We finally decided to join the RV lifestyle!

You will probably find most of your questions answered if you use the search function above for each question. Most newbies have lots of questions and fortunately most of us have have also gone through these learning pains ahead of you.

Welcome to the forums! Congrats on your new purchase too!

I'll give a quick response to #1. It's really very easy.

#1) the absolutely have-to-buy-to-have-on-hand items:

Answer: Anything YOU want! Simple: Stock the camper with a scaled down version of your house, from bed linens to your tooth brush, from your favorite brand of toilet paper to your favorite cooking pot, and everything else in-between, and you'll be happy! (I told you, that was easy!)

Hey! Congrats again! and I wish you much happiness and success in your travels!

We just took our camper out for the first time this past weekend. We originally packed our supplies we used for tent camping. One important thing I learned this weekend, take basic tools.

Mrs. Rosas,

I must bring up an important issue with a 12yo RV. Check the age of the tires. There is a date code on them, and even if they are in terrific condition, seven years is about the maximum safe life. This is real serious and please do that check before you leave the neighborhood. Brake fluid should also be flushed with new and the engine coolant replaced. Remember, it is a 12yo truck witha 12yo house on it and treat it accordingly. 40k miles isn't really very much, but the rubber parts will age out no matter what.
An Important Maintenance Note for older coaches:
If you can't prove it was done, it didn't get done...
So check tires, change brake fluid and coolant, check the batteries.

(Does this guy know what he is talking about?? Look at the sig pix. We put near 12k miles on that antique this year and are planning more next year now that we are both retired.)

APU (genset) are notorious for bad battery connections. If the house battery is not a disaster already, you may get by just cleaning the connections that have been carefully ignored for a decade. Or, maybe you need a new house bank.

You will get a real thrill out of this kind of "camping".
My definitions are:
Dry Camping is anytime you are stopped for the night without any utility hookups.
Boondocking is like dry camping, but there is no pavement and when you turn off your lights, there is none. Maybe you can hear owls and other animal calls, but no truck engines or music.

Solar is nice if you do extensive doondocking. If you have enough and little enough power demand, you can go a long time before you need to run the APU to recharge the house bank. If you don't plan to do that, it is sort of expensive and good for not much past bragging rights.

What you will really enjoy is the set-up and strike time.
- Done -
Actually, depending on where you stop, you may need to get out block to level the unit before you shut down. (This in no-way compares to pitching a tent in the rain.)

What I will suggest is that if you have not been camping recently, you do your first night in the driveway. If you are like everybody else, you will discover what you overlooked.

Learn all about the coach systems, where the fuses batteries and the pump are, and how to dump the black and gray systems. More than that, collect all the documentation for the coach and its equipment that you can and carry it on board. Start a notebook with everything you did and discovered, if you have that as long as we have had ours, you will forget some things and just just because you are old (you aren't - yet)

Safe Travel

Matt

There are a lot of camping styles, some folks go into the wilderness and boon dock and for them having a working generator and a solar panel is ideal. Some only go where they can hook up to electricity and water and for them, a solar panel would be a waste of money. Then there are those who only go to resorts and again, solar panels would be pretty worthless.

Wow. Thanks for all the replies from you folks. I really do appreciate your time and words of wisdom. We will certainly heed your advise and look forward to many, many adventures.

See you on down the road.

Good night and sweet dreams.

Marc and Darcy

dry camping usually means camping in a campground that has no hookups of any kind available. stopping over in a Walmart parking lot or rest stop, with no hookups, is not dry camping. it's just parking overnight!

boondocking is usually camping in undeveloped areas that don't have any designated campsites or facilities, like national forests or deserts.
"out in the boondocks"!

:)
Welcome Mrs Rosas and spouse.
Have fun out there take good care!

Welcome Marc and Darcy. Congratulations on your purchase. One thing to keep in mind is that with an older rv there will possibly be some issues coming up that will need to be repaired or replaced. Before going out and spending money on things that are additional, I would have the unit gone over with a fine tooth comb to make sure what is supposed to work, works and works properly. Just as you have found with the generator. Nothing more frustrating than getting out and something break. Will ruin a good camping trip quickly.

As you mentioned about the house batteries, test what you have first and see how old they are. If they are more than a few years old or don't charge fully.

Welcome to the club.. Glad you found us.

As to the "Abosoultly must have".. About the only universal things is a couple of high grade pastic Retangles.. VISA and Master Card will do for starters :).

Seriously IT all depends on so many things it's hard to cover them all.. But Haz-Mat gloves for use when dealing with that kind of "Stuff" is good. Extra (extension) cords come in handy too.

IF your RV does not have a proper RV SURGE GUARD, I'd suggest one. Likewise an Autoformer.

NOTE: hat Spike Supressors are NOT the same as surge guards, though surge guards are also spike supressors. Progressive Dynamics makes a good one.

Beyond that.

Ask and ye shall be answered.

(Being trained as an Electronics Technician... I tend to the electrical side of life).