Thank you all so much for your help so far. We've had numerous questions and you have all been very helpful. Our search for a TC + truck combo has finally come to an end. Our choice is:2014 Wolf Creek 850 & 2011 Chev Silverado 3500 CC V8 6.0LPicking up our truck this Friday and then we'll drive down to Washington State to pick up our camper sometime next week. Will definitely post a picture of our rig as soon as we have it all set up. From what I learnt from other posts I read we are supposed to leave our tailgate at home before we go 'n pick up the camper. Well, that leaves us with not much space to pack for our Washington trip and we have a 2-year-old son with us. We plan to camp for a couple of days before we head back home. What are some things we should bring/buy that we absolutely must have in order to pick up the camper and camp for a few days??? This is going to be the first RV we own and currently we haven't bought anything yet. Here are some things I thought we might need for the camper:-Sewer hose-black tank chemicals-Toilet paper-A small portable electric heater for our son(we'll have hook ups at the camp site)Do you notice anything else important that I'm missing? I don't expect to have everything for our first trip. Just want to make sure we have all the essentials. Thanks so much. We are very excited. Please come say 'Hi' if you see us camping!

Also, will we need Stable Loads for the truck???

Linens, pillows, blanket unless you are doing the sleeping bag thing. pots and pans if you are going to cook, plates and utensils ( i suggest paper and plastic for the first outing), cups, some way to make your morning coffee. Bottled drinking water until you do the first freshwater tank flush and sanitize. roll of paper towels. Headlamps so you don't have to turn the lights on and wake everyone else up if you have to "go" in the middle of the night. basic first aid kit.

theclarkster wrote:From what I learnt from other posts I read we are supposed to leave our tailgate at home before we go 'n pick up the camper. Well, that leaves us with not much space to pack for our Washington trip and we have a 2-year-old son with us. We plan to camp for a couple of days before we head back home. A tailgate cargo net in place of the tailgate should work just fine.Search >>>>>" Covercraft Heavy-Duty ProNet " on Amazon

Congratulations!!! How exciting for you! Welcome to the "club"! Yes, you will need tie downs for your truck and of course those of us that have Torklift frame mounted ones will recommend them! :) I don't know the weight of your new camper, so I can't say if you need the Stable Loads or not. I purchased them before I picked up my camper and found I didn't need them. Well, that and they didn't fit anyway! Don't forget a basic tool kit too.. Here's to many, many miles of fun and happy camping! Cheers! Dak

Already got your tie downs lined up? Dealer install? Best to be clear about it. 2000 dry....so you might not need anything as far as suspension. Good chance to drive it and find out...or just look at the dealers, if you have sag, then yes...if not see how you like the drive first. You might want to pick up a rubber mat at a farm co-op store, because the dealer is probably going to be overpriced on one. Water hose will be a need at some point. You probably will find a step stool handy. If there is a drop in bedliner in the truck, have them take it out, replace it with the stall mat. You can leave the tailgate on till you get there, but they will expect you to remove it not them and you will need to stow it on the way home.

Truck Camping, here we come! | Good Sam Community

anutami
Explorer III
Oct 28, 2014
theclarkster wrote:
wsdepa wrote:
Congrats on your new TC. You know you do not have to put the jacks down when you camp. The danger is if you forget and drive off, you can total your camper. I have sometimes seen people put their jacks down at camp and after over 500 nights camping in mine in all kinds of weather, I wonder why.

Our camp site wasn't perfectly leveled, which was why we put our jacks down.

Clarkster

Great first TC trip for you and your family. You have an amazing rig and camper. May your new WC bring you many great family memories. I always regret not putting our jacks down. Especially in the wind. Sometimes I am too lazy to stabilize the rig. If you don't put the jacks down you get a lot of rocking when moving around and it really feels like you are camping out of your truck bed rather than a stabilized camper.. Sometimes it is easier to remove the turnbuckles and level the camper as opposed to leveling the truck itself. Rather than raise the truck I always bring my shovel and dig down rather than raise the truck with blocks. Hang in there with your son. Sometimes it can feel like more work than it is worth, but it is ALWAYS worth it! Even if just for one night. Hope you decide to venture out in the colder winter months. The campgrounds are empty and there is something special about cold weather camping. Again, congrats and if you have any questions feel free to let me know.

Nolan
K_Mac
Explorer
Oct 26, 2014
Congratulations on your TC. I put my remote for my jacks on the drivers seat any time I put them down so I don't forget. Always do a walk-around like Buzz suggested.
Mello_Mike
Explorer
Oct 25, 2014
The camper looks great, clarkster. Looks like the family had a great time.
MORSNOW
Navigator II
Oct 25, 2014
theclarkster wrote:
Morsnow,
By the way, I noticed in your signature you have storm windows for your WC. How do they work for you? We want to order them also since we don't have dual pane and had some condensation issues on the windows.

What do they look like exactly? Any pics?

My camping has all been spring-fall and I haven't really needed them...yet. The storm windows came highly recommended by a friend with an Arctic Fox with thermopane windows. They are removable framed glass with a rubber gasket/seal on one side of the face to provide a nice tight fit and are held in place by clips that are attached on the permanent widow frames. Glass is heavy and having storm windows is a way to remove extra weight when not needed. I have them stored under a spare bed in the house for the winter, I'll take a few pictures for you and post.

Front view

Back view

End view
theclarkster
Explorer
Oct 25, 2014
Morsnow,
By the way, I noticed in your signature you have storm windows for your WC. How do they work for you? We want to order them also since we don't have dual pane and had some condensation issues on the windows.

What do they look like exactly? Any pics?
theclarkster
Explorer
Oct 25, 2014
MORSNOW wrote:
I don't see any tie downs in the pictures, did you take them off while parked?

I use my jacks to stabilize the camper while parked also.

Nice camper, enjoy!

Thanks.

We took down our Torklift fastguns before we lifted the jacks.
theclarkster
Explorer
Oct 25, 2014
hedge wrote:
congrats on the new camper.

I've checked out those biolite stoves as well, I picked up a jetboil instead for backpacking but still may get a biolite as well, they're pretty cool. Is that the grill attachment for the steaks?

Yes, that is the grill attachment. It's light and small so it's really good for small picnics on the beach or on a hike. I wouldn't try to cook on it for a large group of people though. For backpacking it's perfect.
MORSNOW
Navigator II
Oct 25, 2014
I don't see any tie downs in the pictures, did you take them off while parked?

I use my jacks to stabilize the camper while parked also.

Nice camper, enjoy!
hedge
Explorer
Oct 25, 2014
congrats on the new camper.

I've checked out those biolite stoves as well, I picked up a jetboil instead for backpacking but still may get a biolite as well, they're pretty cool. Is that the grill attachment for the steaks?
theclarkster
Explorer
Oct 25, 2014
wsdepa wrote:
Congrats on your new TC. You know you do not have to put the jacks down when you camp. The danger is if you forget and drive off, you can total your camper. I have sometimes seen people put their jacks down at camp and after over 500 nights camping in mine in all kinds of weather, I wonder why.

Our camp site wasn't perfectly leveled, which was why we put our jacks down.