Things for the new travel trailer

[Clwpaddler1]

Will be picking up our new travel trailer the second week of December and need to purchase some items to take with us for out trip home. Anyone have any good or bad things to say about the Anderson Rapid Jack and the Anderson leveling and chock set. Infinite adjustment for leveling seems a no brainer and with a tandem axle trailer the rapid jack seems to be much better than putting your self in danger on the side of the interstate to get a jack under the trailer or have to lay in the mud. Any suggestions or feelings are more than welcome.

[DeanRIowa]

Mortimer Brewster wrote:
If possible, it's not the worst idea in the world to camp near a Walmart the first night.

We took that advice on our first trip, and in three nights we went to Walmart 3 times. Walmart was 10 minutes away, and handy!

Dean

[Bonefish]

Once you start camping or on your way home after picking it up, you will find out really fast what you needed then or forgot. Start making your list from all that everyone on here says to get.

Sharon

[Junket]

The most important item I have found is a LUG wrench that fits the trailer wheels.Not fun setting on the side of the road 50 ml.from the nearest town that don't have road service looking at the trailer tire.
Ken

[BeatCJ]

I would say we need more information.

New to Trailers/Camping?

I read this as a trip from a dealer to home. How far, how many days?

Truck and trailer in the signature? If so, you probably need a WD Hitch and Sway control.

Do you have a hitch, has it been set up? Is the dealer going to help you set up a hitch?

I like sheets and blankets, not sleeping bags.

Will the dealer fill your propane and water tanks? What's your climate, maybe you want to keep your water system dry, and drink bottled, so you don't have to worry about freezing in December.

Do you have a route planned? With a new unit, keeping close enough to civilization to get help may be a good idea?

Food plans?

Holey Cats, do I sound like a worry wart?

Mostly, you really don't HAVE to have much, depends on what you are planning on doing. Appropriate hitch, TP, I would wing it from there, myself...

Enjoy your new trailer.

[Durb]

The water pressure regulators come in brass (standard) and stainless (high flow). Get the high flow one. I have two packs of the yellow lego blocks from CW and I use all of them on every trip. I also keep and use a hank of 1/4" x 50' nylon rope. My tool kit includes pipe joint compound suitable for propane, plenty of nitrile gloves from HF, a tube of clear silicone and a tube of Permatex super lube.

[Liza007]

lol Your wife and I are from the same gene
I'm very serious about my coffee as well! In power outages, I will measure the water, boil it, put it through the drip maker into it's carafe, then straight to a thermos to stay hot.... desperation is the mother of invention and MacGyvering

[DutchmenSport]

One of the above posters sparked a camping memory for me, so I'll go ahead and share. If you are a coffee drinker, or your spouse is a coffee drinker, then be sure to take a secondary coffee making device that does not depend upon electricity.

True story! In our previous camper, we had every kind of camping gadget known to mankind for the prospect of camping with electricity and without electricity, with water and no water, park anywhere, do anything! We had STUFF!

When we purchased our current camper, and after years and years of camping now, our style of camping has pretty much settled into a routine. We primary camp with electric hook up and always have access to water, or enough hose to reach a spigot, and a blue tote to dump anywhere!

So... OUT went the non-electric items, that took up space we we quit using. We don't cook over the fire pit any more ... so one item that got tossed out was the old style coffee pot. My wife is an avid coffee drinker! (not me, I'm an avid Coca Cola drinker).

Well, all was well the first year of ownership of the new camper. But second year, we were happily set up at one of the State Parks in Indiana when the power went out in the campground! Oh no! Now what! So we waited, had water in our fresh water tank, could use the battery, Summer, so no need for heat, we'd just wait it out.

Well, come morning guess what? No electricity! Nothing worse than waking up to a roaring bear who wants her morning coffee! And no way to make it!

I ended up heating water on the stove, put a coffee filter in a cup, added the coffee grinds to the filter and slowly poured the hot water through the coffee and into the cup!

Well, she had her coffee, was extremely happy. The "bear" quit roaring! and life was OK. It took several more hours before the power was restored.

It was that same day, we took of, found a WalMart, and purchased one of the blue metal old-style on-the-stove-top coffee percolators! ... and you guess it! It's NEVER been used as we've never had a power failure anywhere, ever again! But! Sometime, it's just THAT important to have an item that you'll never use, just in case ... the old bear (oops... "dear wife") starts growling (oops ... whispers sweetly into your ear, "honey .. can you do????") ... yea! Like for real?

Carry an extra manual coffee pot if your a coffee drinker and don't depend on electricity as your only source for food (and drink) preparation.

A happy wife is a happy life!

[Liza007]

Duct tape! A good rachet set/tool box and my coffee pot. Instant coffee when no electricity.

I'm no expert and VERY new here, and my trailer is an old piece of junk... but having the above has been necessary everyday. Sadly, I already learned the lesson of sewer hoses, sigh.

