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  1. #1
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    new travel trailer owner

    I am looking for suggestions on what I need for my new travel trailer. I just bought a 30' bunk house for the wife and kids and this is our first camper. Please let me know what the must haves are and little things to purchase that will make our camping trips better. The only additional things I have purchased so far is a cover, trailer hitch, and 3500 watt generator. I need to buy everything else...

    thanks,
    Randy Almeida
    2023 Caymas CX21
    Mercury Pro XS

  2. Banned
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    #2
    Adjustable high flow water pressure regulator:

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    Any good 1/2" - 5/8" potable water hose
    A separate hose for black tank flush
    X-chocks for the tires
    Surge protector
    Andersen Camper Leveler (if you don't have hydraulic auto levelers)
    2' stick level
    45 degree clear sewer elbows
    3-4x 10' sections of sewer hose
    Clear sewer Y (if you have 2 tank outlets)
    tote for all your sewer parts and pipe
    rubber gloves for working with sewer parts/pipe
    plastic plates and cups
    lightweight aluminum cookware
    Digital thermostat if yours is currently analog (best money you'll ever spend)
    Caulk gun and a couple tubes of Dicor self leveling lap sealant (for roof maintenance)
    Depending on your roof material you'll want cleaner and treatment for EPDM rubber roof, or spic'n'span / top job cleaner for Alpha TPO roof
    Lightweight stick vacuum
    Black tank chemical treatment (I use Camco, the blue stuff)
    RV safe toilet paper
    1"x12"x12' pressure treated plank cut in to 12"x12" pieces (used for all kinds of things, leveling, place under stabilizers, it's wood! It's useful!)
    3/4" breaker bar, 6" extension and 19mm socket for trailer wheels (torque wrench as well, check before every trip to and from)
    3-4 ton bottle jack
    Grease gun and grease
    Wireless TPMS system for trailer tires
    Dry lube spray lubricant (for slides, doors, stabilizers, steps, everything on or under the trailer)
    303 Protectant for slide seals

    Word from the wise. If it's getting even the slightest bit windy roll up your awnings. And do some research to get your weight distribution dialed in. Visit CATT scales. Makes a world of difference for safety and comfort while towing.

  3. Banned
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    #3
    Oh, and tire covers. Also, check tire pressure before every trip, to and from. Fill to max rated pressure. And if your tires are some cheap, off-brand china made things consider replacing them as soon as possible with Carlisle / Maxxis / Goodyear with the highest load rating you can get. Trust me, a blow out at highway speeds can be disastrous to the trailer and your safety. Make sure your trailer brake controller is dialed in. Keep up with hub bearing maintenance.

    Buying the trailer was 1/5 of the battle. Buying everything you need for it and maintaining it is the other 4/5. :)

  4. Electrical/Wiring/Trolling Motors Moderator CatFan's Avatar
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    #4
    You need to get a divorce-proof parking process. Not joking.

    Take a half a day, get some cones or lawn chairs and head out with your wife to a parking lot of some kind.

    Work out the way you will back the trailer in. Work out how the driver tells the spotter what they need help seeing and how to communicate to the driver. Both of you need to experience backing that big visibility-blocking monster so you understand what needs to be communicated. Camp sites will have trees that force you to approach at one angle and change in the middle, or force you to make constant adjustments with the back end swinging close to trees.

    Practice having the spotter stay either visible in the mirror or off to the side where the driver can easily see them. Staying visible isn't as easy as it might seem when you are backing a 30ft trailer between trees and up a hill in the dark. Waving arms and gestures can be difficult to interpret. I like to see a spotter keep their hands in front of their ears so if they can see the mirror, the driver can see their hands. Small gestures with hands forward to stop, all ten fingers curling towards your face like you are picking berries to indicate continue backing with the speed indicating how fast they want you going, a single finger on one hand indicating turn direction with the other doing the curling motion, and then palms facing each other moving together to make precision movements like backing up to an object.

