New Member

[TheBobThe]

Hello... For a lot of years I've thought about traveling around the country searching for the biggest frying pan or the largest rubber band ball. It's always been a day dream topic for my mind.
Now I'm retired, have a nice comfortable retirement income and found that Life has a way of making things happen without any real effort on our part.
A month ago I chanced into a great deal on a Ford F-250 Super Duty 6.0 diesel truck that I couldn't pass up, Then a week later I find a 1997 Forest River Salem 27RLG TT that the 2nd owner had to get rid of after owning it for less than 2 months.
Now I have the income, the truck, and the trailer and a dog that never gets car sick and I don't know the first thing about what I"m about to start doing. I've done a lot of sailing over the years and figure this will be kind of the same in terms of space. Searching the internet, I find a million and one opinions about every question that pops into my mind. This is the first Forum I've joined because everyone seems even minded and genuine in their responses to people like me with a cart load of questions.
My TT needs everything "extra" like battery chargers, generators vs. solar, TV dishes, pots, pans, bedding, power inverter etc etc.. it's a little overwhelming but I'm making a list.
Look forward to learning all I can from all of you.

[steved44]

Bob, welcome to the group. There sure is something for everyone living this lifestyle. We haven't seen the biggest frying pan or rubber band ball yet (still looking of course), but we have enjoyed a lot of new friends and adventures since we took up RVing full time. If you still have a "sticks & brick", take your rig to the nearest campground or State park and stay in it for awhile. You will find out soon enough what you need to keep your unit going and you too. What you really need to bring with you depends a lot on how you intend to camp. Organized campgrounds with full hook ups (elect, water and sewer), or boon-docking with none of these. We are a little different than you as we live in a MH (motor home), but a lot of it is all the same. We do boon-dock quite often, so a generator is necessary, plus a good sized battery bank. Solar is a good idea if you intend to boon-dock a lot, but a good sized solar setup can cost around 3K and you still may need a generator back up if there is no sun in your area or you are an "energy hog" , which we fit into that category. Knowing your unit is another thing. You will want to carry fuses, belts, filters, duck tape, wd40, extra water hose, hose bibs or Y's electrical adapters, for going to 50a 30a or 15a shore power sources. Look at other web forums like escapees.com, and see if there is a forum for your brand of trailer. Most of all have fun and enjoy the adventure, whether it is broken down trying to find a service place, or at a pot luck with your new friends trying to figure out what dish to bring. Happy trails to you. Steve

[MSHappyCampers]

Hi Bob! Welcome to IRV2! Sure glad you decided to join the bunch here! Many people would kill to be in the position you find yourself in, so just enjoy every minute of it! You'll find tons of information here and great folks willing to share their knowledge with you. Have fun & God bless!

[lgarcia]

Hi Bob - sounds like you were meant to do this with finding the truck and trailer so close together.

My husband loves to fish on Lake Erie. We got an 18ft fishing boat about ten years ago. Many of the same items we use with the boat, the issues of preventive maintenance and the same habits of packing light etc. carried right over into how we use the TT. You likely will find that your sailing experience will enable you to have a great time on land, too.

[historyljc]

Hi Bob, welcome to the forum.

[Steve N Sal]

Hi Bob and welcome to the forum. Hope you enjoy the site and the many fine people you'll meet here. Have a great rv-ing season and hope to see you down the road.

[jpriest]