Made the purchase, what's next?

temccarthy1 wrote:
What's great about Amazon when you search for "camping trailer accessories" is that not only do you see the biggest assortment in the world at the best prices you will find, but you can read customer reviews on anything you like and make a decision on whether it is needed or if good quality.

Amazon rarely has the best prices. They like to jack around with prices so be careful. They are great to window shop and figure out what's good but you can often do better elsewhere.

Another place with stuff you may need in a pinch is WalMart. Not a fan of WM but when you need camping stuff TODAY (or late at night/early in the AM) and a Camping World isn't nearby they are great.

Take note what they "give you". At minimum you will need:
1. Drinking water hose (I skipped the white and went with the 1/2" heavy duty blue).
2. Sewer hose. The one they give you is a joke - ours was as flimsy as a dryer vent. I bought the Rhinoflex combo from Walmart.
3. If you have 50A service, get the 50-30A dogbone and the 30A to 3 prong adapters. If you have 30a, get the 30a to 3 prong only. That way you can at least plug in at home now to charge batteries and run limited stuff.
4. Wheel chocks.
5. Boards or other leveler system (Lynx, etc)

That should get you going. We also got the 90 degree water adapter and a disposable filter.

Thanks for the great tips so far. I'll be careful on the wiring for sure and will get on Amazon for the accessories.

That's the great thing about forums of this nature, generous folks can steer newbies so they don't have to learn the hard way.

The greatest thing is my wife used to camp with family as a kid and has the best memories. I just had several complicated back surgeries and the ability to lay down is very welcome.

On a funny note, an old friend told me that his Mom and Dad were towing a TT. Wife let dad in the back to nap. She came to a fork in the road, stopped and was studying the map. He climbed out rear door after feeling the TT stop an was in his undies. She saw the light and took off, leaving him in the road. After she got to their destination, she reported him missing and the police, hysterically laughing, delivered him wearing a blanket as pants!

Shark1007 wrote:
I will have 30A wired to the far side of the garage so I can plug in.

Be sure your 30amp plug is wired for an rv.
You want a 30amp RV plug at 110/120 volts, only.
Not 220 volts.
220 volts will damage your trailer's 110 volt electric items.
This is a big deal. Do it right.
Pat

Shark1007 wrote:
Thanks everyone for the advice on the other thread. I pulled the trigger this morning on a Forest River Rockwood Windjammer 3001W at auction. It's a 2012 and real clean.

I'll next join Good Sam, can we get insurance through them? What coverages should I consider? Wife is psyched and I'm pretty happy too, we like the layout and the sharp nose/aerodynamic design. I'm a disabled vet, so I think I can get some benefits from the Nat'l park system.

Any other tips I need to do immediately. I was figuring replace battery(s), inspect hubs and brakes, service/lube hubs, evaluate tires then check all systems.

Any advice appreciated, thank you. This one appears to have electric jack, automatic leveler, etc.

As a disabled vet myself I can tell you that yes you can get some benefits from the national park system. If you are 10% or more disabled you can get the national parks access pass for free. You can apply via mail for a small cost or get it at the national park office. You will need your VA disability letter which can be retrieved online from the ebenefits.gov website.

Once you have that it is good for covering the entrance fee into all national parks. We used mine to get into Rocky Mountain Natl Park last summer saving us $20. Also if you plan to camp a lot look at the recreation.gov website for Army Corps of Engineering, BLM, or other federal campgrounds. We just spent a week at one in Lake Belton Texas. With the access card you can get a reduced campground fee. What was normally a 22 per night campsite only cost me 11 per night with the access pass.

Congrats and welcome to the world of RV'ing.. Would recommend you take an inventory of any accessories that came with it and get the things you don't have through Amazon.. What's great about Amazon when you search for "camping trailer accessories" is that not only do you see the biggest assortment in the world at the best prices you will find, but you can read customer reviews on anything you like and make a decision on whether it is needed or if good quality. I used them exclusively to outfit my
TT in our first year this year and we had everything we needed and nothing we didn't need.
you will need 25 ft drinking hose ( white), water regulator valve to prevent pressure surges from running your plumbing, surge protector to protect your wiring, 30 ft 30A extension cord for when the pedestal is in the wrong place ( happens) quality sewer hose with clear adapter so you can see discharge, sewer hose holder to keep it off the ground and angled correctly , ground mat to keep dirt out, plastic tablecloth for picnic table,25 ft TV cable coil, Camco super wheel chocks, Lynx leveler blocks, wheel covers to protect tires when stored and Adco trailer cover for winter storage, cabinet shelf rods to keep stuff from shifting in kitchen cabinets and ones for fridge also. There are several more but not as critical.. Take a run through Amazon's site under that category and see what you need. Also highly recommend insect screens outside if you don't have them to protect your furnace exhaust pipe, fridge vent and water heater vent.. New TT's do not come with them but you can get on Amazon and they are very important to keep out rodents, mud wasps, stink bugs and other critters that will definitely go through those factory outlet vents. I would not have known this but read a lot of Amazon reviews of how important they are! Have fun outfitting your new TT and good luck and happy times with it!

Made the purchase, what's next?

Go camping!!!!

Check with your auto insurance carrier before you pop for any insurance. Good Sam is not necessarily best or cheapest.

We are redoing a new place and I will have 30A wired to the far side of the garage so I can plug in. I do have an older generator, 10KW that I would never take to a campground, but will run the trailer nicely till we are wired.

I will examine the roof first thing, thanks.

Inspect the caulking on the roof for cracks. Do you have 30 amp service at home?