Essential Hoses and Chocks for a New Travel Trailer

[Jerzey]

Hello all, I purchased a new truck and travel trailer over the past 3 week. I will take delivery of the trailer in about 10 days.I am looking at sewer pipes, drinking and black water hoses and chocks on Amazon

Questions:
should I get 3 hoses? 1 for the line to the trailer, 1 for a convenience hose outside and a black water hose line?

Is 25 ft a good length for the sewer line?

and finally, are chocks pretty generic? do I need those scissor chocks between the tandem axle tires?My trailer will be about 7500lbs loaded up(fuel, water, our "stuff" etc.)

Thank you very much
jerry

 

[Babe2201]

It is nice to have an extra hose to rinse stuff off outside. You will need a splitter for it. I would suggest collapsible hoses and would get a 50' for the main one. They are much easier to pick up and store. I can't remember how long sewer hoses should be. The benefit of the scissor jacks in between the tire is to help stabilize the trailer.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

I like the camco rhinoflex slinkies. They stretch/compress to your need and stay that length. Get two of them. 90% of the time one will do it but for that 10% you will be glad you have a second. Get a short clear extension, and a 90 degree threaded drain adapter. I've never needed anything besides these four things.

I use the camco white RV fresh hose and it works OK but did end up replacing the ends with brass fittings. The cheap blue filters keep chunks out of the tank. Per above get a Y adapter, and I keep a water thief around for good measure. In my stinky slinky box I have a cheap harbor freight 25' hose and nozzle for general use. I had one of those shrinking hoses and it sprung leaks after just a few uses.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[Bill and Gail]

Buy 2 sewer hoses. One 25' and one 10'. I was at a campground where the sewer was at the front of the site, I just made it with the 2 connected together. Plus, if your close to the sewer hook up, you may only need 10' sewer hose.

 

[Ex-Calif]

I just outfitted my trailer.

Don't buy the white "rv" water hose. It kinks badly. All the guys around here (I'm in a field of rv's for a race) have rubber 100ft hoses that are flexible. They may not be drink approved but I drank from garden hoses as a kid and I'm still standing. The black rubber survives UV better.

I have a blue collapsing stretch of 30 feet followed by 2X30 foot white ones. I bought a garden hose box reel that fits in the basement and I reel out what I need. I have a straight water cut off at each end and at the blue section so have multiple ways to separate hoses without needing to get the the spigot. Helpful when switching from city to tank connections. The cut off at the spigot end ensures water in the hose doesn't leak all over the basement. Also have a Y splitter. And a couple of end repair kits and a splice kit.

For sewer I have 3X20 foot sections a clear elbow with water hose clean out a multi sewer head attachments with a clear elbow at that end to see the dirt hise has flyshed and is running clear and a hose splicing kit.

I have one 30 foot 30 amp cable.

Including everything for inside I spent about $1,300 outfitting.

 

[JudyJB]

You might want to get a small canvas tool bag and outfit it with a hammer, rubber mallet, odds and ends of screwdrivers, some velcro tape (the kind that you can use to fasten hoses and such- comes in 25' roll), channel lock pliers for help if hose is stuck on outlet, and the usual things like duck tape and masking tape, etc. You will no doubt add to this kit over the years, but if you don't have something, you can always go to a hardware or a neighbor might have one you can borrow. And several rechargeable flashlights. Basically, keep it simple but bring basics and leave them in trailer.

The reason for a canvas tool bag is that it does not rattle and is fairly lightweight. I have one I used for a couple of decades I got from Sears, but other places sell them.

Oh, and don't forget a first-aid kit. Put one together out of extra stuff you have at home and put it in a small bag clearly labeled. Include a thermometer and basics like tylenol and aspirin. Also, don't hide it in an inaccessible drawer as I did once when I cut myself badly!!

 

[DutchmenSport]

If you travel, and if you travel to new locations you have never been to before, you will find that the logistics of every campsite is different, even within the same campground. This makes predicting "how much" of "anything" you will need. But here is a good logical approach that may help.

Measure the length of your camper and make sure you have AT LEAST that much length of sewer hoses, plus 10 feet. This should reach just about any sewer connection at "most" campgrounds.

As you travel, you WILL find that sewer drains can be placed anywhere. Some may be in the middle of the parking spot on the drivers side. Another may have it clear in the back on the drivers side. Another may have it directly behind the parking spot. And then, you may run into a situation where the sewer connection is on the passenger side, a shared connection between 2 sites. Anything is possible .... IF you travel. Be prepared.

If you have 2 dump outlets on your camper (black tank outlet and a separate grey tank outlet), you may want an additional 10 feet or 15 feet to connect the 2 together with a sewer hose Y connection.

