Help me make a new trailer shopping list! (Ikea, Amazon, WalMart, et al)

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RoadSchool

Active member
Joined
Sep 16, 2017
Posts
36
We bought a trailer!!

We went with something at the bottom of our budget and size needs to get going and to be able to customize for our needs.

This isn't ours, but you can see a tour of our model on Youtube here.

We already got new batteries and replaced lightbulbs with LEDs. We got one new mattress and need more. And a new toilet wouldn't hurt.

Now the rest is empty. What more will we need to fill it? Everyday stuff and first-time essentials. So exciting!

Is it reasonable to expect two Ikea sets of towels per person to be able to fit? I figured a color per person plus kitchen and cleaning towels. That's going to take lot of room!

Tension rods

Command strips/hooks
Towels
Bedding with varying levels of warmth

What else?! (Yay!!)
 
Almost Everything boils down to wants probably more than needs.  Tires would be top on my list.  Most ST tires are simply junk and are speed limited.  So that would be my number one must change.  Other than that I would keep a pad of paper and a pen close at hand and as I see a need/want jot it down.  When I got home I would add it to the pile.  When I had a few bucks look at the list and see what I could aford and do it.  If you go hog wild making changes you could go broke before your first trip was completed.
 
donn said:
Tires would be top on my list.
Oh yes! I forgot we did that.

So far...
Goodyear Endurance 205/75R15 tires
Eazlift 7500lb scissor jacks replacements
Incandescent to LED light replacements
Caulk and Eternabond
Battery upgrade to Duracell AGM deep cycle battery
Replaced window operator and torque bar
Replaced exterior locks
Black tank flush with Rhino blaster (no tank cleaner used yet)
Equal-i-zer 1000/10000 hitch
Fortnight 30x74 mattress replacement (1 down, 3 beds more to go)
New Camco dual propane cover
New propane regulator with auto-changeover
Edited to add: tow mirrors upgrade from universal size to custom size for our vehicle
 
I second the pen and paper idea.

Schedule some exploratory weekend trips.
Make a good guess on what you need to bring.

Jot down what you find a need for but don't have.
Keep track of what you brought but did not use.

Adjust accordingly.

Things I found I needed but did not have:
Fire starter blocks (paraffin/sawdust things)
Hatchet to make kindling
Roasting skewers for when the nieces come along and want marshmallows
Rainy day activities (board games)


 
One of my most loved items is my 22" Blackstone Griddle.  It is the smallest dual burner model they make, still easy enough to handle and use when camping and offers better control than the single burner model.  It also comes with an adapter to hook it to a 20# tank, but I adapted mine to hook to the RV's low pressure system.
I also suggest the Rhino Flex sewer hose, plus an extension and the "X-Chock".  You may want to make up several 2x6" board blocks to level your camper when setting up on gravel or dirt sites.  Get a good shore power extension cord and an extra section of drinking water safe water supply hose.
 
My wife has purchased several of those mesh and/or plastic shoe storage things you hang up to store shoes in and trimmed them to fit certain areas of "wasted" space (behind our dinette, bedroom wall, bathroom door, etc.) and has multiplied our available storage greatly.  The one by the door holds flashlights, dog leash, etc. -things you may need to grab on the way out the door.  Very handy.

https://www.wayfair.com/storage-organization/pdp/organize-it-all-waltz-20-pocket-10-pair-overdoor-shoe-organizer-iab1898.html

Edited to note:  She didn't buy the ones from Wayfair, she either bought them and WM or ordered them from Amazon.  They were not expensive at all.
 
Added all, including the pen and paper!


Ikea curtain wire to create individual bunk curtains instead of one curtain for all three
Ikea bags for totes
 
Is two per person a good number? Does it scale?


6 people x 2 sets = 12 towels, hand towels, washcloths, plates, cups, bowls, spoons, forks, knives?
 
RoadSchool said:
Is two per person a good number? Does it scale?


6 people x 2 sets = 12 towels, hand towels, washcloths, plates, cups, bowls, spoons, forks, knives?

That depends so much on your usage, how long you expect to be gone, how often you'll do laundry, etc. If you tend to use a hand towel for a day, or a bath towel for only one shower, that might not be enough unless you're doing laundry every day or two. But if you can go 5 days or a week with a single bath towel, and at least three days with a hand towel, it might be enough.

Basically, look at what YOU use now in a home environment, and at what changes you may be willing to make when you hit the road. We can't really answer that one for you.
 
I noticed that no one mentioned stuff like:

Water pressure regulator, drinking safe water hose, water filter, water mizer, utility hose.

Sewer hose, various adapters for same.

Electrical cable - 50 amp, 30 amp, or 15 amp, as needed.  Extension cable for extra long reaches, various adapters, 30 to 15, 15, to 30, 50 to 30, etc,  Testing stuff for campground electrical box.  Electric surge suppressor?

Leveling blocks - Lynx?, wheel chocks

Are we assuming the trailer came with all this stuff?




