You head straight for Bishop California and start fishing every lake and stream along Route 395 all the way to the Canadian Border...Thtat's what you do!!!extra propane tanks. you never know when one will run out.
also, a small burner attachment for a standard propane tank is cheap and small, and can be very useful if you’re not where you can hook up power.
jugs of water, just in case you can’t hook up, or the water is total crap.
consider helper springs for your vehicle.
fire starters and a camp fire ring- if you like camp fires.
bug spray and sunscreen- it’s one of those little things you always seem to forget to pack.
shovel, bow saw and axe should be part of your tool kit.
Take it to the Dakotas and sell it for a profit, then buy another one.
I just traded my 29’ Cougar for a 32’ Sabre. A few things I would recommend:
1 - Hydraulic jack for changing tires. Unless you park it all the time you WILL have tire problems.
2 - Before you do any travelling swap the crappy load range D tires that came on it for load range E tires.
3 - Buy a couple of Copper Rockers from Camping World. They are inexpensive and really comfortable.
4 - Buy a ground cloth or carpet. Some are really expensive, but Camping World sells one that is very reasonable. They also sell the expensive ones.
5 - Buy a Hughes Autoformer. Expensive, but cheaper than replacing your AC unit.
6 - Good Sam road service...you WILL need it at some point.
7 - Level indicator you can see in your rear view mirror.
8 - Portable table. Walmart has a 48”x24” that folds in half.
9 - Water pressure regulator.
10 - Toilet wand for clearing clogged toilet. Attaches to the end of a hose.
11 - Toolkit. Put together a good toolkit to keep in the camper at all times.
12 - Portable step. If you camp on a site that is less than level it will help with that first step going up into the camper.
13 - Step stool for reaching high cabinets.
14 - Electric impact wrench for raising and lowering stabilizer jacks and changing tires. Be sure to keep the battery charged.
15 - Short bungie cords for securing cabinet doors while in motion.
16 - Camping World Euro Top mattress. If the mattress that came with the camper isn’t comfortable (and most aren’t), this is a mattress I can recommend from personal experience.
Probably lots more...that’s all I can think of at the moment.
#1: Portable outdoor grill!!!!!
The best advice I can give you after doing the seasonal site camping thing for the past 10 years is to keep your roof taken care of. If you have a special rubber type roof, wash it and coat it once per year with the appropriate material. Check all silicone seals at all joints like vents, pipes, antennae, etc. Look for cracks or gaps.
Then, look at the Southern sky from your new camper and if it is unobstructed...not so much as a tree branch...then call up DirecTV and get them to put in a dish for you. They have a 6 month on/6 month off package that is ideal for seasonal campers.
I know that's not why you go camping but it sure is nice to have HD TV when it's raining and a camp fire just isn't possible.
Good Luck!
Outdoor Gas grill because you don’t want to cook indoors.
Your biggest headaches with be with hookups. Buy some gear to make these chores as easy/clean as possible. Extensions are often required. Spraying black water over your camp site or a dump site will RUIN your day.
Don't hook up to sewer & leave the valves open - it will not all trickle out. Let the black & gray tanks fill, then empty black, then gray. Otherwise, the black tank will not completely empty.
Leveling is a must. Those cheap lego-like blocks work fine.
Sometimes heaters work, sometimes they don't, especially gas heaters. RVs w/o heat = refrigerators. Bring a cheap but safe space heater & some extra blankets.
If the RV has fuses, bring some extra. Bring extra of anything that could end your trip. Refrigerators can be finicky & often blow fuses.
Be prepared to learn about electrical power. You can't run everything, all at once, on a 30 amp hookup. With the A/C running, you can't run the microwave & a hair drier w/o tripping a breaker. You'll have to learn what works together & what doesn't. It's a pain when the whole RV goes dark.
I suggest you camp several times before you hit the road. That, above all, will tell you what you need.
These are all things I learned mostly the hard way.
Paint it cammo and stock it with preps.
Put a trailer hitch on the back of it so you can also tow your horse trailer. Put a hitch on the back of your horse trailer so you can also tow your boat trailer. Put a hitch on that so you can also pull the trailer for the four wheelers. Put a hitch on that so you can tow your Mini Cooper. Get a fancy navigation system so you only have to make left turns because making a right turn with that much behind you is grounds for the death penalty in most states. Have your wife buy some pet costumes so you can dress up any baby bears you find. Nothing makes a mama bear happier than listening to her little one yelling in glee about his/her new clothes. Buy a grenade launcher so you can fish from inside the camper. A good 40mm can send a lure clear across the lake. Keeps the neighbors quiet, too.
Please, pretty please, stay out of the “hammer” lane from 3-6 PM, especially in and around central PA.
Get a good Hitch like a PULLRITE. Get a Voltage Booster to ensure good Votage Staility - such as : Frank’s search ebay to find a good deal.
You head straight for Bishop California and start fishing every lake and stream along Route 395 all the way to the Canadian Border...Thtat's what you do!!!I full timed for over ten years and still have a Freightliner FL60 Toter and a 36’ Five Slide 5th wheel.
I would consider the ¾ ton truck before traveling much. It isn’t the higher pulling rating, it is the brakes. That is why I have a Freightliner; it is no fun going down a mountain with no trailer brakes.
If you have the rubber roof, treat it with a rubber roof treatment. It will last twice as long.
I haven’t seen awning tie down listed yet. They will save several hundred in replacement costs after a strong wind.
Buy an extension handle and brush from a building supply to wash with.
A “Y” or gang valve for the hose will come in handy.
A water pressure regulator is a must.
You need storage tank treatment for the holding tank. I normally leave the gray open cleaning occasionally and batch treat and drain the black water tank.
Get the best quality sewer hose you can find. The light duty hoses don’t last and sewage everywhere is no fun...
You most likely have two 30# (7.5 gallon) propane tanks on the trailer. Get at least one spare. You likely will want two or more 20# tanks for outdoor cooker, gas grill, prpane lantern connection, etc.
Sam’s Club has a nice Stainless Steel two burner table top gas grill and a lifetime type table with a heavy wire extension to hold the grill. Add a single burner turkey frier cooker and you have a pretty good outdoor kitchen.
You don’t really need RV toilet paper; it sux anyway...
PM me anytime if you have questions.
I wish there was a system here at FR so we could visit each other.
First and foremost, maintain it. I bought a used RV (34’ Class A a couple of years ago for a reasonable price, but it had been neglected in a lot of areas). Keep the roof clean, check for leaks, re-do the roof/window caulking on a reasonable interval. There are multiple RV forums out there, and you may even be able to find problem areas in your brand to be aware of (they all have problems, from the cheapest clear up to the million-dollar machines).
you want stabilizer jacks in four corners if yours didn’t come with them.
anti-flap clips for the awning on windy days.
Few more things: Heavy duty extension cord and extra water hose. The spot in the campsite where you want your rig is not always close to the power and water outlets, so it’s good to have extra length, just in case.
Water thief. Sometimes the water hose at the dump site is just a wand. The water thief fits over the wand and gives you threads in which to fasten your hose.
French press for coffee, in case you don’t have electric power for the coffee maker.
I suppose you’ve been outfitted with sway bars. They’re a must.
Scott toilet tissue - the basic thin kind - works great and is much less expensive than RV toilet paper.