No matter what, having more and have extra is never a bad thing. They can spring leaks also, and then you always have a bit of extra.

I just replaced all my old sewer hoses as the cheap ones I've been buying were beginning to leak, and figured it was time to replace. Over about a 3 month period I purchased another 100 feet of the hard type hoses (not the Rhino one) and kept one of my old more flexible ones for using at dump stations or with my Blue Sewer Tote for sites that have no sewer at all.

The reason for the length? My camper is 41 feet long, I have 3 tanks, 3 valves, and 2 outlets. I connect with a Y when set up more stationary and have sewer available. But, I wanted enough that each camper outlet had adequate to reach anything, if not connected with a Y.

Again .... bare minimum ... length of sewer hose... 10 feet longer than the length of your camper is a good base line.

Garden Hose:

Again, hook up can be anywhere, even shared spigots between campsites. I carry 200 feet of hose with me all the time (white). 100 feet on a reel, and 2 fifty footers tucked away if I need additional length. Not every state park campsite has water on site, but shared spigots that you can attach a hose to, stretch it to your camper, fill your fresh water tank, and then disconnect the hose and put it away. Sometimes those faucets are 200 feet away.

Again, sewer hoses and garden hoses, you can never have too much.

I've never had issues using normal garden hoses. I think the RV white hose is completely over done, and the price is definitely over done. I do not have a separate hose for the fresh water tank and the black tank sprayer. I never use the sprayer. I back flush the grey water tank into the black tank and flush this way.

Again, even for water hoses, I recommend the length of your camper (times) 3. You'll be OK with that length of total hose 99 % of the time.

 

[CharlesinGA]

Chocks........ Harbor Freight, everybody uses them.

Do NOT buy the X chocks until you have camped some. You need to see if a little movement in the trailer from someone walking bothers anyone. If so, consider the X chocks, otherwise don't bother. I bought them used, They do work but I don't notice any trailer movement. My travel buddy suggested that if I had someone with me, yes, they would, Dunno. Wait and see. BTY, they are not wheel chocks, so you still need regular wheel chocks. I keep two in the trailer and two in the truck.

Rhino Hose is probably the best choice for sewer hose. Most Walmart Superstores, especially in areas near vacation spots, have lots of RV stuff. Get the hose, patio mat and water hose there. Best patio mat is polypropylene like ski rope and will not hold water. WalMart has some nice ones in the store. They have nice creases in them as packaged and are easily refolded and stored. I have a smaller patio mat I also use if I do not have a need for the large one.

Get two plastic containers with good latching tops, or what I switched to were the clear ones with hinged two half tops, nothing loose, nothing to blow away. One for sewer hose and attachments, one for fresh water hose and attachments. Get the tallest tote that will fit in your storage compartments.

Forget about the rear bumper hose storage. I am yet to see a sewer hose that will fit inside a 4 inch square tube bumper. If one does, you probably do not want it, and a Rhino hose certainly will not. Besides its not good for the bumper (rust). If you don't like the container storage for the sewer hose you can get an under chassis storage tube made for the purpose. It is telescoping so it will fit easily.

Valterra RV Sewer Hose Carrier - Adjustable - 34" to 60" - Black

Sewer hose comes in 20 ft sections get one and get a 10 ft extension and don't open it, you may never use it.

Get the version that the clear elbow is removable, hose will have bayonet fittings on BOTH ends. I got the one with the clear elbow made on the hose and am restricted in what I can connect to it.

The newer Camco blue water hose is better. The white ones kink easily and are frustrating.

Also get a Zero G hose or other brand that collapses flat, at least 50 ft (find plastic caps and plugs for the ends.) I coil my Zero G hose in a small plastic bucket for storage. Its good for filling when the hydrant is set away from the loop and you do not have water at the site.

 

[Kirk]

As you can see by reading the posts, opinions on what you need very widely between even the most experienced RVers. A great deal of this depends on how and where you plan to stay. We spent most of our time in places with full or partial hookups. In many years of RVing I got to where I kept three, 20' white water hoses and I always used an inline water filter to prevent any foreign solids entering my water system. I seldom needed more than two of the hoses but the other was kept as a spare just in case of a leak. In most parks, 20' is enough but some Core of Engineers parks we needed more. Like Charles, I shifted to the blue hoses for my primary and as I replaced then eventually had 3 blue ones. I also kept two sewer hoses, one of 10' and one of 20' and a coupler so that on the rare occasion that I needed it I could reach 30'. For leveling, I used the rocker type of combination leveling block/chocks. I made my own sewer hose storage that is very similar to the Valterra mentioned above but did so by using PVC pipe and fittings from Lowe's.

