egregg57
SDD Junior Member
Here is some helpful hints for those that may be looking into getting Travel Trailer, Fifth Wheel or RV in general. i put this together for a freind that was living vicariously through our family and he decided to take the plunge. The problem was he had never been camping. Even in a tent! So it was square one for him! Hopefully there will be some things in here that may answer some questions or add to your knowledge!
Many people getting an RV for the first time have a crap load of questions that are never thought of during the PDI (Pre-Delivery Inspection) at the dealer. Additionally, sooner or later one asks the question, what do I really need to carry with me!
The following Websites contain everything you ever wanted to know about RV’s, maintaining them, using them and fixing them.
Websites:
Valuable Social and networking sites:
Outbackers.com Keystone Outback owner’s forum. You need not be an Outback owner to be a member, costs nothing and there is a huge wealth of information there to use including modifications, troubleshooting, camping suggestions and even recipes. Mainly this site covers travel trailers and fifth wheels.
RV This website is everything RV. It can be a bit cumbersome as everything from pop-ups to Class A motor-homes is included.
Dog and Trailer Camping Forum This is a newer website that is not brand specific and is much smaller than RV. Net.
Campground guides and locators
Campground Reviews and RV Park Reviews Unbiased reviews of Campgrounds submitted by people who have stayed at them. I have found that the reviews tend to be pretty accurate. We have had the misfortune of going to a new place before checking one of these sorts of websites. Wadleigh Falls and Friendly Beaver Campgrounds in New Hampshire are two examples of “ooops! Won’t do that again” situations.
RV Campgrounds, RV Camping, RV Rentals, RV Parks, RV Resorts - Woodalls Woodall’s is a recognized clearing house of information and ratings for campgrounds. We have found, though, that with Woodall’s it is sometimes very difficult to differentiate between one type of a campground to another. For example Chocorua Camping Village is a medium sized (was family owned, now a KOA campground) New Hampshire campground. It received a 5 W rating for the campground, recreation, activities etc. Danforth Bay which isn’t too far away received the same ratings. The two campgrounds are in two different spectrums. CCV is/was a family run campground. Nice staff, well maintained, things for the kids to do, a very nice place to go but realitively small and intimate. Danforth Bay is a resort with 3 pools, tennis courts, archery range, boats, huge recreation hall, just a massive place that tends to draw a large number of people and has well over 200 sites. Use Woodalls in conjunction with another web site such as campgroundreport.com or one of the networking websites.
Campgrounds are generally separated into three groups:
- Small/medium Privately Owned
- Medium sized Privately Owned or Franchise Such as KOA (Kampgrounds of America) Morgan RV Resorts ETC.
- Large Resort Campgrounds. Danforth Bay / Bayleys are examples of these.
Anything with “Resort” attached to its name will more than likely be a bit more expensive up to “Stupid expensive” but usually will include many items such as Pools, Hot Tubs, Planned supervised Activities for kids and families, restaurants, and other amenities. For example Bayley’s offers free trolley service to Old Orchard Beach, 4 hot tubs, 3 in-ground pools, age specific play grounds, paddle boat rentals, fishing, free entertainment, on site repairs, convenience store, arcade and more.
If you want peace and quite the small to medium sized privately owned or franchised place is a good choice. Taking a vacation and want plenty of choices and convenience then a Resort may suit your needs.
Tina and I plan many of our trips this way. If we want a nice relaxing weekend then it’s off to Chocorua Camping Village. If we want Beach, Games, Entertainment, go go go then we might go to Danforth Bay or Bayley’s. Or perhaps we want the option of going to a particular place or attraction. We’ll tailor what we need with where we are going.
- We went to Washington DC and Stayed at Cherry Hill RV Resort. We needed a place that if we decided to stay at the campground we would be comfortable and have the things we needed with out having to go out. Heck they even had Pizza delivery!
- We went to the Cape and stayed at a place called Pete’s Pond a mom and pop place. Quiet and simply a step off pad to go do stuff.
Material/equipment needs:
This subject has come up several times on the networking sites. What are the essentials? You may quickly get into the arena of preferences but there are some recognized “Must haves”. The below is a combination of recommendations from Outbackers and some of my own necessities.