[theoldwizard1]

SoundGuy wrote:
... my answer always is there's nothing you "need" except for the "must haves" that will enable you to safely Park & Power your trailer. That means you need to have a plan and the equipment on hand to allow you to do this ...

My daughter's family bought their first trailer this past year. I bought them 2 power adapters : NEMA 5-15 (standard household outle) to TT30 and NEMA 14-50 (TT50) to TT30. I also bought them a hydraulic jack with an extra wide base.

[Clwpaddler1]

Thanks everyone for sharing your ideas and suggestions, they are very much appreciated

[DutchmenSport]

We have found a good way to keep flying bugs (like flies and mosquitoes) out of the camper in the summer, is to simply place a couple citronella candles out. One at each end of the camper, maybe one near the door. They don't have to be lit just set out. The scent alone will keep flying bugs away. So we always carry a few candles (in the little miniature buckets with the metal lids.) They take up so very little space and since they don't have to lit, are safe to use anywhere. Of course, you have to acquire an enjoyment for the citronella smell, but if you use the same candle over and over, the smell dissipates some too, and it not so strong after being left open a couple days. But it's enough to keep bugs out. Just another idea for the OP to help make his camping experience a bit more enjoyable.

[SoundGuy]

rbpru wrote:
Asking what you will need is like asking which beer or which breed of dog is best.

I bought a few items that folks said I must have. Some I use, some I never used.

I take my best guess at what I need and add or subtract as experience dictates.

Best answer so far IMO ... assuming the OP is a newbie starting out with his first trailer my answer always is there's nothing you "need" except for the "must haves" that will enable you to safely Park & Power your trailer. That means you need to have a plan and the equipment on hand to allow you to do this ...

A way of leveling the trailer side-to-side. I use a modified Lynx / Wood system, others prefer wood boards or plastic blocks, still others prefer the Andersen Leveling system.

A means of safely chocking the trailer so once it's unhitched from the tow vehicle it can't shift or run away on you. :E

If you're on an electric campsite, sufficient main service cable to reach the campsite power post. Here in Ontario I carry 140' (and often use it!) but in the US I rarely have to even go 50' total.

If you're on a dry site (i.e. no electric power) an understanding of your trailer's 12 vdc electrical system and how long you can expect your battery or batteries to power the devices you want to use. Obviously if your use depletes your battery reserve before you're finished camping you then need the means to recharge so you can continue to camp.

If you have on-site water you'll need sufficient potable water hose and a water pressure regulator so you don't blow out the trailer's plumbing system from excessive pressure.

If you don't have on-site water you'll need a means of collecting fresh water at whatever campground potable water fill location that may be available and a means to get that water transferred into the trailer's fresh water holding tank. I use food grade 7 gal Aquatainers for collecting water, most would use a funnel to help pour the water into the trailer's fresh water gravity fill but I use a 12 vdc pump instead.

A means to off load grey water and dispose of it responsibly. I replaced my 3" bayonet sewer cap with one that has also has a 3/4" garden hose fitting on it so I can connect a length of garden hose which I then run to the back of my truck where I have an Aquatainer sitting on the ground which I've designated for collecting grey water. It takes a few minutes to gravity fill but when camping I'm in no rush ... I fill a couple of containers and toss them into the back of the truck for a trip to the dump station.

If you head out camping with no content in the black water tank it should suffice for most people for at least a couple of weeks without servicing. In my case, because I always service my tanks at home with a FloJet Waste Macerator and never use campground dump station facilities, I carry my macerator in the trailer and should the need to empty the BW tank ever arise while we're still camping I have the means to off load macerated black water into those same grey water containers for a trip to the dump station. Rarely happens but I have it on hand anyway. I notice other RV owners instead tend to use the campground bath house facilities in order to minimize generating excessive grey and black water but my view is I paid for these facilities in my trailer so I'm gonna use 'em! 😉 For those who always camp on full service sites the disposal of grey and black water isn't an issue but I wouldn't be one of them.

Beyond this the only other item I consider a "need" even for the first trip is a good poly weave under awning ground mat that will significantly minimize dirt / sand tracked into the camper. :B

Have a solution for each item on this Park & Power list and IMO you're good to go for that first trip as anything else you might want you're going to have to decide for yourself. :B

Pics of these various solutions that over time have proven to work quite well are in my gallery for anyone interested. :B

[rbpru]

Asking what you will need is like asking which beer or which breed of dog is best.

I bought a few items that folks said I must have. Some I use, some I never used.

I take my best guess at what I need and add or subtract as experience dictates.

For example, I haul a bug screen tent, used to only twice in a dozen trips. It is a pain to haul but a God send if you need it.

I do not worry much about items I can buy at Wal-Mart but the gear I need to change a TT tire is high on my list.

[iagary]

OK. Toilet Paper. You decide which kind. I would say it is an important item to stock in the camper. Nit pick that anyone?