Turbo
New member
Just bought our first RV it’s class C does anybody have a check list you use to be sure your ready to roll or a list of items you wouldn’t leave home without. I want to make sure we don’t start out with out something we really need
Check list
- Thread starter Turbo
- Start date
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Ray-IN
Well-known member
Welcome to rvforum.net! There are hundreds of checklists, for everything imaginable about RVing. Choose what might fit your RVing style, then combine them into your own lists.
There are even checklists for closing up a house long-term for wintering where it's warm or summering where it's cool.
There are even checklists for closing up a house long-term for wintering where it's warm or summering where it's cool.
DonTom
Well-known member
Welcome, neighbor!
First write down (or save it on your computer) everything you think you need a few days in advance of any trip. Add to it as you think of more things over the next couple of days. I can almost guarantee it will still be shorter than it really should be. Then make your first stop at a Wal*Mart where they allow overnight parking, or not too far from such a place. Then you can buy what you forgot or even go back home. You will probably figure out what else you need after the first night. There will probably always be some little thing you forgot to take.
Save the list for future trips. My list has a lot of motorcycle, hiking, ham radio related stuff on it. Everybody's list will be a bit different for such reasons.
When I bought my newer RV a few years ago, I stayed at an RV park close by to my other home in Reno (Cold Springs Station RV Park) I went to take a shower and discovered I didn't have any soap. That type of thing. It's usually the small stuff you will forget to bring. Wal*mart is usually good for that stuff. But I could buy my soap right there at the RV Park store.
I also desperately needed scissors for something, but I cannot now remember what it was. But the local Wal*Mart had it all and even after that I stayed overnight at that RV Park in the middle of nowhere to check things out, and yes, I found several problems. Such as a tire I could not fill up with air (valve stem issue) or even check the PSI in. A few other small problems. I took the RV back for warranty work and then to a trip to Oregon in my Y2K RV. When I got back from that trip, I picked up my newer motorhome in Sparks, NV and went to the Everglades of Florida on my first long trip in it, visiting several other states as well.
And met a few people from this forum, as well as in others for ham radio, motorcycle forums, etc.
-Don- Auburn, CA
Mark_K5LXP
Well-known member
Unless you require life sustaining medication there's little you would forget that you can't live without until you could hit a store somewhere. That being said, camping a night or two in the driveway will go a long way towards setting up with usual convenience items. From there you'll have and maintain your own checklist. You can start with some checklists you find online and those will likely cover 90% of your needs the first trip out.
Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
Tom
Administrator
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2005
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- 51,932
Click the Resources button above and look in our Checklists.
Domo
Well-known member
Toilet paper, water to flush and basic hand tools.
ButchW
Well-known member
I have an awful memory, so if it's not already on board or on the list, it gets left behind.. What I have done is build a spread sheet that gets printed every time I go out... Every thing gets checked off (or scratched out if not needed) for that particular trip... It is a huge list that gets updated most every trip.. Some things added and some removed if not relevant anymore... I do mostly 2 types of camping... CA State Beach campgrounds, or desert boondocking.. Both require wildly different items, so a lot of listed items aren't required every trip.. Those get scratched off...
Butch
Butch
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
There are dozens of such lists but everybody has different needs & priorities. Some people absolutely need a corkscrew or a hair dryer, while others could care less. I suggest building your own list as you think of things,both beforehand and while you are camping. I can also assure you there will be things on that list you never use, so be sure to edit it after a few trips.
There isn't much you cannot manage without for a weekend, and you can usually buy stuff nearby if you really need it. I'm a huge proponent of the "camp in your driveway" experiment to learn what is important to you. If your yard isn't suitable, camp some place close to home so you can run back easily.
Some types of things that are often overlooked:
There isn't much you cannot manage without for a weekend, and you can usually buy stuff nearby if you really need it. I'm a huge proponent of the "camp in your driveway" experiment to learn what is important to you. If your yard isn't suitable, camp some place close to home so you can run back easily.
Some types of things that are often overlooked:
- Kitchen tools like can & bottle openers, serving spoons, sharp knives, sponge, etc. You will probably want to buy extras of those and leave onboard.
- Basic hand tools (e.g. pliers & screw driver)
- An outdoor extension cord
- Personal care stuff, e.g. toothbrush, hair care, etc
- Chargers for phones & computers
Turbo
New member
Thank you I have a list, getting bigger all the time but I don’t know what I don’t know so when I see the lists of others I find things I hadn’t thought of thanks for the help
ButchW
Well-known member
My camp list...
Butch
Butch
Turbo
New member
Hi Butch nice list may I ask how you use the Diatomaceous earth? I Assume you put it around your jacks and tires to keep bugs out but that is just my guess. First time I have seen it on a anybody's list.
Thank you
Turbo
Kirk
Well-known member
If you try to carry everything that anyone suggests, you will soon not have any space for food or passengers! What is important is a very subjective thing and depends on each person's needs and priorities. Keep in mind that not only do you have limited storage space but you also need to keep cargo weight in mind.
Tom
Administrator
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Another caveat with checklists is that a fulltimer's must-take list will likely be quite different from a weekender/part-timer's list.
We're part-timers, but I used to like having spares and tools on hand (aboard the coach). Our RVing the last several years has been restricted to extended stays at single location (a purchased lot in an RV park). Unlike when we were weekenders, I have more time to wait until I can get to a hardware/tool store or a rental store the following day.
DonTom
Well-known member
At first, I was thinking that I would not need to carry any tools in my new RV.
Boy, was I wrong there!
There is always something, even when new.
-Don- Reno, NV
Tom
Administrator
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So true, as we've found out with new RVs and boats.
When we took the 10,000 miles maiden voyage aboard our (then-new) DP, I put a few tools in a toolbag before we left home. It didn't take long before the toolbag filled up and I got tired of dumping out the contents to find the tool I needed. Stopped at a Sears store to buy a multi-drawer toolbox and proceeded to add tools as our journey progressed.
Babe2201
Well-known member
I also had a check list for hooking up the RV at home, unhooking when we arrived at the site, hooking back up when leaving site, and unhooking when we got home. For the most part I did everything in order to make sure things like wheel chocks were put out before I unhooked. Some things like opening valve on propane and closing it before you leave could be done anytime as long as it got done but some things are important to do in order.
ButchW
Well-known member
Exactly... A lot of campers used to use Comet cleaning powder (with chlorine) to keep bugs away... A few years back CA stopped allowing the use in state campgrounds (At least in the ones I've been in) because of runoff into the waterways... The DE is inert, but the ants don't care for it, and seems to work..
As you can see I write down about everything I can think of, and it's a constantly evolving list...
Butch
Mark_K5LXP
Well-known member
Yep, I have compartmentalized lists too. Ones that are mostly static like tools and spares, then broken down by area - kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, living area. I print it out once a year and keep it inside, and mark up as I go any additions or changes I'll make for next year's. It's a carryover from when I tent camped and had everything in storage tubs, which progressed to a popup and now the class A. I'll go through the whole thing when I dewinterize so so I can lay eyes on everything and not get caught short by assuming something didn't walk off, after that it's pretty smooth sailing all year. If we're missing something we either used it up and didn't replace it, or it's something we literally haven't ever needed before in the last 20 years or so.
Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
Babe2201
Well-known member
One of the things that I found that helped when we had a TT was if it belonged in the camper it stayed in the camper. If I had a wrench or socket set in the camper and if I was working on something at the house I went into the garage to get the tools I needed even if the ones in the camper were closer and maybe easier to find. If I did take something out I made sure I put it right back in when I was done and not wait until later.
