New Owner, Supplies I must have asap!!

[Nomad2009]

OK, I tried to search this topic not sure if I was wording right what I was searching, so if this topic exists a link would be great. I would love to gain all your wisdom on all things rv, seriously. ( any other wisdom too, lol) Looking for what I may need from clips to securing items to all wisdom from my rv elders as I am excited to know "need information", and feel free to tell me anything its appreciated on what can make this the best start experience even the small stuff, my brain is fried just trying to get through buying. My wife is not a camping type and rv was the only way to even get her out so If I can I want to make the experience from the start the best in my power by due diligence and preparedness to make it a positive experience for my family.

To start I need to know advise on basics for example:

The dealer does not give a kit they said they will give me a credit to buy what I need 25$, for the hoses etc.. So is there a hose brand or length and any other like best basic must have items I must have to get out there and get the family started. The path of least resistance (some things I picked up was a cordless drill for jacks, a 20ft hose ????)

Then or now, anything cool you can tell me like awning rugs, tricks, tips, advise, therapy... lol

Thanks, and thanks to forum and looking forward to being a part of this great group of keystone people, it really did play into my decision to own a keystone....so thanks keystone should be grateful for you all...

[bartletts]

Tank chemicals

Leveling blocks, little stick-on bubble levels, wheel chocks

A pack of nitrile or latex gloves for dealing with sewage issues

Aim n flame for lighting stove and pilot lights

5 gallon or so water jug for filling tank when no spigot is available

Dish soap and sponge

Dishes, silverware, napkins, paper towels, pots and pans, cleaning supplies, small broom

Cooking spray, aluminum foil, ziploc bags

Trash bags and small garbage can

Small tool kit with #2 square drive screwdriver, an accurate tire pressure gauge, and a torque wrench and socket for checking your wheel nuts, small flashlight or two

Spare fuses and light bulbs

Emergency leak repair kit

First Aid kit

Water pressure regulator and/or filter

Comfortable bedding/sheets/pillows

Toilet Paper

Personal hygeine items for the shower, and maybe a bath mat

Towels (We have 3 sets because we used to forget them a lot.)

Books, games, whatever to keep you occupied

Bug spray, citronella, whatever your favorite bug repellant is

Patience for backing up and unhitching. Practice in your driveway first.

[Bruins#17]

A canopy to go over the picnic table is nice to have.

We do most of our cooking outside, so a charcoal grill is a must and an electric griddle for making breakfast outside is handy.

Gadgets for campfires such as hot dog forks, smore sticks.

An outdoor carpet.

50' cable wire (for rainy days of course)

Fishing poles

Frisbee golf disks

[richf28]

flashlights
rainsuits
extra shoes in case you get wet feet
weather radio
garden hose repair parts and washers
some people like to have ratchet straps and anchors to help secure their awnings down for wind gusts

I use a 25 ft drinking hose (white) for my fresh water and I have two 25ft blue hoses for cleaning things such as the holding tanks, camper, car. etc.

Bought them at Walmart, (cheap). Sun can bake a hose over time and wildlife love to use them for playtoys and put holes in them so I go cheap.

We probably all have you running scared now in a frenzy. But these are ideas we have all learned of. You kind of have to pick the things you feel may pertain to your type camping.

[Roberson4]

If you camp where there are not full hook up (sewer) and shower in your camper you may need a portable (pull behind TV) waste tank.

You should always use a water pressure regulator to help protect your camper when hooked up to on-site water. Remember to have the regulator first in-line to also keep the pressure down on your supply hose.

Another thing I have/use is the brass water hose 90 degree fittings. You will notice hooking your hose to your camper and or camp water supply the angle puts unnecessary pressure on your hose or camper inlet fitting.

[Scottinvt]

Invest in a flush king !!! They are a must to clean out our sewer tank !! They work by back flushing your tanks

[SteveC7010]

More on the hoses....

The white hoses sold in the RV section of WalMart and in RV stores is a food grade hose. The plastic is specially formulated not to leach taste or odor into the water. You really need these for regular hookups.

Regular garden hoses are good to have, too. You don't want to be hooking up your Flush King to a hose that you will later use for drinking and cooking water.

Pressure regulator has already been mentioned several times. It's a must have.

RV waste drain hose - 3" - looks like a slinky coated in plastic. Make sure yours is at least 10' long with the proper fitting for your waste connection.

I never store stinky slinky in the square bumper of the TT. The inside rusts and is very abrasive. Your hose will leak in no time. I like to store the hose and accessories in a plastic tote devoted to waste water management. Nothing else goes in there. Makes it easy to clean.

If you use campgrounds with electric hookups, you'll quickly discover that they are not uniform when it comes to what connections are available. A lot of the Keystones now come with a four prong 50 amp cable that lets you hookup to the higher capacity power posts. But many campgrounds only have 30 amp service so you'll want what we call a dog bone adapter for your cable to a 30 amp. If your trailer came with a 30 amp cable, you'll want the dog bone that lets you plug into a 50 amp outlet.

