Things I'll need to buy

If your RV is 30A the one thing you should carry with you is a 50A/30A adapter. You will not know you need it until you pull into the campground to find only 50A service is available. No power without the adapter and no stores around that sell them. I found this the hard way.

Other than that, weigh your needs and wants. It's too easy to go overboard with unnecessary cr@p.

Make sure you have what you need to change a flat tire. Have enough leveling boards to raise the good tire enough to get the flat tire off the ground.

I enjoy visiting Camping World and seeing all of the new RV owners buying stuff that they don't need. After the necessities, i.e. water hose, sewer hose, power cords, you only need stuff that you would use at home. Since this is our 5th RV, I have a rule of thumb "If we haven't used it in 6 months it is taken our of the RV". Anyway, that leaves more room for your significant other to buy things for the extra room in the storage compartments.

enblethen wrote:
There is many little items that you should pick up if you do not have them
Good quality drinking water hose, Walmart has a nice blue one pressure regulator these are nice Water regulator
You should get an electrical adapter that goes from normal 30 amp to 15/20 for use at home and a 50 male to 30 amp female for occasional use on the road
A good quality sewer hose with elbow such as the Rhino available at Walmart.
You should have some type of stabilizers. No sure if your rig has them.
Wheel chocks and some way of leveling the rig.

This.

I prefer X-chocks to standard wheel chocks.

Also:

leveling blocks
a rug for outside the door
a rug for inside the door
a broom & dustpan or a hand vac like a Dirt Devil
basic set of towels, hand towels, dish towels, etc
a drain mat for dishes
Rubbermaid ice trays
basic bedding of appropriate warmth---take some layers

Minimal kitchen equipment, but do get decent quality. A large skillet, a small skillet, large pot, small pot, colander, basic cooking tools.

cyntdon2010 wrote:
Our camper is so well stocked after 5 years, we run out of stuff in the main house and go to the camper for back up.

Don't stress your self. trying to be the perfect camper. just relax and have FUN!

This is us. We run out of bandaids, go to the RV. Out of peanut butter, check the RV. Running low on toilet paper, the RV will have some. We've only had the RV going on 2 years, but it is the 3rd love of my life, and I like to make sure it has everything it needs at all times. We're about to be living in it fulltime, but between now and then, who knows when an ememrgency camping trip is going to pop up?

Adult beverages, UNLESS CROSSING THE BORDER TO CANADA!! Made impromptu trip, and didn't realize they don't want you bringing it in, nor do US like you bringing it back.

2 Retired wrote:
A good portable grill; a battery-operated 18 volt drill to raise and lower the levelers; You probably have much of what you already need from using your pop up. You're also smart to buy as you find a need!

Get the drill from Harbor Freight 18 volt cordless. I have one & it stays in the camper. If you use a coupon, it will run about about $18.
Don't let the price scare you, it has lots of power, charger, keyless chuck, adjustable torq & has performed very well for me. :B

Make your list then update it on your first couple of trips then break it into 3 groups.
1. what can be done and left all camping season in the TT, bedding, chock blocks.
2. what can be done days prior to leaving, like checking tires, can foods and clothes
3. what cannot be done sooner like ice, cold food etc.

I found this makes the day of leaving less stressful and once I go over my list I know I am ready to leave.

A notepad & a pencil. Write down what you find that you need when you find that you need it. Don't buy a cheap & nasty whatever is needed cause you will find that you will only have to buy another, this time a good one like you should have the first time round.

Buy tools to suit. No point carrying around stuff that will never be needed just cause it was a great price as a set. There will be some special sized sockets needed such as for the waterheater anode, bearing nut & a few special tools for things only they can do. A torque wrench is useful as is a battery load tester.

Nice to have certain spares onboard. Having spare wetbolts for the springs came in extremely handy for me in the Yukon last year. Carrying a spare brake drum with bearings mounted can be a savior too.

You learn as you go along.

Welcome to the forums!

Anderson levelers can be used as chocks saving some time and money.



Anderson levelers

Go to Goodwill, Salvation Army or other used stores and purchase cooking equipment, implements, etc. to leave IN THE TT.

Trying to bring it in and remember to take it back out gets really old quickly. We have white sheets, white towels, white washclothes that are RV ONLY! (You can bleach them clean when they get dirty). We use colored ones for in the house, so they can't be mixed up. We have quilts that are strictly RV quilts. We use blankets at the house, so those are easy to identify.

I purchased a set of silverware at Goodwill for $10 that has been in 3 different RVs. At the beginning of the season, I will purchase spices, oil, flour, cornmeal, etc for the RV and at the end of the season, I will bring those things in and use them over the winter. Start over again in April.

I also do the same with shampoo, soap, conditioner, razors, meds (Tylenol, Pepto, etc.), sunscreen, bug spray, and those types of things.

I have two furry throws for the kids that stay in the RV.

When we winterize, I will bring the sheets, quilts, towels, and the rest of the linens into the house, wash then and put them in the space bags and take back to the RV. They winter out there so we don't forget them come spring time. When we go on our spring break trip, we don't have to worry about remembering those things. Our pillows also go into one of those bags, just to keep them from becoming mouse food or absorbing any smells that might occur.