New owner of travel trailer- looking to equip

[snook7]

Please anyone on some guidance in equipping my new TT for month long trips.

We are trying to create a list of what to put in it, i.e. tools, cookware, eating utensils, etc. Probably need most guidance on what tools to carry. Thank you snook

[Passin_Thru]

Toilet paper is the Handymans best friend! Paper towels and soap. Ya, I'd carry a few tools like a screwdriver to replace bulbs, a torque wrench to check wheel lugs, 90 ft lb. An electric drill driver with a set of bits. In the last 3.5 million miles I have never run out of fuel so a gas can is sort of useless.

[rbpru]

My list is the stuff you need when things go wrong. This is what I took and used on a 6 week trip out west.
• Full sized spare TV tire (no donut) and make sure the crank that lowers the tire is not rusted tight.
• Spare TT tire.
• Bottle jack and space boards for lifting the trailer frame.
• Practice jacking the frame up and changing the TT tire. Lifting the side of a TT can be a bit daunting.
• Emergency road service card. – Not everything is fixable on the roadside.
• Small 120 volt air compressor to top off TT tires.
• Torque wrench to check tire lug bolts.
• Extra gas can. – It happens.

This is the stuff that makes the difference between a 20 minute delay and waiting for road service to find you.

Anything that you did not think of, that can be bought at Wal-Mart, is only as far as the next big town.

[sushidog]

First you need to know your CCC to determine what you have room for. Some trailers have plenty. Others have very little. You need to go to the local CAT scale and get the starting empty weight of your trailer. Then you need to add the weight of a full fresh water tank (if dry camping), the food in your fridge, food in cabinets, kitchen appliances, pots and pans, plates, silverwear, glasses, etc. Then add to it the mandatory CG items such as water and sewer hoses and supports, wheel chocks, leveling blocks, etc. Then add toiletries, cleaning supplies, linens, camping items such as BBQ grill, utensils, lanterns, chairs, door mat, etc. Then most importantly, DWs items she can't do without. Once you have the weight of all these items add the weight of the trailer you got from the CAT scale and subtract the total from your trailer's GVWR. If you have any weight left you can then decide how you will spend it, ie. your clothes, tools, etc.. After you are done loading, reweigh the loaded trailer to make sure the weight is distributed properly, adjusting your load so that each axle and wheel is not overloaded. Make sure your tongue weight is in the 10-15% range and you are set.

Chip

[snook7]

Wow, thank you all for the suggestions. It really helps. We already have most of the stuff at home, so it's just packing it for the trip.

snook

[Opie431]

I have seperate First Aid kits and medicine kits. Both come in when when we get home so the heat does not bother them.
It depends on how long you are going to be gone for some things. We never go for less than five days and usually for more. In other words we cannot depend on the weather forecast to decide how much bedding and jackets to take. If you know you are going to be gone for a weekend you should be able to determine what to take ahead of time. If for a month you have to be prepared for big changes in the weather.
I have two lists on the inside of the pantry door. One for things that have to be replaced and one for things that I should think about not taking again.

[DallasSteve]

RV Checklist App

What about something like this checklist app on a tablet? I have a checklist in my Kroger account and every week I update what I need in a few minutes. Then when I'm at the store I check my list on my phone. My wife and I enjoy clicking the items and they pop to the cleared section at the bottom of the list. In fact, the Kroger App would work for an RV, too, because you can put almost anything on the list. It's very cute IMO.

[BubbaChris]

How many are going?
How big is the TT, what's storage like?
Do you like cooking and are OK with cleanup?

We really like cooking and opted for Corelle plates and slightly upgraded flatware. Along with a few really good non-stick pans. Plus some little LED candles for atmosphere at the dining table.

Also, one of the really good decisions we made early on was to look for quick-drying towels instead of the thickest ones available.

For tools, I'd make sure you have a torque wrench and socket for keeping your wheels snug. And having a portable air pump can be really handy. I'd also look for a screwdriver with interchangeable bits that include the square ones that are often used inside the TT.

Just some quick ideas to get you started.

[Peg_Leg]

Some things you need, some you don't.
Some things you want but don't really need.
Some things you'll take, but can't find.
Other things will always be handy.
If your like me, you'll always forget something.

[Jebby14]

tell us about you. your family unit, what type of camping you plan to do. that kind of thing

[tomkaren13]

At the top of this forum in the Blue strip an RVingFAQ. In there are all kinds of lists. We have found that area very informative.

[pira114]

I carry basic tools, but the two most important to me are a large roll of Gorilla Tape and a few hundred dollars set aside for a mobile repair man.

[coolbreeze01]

Deep 1/2" drive socket that fits the trailer lug nuts and one for the pickup, 4" extension, ratchet, and a breaker bar.

Robert's drives (square) come in sets of 3 or so. Magnetic 1/4" driver to put them in.

Spare sewer hose and fittings.

Paper and pen to note things you wish you had. Its really easy to take stuff that you'll never use, and its always in the way of what you do need.

Have fun.

[EcoBullet]

Keep it simple! Visualize your day and see if you have what it takes to make it through. Good lawn chairs are important to me. Tubs to fit inside cabinets make it easy to carry things to and from the house and also act as drawers so you can find what is in the back of a shelf instead of being lost back there.

[Muddydogs]

Tool's and cookware are kind of a personal thing. Some people bring a coffee pot, mixer or toaster some don't use these at home so why have them in a trailer. What you use at home will be what you want in the trailer. Same goes for tool's, if you don't know how to use tools at home you probably don't need them in your trailer. Start out with the basics and let your needs and wants dictate what you put in the RV from there.