And, there will come a time when you only have a 15 or 20 amp outlet available, so you'll want those adapters, too.

I like to carry an assortment of wooden blocks so that I can adapt the stabilizers and landing gear to any terrain. The blocks are called cribbing, and most anything can be made to work. I have a bunch of 4'x4' pressure treat cut into 11" lengths plus some 2x4's cut to the same length. I can stack them log cabin style when needed.

Some wider boards or the plastic lego thingies you can buy in RV stores are essential, too. Remember, that to level your trailer, you first drive one set of wheels or the other up onto boards to level it side-to-side before you disconnect from the tow vehicle. I have a bunch of 2x10's cut to 16" or so and can stack them along with the cribbing if needed.

Some folks like to carry 2x10 in a 4 or 5 foot length for this. I've seen problems with that. If the board gets kicked loose, it's long enough to jam itself between the ground and the bottom of your trailer. That can cause some serious damage. The shorter boards might come loose, but they won't be troublesome if they do.

My recommendation to you is to gather up some of the items we've all listed, and head out for a weekend at a campground. You will quickly figure out what still need. Talk to other campers while you are there and look around. See what others find useful or essential.

[Nomad2009]

LOL, Ok then.. Oh boy... well I have the Rhino 15ft waste hose, ( I did see the waste hose totes, never thought about the bumper storage rusting) The pressure regulator, and the dog bone adapter a four pack of TP, and the toss in the tank "ECO" friendly toilet chemicals.

Holy, I feel overwhelmed maybe a little scared, ( NOT RUNNING YET) LOL thanks so much for reply and advise, I truly appreciate it.. These are great things I have not even considered...

[Nomad2009]

"Remember to have the regulator first in-line to also keep the pressure down on your supply hose"

What does that mean?

TX

[halfprice]

Originally Posted by Nomad2009

"Remember to have the regulator first in-line to also keep the pressure down on your supply hose"

What does that mean?

TX

GC water spigot, pressure regulator, hose, trailer. In that order.

The pressure in the water line at most GC and your house,possibly, has to high of pressure that can cause the water lines and/or seals in the trailer to burst.

The regulator prevents this from happening.


Hope this helped

Jerry

[tibbar]

I like a small plastic dish pan to wash dishes in. The sink is small and low so the dish pan on the counter saves my back.

[newemptynester]

From a ladies perspective - cabinet liner that is none slip so all of your items in the cabinets don't slide around. Outside Stove - we do most of our cooking outside and extra small propane tanks. Table cloth for the picnic table and the table cloth hold downs so it does not blow off. If you have children - things they like to do - we always carry games, crayons, paper, coloring books. We make it a tradition to go out and get a new book to read while camping. Throw rugs for inside so you can wipe feet and shake outside. Broom and dust pan, beach towels, beach tote for towels and toys. Think of things that you use in your house and take them camping. It makes the trip easier and from there start taking things out that you do not use. You will figure it out, don't be overwhelmed. This all comes with time and experience. I hope you and your family enjoy camping it is a great way to spend time together and relax.

[tekman741]

makes you miss tent camping?

[johnnyrose]

I don't miss tent camping at all! At least with this once you are set up you are set up for good! LOL...I think that the best way to find out what you need is to get out there and find out what you are missing. You are going to have the basics and most of the stuff that you are going to need to make it through a weekend, all of the little stuff can wait until you realize that you are missing it. That is 90% of the fun, finding out what you are lacking by not having it!

[golfpro]

sorry but the flush king is NOT what you want to buy. they cost more than any other flushing tool and use ten times the water of any other flushing tool. if your TT doesn't have a quickie flush, then get one and install it. easy to do. just follow instructions. As you can tell you are going to need a good towing vehicle to tow now that you are adding so much stuff to the TT.

[chris199]

Bed bAth and Beyond sells a small light wire u shaped thin with suction cups that will attach to the inside wall of ur sink. Great place to put a scrubby or handwipe while doing dishes. Don't have to search thru suds to find it.

A multiple plug converter for the bathroom.....create 3 plugs from one. Be careful not to overload. Easy to disconnect mult devices at once like a toothbrush and razor. What would camping be without ur electric toothbrush?!?

Lots of paper towels....light and disposable. Water and humidity is the enemy. I dry everything down...even sinks after doing the dishes. Probably a little OCD but its nice when done.

Camping World sells a screen door arm...easy to install and will save ur screen. Also u wont have to slide the white plastic slide out of the way to grip onto something. Great when kids are involved.

But spare clips or hooks or pins for weight distrib bar connections and your hitch. You never know....keep spares in ur rig. They are cheap..get several.

Those bars that keep ur dishes from flying all over the place.....work great.

