RV must haves

[Coyotebutcher]

So we finally got ourselves a 26ft jayco travel trailer and were trying to piece together everything we will need for the new trailer. Outdoor table and bbq of course. Dishes and cutlery. But what are your secret rv hacks and tricks that a new owner will need to know. Thanks for the help

[ssyd]

We use a sewage caddy, sometimes it's nice not having to take the whole trailer to empty the tank. And bring baby wipes (don't flush) for when that sandpaper TP you gotta use starts getting to ya.

[JB_AOL]

Don't buy anything.. 999% of it will not get used.

[ram crazy]

A big mat for outside the door

[Bergerboy]

Spare hub dressed with bearings and races and the tools to change it out if a wheel bearing piles up on the road. Trailer Aid tire changing ramp.

[Unregistered user]

A box of nitrile or latex gloves

[lannie]

Keep a decent tool kit that includes a test light, air pressure gauge and a couple or three flashlights.
Make sure you have a spare tire and all the tools to change the tire.

[jcrayford]

Originally Posted by Unregistered user

A box of nitrile or latex gloves

^This. Your first tank dump you will learn a lot, but better to learn this lesson beforehand.

Originally Posted by CranePete

We did two things right away. Swapped out the single 12V deep cycle for two 6V deep cycle batteries. Changed all of the incandescent bulbs to LED.

And buy your particular LEDs from Amazon, not the $27 per bulb from an RV dealership. I got 10 bulbs from Amazon for around $21. Get the warm white style of bulb, not the cool blue.

J.

[jstubbs]

Here's a true pro tip: Go for a short 2-3 day trip. Bring the bare essentials (cutlery, dishes, toilet paper, bbq stuff, food, booze) and a pen and paper.

Every time you think "darn, sure would have been nice to x/y/x", write it down on your piece of paper. Once you're back, go buy those things. That should really cover the majority of the stuff you'll need unless you're like my girlfriend and you need to bring stuff for any given weather, event, emergency, accident, you name it.

In the end though the degree of stuff you might need depends on what kind of camping you're doing. Weekend warrior with no kids? Don't really need much. Going to practically live out of the thing for potentially week+ with kids? Gunna need a lot more.

[AndrewM]

Other than dishes, food, and items to clean yourself with. These are the main things I use every time I go camping:
Ax
Water hose or two
Sewage hose with the angle piece to go into the hole
Boards you can drive on to get level
Garbage bags
BBQ
Propane if no external connection

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by jstubbs

Here's a true pro tip: Go for a short 2-3 day trip. Bring the bare essentials (cutlery, dishes, toilet paper, bbq stuff, food, booze) and a pen and paper.

Nailed it!

Ya gots to have a, “Need or nice to have list.”.......every trip. After decades of camping we still have a pen and paper on the counter by the door.

Oh, and s’mores.

[JD848]

The right hose that doesn't smell your water up,the rest is just every day normal things.You pump smelly rub through your tanks you will regret it.

[fordtruckin]

Originally Posted by JB_AOL

Don't buy anything.. 999% of it will not get used.

If you buy things, don't let the RV dealership talk you into some things like sewer hose, potable water hose etc... Those can be purchased for half price at Walmart or Canadian tire for the same exact product.

oh and DEFINITELY buy RV toilet paper. I made the mistake with my first camper just using normal house TP..... Plugged that sucker right up... absolutely disgusting what I had to do to get it working again!

[Johnny G1]

Originally Posted by fordtruckin

If you buy things, don't let the RV dealership talk you into some things like sewer hose, potable water hose etc... Those can be purchased for half price at Walmart or Canadian tire for the same exact product.

oh and DEFINITELY buy RV toilet paper. I made the mistake with my first camper just using normal house TP..... Plugged that sucker right up... absolutely disgusting what I had to do to get it working again!

Been using normal house TP for all our camping and staying in the desert for 6 month's at a time, never a problem, going on 50 yrs of camping and mh travels. 50 miles of travel will stir up any septic tank's that I have owned. And I have my own sani pump.

[TimeOff]

Half a cup of Arm and Hammer washing soda in your black tank after each dump, keeps inside slippery and less chance for solids to stick. If you suspect there are solids stuck in the black tank, fill 1/4 with clean water and about 3-4 bags of ice cubes, then drive it on a windier road. Don't spare the brakes or acceleration. Should dislodge any clingers till the ice melts in ten minutes. I second the very large mat or even roll of astroturf outside your door, under awning. Way less tracking dirt in the unit.

[Xbolt7mm]

Originally Posted by Johnny G1

Been using normal house TP for all our camping and staying in the desert for 6 month's at a time, never a problem, going on 50 yrs of camping and mh travels. 50 miles of travel will stir up any septic tank's that I have owned. And I have my own sani pump.

X2

[bat119]

12volt impact driver with a 3/4” socket to level the jacks makes life much easier


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[Stinky Buffalo]

Some great suggestions here.

For me, the LED lights and the 6V batteries definitely helped, along with a solar panel. We don't have a microwave or AC, so no generator required for shorter boondocking.

