative. Some
dealers include a free unlimited warranty.
This is not a scam but may not be a good deal. You have to bring you RV back to dealer once
a year for $150 inspection to keep warranty active. And then it does not really warranty the RV
(leaks, axle breaks) but rather the components (refrig, heater). Only worth buying at a dealer that includes
it if they do not charge more for the RV.
One dealer who was $3000 more than another said, “but the warranty is
free and that’s worth the $3000 difference!”
Brake controller
– Even if TV has towing package it probably lacks a break controller. Tekumsa P2 is highly rated but more
expensive. The less expensive the unit
the more it has to be in a fixed position (i.e. parallel to ground). It comes with wires to splice into TV however
most tow packages already have the female harness so only need to buy male
harness for your vehicle (around $18) then no searching for the correct wires
to splice into, and you can remove unit at will. An internet search for your TV will let you
know where to find the hitch. On our
Jeep Cherokee it was hidden away and we could not find it until we found a
UTube video demonstration.
Weight distribution
(WDH) and anti sway
-Equal-i-zer weight distribution
hitch 10,000 lbs $408 includes 4 pt
friction sway control.
-Blue OX is also highly rated. It prevents sway instead of correcting
it. It is $600 and easier to
connect. Get 350 lb tongue weight version
-There are numerous cheaper
options. But you may not be able to back
up and/or do not have anti sway, only weight distribution. Most people say anti-sway is required but WDH
is not necessary as larger tow vehicles can handle it well.
Other items
□ White
water hose (for drinking water only) 25’ Camco $9.97
□ Garden water
hose (for black water flush and all other washing)
□ Water
filter with right angle
□ Water
pressure regulator
Y
connector to attach two hoses to single water line
□ Oxy-Kem holding tank treatment. Turn off vent fan when going to the bathroom. Always wait until black tank is 2/3 full
before emptying
□ Sewer hose 2 x 10’ is better than
single 15 foot (Valterra D04-0275 newer version comes with clear elbow $50.50). Reported to have less leaks than Camco model
□ Sewer
elbow to connect to ground hole (comes with Valterra above)
□ Sewer elbow clear to connect to RV
to see when water is clean Valterra T1026
$11.50 (also comes with Valterra above)
□ Sewer
hose holder to keep hose slanted to ground Camco 43051 20’ $22.94
□ Disposable gloves for cleaning out
holding tanks (or strong rubber gloves to re-use and save the environment)
□ NCVT Fluke volt alert (looks like a
penlight)– standing on the ground touch the door frame or steps if there is
voltage leak it will light up preventing a shock. Do it when first setting up camp and
connecting electric
□ Tire
leveling plastic with chock for under tires
□ Plastic
pads for stabilizers (Do not use wood)
□ Lock for
trailer hitch to prevent someone from stealing your RV when left alone unhooked
□ Leveling guides. One type goes on
hitch and turns to tell you how many inches to raise RV. Other types stick to
side walls.
□ Propane
tank gauge. May need to get second tank
but try it first with one tank.
□ Bug and rodent screens – Spiders in
furnace, refrigerator and hot water heater can do damage. Need to get screens for all vents. Camco 42154 for Dometic refrigerator Pack of
6 vents $15.88. Camco 42141 furnace vent
screen 2 Pack $10.86. Camco 42145 Large screen for water heater $16.00
□ Lawn mat
(Do not use plastic grass – stays wet) use porous material made for RVing
□ Dust
broom with pan
□ Lanterns
and flashlight
□ Spare
fuses
□ BBQ Grill
– can get propane now that 2017.5 RV has
quick connector
□ Propane
hose extension 10 foot Camco $21.26 (not the standard size 3/8”)
□ Sticky
mats to keep things on the counter
□ Wood
dowels to keep windows closed and locked – so they do not open during drives
□ Expandable
drapery rods to put in refrigerator to hold food in place
□ Oxygenics BodySpa RV shower kit – white (Model
ETL26781) Amazon $31.13. Sends water at
higher pressure thus using less water for a shower. Great product reviews, really works. Made for
RV
□ GPS
While a car GPS is handy it is not designed for RV use. For one, you will drive slower and the
estimated time will be off by as much as a third. Second, you may want to avoid steep grades,
low bridges and normal GPS does not have a setting for that. There are a few freestanding GPS units that
are made for RV’s. Unfortunately if you already own a GPS they do not sell maps
to convert to RV use. However there is
an APP designed for smartphones that is specific to RV’s . It is called CoPilot. Expensive at $59.99 and has many negative
reviews, so buyer beware.