1. A “good” tool kit. Sockets, screwdrivers, Rubber Mallet (for chocks) battery operated screwdriver/drill.
2. Fuses: Look at your inverter panel and see what amperage fuses are installed and hit the Auto parts store for spares. You don’t know when or if you’ll need them
3. At least 1 pack of Lynx Levelers or a like product. Aids in leveling front to back, side to side should you encounter a less than level site.
4. Camper mounted Levels 1 for the nose one for the side to check level when setting up
5. BAL chocks for between your wheels. Stops forward and backward rocking when set up we have used almost exclusively chocks but with this new big toy, Tina and I have bought one to see how it does. If it doesn’t negate a good portion of the movement we are feeling we may go with a product called the ROTO-Chock. I will pass on to you after this weekend, how the BAL chock works for us.
6. Wheel Chocks.
7. Set of 2 way radios or cell phones to communicate while backing into sites and maneuvering***
8. Drill for scissors jack stabilizers: With an extension and the proper socket, this makes dropping manual jacks easy and effortless.
9. Good quality Black Tank treatment such as Thetford, liquid, crystal or drop ins. These are essential in helping to keep black tank contents fluid and broken down.
10. Second battery. Here you are faced with the decision: two 12v ones, or two 6 volt ones. The answer depends on how much dry camping you plan to do. There is scads of info and much discussion on Outbackers about the relative + and - of 6 volt vs. 12 volt. If you do little or no “Dry” camping your 12 volt battery will probably be enough.
11. Electrical surge protector. Either installed inside the TT (the permanent type) or a plug-in unit that goes between your TT power cord and the campground power post. Most protect your TT against floating neutrals, or bad wiring in the campground post. One member found 220v in the 30 amp "120 v" socket. The surge protector kicked out when he plugged in and saved a lot of delicate stuff (like $1000 worth of power inverter, stereo, reefer, etc.)
12. Water pressure reducer to protect the TT plumbing; it wants 50-60 psi max water pressure. Protect the TT from that campground that has 120 pound pressure.
13. In-line water filter for campground water. Some Campgrounds (like the ones in the mountains) have awesome fresh water.
14. White potable water hose for drinking. (Don’t use regular garden hose. It has a number of chemicals that are easy tasted from it and not that good for you.)
15. Buy a fresh water tank cleaner available at Wal-Mart to sanitize the fresh water tank. Follow the directions on the container. After using this you can fill your fresh water tank with water from home. Remember a gallon of water weighs about 8.13 pounds. If you fill your tank at 40, 60, 80 gallons…well do the math. It’s a lot of weight.
*** One of the things I highly recommend that you do, if you will have your wife helping you back in to sites and I am sure you will, is to practice. No matter how well you communicate she will have (or who ever is helping you) a completely different perspective and it can make the whole operation frustrating even for the most tolerant people. Tina has gotten really good at this and the hardest part is sometimes trying to ignore what you see and simply put blind trust into the person backing you. Go to a Park and Ride or large parking lot. Using the parking spot lines as simulated camp sites you can practice setting your rig to back properly on your target, backing in from 90 degrees, odd angles, pulling through, setting up mock obstacles and such. It is also pretty level. If you do not have levels set up, this is a good place to do it. The use of cones and such also help. I HIGHLY recommend you do this.
RV Accessories: A pick and choose list of items.
Electrical
30 Amp extension cord
extra fuses 15, 20 amp
25' medium duty outdoor extension cord
Plumbing
20' sewer line (good quality)
45 degree fitting
Variable size sewer connection fitting
20' Fresh water hose, or 2 -10'ers
"Y" connector for hose bib
Water hose pressure regulator
Water filter
Rubber gloves (disposable or chemical resistant)
Tank disinfectant
Hose nozzle
"J" connector (hose to city water connection)
Emergency Equip.
Jack for trailer (hydraulic bottle type or scissor jack)
lug wrench with fitting that fits your lug nuts
torque wrench
small tool kit (pliers, Phillips, flat and #2 square drivers, adjustable wrench, etc.)
