How much do you need?

Dick_B wrote:
Search for each of these items on this Forum and read on.

Thanks! Actually I did a few searches - and I am sorry if I missed 100 other threads just like this one. The search functionality here seems to be a bit hit and miss for me at least. ;) Sheepishly I have to admit that I am a computer geek for a living and still I just seem to have trouble with searching here.

mrkoje wrote:
You might want to get a nice roll of that green astroturf looking all-weather carpet that you can lay down outside underneath the steps and under the awning. It makes it nice especially if the weather isn't cooperating.

I would get one of the poly mats/rugs instead. They don't hold water or dirt, lightweight and last for years and still look good.

....and, you can't go wrong with the cast iron skillet.

What you get is determined by the type of camping you do, where you go, how much storage space you have in your camper, and what you can afford and willing to pay for.

Sewer hose. My camper is 31 feet long. The black and gray drain is in the middle. That means it's approximately 15 feet from the drain to the back or the front of the camper. At a minimum, I always carried enough hose to reach the back or the front of the camper, in the event a full hook-up site does not have the sewer connection 10 feet or less from where I park to where it's located in the ground. Moving the camper 5 feet can make all the difference in the world. I carry 50 feet of hose. 2 twenty feet connected together and 1 10 feet to use at dump stations.

Water hookups can be equally as Questionable. So I always carry 200 feet of hose in 50 foot lengths (and I do not use the white one, just normal garden hoses that are, always have been, and always will be 100% dedicated to the camper for fresh water.

Electric Cord (30 amp) RV cord, I carry 3 extra 25 foot sections, giving me a total of 105 feet of potential extension cord (with the cord in my camper).

And yes, I have on a few occasions used every bit of all of this.

Very few Indiana State Parks have water spigots 25 feet from the connection of my camper. Most are a shared spigot, so no one can attach permanently to one. But I do plan my campsites within 200 feet of the spigot so I can attach the hose, fill the fresh tank on my camper and then unhook the hose so others can use the spigot.

I use a simple PUR water filter at the kitchen sink faucet.

I use a simple in-line water pressure regulator that attaches to the garden hoses.

I do not use any kind of surge protector (I probably should) but never have and have never had any problems. If anything, I've experienced LOW voltage at campgrounds, never high or over voltage. And theres really nothing you can do when the voltage is low.

The best think you can do is a driveway camp (camp out in your driveway for a week-end) withouth the assistance of your house. That will teach you real fast what you need and how much you'll need.

There's no right or wrong answer, every person is different, their camping needs are different, their financial resources are different. You just REALLY have to figure out what will work for you, and go from there.

I would not get too much before you do some camping. Get the sewer hose and water hose then wait and get what you determine you want later. Don't buy a bunch of stuff you will never use. I hauled around a green carpet for years and used it once in 2004. Haven't used it since.

You might want to get a nice roll of that green astroturf looking all-weather carpet that you can lay down outside underneath the steps and under the awning. It makes it nice especially if the weather isn't cooperating. You also can't go wrong with a good cast iron frying pan to use over the fire if you want to cook outside.

Search for each of these items on this Forum and read on.

You will also need kitchen supplies (pots, pans, skillets, etc.) as well as bathroom supplies (toilet tissue, treatment).

Lots of the kitchen stuff, you can pick up cheaply at Goodwill or Dollar General, etc.

I have RV stuff that matches what we have at our house, but we spend 80-90 days per camping season in our 5'er. I have a knife block with good knives at both places. We usually use paper plates and plastic forks/spoons, but according to our menu, I might get out the real stuff. (You can't eat a good steak on a paper plate and use plastic forks).

We even have our RV clothing - stuff that we don't mind getting dirty or has seen better days, but is still comfy.

I have purchased towels and sheets for the RV - white ONLY! You can bleach them and get them clean, but it's hard with other colors. We don't use white at home and it helps to keep them sorted.

The 15 ft sewer hose will likely do the job about 90% of the time in established campgrounds. For the other 10%, you'll be really glad you bought the extension.

For drinking water, the same holds true for a single 25' hose, so buy two of them. I would also suggest having a suitable 25' power cord extension on hand, along with a 30/50 or 50/30 adapter, depending on which supply your new TT uses.

A surge protector is an excellent safety device to use, as is a water pressure regulator. Water filter use will depend somewhat on where you plan to camp, as well as whether you simply want to remove the chlorine taste, no matter where you are. Most campground water supplies are safe enough, so generally it's just a matter of taste and sediment control.