RV equipment guides
Straight answers on RV gear.
Buying guides and explainers built from manufacturer documentation and published specifications — so you can tell whether something fits your rig before you spend the money.
- 81 guides
- 25 calculators
- Specs sourced to the manufacturer
Browse by system
Each section covers one system end to end — the equipment, how it works, and what goes wrong with it.
- Electrical
Shore power, batteries, solar and everything that draws from them.
- Surge protection
- Batteries
- Solar
- Inverters
- Water
Fresh, grey and black — filtration, pressure, pumps and sanitation.
- Filtration
- Pressure
- Pumps
- Sanitation
- Towing
Hitches, weight distribution, brake control and trailer security.
- Hitches
- Weight distribution
- Brake controllers
- Security
- Gear
Leveling, mattresses, storage and the kit that makes a rig livable.
- Leveling
- Mattresses
- Storage
- Covers
- Camping
Awnings, outdoor cooking, campsite setup and boondocking.
- Awnings
- Outdoor cooking
- Campsite setup
- Boondocking
- Maintenance
Sealants, winterizing, storage and troubleshooting that saves a bill.
- Sealants
- Winterizing
- Cleaning
- Storage
In progress: guides.
Calculators
Run the numbers before you buy
25 free calculators for batteries, solar, wiring, towing weights and tanks. No sign-up, and they run in your browser.
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RV Battery Calculator
Tick your appliances and hours to get daily watt-hours, the amp-hour bank that covers it in lithium or AGM, the inverter that clears your biggest load, and the batteries that make that bank.
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RV Amp Draw Calculator
Estimate running amps and startup loads on 30A or 50A RV service, then download your appliance amp-draw card as a Letter or A4 PDF.
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12V Wire Size Calculator
Size DC cable for an inverter, a DC-DC charger or any 12V circuit. Shows the gauge voltage drop needs, the gauge ampacity needs, which one binds — and whether it will fit your device's terminals.
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RV Towing Payload Calculator
Works out your tongue weight, spends it against the door sticker, and turns it into the hitch rating you need. No green light or red light — the margin in pounds, and the assumptions behind it.
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RV Water Tank Calculator
Work out how long your fresh, grey and black tanks last on your own usage — and which of the three actually ends the trip. It is almost never the one people plan around.
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RV Propane Calculator
Estimate propane remaining and daily use from two cylinder weighings and its stamped tare weight. Compare a 15 lb Blue Rhino exchange fill with a nominal 20 lb refill.
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Latest guides
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Do Trailer Hitch Locks Actually Prevent Theft?
An honest answer using what lock manufacturers publish about their own limits — including the one that states in writing it is not an insurer.
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What Size Coupler Lock Do I Need?
Match your ball size, coupler model and latch to the right lock. Download a Letter or A4 fitment card with size conversions and measurement blanks.
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RV Propane Calculator: How Long Will a 20 lb Tank Last?
Estimate propane remaining and daily use from two cylinder weighings and its stamped tare weight. Compare a 15 lb Blue Rhino exchange fill with a nominal 20 lb refill.
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Battle Born vs Dakota Lithium: Which 100Ah RV Battery?
Battle Born and Dakota Lithium compared at 100Ah: tray fit, heating, surge ratings and warranties, with conflicting temperature limits and missing heater figures explained.
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Editorial approach
How recommendations are made
RVTrove earns a commission when you buy through our links. That only works long term if the advice is right, so the method is published and the limits are stated.
Read the editorial policy- 01
Specifications, from the manufacturer
Every figure we publish comes from a spec sheet, manual or warranty document — and the source date is shown on the page.
- 02
Recommendations by use case
A 30-amp travel trailer and a 50-amp fifth wheel need different equipment. Picks are labelled for who they suit, not ranked on an invented score.
- 03
Compatibility before features
Most bad RV purchases are fitment mistakes. Sizing, amperage and thread standards come before the feature list.
- 04
Weaknesses stated plainly
If a product has a known limitation, it is in the write-up. A guide where nothing has a downside is not a guide.
What you won't find here
- We do not claim to have tested products we have not tested.
- We do not publish scores, ratings or awards that imply testing that did not happen.
- We do not print live prices, which go stale within hours.