Teflon plumbers tape
Caulk
Tube of Dicor for rubber roof repair and caulk gun (as req'd)
50' nylon rope
Road flares or emergency roadside markers
Rain poncho or rain suit
12v air pump
Flashlights
Duct tape
Tarp
Cooking
Plates, bowls, glasses, cups
flatware and cooking utensils
pans and skillets
serving/carrying tray
BBQ grill, with propane or briquette’s as required
BBQ utensils and lighter
a good knife
cutting board
plastic bags, Reynolds wrap, plastic wrap
coffee maker with filters
toaster
mixer
blender - for margaritas and such
griddle
dish towels
oven mitt
Sleeping
Sheets
Blankets
Pillows
Bathing
Towels
soap, shampoo, conditioner
Tooth brushes and paste
Shaving gear
hairdryer
Everyone should have their own separate travel kit
toilet paper (RV type)
Clothing
set of sweats for everyone (just in case)
rubber sandals or slip on tennis shoes
Medical
First aid kit with normal items
Aspirin or Tylenol
upset stomach medicine
meat tenderizer (for stings)
sunscreen
Tina’s check off list
If it isn’t on that list you probably don’t need it.
Other (Inside)
Throw rugs
trash can liner bags
paper towels and napkins
paper plates, plastic flatware, etc.
Air freshener
Games, videos, deck of cards, etc. (for when it rains)
Cleaning supplies
Dish soap
Tablet and pen/pencils ( for keeping list of things to remember next time)
Broom
Plastic container for misc. Items. Scissors, small can of WD-40, cord, Velcro, pins, etc.)
Plastic bucket
toilet brush
Fly swatter
Sponges
DVD player and some movies
Outside radio
Matches or stick lighter
Other (Outside)
Outdoor carpeting to cover under awning area
Awning de-flappers and tie downs
Lawn chairs (Lafuma……just sayin’)
Small folding end table
Folding table for cooking counter space outside
Plastic table cloths and table cloth clamps
Cooler for beverages outside
Small step (7") for ingress/egress
Squeegee for slide out roof cleaning on a handle
Small step ladder.
I hope this may inspire some discussion and some added info!
See you out there!!
Eric
Many people getting an RV for the first time have a crap load of questions that are never thought of during the PDI (Pre-Delivery Inspection) at the dealer. Additionally, sooner or later one asks the question, what do I really need to carry with me!
The following Websites contain everything you ever wanted to know about RV’s, maintaining them, using them and fixing them.
Websites:
Valuable Social and networking sites:
Outbackers.com Keystone Outback owner’s forum. You need not be an Outback owner to be a member, costs nothing and there is a huge wealth of information there to use including modifications, troubleshooting, camping suggestions and even recipes. Mainly this site covers travel trailers and fifth wheels.
RV This website is everything RV. It can be a bit cumbersome as everything from pop-ups to Class A motor-homes is included.
Dog and Trailer Camping Forum This is a newer website that is not brand specific and is much smaller than RV. Net.
Campground guides and locators
Campground Reviews and RV Park Reviews Unbiased reviews of Campgrounds submitted by people who have stayed at them. I have found that the reviews tend to be pretty accurate. We have had the misfortune of going to a new place before checking one of these sorts of websites. Wadleigh Falls and Friendly Beaver Campgrounds in New Hampshire are two examples of “ooops! Won’t do that again” situations.
RV Campgrounds, RV Camping, RV Rentals, RV Parks, RV Resorts - Woodalls Woodall’s is a recognized clearing house of information and ratings for campgrounds. We have found, though, that with Woodall’s it is sometimes very difficult to differentiate between one type of a campground to another. For example Chocorua Camping Village is a medium sized (was family owned, now a KOA campground) New Hampshire campground. It received a 5 W rating for the campground, recreation, activities etc. Danforth Bay which isn’t too far away received the same ratings. The two campgrounds are in two different spectrums. CCV is/was a family run campground. Nice staff, well maintained, things for the kids to do, a very nice place to go but realitively small and intimate. Danforth Bay is a resort with 3 pools, tennis courts, archery range, boats, huge recreation hall, just a massive place that tends to draw a large number of people and has well over 200 sites. Use Woodalls in conjunction with another web site such as campgroundreport.com or one of the networking websites.