Replace mattress
-11” NuForm Quilted pillow top memory
foam short queen 60 x 74 (RPOD is 74”)
RV size $258 price raised to $279 at Overstock.
Regular queen is 60 x 80
Replace 6 gal water heater with tankless unlimited hot water
-Truma Aqua Go basic model is $1099. Could always add it later, if running out of
hot water is an issue. It is said that
running water heater on both propane and electric at the same heats up water fast.
So probably will be fine with existing 6 gal heater, especially if you can take
short showers. Some dealers however will
give you trade in value (up to $300) for turning in a new unused water
heater. So check with you dealer as it
may be cheaper to do it at time of delivery before using the standard water
heater. Do not buy any other brand, they
are half the price but are all terrible!!!
Add surge protection to RV
-Progressive industries EMS-PT30C
Portable RV surge protector 30 AMP.
Comes with metal hook to be able to lock it onto the electric box so
that it is not stolen. $235.00. This is better than just surge protection
since it will also shut off current if it goes too low or is wired wrong. Even better, get the hard wired version
(HW30C same price) so no worries about getting stolen. May need to have dealer install as it
involves cutting into electric lines.
Also has a low hum but to eliminate it people report using rubber
spacers when attaching it to RV floor.
Improve WiFi
Although
many RV parks have free WiFi, the signal is usually spotty at best. Therefore you can add a WiFi extender to get
a stronger signal. The WiFi Ranger is
recommended by some top RV YouTubers but does not have good overall reviews. There are cheaper options (as low as $60)
that work well and do not require installation on roof of RPOD
Add wind deflector on roof of tow vehicle. Very controversial, at best it saves 10% or
around 1 mpg
-Aeroplus by Purpleline $282 attaches
to cross bar of roof rack (need to buy for $99 more)
-Aeroshield straps to door frame
$366. No roof rack required. Does make ride more stable if wind is a
problem bouncing car around
Washing Machine – yes they make washing machines that can
fit into RPOD! If you really hate
campground laundromats consider doing your own laundry. These have separate tub for spinning dry and
almost completely dry clothes. Just hang
outside for final dry. Most campgrounds
will not allow clotheslines to be strung across to trees but will allow clothes
dryer racks that attach to RV or stand alone.
Panda washing machine 28 lbs. Connects to sink or shower has almost 8 lb
capacity (5 shirts) $150.00 23x14x26.
There are two other brands which are $80-85 which look similar and also
got good reviews. So do not know why paying
twice the price for Panda is better
If you get a smell in RV when towing with windows open you
may consider replacing the roof vent caps with Siphon 360 roof vents. Will need to unscrew old one, cut the vent
pipe to 5/8, screw on the new one and seal
with DiCor lap sealant. There is a new
model (389381) that goes over the old pipe and uses only caulk as it is not
replacing the old vent cap. Also cheaper
$25 vs $35
The old fan was Fantastic and needed a vent cover ($65). It was just replaced it with a different
company. See if there is a vent cover. This will allow you to travel with the fan
cover open even if it is raining.
Winter cover – Cover for 179 fits the 180 as the doors are
in the same place. Classic Assessories
PolyPro 3 Model 4 cover (part 80-197-17100-00) Amazon $151. They also make a PermaPro model for
$191. Do not know what the difference is.
------------- OLD 2017.5 RPOD 180 + 2015 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk
NEW: 2018 Passport Elite 23RB + 2017 Ram 1500 Diesel
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