    I have seen some insane screaming matches in campgrounds after somebody scrapes a tree or runs over a stump. Once I watched a couple try for about a half hour to back in and ended up ripping a truck tire open on a piece of rebar from a timber that they ripped loose. Ugly words were broadcast to the whole campground and their kids. She sat in the truck while he changed the tire, and they drove out the gate.

    It's easy to work this out when you aren't tired and stressed.
    If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity,
    nothing else matters.​

  5. Member
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    #5
    Thanks for the responses so far. I think Roccochet is right...sounds like buying was the easy part!
    Randy Almeida
    2023 Caymas CX21
    Mercury Pro XS

  6. Banned
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    #6
    Oh yeah, wiring under trailers can be web of exposed, dangling wires. I laid on a creeper and split wire loomed everything, zip tied it all up nice and clean. Worth doing if you have the time and patience. Those exposed wires can become dried out and crack rather quickly.

    And keep a toilet brush handy. Give the toilet valve seal a quick scrub every now and then. Sometimes I'll dump 20-30 lbs of ice and 10 gallons of water in the black tank right before a trip. The ice sloshing around while trailering gives the tank a pretty good cleaning, cleans off the sensors for better reading. Couple cups of bleach and 10 gallons of water in the grey tanks help keeps those tanks fresh as well.

    After a trip make sure to turn off the electric part of your hot water heater or it'll burn the element out. Relieve pressure on the tank (once cooled) and remove the anode to drain it. Good time to inspect the anode, replace when it has about 25% left.

    Before leaving for a trip, 24-36 hours before, turn the battery on to the trailer, turn on the propane and fire up the stove for a few seconds. It'll take a while for the air to purge from the lines before the stove will light. Once purged go ahead and turn your fridge on coldest setting and LP. This will allow your fridge to get cold before you leave. Otherwise you'll be putting food in a warm fridge that'll still take 24-36 hours to get cold. Once you're on-site and connected to AC power you can switch the fridge to Aux/AC mode to run on electric.

    If you don't have electric stabilizers you can take a cordless drill, a 3/8" or 1/2" drive adapter and a 3/4" socket to quickly deploy the stabilizers.

    Another thing to touch on stabilizers. I add a set of scissor jacks to the mid-frame of my travel trailer to help eliminate bounce. I also installed the JT Strongarm Stabilizers to eliminate rolling and lateral movement. All combined my trailer is pretty rock solid. You'll quickly see how bouncy they are. lol
    Last edited by Riccochet; 05-22-2017 at 02:21 PM.

  7. Banned
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    #7
    Riccochet has about covered it all. He forgot about putting televisions in every room, however. I would avoid buying a generator until you see how you use the trailer. Champion inverter generators are the best buy on the retail market, however. I do carry a high quality jack stand in case I've got to pull a wheel.

    Our fifth wheel stays in the same campground all the time, and we seldom even tow it. We did invest in Bridgestone Duravis R250 tires--and scrapped those China Bomb tires (Westlakes) on day one.

    I would say pay close attention to your brakes. Many travel trailers and fifth wheel trailers have been assembled with a thin axle grease and overfilled. The cheap rear seals on the axle will leak grease--causing the brake shoes to no longer work. There's just no replacement for a good Lucas red sticky thick axle grease and higher quality grease seals.

  8. Member Bass AHolic's Avatar
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    #8
    If have the regular GAS water Heater this add in Kit, will help maintain and make hot water faster at camp site. less propane use also