Campgrounds are generally separated into three groups:
- Small/medium Privately Owned
- Medium sized Privately Owned or Franchise Such as KOA (Kampgrounds of America) Morgan RV Resorts ETC.
- Large Resort Campgrounds. Danforth Bay / Bayleys are examples of these.
Anything with “Resort” attached to its name will more than likely be a bit more expensive up to “Stupid expensive” but usually will include many items such as Pools, Hot Tubs, Planned supervised Activities for kids and families, restaurants, and other amenities. For example Bayley’s offers free trolley service to Old Orchard Beach, 4 hot tubs, 3 in-ground pools, age specific play grounds, paddle boat rentals, fishing, free entertainment, on site repairs, convenience store, arcade and more.
If you want peace and quite the small to medium sized privately owned or franchised place is a good choice. Taking a vacation and want plenty of choices and convenience then a Resort may suit your needs.
Tina and I plan many of our trips this way. If we want a nice relaxing weekend then it’s off to Chocorua Camping Village. If we want Beach, Games, Entertainment, go go go then we might go to Danforth Bay or Bayley’s. Or perhaps we want the option of going to a particular place or attraction. We’ll tailor what we need with where we are going.
- We went to Washington DC and Stayed at Cherry Hill RV Resort. We needed a place that if we decided to stay at the campground we would be comfortable and have the things we needed with out having to go out. Heck they even had Pizza delivery!
- We went to the Cape and stayed at a place called Pete’s Pond a mom and pop place. Quiet and simply a step off pad to go do stuff.
Material/equipment needs:
This subject has come up several times on the networking sites. What are the essentials? You may quickly get into the arena of preferences but there are some recognized “Must haves”. The below is a combination of recommendations from Outbackers and some of my own necessities.
1. A “good” tool kit. Sockets, screwdrivers, Rubber Mallet (for chocks) battery operated screwdriver/drill.
2. Fuses: Look at your inverter panel and see what amperage fuses are installed and hit the Auto parts store for spares. You don’t know when or if you’ll need them
3. At least 1 pack of Lynx Levelers or a like product. Aids in leveling front to back, side to side should you encounter a less than level site.
4. Camper mounted Levels 1 for the nose one for the side to check level when setting up
5. BAL chocks for between your wheels. Stops forward and backward rocking when set up we have used almost exclusively chocks but with this new big toy, Tina and I have bought one to see how it does. If it doesn’t negate a good portion of the movement we are feeling we may go with a product called the ROTO-Chock. I will pass on to you after this weekend, how the BAL chock works for us.
6. Wheel Chocks.
7. Set of 2 way radios or cell phones to communicate while backing into sites and maneuvering***
8. Drill for scissors jack stabilizers: With an extension and the proper socket, this makes dropping manual jacks easy and effortless.
9. Good quality Black Tank treatment such as Thetford, liquid, crystal or drop ins. These are essential in helping to keep black tank contents fluid and broken down.
10. Second battery. Here you are faced with the decision: two 12v ones, or two 6 volt ones. The answer depends on how much dry camping you plan to do. There is scads of info and much discussion on Outbackers about the relative + and - of 6 volt vs. 12 volt. If you do little or no “Dry” camping your 12 volt battery will probably be enough.
11. Electrical surge protector. Either installed inside the TT (the permanent type) or a plug-in unit that goes between your TT power cord and the campground power post. Most protect your TT against floating neutrals, or bad wiring in the campground post. One member found 220v in the 30 amp "120 v" socket. The surge protector kicked out when he plugged in and saved a lot of delicate stuff (like $1000 worth of power inverter, stereo, reefer, etc.)
12. Water pressure reducer to protect the TT plumbing; it wants 50-60 psi max water pressure. Protect the TT from that campground that has 120 pound pressure.
13. In-line water filter for campground water. Some Campgrounds (like the ones in the mountains) have awesome fresh water.
14. White potable water hose for drinking. (Don’t use regular garden hose. It has a number of chemicals that are easy tasted from it and not that good for you.)