One great thing we added was a Fantastic Fan - definitely helps keep the air moving well on those hotter days.

Originally Posted by bat119

12volt impact driver with a 3/4” socket to level the jacks makes life much easier

This is great, just make sure you don't use it during quiet time!

[barbless]

If you don't have yet on your roof vents look at getting some Max Air vents to cover them. They will holdup better than the ones on there especially after a couple years sitting in the sun and the odd hail storm. Bonus also you can leave them open even in the rain. Easy to install.

[nast70]

I will throw in have your significant other learn all the systems and procedures for breaking up camp, hooking up and driving. Never know when you might be sick or hurt bad enough that you can't do it.
I also bring a couple smaller foldable tables, one outside by the door with the dog leashes and a mosquito lamp. The other comes out for cooking or campfire time.
I don't have good functional levels on my rig, my wife just uses a small level on the wall, when i'm up on the blocks she tells me to stop.
We used to use hand held radios to communicate backing up, but find a couple simple hand gestures do the trick.
Pro Tip: Keep all the smaller things in containers that stack up neatly inside the trailers storage areas. Think about mosquito repellants and sunscreens in one container. All the kids toys and games in another. Makes packing up and unpacking much easier. everything has its spot and messes or spills are contained.
I will also throw in, keep your owners manual in the rig, read it and familiarize yourself with the manual overrides incase of malfunctions. Imagine your slide won't go in, or your landing gear wont go up.

[barbless]

Depending how short everyone is a small step stool is handy to reach into the back of the top cupboards. A basin like for soaking and cleaning ones feet but not for that use. Can be used to stack dishes after washing but the best part I like about that is you can bring lots of food and spices and your plates out all at once for cooking.

[jcrayford]

Originally Posted by nast70

I will throw in have your significant other learn all the systems and procedures for breaking up camp, hooking up and driving. Never know when you might be sick or hurt bad enough that you can't do it.
I also bring a couple smaller foldable tables, one outside by the door with the dog leashes and a mosquito lamp. The other comes out for cooking or campfire time.
I don't have good functional levels on my rig, my wife just uses a small level on the wall, when i'm up on the blocks she tells me to stop.
We used to use hand held radios to communicate backing up, but find a couple simple hand gestures do the trick.
Pro Tip: Keep all the smaller things in containers that stack up neatly inside the trailers storage areas. Think about mosquito repellants and sunscreens in one container. All the kids toys and games in another. Makes packing up and unpacking much easier. everything has its spot and messes or spills are contained.
I will also throw in, keep your owners manual in the rig, read it and familiarize yourself with the manual overrides incase of malfunctions. Imagine your slide won't go in, or your landing gear wont go up.

We started out 8 years ago using radios (to keep the screaming over the diesel down to a minimum), but both the WD and I learned to "read" the campsite. Since then, she walks to the back of the campsite to where the back drivers corner of the trailer needs to be, and I back the trailer in so that the side of the trailer runs right down the middle of her chest. The only thing she flags me down is for low hanging branches and such that I'm not concentrating on.

J.

[Albertadiver]

In no particular order here are things I’ve utilized….

Large socket set for tire changes and hot water tank draining
Teflon tape
Electrical tape
Spare fuses
Wire cutter / stripper
Multitool
Multipurpose screwdriver
Awning tape
Duct tape
Zip ties
Hydraulic jack for tire changes
Extra pins for hitch or levelling bars (they seem to disappear)
Hitch locks
Wheel chocks
2x6’s for leveling
4x4’s for stabilizer jacks
Cordless drill and bit for the stabilizer jacks
Heavy duty extension cord and 50/30 amp adapters
Surge protector
Water funnel or pump to top up fresh water
Turd tote
Vinyl gloves
Broom
RV mat
Outside table
Tarps and rope
I have 150watts solar on the roof with a 2000watt inverter that has a transfer switch on the converter. Seamless full AC power off of batteries / solar.
Portable 150 watt solar that I can move around if the roof mounted solar is obscured. Total 300 watts solar
RV tank treatment
RV toilet paper (Very important)
Portable air compressor that plugs into car DC power
Extra caps for water tank drain and low point drains
LED lights
Max air fan in the bedroom
Max air covers (you can have your upper vents open in a rain and get really good hail protection)
Dicor roof caulking
Propane torch
Longer sewer hose for bad RV dumps
Zip lock bags
Spare keys in your vehicle or hidden somewhere
Adjustable pipe wrench
10 ply tires
X-chocks
Extra propane tank
Marriage counselor
Extra blanket for unexpected visitor
2 6v trojan deep cycle batteries
Garbage bags
Bin for cans
Bearspray
Multimeter
Portable electric heater
Step ladder (I have a three step and use it a lot for tarp shelters)
Small bins for things that stay in the trailer like spices, movies, batteries, etc.
hose clamps





Some of these things I’ve never needed, but the majority have been used at one point or other. If I recall other things I’ll add…..