Gear, Gadgets, And Gifts
Practical accessories and assorted goods designed to make life easier and more enjoyable for RVers.
By Skip Tate, Associate Editor
Portable Grill
Outback Grills founder Steve McGuinness has never met a grid he didn’t like to be off of. But life off the grid still requires food and fire, so he created the Explorer 300 portable fire pit/grill, which gives you both. The high-carbon-steel fire bowl can handle wood or charcoal, and its telescoping leg extensions let you set up anywhere from 1 inch to 35 inches off the ground. An adjustable cooking arm allows you to control the distance of the 20-inch grate from the coals, and when life demands you get back on the grid, it weighs only 22 pounds, so you can pack it up and carry it with you. Price is $199.95.
Outback Grills
(678) 872-8989
www.outback-grills.com
Ugly Sweater
Christmas Vacation fans, get ready to win that ugly sweater contest this holiday season with the Cousin Eddie ugly sweater. All you’ll have to do is walk around with a glass of eggnog and say, “That there is an RrrrrVeeee,” and “Black tank’s full” (or something like that). The polyester sweater costs $49.95 and comes in sizes from small to 5XL. It’s available from a number of online retailers, including Orange Prints. It’s a beaut, Clark.
Orange Prints
(307) 763-5949
www.orangeprints.com/collections/Christmas
LED Lantern
Here’s a great way to brighten your nights: The Enbrighten Lux Dual-Power Color-Select Dimmable LED Lantern by Jasco pushes out 650 lumens of bright white light in every direction and can last 75 hours before it needs to be recharged. That’s bright enough and long enough to finish that dog-eared copy of War and Peace or to keep that Monopoly game going until someone finally wins. Or, if you’re into ambience, it can change to shine in a full rainbow of colors, or even flicker like a candle. It can also flash SOS if you’re lost in the woods. Three D-cell batteries can be added as a backup power source. It also has a carabiner handle to make it easy to hang, and the USB port allows you to charge your cell phone. Price is $53.99.
Jasco
(855) 527-2687
https://byjasco.com
Screen Push Bar
Getting that screen door open when your hands are full can be a challenge. We’ve all been there, and so have the people from Lippert, who invented a Screen Assist, which operates as a fixed push bar on most RV screen doors. When installed on a Lippert screen door with a lever-style handle, an articulating function enables easy unlatching and opening. It adjusts to fit doors 26 to 30 inches wide and doubles as a support bar for stability. Price is $19.95.
Lippert
(432) 547-8900
https://store.lci1.com
Odor Absorber
Black tank. Burnt leftovers. Those wool socks that got soaked when it started raining in the middle of your hike. Even though you’re camping in the woods, the inside of your RV doesn’t always smell like pine needles. Sure, you can mask the smell with air fresheners, but Exodor Odor Absorber has a way to take that one step further. Its gel not only freshens the air, but it is infused with charcoal, so it absorbs and neutralizes whatever it is that stinks. Each Odor Absorber covers 300 square feet and lasts 60 days. Take your choice of lavender or orange scents. Odor Absorber is available at RV supply stores and big-box retailers. Price is $5.11.
Walex
(800) 338-3155
www.walex.com
FMCA Jacket
You can’t spell Christmas without FMCA. Well, actually, you can. But you shouldn’t. The FMCA Store just added a slew of new products to its inventory, making shopping for that hard-to-buy-for camper on your list a snap. Our favorite is the men’s full-zip fleece jacket, which comes in heather gray, navy, or charcoal and sports the FMCA logo on the chest. The women’s cut comes in aqua green, light royal blue, or charcoal. They’re perfect for those cool nights when the fire pit just isn’t enough to keep off the chill. Prices begin at $31.
FMCA
(800) 543-3622
www.fmca.com
Hitch Vest
If you own a fifth-wheel, it’s inevitable: You’re going to hit your head on the pin box. The two are drawn to each other like a moth to a flame. Fortunately, Camper Safety Concepts has you covered. Rather, it has your pin box covered. Its Hitchvest 2.0 is a weatherproof cover that surrounds the pin box, protecting it from the elements, animals, and your head. It also serves as a convenient place to store the electrical connections. It has 1-inch-thick medium-density foam on all sides and pulls tight in the back with hook-and-loop fastening straps. It has two drain patches on the bottom, one of which can be slit to accommodate a support tripod if desired. The Hitchvest enhances the look and style of the front of your fifth-wheel and even has three grommets on the front to let you hang a welcome sign. Price is $149.99.
Camper Safety Concepts
(844) 554-4824
www.hitchvest.com
Propane Monitor
There’s nothing quite like firing up the stove, only to have the propane run out when the food is halfway done. Or having the water heater go cold in the middle of a shower. Fortunately, AP Products found a way to make sure your propane-dependent utilities are always fired up and ready to go. Its Tank Check Dual Sensor With Monitor Kit has a magnetic sensor that mounts to the bottom of your propane tank and sends a wireless signal to an app on your smartphone or to a monitor that you can mount in your control panel. It not only tells you the amount of propane left in the tank, but it sends a text or email alert if the tanks get too low. Now we’re cooking with gas. A set of two sensors and a monitor cost $145.23.
AP Products
www.approducts.net
RV Products Submissions
To have a product considered for this column, please send information and a high-resolution photograph to rvproducts@fmca.com.