Flying from IN to FL to buy Class C and drive home. What should I pack?

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Lisapaxton1

Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2017
Posts
8
Location
Charlestown, IN
Howdy everyone! My husband and I are flying to Orlando from Louisville to purchase, camp for three nights, and then drive home a used class C RV with our two children (six & eight). We have never owned an RV before. Any suggestions on essentials that we will need to pack to outfit the camper for the three days and the ride home? We are flying southwest so bags fly free. Would like to purchase as little as possible until we get home. We are going to "road-school" some this year and I am loving browsing the wealth of knowledge contained on this forum. Thank you for any suggestions!!!
 
Welcome to the RV Forum!!

For three days you can get by with very little gear. Just bring clothes, towels, washcloths, and favorite pillows. If(when) you find you need something, go to Dollar General or Family Dollar stores. They are even less expensive than Walmart. You will be stocking the "kitchen" from scratch.

TSA will frown on any reasonably sized shampoo, bug spray, cooking oil, ketchup, mustard, etc....

Kitchen ware would definitely set off alarms. ;) Knives would really get their attention.

Happy trails!!
 
Plan on shopping when you arrive.  Some basic groceries, kitchen basics (maybe just plastic cups and tableware), and toiletries. It's amazing how much little stuff our modern lifestyles seem to require. Even if you go out for all meals, you may "need" juice or coffee in the a.m., soda or snacks at night. What about bedding? Towels and wash cloths?  There will be nothing in the RV at all.
Fortunately, Walmart has most everything you might need, and stores like Family Dollar and Dollar General are good sources for the basic stuff as well.

Oh, and have a solid credit card handy for that trip home. Stuff happens!
 
Thank you! I was thinking of packing paper plates, plastic cups and utensils. Also a skillet, pot, and plastic spatula. Concerned about a coffee pot lol. I had thought about bedding but forgot about towels eek. Thanks for the reminder!
 
Your Phone and a Credit card are a good start.  ;D

You didn't say if your buying from a Dealer or a private party.
A Dealer should give you the basics like a power cord and a sewer hose and hopefully a drinking hose for the fresh water tank.
A private party may include leveling blocks, power adapters 30amp to 15amp and other stuff too.

Also, where are you camping - at a campground? or someplace else?
IF I bought a used RV out of state I would spend the first night in the dealers parking lot and MAKE them fix anything that didn't work.
Once you drive it off their lot it's a LOT harder to get anything repaired even if it's their fault.  JMO.

IF you really wanted to be somewhat prepared (although it is a learning trip) you could ask who ever your buying it from if you
could send a box or two of stuff to them so you could put in the the RV when you get there - might be an option.

How long before you leave?

RV toilet paper is NOT needed - so don't worry about that.

Good luck.
 
Hi,

Seems like a number of items could be bought when you are down in Florida, Check the forum library for check lists for buying an RV. Here are some suggestions.

Maybe take a few games, flash light & extra batteries, a camera to record things (phone).  I'd consider getting some RV roadside service such as Coach Net or Good Sam's Just in case of problems on the road, you can buy after you make your purchase. Matches or lighter (to light stove), broom, a mat to keep dirt out of the RV, paper towels and some rags, duck tape, zip ties, paper plates, trash bags.

First Aid Kit, insect repellent, Sun Screen, bar soap. I could go on but there are lists in the library.

You will probably have a lot of pressure to buy the unit but make sure you check it out and have them fabricate repairs before you give them money. Good luck, have fun, and take things slow.
 
Hi,

Rather than a coffee pot, consider instant Taster's Choice Coffee. Pretty hard to beat, and any creamer, honey or sugar.
 
Amazing advice!! Thank you!
We are buying from an individual. They bought a new Class C and they are selling their old one (2009). They are selling all hookup hoses and cords with it. We are planning on camping at Disney's Fort Wilderness Campgrounds. We have a season pass to Disney so we are making a vacation out of it.
So many of the things listed would be super simple to take with us. Thank you all so much! I'm going to search now for a thread concerning what to check for when buying a used MH. Like I said, first RV ever but it's the lifestyle we want to enjoy with our children,  enjoying a slow curious exploration of this beautiful country and people:)
 
Since you are buying from a private party, have you arranged to have the RV checked over by an independent mechanic to make sure everything is as it was advertised?

You can really get yourselves into a mess without this step, especially since you have never owned an RV before and don't know what to look for, such as water damage, etc. 

You really need to have it checked by a professional, even before you spend all the money flying down and making Disney reservations.  It could be a very expensive experience if you get there and find that there are major problems with the rig that could cost you thousands of dollars to fix. 
 
Lisapaxton1 said:
Howdy everyone! My husband and I are flying to Orlando from Louisville to purchase, camp for three nights, and then drive home a used class C RV with our two children (six & eight). We have never owned an RV before. Any suggestions on essentials that we will need to pack to outfit the camper for the three days and the ride home? We are flying southwest so bags fly free. Would like to purchase as little as possible until we get home. We are going to "road-school" some this year and I am loving browsing the wealth of knowledge contained on this forum. Thank you for any suggestions!!!
Lisapaxton1
For a flight from Louisville to Orlando and a 3 day RV road trip ln a used RV, I suggest you take clothes and bedding.
And a credit card...(so you can pay for the food, fuel and RV repairs you will need).
 
