There are a lot of things you’ll need to take on an RV trip, and plenty of informative sites that will give you an exhaustive list. This is not one of those. This is my personal list – a list forged in the fires of travel Hades – of RV travel must-haves:

A tiny chandelier, a mattress topper, tourist t-shirts, liquor, and a car sick dog.

The tiny chandelier is because your sweetheart gave it to you, and because it’s fun.

The mattress topper though, is key. It’s true that RV s now generally have sleeping area cushioning that at least resembles a mattress, rather than the blocks of industrial strength foam they used to pass off as padding, which is definitely an improvement. However, a three-inch mattress topper is the difference between a designated sleeping area and a bed. Shop around and you can find a twin size for less than you think. Trust me on this. You’ll thank me every morning when you wake up.

If you’re traveling in an RV, you’re a tourist. Embrace the experience. Buy the t-shirts. You’re going to want more clean clothes later anyway.

Liquor seems pretty self-explanatory, but over-pack. You can always have a “Thank (whomever or whatever you think needs to be thanked) we made it!” celebration with any leftovers. If you’re not a drinker, bring chamomile tea, hot water with lemon, valerian, xanax, whatever you generally use to calm down and regain perspective after the dog has puked in your slippers in the middle of the night.

The car sick dog is not a requirement and, frankly, should be avoided, but sometimes these things happen.