 

[Rene T]

I had 50 amp power and I had a 15’ extension cord. That came in handy several times. Any longer then 15’, it’s too hard to roll up, 50 amp is heavy

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Any longer then 15’, it’s too hard to roll up, 50 amp is heavy

I'll quibble a bit on this because the top-grade 50A extensions are supple and easy to coil. But they also cost more, maybe 25%-30% more. Worth it if you lack patience.

Don't go crazy buying everything somebody says you might need. As was said earlier in this thread, what you need for hoses, drain lines, and power cords will vary widely with where you go. And what equipment your trailer came with - it may well have a starter package on fresh water hose, drain hose, etc. It will likely be cheap stuff, but enough to get by on until you learn what you really need/want.

Personally I favor multiple short cords & hoses so I can match the length to the site's needs.

Basic hand tools are good to have but your selection should be what you know how to use. And get a cheap VOM (multi-meter) and learn how to take voltage and continuity readings. It will come with a manual and there are videos online too. A $15-$25 VOM is sufficient.

 

[Bearcatrp]

Don’t forget a good surge protector. Some of the rv parks have crappy electricity. Have read enough horror stories of folks rv electrical systems fried from the campground. Don’t go cheap. Here is what I use

Amazon.com

 

[JudyJB]

Oh, and this really is critical--mousetraps! I was sitting in my recliner around 11 pm in a very nice desert Colorado campground, watching TV with all the inside lights on, when out from under the sofa came a cute little guy with a long tail. He was obviously not an experienced mouse because he stopped suddenly and looked at me, very surprised to see someone awake. He did a u-turn and disappeared under the sofa again.

So, at midnight, I was outside with a flashlight trying to remember where I had put my mousetraps. The next day, I had to drive 30 miles to a town to find a hardware store. That night I caught 2 mice, and the next night I caught 3, but the following night I left the campsite for something a little less "mousy." Turns out that desert mice are numerous in some places and really, really hungry, and they could easily get in through cracks in my slides. And apparently, the young ones are not too smart.

 

[Rene T]

Don’t forget a good surge protector. Some of the rv parks have crappy electricity. Have read enough horror stories of folks rv electrical systems fried from the campground. Don’t go cheap. Here is what I use

Amazon.com

Progressive industries is top of the line. If your rv is 30 amp, still get the 50 amp and buy the necessary adapters also from Progressive. That way when you upgrade to another rv and it’s 50 amp, you’ll be ready

 

[Ex-Calif]

The list os what you might carry is endless.

Make your first trips not too far off the beaten track.

The good part of a trailer is there is a camping world or Walmart in 30 minutes.

Carry a credit card.

 

[Wmlunt-WO]

I would highly recommend a sewer hose rinse fitting! You can hook up a fresh water hose to the ‘stinky slinky’ and really rinse and flush the hose from the trailer end into the sewer pipe before you put it away in storage. It sprays the inside of the hose.

By using this fitting everything is sealed when rinsing the hose with no odor or splashing.
They show the white hose connected, but I have a short length of orange hose reserved for this purpose.
Bill

 

[Wmlunt-WO]

“Carry a credit card. ”
This tool has the best value/weight ratio!!!

 

[tlmgcamp1]

Consider where you are planning to stay. We stay at your basic campground. 100 feet of water hose would allow me to connect to my neighbor's site. I guess that could be handy if something is wrong with mine but the the chances seem slim. If it does happen I would run out and get a hose.

I run with 2x10ft stinky slinkies in the bumper, a 25ft water hose and a 30 power cord. Never needed more.

Tools are what you have room for but I would recommend some zip ties. They are small, mighty and have lots of uses. Among my collection are 8" ties with a breaking strength of 75 pounds. Had to make one into a hose clamp once. Also carry a frw rubber washers for the water hose and a splitter

 

[DutchmenSport]

Since the thread has morphed a little into good suggestions what you may want/need, let me add a couple often overlooked (small items) that if present will make life easier.

The first is a potato peeler. Yes, a simple hand held potato peeler (if you like to fix your own potatoes).

The second is a wine bottle cork screw! (If you occasionally have wine). Yep, the first time we purchased a bottle of wine, brought it back to the campground, and then realized we had no cork screw was the ONLY time. After that, we made sure a cork screw was always in the camper.

As stated above, the list is endless. Oh... don't forget the tooth-brush too!

 

[tlmgcamp1]

We have a memo pad attached to the inside of a cupboard and make a list of things to pack next time. The list gets shorter every year.