Those moveable "walls" that you can attach to ur fridge shelves work great. You don't want pyrex storage dishes flying out to the floor when u arrive at ur destinations!

Tip for charcoal cooking...buy brown bags. Fill each with enough charcoal for one meal. Built in starter paper and you don't have to lug a full bag of charcoal when just a small portion is needed.

Great fire starter.....Quick Wik...little paper cups filled with some concoction with a wick inside. Light the wick and your done. I used it this past weekend...easiest firestarter yet. Used to use the little bricks for a fireplace. This is much easier.

[Sally_Ama]

Cleaning supplies (find eco-friendly ones!) for your sinks, tub/shower, toilet, stove, windows, etc. along with rags/sponges/papertowels.

Toilet tank deoderizer (never leave home without it!) and a toilet brush.

Fast drying towels. Target carries a reasonably priced version. It makes a difference when you are hanging them outside or drying in a campground dryer.

Flipflops for wearing in the shower if you use the campground showers. Also, many campgrounds have no where to hang you clothes or put anything that you tote to the showerhouse. I carry a few clothespin type thingies that have a swiveling hook that fits over the shower door nicely. Keep a supply of quarters--not all showers are free.

A collapsible, ventilated dirty clothes bag.

Laundry detergent.

Do as much cooking outside as possible. If you cook inside, always, always use the stove's vent fan.

In the bathroom, use that vent fan whenever you shower. Moisture is the enemy of an RV.

Have a good size tray available for carrying things from the RV to outside for your meals. Tablecloths and bench cloths can be nice if the provided table isn't in good condition.

Two outdoor garbage cans with secure covers are great -- one for recycling and one for trash, and a supply of plastic bags.

Taking a dog? Be prepared with do-do bags, leashes, food, kennels, dishes, etc.

Consider making up your menus in advance so you have all the supplies and any recipes you want. I take time before our trips to clean fruits and vegies, and prepare other items as possible so I can enjoy my time in the RV. Remember that the weather doesn't always cooperate, so make sure you have a way to cook indoors if necessary.

If your unit has a microwave/convection oven combo, learn how to use it. It can be your best friend when you must cook indoors. Although I also have a gas oven, the combo unit is excellent and I've only used the oven once.

Read the campground rules and follow them. They can vary from place to place, but the bottom line is always courtesy and respect.

Campground water may not taste like you want it to. Get a good external filter and/or an indoor filter. It helps a lot.

I highly recommend having one or two small but powerful electric fans. they help move the air around inside, cool just enough when the air conditioner isn't needed, help keep bugs away while you are dinging outside, help fan the coals or wood when you are trying to get a fire going.

Read all the instructions that cam with your unit .. all of them!

Camp at home before your first trip to be sure you know how to setup and use the unit properly. It also helps you identify what you may otherwise have forgotten to bring. Put a whiteboard, corkboard or Post-IUt note pad and marker in a convenience place and immediately write down anything you think of that you need.

I keep things like flour and sugar in screwtop plastic containers and take these and all spices and all other perishable items out of the RV at the end of every trip.

Thoroughly clean out the fridge and its shelves after every single trip. I spray down all the surfaces with a 10% bleach/water solution and always leave the doors open.
Wipe all other surfaces,including food cabinets, to be sure you don't attract pests!

When preparing your unit for storage, clean with exception attention to detail. Remove all liquids and even canned foods, and THEN and only then, winterize it. Buy a box of the cheapest dryer sheets available and liberally stick them in drawers, closets, cabinets, around the furniture, on top of and beneath cushions and mattresses, in the sleeves of clothes you leave in the unit, and in all shoes you leave in it and in the undercarriage storage areas. These are cheap and effective mouse deterrents.

Most of all. HAVE FUN!

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by chris199

.


Great fire starter.....Quick Wik...little paper cups filled with some concoction with a wick inside. Light the wick and your done. I used it this past weekend...easiest firestarter yet. Used to use the little bricks for a fireplace. This is much easier.

We use a chain saw to cut firewood for camping. I save the saw chips (waste from the chain saw cuts) and put them in the "cups" in paper egg cartons. Then pour paraffin wax (we use old half burned candles) over them. Once hardened, I use a pocket knife to cut apart the individual fire starters. Leave as much of the paper egg crate as possible around each one as that is your "wick" to start the fire. Place one in the firepit, build a mound of kindling and then larger firewood. It'll usually start even the most stubborn fire and is made from waste you'd probably throw away, so the cost is great.

[Nomad2009]

Wow, these are awesome suggestions you guys are awesome for taking the time. Love the people in this forum!!

But spare clips or hooks or pins for weight distrib bar connections and your hitch. You never know....keep spares in ur rig. They are cheap..get several.

I didn't know you could buy these, or they break, Thanks!! Do you get these at camping world or Hitch company? This would be not so good stuck can't use your hitch!!