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!!!
Posted on 05/01/2013 7:58:48 AM PDT by Vermont Lt
I just took the plunge and purchased a small travel tailer (25 ft.) My wife and I will use it for mostly stationery camping at a lot we own on a lake in Northern VT. We have all of the power and water hook-ups there, and it will be our vacation and weekend home for the summer.
The trailer is brand new and has all of the normal, mid range functions: Refrig, TV, stereo, Queen bed, one slider, shower, etc.
I am writing to ask other trailer owners what things they would get at the outset to make their lives easier. We do not expect a lot of road travel over the next year, although going cross country in 2014 is a probability.
Looking back on your experience, what things do think of and say, "Boy...it would have been nice to have....."
Any advice is welcome. The last time I had any kind of a camper was a pop-up deal in 1976, so consider me a complete newbie. The fact that this has a refrigerator and TV seems like cheating, but I am older now, so that is OK.
Thanks in advance for your responses...serious or otherwise!
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.
I see that you have talked with my wife. :-)
Got that right
Going down 84 to 81 mid day is tough in a car, let alone pulling anything.
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.
Wheel covers that you buy to keep the sun from dry roting them you put sheet on top of tire.
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).
Nothing short of nuking it from space could remove the odor of our black tank. Oofda!
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.
Not a concern for you now, but it will be soon:
Winter.
I’m in south Texas, so we don’t do winter, but you will need to winterize your RV when the time comes. I see some helpful FReepers have already provded links to quality RV sites, so when you get time, check out how to winterize you RV.
Enjoy!
Smartphone that can be a hotspot and a computer work just as well. But I don’t watch network TV
My sister has an iPhone and it can do it as can my son’s smartphone. You need a data plan to do it.
I have a ghetto phone with no data plan.
Oh, I have an unlimited data plan... is it just that one usb cable that has monitor, keyboard, mouse? What does their setup look like?
Ah, yes, you're right, that was a MAJOR typo!
We just last night bought a little 2000-watt gennie, from of all places, Aldi's! Cost us $149. Fits in about a 2ft x 2ft x 2ft cube.
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