15. Buy a fresh water tank cleaner available at Wal-Mart to sanitize the fresh water tank. Follow the directions on the container. After using this you can fill your fresh water tank with water from home. Remember a gallon of water weighs about 8.13 pounds. If you fill your tank at 40, 60, 80 gallons…well do the math. It’s a lot of weight.
*** One of the things I highly recommend that you do, if you will have your wife helping you back in to sites and I am sure you will, is to practice. No matter how well you communicate she will have (or who ever is helping you) a completely different perspective and it can make the whole operation frustrating even for the most tolerant people. Tina has gotten really good at this and the hardest part is sometimes trying to ignore what you see and simply put blind trust into the person backing you. Go to a Park and Ride or large parking lot. Using the parking spot lines as simulated camp sites you can practice setting your rig to back properly on your target, backing in from 90 degrees, odd angles, pulling through, setting up mock obstacles and such. It is also pretty level. If you do not have levels set up, this is a good place to do it. The use of cones and such also help. I HIGHLY recommend you do this.
RV Accessories: A pick and choose list of items.
Electrical
30 Amp extension cord
extra fuses 15, 20 amp
25' medium duty outdoor extension cord
Plumbing
20' sewer line (good quality)
45 degree fitting
Variable size sewer connection fitting
20' Fresh water hose, or 2 -10'ers
"Y" connector for hose bib
Water hose pressure regulator
Water filter
Rubber gloves (disposable or chemical resistant)
Tank disinfectant
Hose nozzle
"J" connector (hose to city water connection)
Emergency Equip.
Jack for trailer (hydraulic bottle type or scissor jack)
lug wrench with fitting that fits your lug nuts
torque wrench
small tool kit (pliers, Phillips, flat and #2 square drivers, adjustable wrench, etc.)
Teflon plumbers tape
Caulk
Tube of Dicor for rubber roof repair and caulk gun (as req'd)
50' nylon rope
Road flares or emergency roadside markers
Rain poncho or rain suit
12v air pump
Flashlights
Duct tape
Tarp
Cooking
Plates, bowls, glasses, cups
flatware and cooking utensils
pans and skillets
serving/carrying tray
BBQ grill, with propane or briquette’s as required
BBQ utensils and lighter
a good knife
cutting board
plastic bags, Reynolds wrap, plastic wrap
coffee maker with filters
toaster
mixer
blender - for margaritas and such
griddle
dish towels
oven mitt
Sleeping
Sheets
Blankets
Pillows
Bathing
Towels
soap, shampoo, conditioner
Tooth brushes and paste
Shaving gear
hairdryer
Everyone should have their own separate travel kit
toilet paper (RV type)
Clothing
set of sweats for everyone (just in case)
rubber sandals or slip on tennis shoes
Medical
First aid kit with normal items
Aspirin or Tylenol
upset stomach medicine
meat tenderizer (for stings)
sunscreen
Tina’s check off list
If it isn’t on that list you probably don’t need it.
Other (Inside)
Throw rugs
trash can liner bags
paper towels and napkins
paper plates, plastic flatware, etc.
Air freshener
Games, videos, deck of cards, etc. (for when it rains)
Cleaning supplies
Dish soap
Tablet and pen/pencils ( for keeping list of things to remember next time)
Broom
Plastic container for misc. Items. Scissors, small can of WD-40, cord, Velcro, pins, etc.)
Plastic bucket
toilet brush
Fly swatter
Sponges
DVD player and some movies
Outside radio
Matches or stick lighter
Other (Outside)
Outdoor carpeting to cover under awning area
Awning de-flappers and tie downs
Lawn chairs (Lafuma……just sayin’)
Small folding end table
Folding table for cooking counter space outside
Plastic table cloths and table cloth clamps
Cooler for beverages outside
Small step (7") for ingress/egress
Squeegee for slide out roof cleaning on a handle
Small step ladder.
I hope this may inspire some discussion and some added info!
See you out there!!
Eric
You can buy a 50' length of fresh water hose.. cut it at.. 25', 15' & 10'.. buy the needed hose end fittings.. that way you have 3 different lengths to chose from.. depending on distance.... but Not the Whole 50' feet to rassle with every time.? 
