Dozens of social media pages, sites, and groups heap high praise on big products and small hacks that make a difference in the lives of campers, RVers and festival music lovers. We’re among them. We surf sites looking for the latest uber-cool products, and sharing some of our own.
We’ve written about them before. We’ve catalogued a new Eno or Kammock hammock, zero gravity chairs, that new Nexgrill grill or Blackstone griddle, even portable speakers and USB music players that bring audible ambiance to the campsite (beyond the calming sounds of birds, crickets, or creeks). In the past couple weeks, we’ve added a few simple upgrades that we hope will make life on the road that much simpler.
That’s the thing about RVers and campers: they love to share what they know. Below are a few new products and hacks we’ve installed that simplified camping life, improved our experience, and made some lasting change in and around the RV and campsite.
Husky 7-Pin Cable Plug Holder. Hanging the seven-pin plug upside down, burying it in the plastic LP tank enclosure, or otherwise stashing it – while praying water won’t invade the plug – is no working solution to keep the plug healthy. Easy to install to the trailer jack with screw-down zip lines, the Husky was is even easier to use. What’s more, I installed ours so it rests beneath the synthetic shroud that protects the jack mechanism. It lent additional peace of mind, given that my brother and I recently replaced the entire cable after it got pinched by the trailer and caused a “Wiring Fault on Trailer.”
Battery Kill Switch. How many times have we left the battery connected, only to have it drain and leave us stranded, either in the storage lot, the campsite, or somewhere on the road? It’s one of those, “Nothing worse” situations. Installing this simple kill switch was simple as could be, and now brings peace of mind that the battery will be in working order the next time I need it. Side Story (there’s always a side story): I replaced the three-year-old battery a week before our most recent trip a few weeks ago.
Two-foot Sewer Hose. To the easily queasy, this might sound just a bit too far inside baseball. But the “Dominator Compartment Hose” as it’s formally called, can be a god-send. OK, that’s a bit dramatic. But who wants to roll out a 10-foot sewer hose if your drain valve is, well, two feet from the up pipe coming out of the ground, or a little more than 10 feet from it? At a recent trip to Red Coconut RV Park in Fort Myers, the outlet and uppipe were just about 18 inches from each other. My two-footer was the perfect fit. Yeh, maybe a but too far in the weeds for most readers…
Faucet Sponge Holder Sink Caddy Organizer. Another “Man, you don’t get out much” item. This Kitchen Sink Bathroom organizer installed in seconds – literally seconds – on any faucet from 20mm to 25mm (even includes an adapter). It can be adjusted up and down, left and right, with almost no space taken, and freeing up precious sink space. It can be used as a storage rack and drain rack. Made of durable materials both stainless steel and eco-friendly ABS material, it’s rust-proof, sturdy, durable and easy to clean. When used in the bathroom, it can hold shampoo, soap, shower gel, or a bath ball. (We have no need for that; we dig our shampoo, conditioner, and body wash caddy that hangs on the shower wall).
Franklin Portable Bean Bag Toss Game. AKA “cornhole,” it was about time we brought some additional outdoor games on board. Small and portable, it folds up to fit in a carry case that’s easily stashed anywhere in the camper. That, a Frisbee, a bluetooth speaker with some great tunes, and a cooler of beer or wine, and we have all the outdoor goodies we need.