"RV Must Haves"...Really?

This is SOOOO off topic for this blog, but it's not Pagan related and I have no other outlet lol.

Hubby and I are planning a trip out east this summer and we're taking our travel trailer (30 foot-er lol) and in preparation I am PINTERESTING like crazy trying to find better storage ideas, recipe ideas, activities for the journey for my kids, etc. and I come across pins that list "must haves". Some of the suggestions are pretty decent, and then some of them are just plain out there and are REALLY not necessary, much less "must haves".

For example, a "Portable Meat Smoker". Really?? What practical use is a "meat smoker" other than to take up space. Can't I just use it at home, freeze the smoked meat and thaw it later OR...use smoke rubs? It's an impractical item unless you plan on travelling alone and have the extra space. For a family of five...just no.

"Mini solar device charger". Well...I know **I** can't live without my phone, but most times when we go camping, there's no reception so the point in having a "mini solar device charger" doesn't really make sense. Why would I charge my device if I can't use it. Of course though, I use my phone to take pictures too, but we're going to a site that has electrical hookups so using my plug to charge my phone is just fine. Yet another useless item that's taking up premium space.

"Frozen Drink Maker". What are we, Camping or Glamping? Why on earth would we need a "frozen drink maker"? That'd be a luxury I'd use at home...while camping we're bare-bones basics. Again, another useless item that's just taking up space we don't have.

Same with a "micro blender". I don't blend while camping. I don't make smoothies, I don't make creamy soups. Camping involves nothing more than a fire and a grill. So what practical use is a blender?

And while we're talking about meat smokers, frozen drink makers and micro blenders, if there's a "must have" suggestion of using a solar device to charge your portable device...it seems it's implying that they're trying to save you on electricity use, however here they're suggesting using all these hydro-guzzlers. Contradict much? You can't use your RV to charge your phone, but you can use a micro blender and a frozen drink maker?? lol

I really wonder who writes this stuff and if they've ever been REALLY camping (and I mean in a tent with little more than a couple ration packets sold at the Army Surplus)? I've done various types of "Camping" in my life: I've slept outside, I've tented, I've cottaged and I've RV'd/Travel Trailer'd. I'm 33 and feel that the majority of the things people say are a "must have" are more of a luxury to make camping more like home.

The biggest problem we have is storage. For some reason trailer and RV manufacturers seem to want to create the oddest designed cupboards. Too deep, too high and not wide enough (at least that's the problem we have) hence why I go to pinterest to see what other people have done to solve the storage issue in trailers (maybe I should go into trailer design). So far I've found a LOT of good ideas that I hope to implement once we get our trailer back from storage. When we first got the thing we spent almost $3,000 in stuff for it (though practical, like another small television for our kids, blankets/sheets, pillows, cutlery, pots and pans, etc). When we get it back it's going to be like bringing it home for the first time all over again...I anticipate another $3,000 being spent in preparing for the trip (a whopping 2-3 days travel), but we hope to get a lot of use out of it through the years that we have it. I foresee at least 2 trips this year with it. I hope it goes smoothly and we make a lot of good memories.