Well, we did it!

[GregandDeb]

Hello, from Deb and Greg. After lots of research, we bought a nice 2020 4WD Ford Expedition w/factory tow pkg and a 2021 Coachmen Forester Viking 17' this week. My husband plans to retire next year so this year we'll be taking short trips and learning about our new-to-us trailer and car. We are pretty darned happy right now and looking forward to it. I have my RV packing list ready (thank you to this forum). The trailer has a murphy bed and the dinette bed will be for mother-in-law when she goes with us. She's an old pro at travel trailers (sure am glad I get along with her - haha).

Thanks to the forum. It has been invaluable in providing lots of good information for us to use! If any of you have tidbits to share with us about the Viking, the Explorer, or anything else, we're all ears.

Deb and Greg
Sun City West, Arizona

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Congratulations and best of luck. Please let us know how your first journeys go. With photos where possible.

 

[SMR]

Congrats and welcome to the forum. We will be in Waddell this winter.

 

[Rene T]

Welcome to the forum.
You have to be careful when packing a RV. You don’t want to overload it.
What I’ve been telling new members for years, make up 2 lists. One list are things you have to have like coffee pot, silverware, dishes etc. and the other list are things that would be nice to have. Only pack the 1st list. Then fill all your tanks, gray, black, fresh waterpropane and then take it to a scale and have it weighed.
If you have two potato peelers in your house, pack one of them and leave it in the rv after camping. If you only have one measuring cup, don’t pack it. Go buy another one for the rv. You don’t want to have to move things back and forth when packing and unpacking.
If you forget to pack something, there are WalMarts all over.
Safe and happy travels
Ask any questions you may have. There are no dumb questions. If you don’t know the answer, it’s not dumb to ask. All we ask is that you start a new post for each question. Less confusing for us when replying.
Also it’s a good idea to create a signature of yourselves telling us a little bit about you. Especially what you have for a rv and tow vehicle.

 

[Boat Bum]

I can feel the excitement, RVing is a blast, best of luck!

 

[RNS1]

Welcome from WI. It is great to get along with the MIL, had a great one also bless er soul.

 

[Bearcatrp]

Congrats and welcome to the forum.

 

[JudyJB]

And buy a plastic measuring cup, so it won't break when the cupboard doors swing open while you are driving. In fact, buy almost all plastic things--they are lighter in weight and don't break as easily!

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

Welcome to The Forum.

Rene gives the best advice on weight and going through the house for doubles (and triples) for things that can be left in the RV.

That would include clothing, things you may thin the closest and drawers out for a Goodwill bag, put in the rig and leave it. Bedding and bathroom items too. Stock the RV medicine cabinet with essentials for hygiene and first aid.

The less work preparing to pull out of the driveway, the more often you'll head out creating memorable adventures.

 

[CamperAL]

Hi GregandDeb,

Your close to Quartzsite. Don't know if you plan to do any boondocking or not but finding a spot in Quartzsite would be a good way to check things out and find out what you may need including many of the good ideas above in this topic.

You could stay at one of the many campgrounds in Town and if you find that you need something you can make a list or go and buy in town. They have some dollar stores.

You can also camp at your house to see what you may be missing in the RV and add from the house or again make a list and buy in your town in order to stock your RV. Best wishes and safe travels!!

 

[John From Detroit]

If you are close to quartzsite do be there for the last half of January.. The group will suggest where to park and you have about a million years of RV experience you will be having dinner with (Ok so I exaggerate a bit)

 

[GregandDeb]

If you are close to quartzsite do be there for the last half of January.. The group will suggest where to park and you have about a million years of RV experience you will be having dinner with (Ok so I exaggerate a bit)

Yes, that would be fun! We were checking out the Quartzite RV Resort, but we should have enough basic experience to boondock by then. We'd love to have dinner with people with lots of experience! Looking forward to seeing more info about it.

 

[John From Detroit]

Yes, that would be fun! We were checking out the Quartzite RV Resort, but we should have enough basic experience to boondock by then. We'd love to have dinner with people with lots of experience! Looking forward to seeing more info about it.

When it comes to boondocking. as I said you have about a million years of RV expiernce gathered around you when you park with the group.. . They can help.

Just make sure when you pull in the fresh water tank is full Your fuel tanks are Full. and your waste tanks (Black/Gray) are empty.

 

[ferfer]

This years Unorganized Quartzsite Rally and The Big Tent occur simultaneously on January 17 - 25, 2026. If you are feeling like boondocking with other RVForum members, suggest you join us on the BLM land instead of staying in campground. Update information for the 2026 rally will be posted later but to give you preview:

Quartzsite 2025 non-organized rally 18-26 January 2025​

Nice videos- thanks for taking them in landscape mode and for keeping them nice and steady, with slow pans. It makes for a much nicer viewing experience.

www.rvforum.net

Quartzsite 2022 Video​

I finally found time to combine my camcorder footage and my quadcopter (drone) footage into a video. It's all taken in the immediate vicinity of the RVforum.net parking area and shows what's around, along with which rig was which (at the time the video was taken, of course). I have the video...

www.rvforum.net

 

[JudyJB]

Another big reason for keeping your rig filled with the basics (clothing and clean towels and sheets, and kitchen stuff) is in case of an emergency evacuation. I'd also add canned goods and a few gallon jugs of water, just in case. This would save you a lot of time having to pack up to leave. Toss in your electronics and prescription drugs, and a few quick seasonal things, and you are ready to go. Ditto for hiding some cash in small bills (not all $20s) so you will have cash to pay for things if power is out in stores and gas stations.

 

[rjshiflet]

Welcome to the wonderful world of camping. My wife and I (now retired) started this adventure back in 2001 with a bumper pull and to date we've owned that one, three fifth wheels, a class A and now our fourth fifth wheel and are about to head out on a month-long trip to the Texas gulf coast as we try to do each Fall. Enjoy every moment of spending time together and seeing this beautiful country of ours.

Best wishes and safe travels!

 

[Mr C1]

Welcome.

 

[ferfer]

Current 2026 Quartzsite rally info.

Quartzsite 2026 mostly unorganized rally

Since the BLM has had a lot of other things on their plate, they didn’t get around to raising the rates at Quartzsite for this winter. Therefore we can still have the rally as normal. It will officially be 17-25 January 2026 in the Tyson Wash LTVA. Details will be provided when we get there, but...

www.rvforum.net

I know it looks confusing now but GPS coordinates will be posted once site confirmed along with more information. Also do not hesitate to ask questions

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

My first 'real' RV trip was to quartzsite. So I got a lesson in both long distance driving and resource management. I think if you stay in a campground at quartzsite you're missing out on a big part of what that venue has to offer. Parking in the middle of a sea of RV's from van lifers to million dollar coaches, the mix of people you meet, the fun of hanging out by a group fire or an impromptu potluck to me is a lot more fun than an RV park looking from your window into your neighbors'. It's cool enough in January you won't need A/C much if at all so basic power conservation goes a long way. Water will be the bigger challenge so being mindful of usage can extend your stay for days. Paper plates and one pot meals, navy showers are a minimum. We made it 9 days on the fresh water tank and drinking water we brought and even brought a little home. Be deliberate on what you take, "just in case" isn't a valid reason. Go with the idea that every day doesn't need a plan and be OK with just hanging out and walking around. Note, after dark it can be difficult to find your camper so use a gps or phone app to mark your spot.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[Larry N.]

Water will be the bigger challenge so being mindful of usage can extend your stay for days.

I'd add that in the area where the forum folks stay, that $40 buys access to the fresh water/dump area east of hwy 95, so you can extend even longer if/when you wish.