    some use 2 these for both grey & black water for sites w/o sewer. hookup. I only use 1 for grey water as small 6 gal grey tank on most campers. All have dump stations on way out. to flush out all tanks. the black tank want as full as possible when that time comes. I have a dedicated Black water fresh Rubber hose to clean out tank thru the toilet to get it all out before leaving. Sure don't want to park at home with any thing left in tanks. well that's my recommendations . 1 trailer we had before the last one, I had to install a toggle switch to cut power to the propane gas leak alert inside. Wife spraying perfume on set it off. after a bit then I'd switch it back on.
    1 other idea. I bought Stainless Steel screen, and made my own bug screens in panel doors for the Fridge, Water Heater, and the intake & exhaust for the Camper Heater also. Keeps the wasps, yellow jackets etc from building nests inside. Buy tire chocks for commercial semi trailers , like used at loading docks. the rubber grips and last for years compared the cheap plastic one camper world sales. When parked keep roof covered with a big Tarp. the Rubber roofs suck! and even with keep up will eventually Rot & leak. Past trailer did that after 8 years. We bought a metal roof camper 4 yrs ago, and sold the rubber roof one at a loss due to roof. Enjoy! click to see what can develop >> http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=...eaks&FORM=IGRE
    Last edited by Bass AHolic; 05-22-2017 at 03:00 PM.

  9. Member
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    #9
    Wow...
    this camper stuff sounds worse than a BOAT

  10. Member Bass AHolic's Avatar
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    #10
    Boon Dock the average trip : loading up a camper with all the food needed, and ice chests , takes a lil time for fridge to get cold when plugged in ..then back of truck with smoker/grills, screen tent that covers the picnic table, enuff firewood for 7 days n nights, and 200 # charcoal. 2 motor scooters, colman 2 gal fuel for light at camp, 5 gal premix gas for scooters, auto shop size on wheels 12v battery charger, campers always ready to go , with summer, winter & hunting clothes , besides the kitchen ware that stays ready to use. Propane tanks stay filled up ( ready to use) that stuff don't deteriorate . Then its off to lake/campsite. park and set up trailer leveled, water & electric hooked up, then go get Boat and bring back, then roll out the awning and get the stuff out of truck bed. then depends on the time. to just camp then start fishing in AM. or evening go fish. then it'd day to day what ever'. this is for a full 7 days , the very least 3 days. No way for a late Friday arrive and leave sunday by 3pm, week end, too much work haha. And still have to drive a long ways to town to a dayum Walmart for sumptin wife wants.. either forgot or decided to get. Just for a weekend just tote Boat each day. 1st closest is 23 miles 2nd is 50 miles one way. both have camp grounds. that's about it.

  11. Member Bill2e's Avatar
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    #11
    Buy quality cooking accessories..

    weber Q grill
    Coleman 2 burner propane stove. - get the Coleman. It cost more, but it works. The other stuff is aweful
    Bass Cat Caracal STS / Mercury 300 ProXS
    Jayco Northpoint 377 RLBH
    GMC Denali Ultimate DRW
    #ChargeOn #HereWeGo

  12. Member
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    #12
    I haven't read everyone's post so this might be duplicated but make a checklist for leaving the house (stuff not to forget) and make another checklist for leaving the campground i.e. wheel chocks removed, antenna lowered, awning locks double checked, etc.
    Buddy Webster USN(retired)

    2007 Triton TR-196 w/200 Optimax
    2018 Chevrolet Silverado LTZ 6.2 4x4
    2003 Jeep Rubicon
    http://www.bbcboards.net/swap-sell/

  13. Member BigSexyPhoenix's Avatar
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    #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Boondock View Post
    Wow...
    this camper stuff sounds worse than a BOAT
    Most of what a person needs for a camper is stuff we already have laying around the house. I didn't buy near as much crap as these guys did. They are making it sound way worse than it is.

  14. Banned
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    #14
    Quote Originally Posted by BigSexyPhoenix View Post
    Most of what a person needs for a camper is stuff we already have laying around the house. I didn't buy near as much crap as these guys did. They are making it sound way worse than it is.
    I guess the difference being that I'll spend less time loading and unloading and more time camping. You can get away with not buying a lot of stuff, but there are essentials that, in my opinion, are required to protect your rig. Surge protector, water pressure regulator, maintenance items. I chose to buy dedicated silverware, plates, glasses, cookware, linens and toiletries for my camper so I don't worry about forgetting something.