 
I am with the Optimistic Paranoid.  It seems your list was personal stuff, not what is needed for the camper!  Some of your upgrades do fall in this category, and are essential add ons.

My list includes :
20 ft of sewer hose in 2 sections  Rhino or better when you do buy.
25 ft drinking water quality hose.
WATER PRESSURE REGULATOR - brass body adjustable $35 up.  Do not waste your money on a $6 unit.
EMS - Electrical Management System such as Progressive Dynamics PT30 or HW30 (assuming 30 amp service) (Surge suppressor and much more)
Adapters to allow connection of your 30A cable to a 50A plug and another to connect to 20A plug.
Water filter to keep particulates out of the system.

Leveling Blocks (Lynx) or 2 x 10 planks for leveling.

If you have these things, great!  Upgrade when replacement is needed.

Do not but stuff in case you need it.  You are always near a Wally World for emergency purchases.  Be aware that you do have load limits on the camper, and all those towels, pans, food, games, clothes, sheets, etc.  all add weight.

Some campground power systems are old, and may not meet newer camper needs.  The EMS protects you from surges as well as low voltage, high voltage, wrong frequency, and other issues.

Campground water systems sometimes have excessively high water pressure that can damage the camper.  That is why the water pressure regulator is needed.
 
grashley said:
Do not but stuff in case you need it.  You are always near a Wally World for emergency purchases.  Be aware that you do have load limits on the camper, and all those towels, pans, food, games, clothes, sheets, etc.  all add weight.
We literally have nothing else than what I listed but my husband has this same attitude and says we should go on a trial weekend somewhere this weekend and get whatever we find we need at a Walmart so we can head cross-country for a week the following weekend. That's a little too minimal for me.

I definitely need to find a list of essentials.
 
Yup, take a weekend trip with a pad of paper. Bring one towel per person and see if you need more or not. Same idea with other items. Get a feel for what storage you need and where it can go then look for ideas. Pinterest has some great ideas.
 
I say ignore all the lists and take nothing. Then buy what you need along the way. RVs don't handle weight very well and loading it up with a bunch of things you think you might need is just stupid. Most all of those things on those lists are available a Walmart and there are Walmarts just about everywhere. 
 
Larry N. said:
Check out the Newcomers Need To Know section of our Library (button above), along with the Checklist section. There's a LOT of good info there.
Oh thanks! I hadn't found that yet!

UTTransplant said:
Yup, take a weekend trip with a pad of paper. Bring one towel per person and see if you need more or not. Same idea with other items. Get a feel for what storage you need and where it can go then look for ideas. Pinterest has some great ideas.
I usually can't stand pinterest and yet I found the visual nature perfect for just that and actually made a pinterest board! Thanks!

We have a lot of experience in camping and traveling, just one of which was in a rented travel trailer. The biggest challenge have is food. We make a lot of our own and use the stove and oven a lot. I thought the TT kitchen would be like using a hotel room kitchen but the lack of hookups and early generator cut-off time made for a terrible match-up. We were waiting to eat until the cool of the day after sunset, but that was also the no-generator time. Even packing sandwiches and prepared foods like yogurt and hard-boiled eggs was extremely time-consuming for 6 because we had no space to have several people working on it. Food prep will definitely be our achilles heal.

SeilerBird said:
I say ignore all the lists and take nothing. Then buy what you need along the way. RVs don't handle weight very well and loading it up with a bunch of things you think you might need is just stupid. Most all of those things on those lists are available a Walmart and there are Walmarts just about everywhere. 
We are keeping track of pounds. Generator, water, bicycles, and propane gives us a little more than 1000lbs left for all the soft goods like pots and clothes! Eek!
 
In my opinion there is a very short list of things that are essential for everybody, so most of your list is going to depend on you. For example, cooking utensils are probably essential, but the type and number of them depends very much on your cooking style & frequency.  Heck, we bought a 3 year old coach where it was evident the oven had never been used (there was plastic inside) and the stovetop and microwave rarely.  You will need to figure out what is important to your particular needs and enjoyment AND worth the use of the limited space and weight capacity.  Anytime you find yourself saying "We might want to...", leave it home. Especially if its something you could pick up at a store along the way later.

Clothing: you are not going to have room for style-conscious clothing changes. Bring one each of the things you need for the weather you expect to encounter. You really do need to be a minimalist here. RVers can't be clothes horses. Or shoe lovers either.

Lot's of possible miscellany:  Do you need to make campfires?  Cook outdoors? How about tools for small repairs along the way?  Computer and phone accessories?  Pen and notepad?  Again, the question is always "Do I need to bring it from home vs buy when/if needed?"
 
I **DO** understand the weight rationale behind the philosophy being espoused here.

But all I can say is, it must be nice to have so much money you can afford to buy a duplicate of something you already own that's sitting unused at home right now.
 
It took us many years to acquire everything that is needed for the camper, but nothing comes out of the house anymore. Clothes, linens, cookware, etc. all live in the camper. Laundry is washed, and goes right back outside.

Packing for a trip means putting food onboard, unplugging the cord and driving away.
 
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