Must have items for a new TT owner

[Tacswa3]

As I patiently await the arrival of my new travel trailer this week, I am compiling a list of must have items I will need before heading out on the maiden voyage. This is where I could use everyone's help.

I know I need a sewer hose, white garden hose and wheel chocs but that's about it. What must haves do you recommend for a successful first trip?

[AuntSmurf]

RJC has a pretty good list. Add to that an emergency kit....Peroxide, bandages, Tylenol, etc. Earplugs if you are going to be camping near people, and alcohol if the earplugs don't work! :B

[RJCorazza]

My List of...
ESSENTIALS :
Bedding (we use sleeping bags), clothes, towels, personal hygiene, laundry bag
Meals / beverages, silverware, plates, cups, refrigerator bars
Trash bags, cleaning supplies, rags, broom / vacuum
Full tank of MY well water with 2ppm chlorine added
Leveling blocks (lego type, 20), wheel chocks, bubble level graduated in degrees
Sewer hose, 90deg fitting, universal adapter for sewer system, doughnut ring
Water hose, cable tv cable, water pressure regulator, 5 micron water filter
25' 30a ext cord, adapters for 15a and 50a, pedestal electrical tester
Chlorine source (Calcium Hypochlorite 52% is my choice)
Tools, flashlight, tire plugs, small air compressor, jumper cables, latex gloves
Any pet related items... Bowls, leash, tie out, exterior comfy mat

VERY NICE TO HAVE :
Folding chairs
Camp fire materials, cooking grate
Surge guard, autoformer (both have saved us)
Interior AC line voltage meter
Waste water tote (Thetford FX line is awesome)
Wheel locking chocks
Gated wye water valve and 25' utility hose / nozzle
90 deg elbow for city water connection
LED awning rope light
Battery operated driver for scissor jacks

That's all that comes to mind. I mostly limited my list to RV operational items.

[mlts22]

ken56 wrote:
Get a regular garden hose also and a y with shut offs for the campground water spiggot. If you have a tank rinser on your trailer then you don't want to be hooking up your fresh water hose to the rinser inlet. A short 25 footer should be all thats needed. As for a water presure regulator, I am not so sure they are needed today on the newer units because they are plumbed with PEX pipe. Older units yes.

On a lot of newer units, it isn't the PEX itself that is the issue, but the connections. Some PEX fittings hold better than others, especially in a high vibration environment. AFAIK, Winnebago uses Flair-It fittings, but the ones in common use are crimps, and if they are not applied 100% properly, high pressure on PEX lines may result in leaks.

I use a cheapie "high flow" Valterra regulator. It isn't as good as a Watts, but it seems to do the job without issue.

[ken56]

Get a regular garden hose also and a y with shut offs for the campground water spiggot. If you have a tank rinser on your trailer then you don't want to be hooking up your fresh water hose to the rinser inlet. A short 25 footer should be all thats needed. As for a water presure regulator, I am not so sure they are needed today on the newer units because they are plumbed with PEX pipe. Older units yes.

[Roundtwo-40]

Before you buy too many things, consider if you really need it, I would love to have the hundreds back we spent on widgets that we never use and just take up space..

[mlts22]

I wouldn't look at "must-haves", I'd look at multifunction stuff, and stuff you can do without, and only have the barest items in the rig. For example, I use plastic plates and silverware and have only a single mess kit and a set of plates. This also saves on gray water, as I don't have to wash the dishes. Another example is a Pyrex glass measuring cup that can work to stir soup in, boil water in the microwave, etc.

My short list of what I consider a "must have":

1: An electric drill for the stabilizer jacks (assuming hand cranked.)
2: A pancake air compressor. Loud and slow, but better than nothing when needing to air up tires.
3: A set of dogbone adapters.
4: BAL X-chocks and a set of long shackle padlocks. This stabilizes the camper, and helps deter thieves.
5: Regular wedge chocks. You want the wedge chocks to bear the weight, and the X-chocks stablize. Plus, it provides additional protection should tires deflate enough that the X-chocks fall out.
6: A lock box that you can hide under the TT with extra keys. I use Velcro on one end and have the shackle around a piece of the frame. This way, it stays put, is hidden, is resistant to theft if found, and is easy to access.
7: If the RV converter is a single stage, chuck it and buy a three stage. Not too expensive, and it will pay for itself in batteries saved.
8: A decent generator or pair of generators. Lots of opinions on this, but the general consensus is that two Honda EU2000i models paired will be the most versatile.
9: Levelling blocks, preferably at least 2-3 sets.
10: Stick on levels. One on the tongue, one near the fridge.

[John_Wayne]

A set of leveling blocks or make your own. to make your own buy a 6 foot 2"X8" board, cut one 3 Ft. section, one 2FT section and one 1ft section.Then screw the 2 FT. section to the end 3 FT. section and the1FT section to the end of the 2FT section. You only need one as you are just using it to level side to side. front to back leveling is done with the tongue jack.

[2012Coleman]

downtheroad wrote:

donn0128 wrote:
A sense of humor and a credit card with a high credit limit.

We have been RV'ing for 30 years have had more "must haves" than you can imagine and what donn0128 advised is still our 2 most important must haves.

Beware: folks will suggest that you need to bring enough stuff to do a complete overhaul on a nuclear submarine and 3 extra kitchen sinks.

I ran out of payload, so I can't bring my nuclear submarine... 😛

[ependydad]

If it helps, I put together this article:
Newbie - First Trip Essentials

There are many more "needs", but to get out the first couple of trips- the list is pretty short. You'll find what you "need" and "want" after you're out a couple of times.

[Tacswa3]

Thanks all, I appreciate all the advice and recommendations.

[Kansas_couple]

A notebook.

Not only does that give you a place to list the things you will need for your next outing, it's also a great way to record some memories from each camping trip.

After selling my pop-up and then later purchasing a TT one of the items I happily placed in my new camper was the notebook I started back in 2010 when we went on our first camping trip.

[danager]

I found my third season RVing is when I truly figured out what I need in the trailer. Year 1 was spent collecting, year 2 was spent filling in the gaps, never taking anything out of the trailer. Lat year, I was able to purge a lot, even things that were on every list I have read.

I have gotten to the point that the TT has everything. All the bedding, towels, kitchen utensils and bathroom necessities stay in there. A small collection of tools has found a home in the trailer as well. I pack clothes and food for every trip. Even then, I leave some spices and articles of clothing in the trailer all summer long.

[Dadio24]

A few must have items in the TT on the 1st trip. (1) The Solar Wind 'N Go Flashlight from LL Bean. You will need it sometime while camping and batteries are spent. I have several and they come in very handy. (2) A credit card and (3) patience for others…with these a trip can go from bad to fun…

[mdamerell]

You need to decide how you want to load your RV. Some people load for each trip and others set it up as a 2nd house, just add food. There are plenty of cool looking gadgets at Camping World to spend your money on. Use your RV and see what you actually need, watch your neighbors for what items they are actually using and then decide what to spend your money on.

Spend a night or two camping in the driveway or near a Walmart. Make a list of things to get as you realize you need them and most of all just have fun.