1st time motor home owners, seeking advice on must have equipment.

[bpd138]

Hello,
My girlfriend and I are the proud owners of a 2010 Fleetwood Encounter 30SA.
We both have never been RV'ing but are looking forward to traveling, seeing new sights and meeting other RV people.
We have all the basic stuff, hoses, electrical cords etc, but we're looking for advice on must haves for the traveling and "camping" part of RV'ing.

 

[Neal]

Welcome and congrats. We'd love to help you spend your money, it's a strength of RVers but I suggest getting what you need WHEN you need it. Amazon Prime is a must have for RVers and makes it easy to get shipments fast at current or next campgrounds.

You'll want camping stuff for outside such as chairs, tables, grill(s), whatever your pleasure. I'm not a fan of camping "carpets" and not all campgrounds allow them as they can kill the grass. Tools are something you should have a basic assortment of including wire crimps, spare fuses, electrical tape, etc.

Don't overload (do as I say not as I do) and you'll figure it out as you go.

 

[CaptainGizmo]

Welcome to RVing, and this forum!

You're going to learn a LOT, and guaranteed to be overwhelmed. I agree with Neal...Try to take it slowly, and not run down to many rabbit holes.

I've been making videos for the past couple years to help "simplify" critical aspects to know and have for the main utilities; like water, filtering, electrical, cleaning, etc. If you're interested, love to have you watch my stuff on youtube; look up RV Squared.

I can make a VERY strong case for starting with the most CRITICAL items for power, water, filtering, and SAFETY. Start there, because you can ALWAYS "get by" without a chair, step, mat, table, bucket, blah blah blah blah and the list goes on and on and on!! Visit all of your campground neighbors to see what they have and ask questions; they'll love to tell you the goods and bads.

After spending hundreds of dollars on "camping items", I personally feel this is a topic that YOU need to figure out in terms of YOUR style. We listened to our best friend and spent a ton of money; only to sell pretty much all of the items later.

 

[Neemer]

Two things: cell phone and credit card.

 

[MemoriesByTheMile]

Other critical items to have:
- willingness to constantly learn
- ability to laugh when things don’t go as expected
- flexibility
- sense of adventure

 

[Fish]

Tools, multmeter, roadside assistance provider, credit card, kit with flares/reflectors/safety vest. jumper cables.

 

[Jireh Financial]

There is never a good place to hang shower towels. We have one of these and love it.

Stromberg Carlson CL-36 Extend-A-Line RV Ladder Mounted Clothesline - 18 Ft

The Stromberg Carlson Extend-A-Line RV Ladder Mounted Clothesline mounts to 1” or 1-1/2” exterior ladders with 9-5/8” - 10-1/8” spacing between upright tubing. Attaches in seconds to give you up to 18 feet of hanging space.

www.rvupgradestore.com

Also, a couple E-bikes towed on a rack have been great for us. Really simple.
Enjoy,
Ken

 

[Gizmo]

Two items I think are a must-have from day one are. First, a surge protector that will shut down on low voltage like the one below

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PMJ2K95/?tag=rvf01-20

Second: A water regulator that will protect you plumb for that campground that has excessively high water pressure. Like the one below

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N7JZTYX/?tag=rvf01-20

A lot of the stuff I bought the first year went into what my wife calls "Deep Storage" and was never to be seen again. Do not overbuy and buy things as you need them.

PS Be careful since the dealer told me that my transfer switch was made by Surge Gaurd and had surge protection. Come to find out that the standard Newmar transfer switch in 2017 had zero surge protection and the one with surge protection was an option.

 

[DKRITTER]

Invest in some high quality connections, they are cheaper in the long run. Here is a water and a sewer hose we use;

Zero G Blue water hose

Valterra 20' Sewer Hose

The list goes on and on

 

[Tioga montara]

I bought mine used. Made sure all engine and transmission fluids were changed along with air and fuel filter. Also check your tires, mine were dry rotted