Congratulations you bought your first RV and you are ready
to begin your first road trip. Before you leave, make sure
you bring the things you need. I am not talking about food,
utensils, blankets and pillows, but rather the odds and
ends that you need to setup and use your RV properly. Like
most checklists, you will probably think of a few things
that you would like to add to the list and that's great.
Chock blocks, road flares, a flashlight and a spare tire.
Cars and trucks come with some type of a spare even if it
is only a temporary one. Make sure you have a spare,
Travel trailers and pop-ups are not required to be sold
with one.
Drinking water hose 50 feet. Don't make the mistake of
grabbing a garden hose or a rubber hose, Your water will
taste terrible. Get a hose labeled 'drinking water hose' it
has a vinyl lining that will not impart any taste from the
hose itself. I recommend two 25 foot hoses rather than one
50 footer. The second hose will get occasional use when 25
feet isn't enough and serves as a backup in case the first
hose fails. Water pressure regulator. Bring along a hose
regulator to protect your hose and your RV from excessive
water pressure. Some parks on city water systems have been
known to have more that 100 psi of pressure! Your RV and
drinking water hose are made to be used at about 30-50 psi.
Use it at the source.
Hose washers. Having a few extra of these around will save
many trips to the Hardware/RV store. Taste/Odor water
filter. This might not actually be a necessity but it's
a good idea.
Extension Cords. Your RV usually has about a 15-25 foot
cord. An extra 25 foot is an extension cord is a must. Make
sure it is the same gauge as the cord on your RV. Most RVs
have a 30 amp cord although you might have a 50amp. You will
probably need to go to an RV store to get a 30 or 50 amp
extension. I also carry a 50' of a lighter gauge. Not a
good idea to run appliances on a lighter cord (one of
those orange ones) but it will get you lights in a pinch.
Don't forget a 50 foot Cable TV cord for parks that offer
cable tv.
Electric Adapters. There are a lot of possible combinations
here, but you should at least have an adapter that will
allow you to plug your 30/50 amp cord into a 15 amp outlet
(regular household outlet).Electrical tester. Unless your
RV has one built in, get one of the type that stays plugged
into an outlet so that you can monitor the voltage. You can
damage some equipment if the Park power is not 110-125
volts.
Sewer hose. You should carry a 20' hose with proper
fittings and hookup your sewer first before disconnecting
and setting up your unit. I would rather deal with an
electric or fresh water extension if one of the three is a
long reach. Only buy Heavy duty or better quality hose,
anything less than that is garbage. Waterproof or
disposable gloves are a good idea for handling your
sewer hose.
Stabilizer Jacks. Many RVs come with crank down or electric
stabilizer jacks. If yours has neither, you will need
stabilizer jacks. Wood blocks. Several short blocks of
2x10s or the like. You will need them under the tongue
jack, the stabilizer jacks and under your wheels when you
need to be a little more level.
Toolbox. You should have pliers to tighten/loosen hose and
cable connections. Screwdriver for emergency sewer hose
changes. Duct tape to temporarily secure anything that
happens to come loose while traveling.