I sure wouldn't plan on bringing much past my clothes and such....  a charger for my phone maybe.  and a notepad and pencil.

I'd plan the initial shopping trip after you close the deal...paper plates, soap, a few groceries, and the other stuff you'll need.
I'd probably plan on just buying sheets and towels on that trip too instead of trying to bring it along.  Just the minimum stuff to get by.

After the first night in it, you'll get an idea really quick about what is missing....and it won't be much if they are including hoses and such.....so I'd figure on one more store stop maybe the 2nd day
A broom and dustpan probably, maybe a trash can.... stuff like that you'll figure out.
You won't need much.

Oh, one thought.  I'd go ahead and look into a roadside service program so you have someone you can call in case of a flat tire or the like....
 
If you have sleeping bags you could take them instead of buying sheets etc.  We shipped boxes to both the manufacturer (in your case the seller) and my sister's house where we went to regroup before heading on our longer trip.  Make sure the seller shows you how to use everything and make sure everything works.  Everyone should listen to the person's directions so that you have one or two extra sets of eyes, ears, and memory for when you can't remember what was about operating Item X.  Hope it all goes well.

ArdraF
 
When the owner goes over the "How to's"; have one of the kids make a video that you can replay on your laptop later.
 
Will get a travel plan, thanks! Sleeping bags also a great idea. Video taping instructions also brilliant. I'll look into a reputable mechanic in the area to look over the MH. We leave the 9th and we have returning flights already booked just in case. Either way we will enjoy a week at Disney:)
 
Why are you going that far to buy an RV? You'd be better off buying close to home and doing your shake down trips closer to home. If anything happens you just go home. I must be a killer deal.

Camp near (or at) a Walmart. They have everything you need and a bunch of stuff you don't.

Don't hesitate to ask other campers around you to help you.

NEVER TRUST YOUR TANK GAUGES!   
 
I'd put a day or two between getting the motorhome and when you're scheduled in at Fort Wilderness.  It would be a shame to waste your time at Disney World outfitting the motorhome instead of enjoying the parks.

Find an RV park close to the seller (and close to shopping) and spend your first night or two there while you get the motorhome fitted out.  Disney World is a fair distance from outside shopping and you'll have to travel through park traffic every time you have to go in and out.

It might also be a good idea to rent a car while you're there so you have independent transportation.  It will not only make running to the stores easier but it's a good backup if something unexpected goes wrong with the RV.  When it's time to return the car just follow it in the RV to the dropoff location.
 
ArdraF said:
If you have sleeping bags you could take them instead of buying sheets etc. We shipped boxes to both the manufacturer (in your case the seller) and my sister's house where we went to regroup before heading on our longer trip.  Make sure the seller shows you how to use everything and make sure everything works.  Everyone should listen to the person's directions so that you have one or two extra sets of eyes, ears, and memory for when you can't remember what was about operating Item X.  Hope it all goes well.

ArdraF

Great suggestion. Instead of lugging a bunch of stuff in your luggage, ship some items like bedsheets and tableware to your self at a UPS store near where you will pick up the RV. Then, if something goes awry with the purchase, you can just ship it back home. 
 
Everything I thought of has pretty much been mentioned... cell phone (duh), funds to pay for all the unanticipated expenses (and there will be some ;)), and paper & pen to write down all the stuff you realize you need as you "get your feet wet" camping.  Eventually your RV will be stocked (in its own way) as your home is, where you have the household "stuff" you need & where to find it.  But that takes awhile.

Test out absolutely EVERYTHING on the rig before you finalize the deal and drive away!  And on multiple power sources (shore power, battery power, propane fuel) for those appliances that can be powered multiple ways... water heater, fridge, furnace (even though it's summer), roof A/C, dash A/C, generator if equipped, etc.  Carefully inspect around all windows and roof lines for any sign of present/past water leaks... staining, soft walls or floors, peeling or bubbled wallpaper.  Check all the tire DOT codes for age.  If they are original on that 2009 rig (meaning tires from 2008), they definitely need to be replaced prior to traveling any significant distance.  Motorhome tires increase in blowout likelihood after the 7-year mark (or so) regardless of how the exterior tread looks.

Make sure you have your insurance and especially roadside assistance (including towing coverage that will accommodate the big/heavy demands of a motorhome) in place!

We have some very useful "New Buyer" inspection checklists in our forum library (link near the top of the page) that you can print out and take with you.

What an adventure awaits you!  ;D  We traveled about the same distance (IL to upstate NY) to buy our first motorhome, and I researched/shopped for a solid year before buying that rig.  Even as sure as we were about the purchase, we still experienced unanticipated electrical problems which caused a breakdown (during rush hour in Niagara Falls, NY) on our 2nd day of ownership!  It all worked out okay and we greatly enjoyed that rig for 5-6 years before selling it... but it sure was a baptism-by-fire way to start out.  ;)
 
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