The WoW Style

Whether you’re a boater or an RVer, the right gear can make or break your outdoor experience. It doesn’t matter if you power a pontoon, pull a travel trailer, or cruise down the road in a motorhome, don’t leave home without the best boat and RV accessories.

We’ve put together six of the most useful items you should have on your boat or RV. Most are must-haves, but we snuck in one just for fun.

Before you head out on your next adventure, go over this list of items guaranteed to keep you safe, fed, and prepared to have fun!

1. First Aid and Safety

Cuts, scrapes, and sunburn are all a rite of passage for outdoor enthusiasts. One of the accessories you need on-hand at all times is a first aid kit.

You can buy a basic kit and add to it with the following supplies:

• Flashlight
• Pocket Knife
• Masks
• Bottled Purified Water
• Calamine Lotion
• Sunscreen
• Bug Repellent

Boaters should make sure their first aid and safety kit includes boat flares, an air horn, whistle, and towels.

You can make sure you get the most from your first aid kit and safety supplies by taking a first aid course. It’s also a good idea to get certified in CPR. You may be the only one trained and available to provide first aid or save a life!

2. Dry Box or Bag

When you get on a boat, you assume there will be water. If you’re new to boating, you may not realize exactly how much water comes onto the boat!

Most people don’t leave home without their cellphone and wallet. Both can suffer damage if exposed to water, not to mention what could happen if you drop them overboard.

Make sure you get something big enough to hold your belongings and things your guests bring along. Your dry box can also hold towels, navigation charts, and other items that shouldn’t get wet.
If you’re short on space, a dry bag makes sense. You can fold it and tuck it away when you’re not on the boat. Any retailer that carries marine products will offer dry bags.

3. Surge Protection for Your RV

One of the biggest mistakes new RV owners make is pulling into a site at an RV park or campground and immediately plugging it into the electric box. Stop right there! All campground pedestal has the potential to damage your rig.

A common problem is stray voltage, which can cause hot skin on your RV and catastrophic electrical shocks to you.

A surge protector is an RV owner’s best friend when using shore power. You’ll have a buffer between your RV and the power coming from the campground pedestal. Surge protectors can prevent damage to your appliances and electronics, and can also prevent fires.

Buying the right RV surge protector isn’t tricky. First, determine whether your RV has a 30 or 50 amp service. Buy the one made for the number of amps in your rig.

A surge protector might not classify as one of the cool RV accessories, but how cool do you have to be to protect your investment, yourself, and your family?

4. RV and Marine Water Filter

Thirst knows no boundaries, and you’ll want to drink water no matter where you are—on the lake, or at the campground. Access to potable water can be a challenge, but you can make things simple and safe by installing an RV and marine water filter.

Keep in mind we’re not talking about the filter you put between the city water supplied by the campground and your drinking water hose.

An RV and marine water filter is a system made up of 1-3 canisters. The system improves the quality of your drinking water by reducing contaminants such as:

• Chlorine
• Algae
• Rust
• Silt
• Sediment

At a minimum, water filters improve taste and remove odors from your water. The most advanced water filter systems protect you from pesticides, cysts, lead, heavy metals present in your boat or RV water source.

5. Boat and RV GPS

Most cell phones and some vehicles today have GPS, so why do you need an additional tool to get you where you want to go in your RV or boat? The primary reason is that standard GPS systems do a great job of navigating your car but aren’t robust enough for an RV. As far as a boat GPS, even if you use the system built-in on your cellphone, you may take your boat places where you can’t get a cell signal.

RV GPS systems are in a class of their own!

RVs have limits to where they can travel. For example, roads with low bridges pose a clearance hazard for many big rigs. Narrow roads, mountain roads, and roads with weight limits can also hamper your ability to travel safely. A GPS designed for RVs will route you away from roads you shouldn’t travel on in the first place.

Most RV GPS systems come preloaded with campground locations, fuel stops, rest areas, and points of interest. You’ll find marine GPS systems anywhere you can buy fishing boat accessories.

6. Our Favorite of the Useful Boat and RV Accessories

Ok, so this isn’t one of the most useful boat or RV camping accessories, but it will give you hours of fun. A stand-up paddleboard or two is a should-have for anyone who loves the water.

First, it’s a great way to get some exercise. Instead of sitting on the boat all day or hanging out on the shore at the campground, put in some time on a paddleboard and then eat S’mores to your heart’s desire.

If you buy two, you can have races (and squelch any arguments over whose turn it is), or you and your partner can take a yoga break together. Yes, you can do poses on the paddleboard!

Ready to Head Out for an Adventure?

We hope our list of useful boat and RV accessories inspires you to get ready for your next boating or camping adventure. You’ll likely have a few of your own tried and tested accessories to add to the list.

If you’ve enjoyed reading today’s post, check out what we have in our archives! You’ll find an eclectic collection of tips on travel, home, technology, and lifestyle. Hang out with us for a while longer.