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Old 09-17-2021, 10:19 AM   #1
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Newbie question re: outfitting new RV

I just ordered a Sunstar 27P and should hopefully be taking delivery in about 2 months. My goal is to start purchasing the items I will need now, so when the coach arrives, I will be able to start learning how to use it without having to spend time figuring out what the basic essential items are before starting out on a trip.

I turned to you tube and of course there is an overload of information about what every Newbie Rver must have, with a link to those items on their website for purchase. I certainly have no qualms about supporting these channels, but I am starting to wonder how to zero in on what is really "good" information.

I wonder if any of you experienced this same dilemma when you first started and if so any words of wisdom to pass on?

Thank you in advance for your input

Rob
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Old 09-17-2021, 12:21 PM   #2
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My advice is to only buy the stuff you KNOW you will need now, basic pots, pans, sheets, towels, water and sewer hoses, along with their accessories and then buy the rest as you go. I bought several things in the first month or two after buying our current coach that have now been riding around in our coach for 5 years and have never been used. For example a Ninja brand multi use bullet style blender / food processor, and a Sani-Con tank buddy macerator pump, I continue to carry them because I might use the one day, just one day has not yet arrived.
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Old 09-17-2021, 12:29 PM   #3
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We had a 2 pronged attack. We either bought new for the house and moved our house stuff to the camper or hit the dollar tree for kitchen/bath kinda stuff.
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Old 09-18-2021, 11:19 AM   #4
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Personally, I would wait on some things, but the important things like a good quality sewer hose, the all important, sewer hose cradle, potable water hoses and filters, Surge suppressor for the incoming power. As far as what lengths of hoses for sewer you need at least 2 that are 10 - 15 feet each, make sure to get a clear connector either for where you connect to the MH or at the other end where it goes into the ground connection. I prefer the one at the MH because the ground connection could be just far enough away that you can not see if the fluid is clear. Also for your potable water hoses, not regular garden water hoses, get a 5ft, and at least 2 10-15 or even 20 foot hoses. you will also need a separate hose (garden, green or black) 10-20 foot hose for connecting to the black tank rinse connection.
Now as far other things, I have learned to wait until you actually have the MH because you don't exactly know how much actual space you have and how wide or deep a cabinet might be. The dollar store is great for kitchen stuff, dish rack, pans, plates, etc.
A good trick is camp out next to house for a day or 2 so you see exactly what you need or even a campground near the house so you don't have to drive far to get things you need.
Good luck and Happy Glamping. We all know its not really camping when you have TV, satellite, microwave, AC and all the goodies of home

It's Glamping so have a good time.
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Old 09-18-2021, 12:32 PM   #5
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Start with the basics. Sewer hose kit, fresh water hose, EMS/Surge protector, a couple of outdoor chairs, an LED lantern, paper products, beginner set of dishes, silverware, a couple of pots/pans. For the Sewer kit, water hose and EMS, but good quality stuff. It makes a big difference. Start making trips within 2-3 hour drives and see what else you feel you need. Everyone is different with different wants and needs so everyone's list varies.
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Old 09-19-2021, 07:29 AM   #6
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When we bought our RV 8 years ago Amazon was a great source for parts. Good suggestions above for the basics needed.

I also spent a lot of time on the RVGeeks YouTube channel. The guys explain just about anything you could think of and have continued to be a great resource. Enjoy!
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Old 09-21-2021, 12:08 PM   #7
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We did dry runs in the backyard as much as possible. There is also a campground close to home I had planned to visit that is also well within easy driving distance of any and all supplies I meant to visit but never got around to it.
We loaded up with various items from the house and guesses at things from places like the Dollar Tree. The idea being that if we were wrong we could just toss that stuff. And if we were right then maybe upgrade to things more suitable and/or of higher quality as we went. For our five-six times a year trips that plan has worked well for us.

If you happen to camp next to me and inform me that you are rather new to this and didn't realize you needed...whatever. You can bet I will share what I have if at all possible. Many fellow campers are the same way. So if you're at a campground with other folks rare would be the problem that can't be overcome some way or another.
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Old 09-22-2021, 09:58 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rg8043 View Post
I just ordered a Sunstar 27P and should hopefully be taking delivery in about 2 months. My goal is to start purchasing the items I will need now, so when the coach arrives, I will be able to start learning how to use it without having to spend time figuring out what the basic essential items are before starting out on a trip.

I turned to you tube and of course there is an overload of information about what every Newbie Rver must have, with a link to those items on their website for purchase. I certainly have no qualms about supporting these channels, but I am starting to wonder how to zero in on what is really "good" information.

I wonder if any of you experienced this same dilemma when you first started and if so any words of wisdom to pass on?

Thank you in advance for your input

Rob

Check out your operators manual which is available for download on Winnebago's web site plus check with your dealer to find out what they include with the coach as many provide some basic items with every purchase.

Sheets, towels, toiletries, shaving kit, dishware, cookware, coffee appliance/pot, utensils, flatware, broom, dustpan, vacuum cleaner, wipes, all purpose cleaners, dish soap, ant killer, citronella, window squeegee, tire gauge, tire pump, holding tank chemicals, hoses rated for drinking water, a decent sewer hose with a slinky, perhaps an extension cord that matches the amperage of your new coach, disposable rubber gloves. Don't forget to get some holding tank safe toilet paper while your at it (the cheapest, least chemically treated, lotion free, discount store septic safe, toilet paper will do), a basic first aid kit or an entrance/step mat. Much will be the same as moving into a furnished apartment where you have to bring your own small appliances, cookware, cleaners, sheets, towels, etc, etc. If you didn't order yours with privacy curtains for the cab area then you'll need those for the windshield and cab windows plus some kind of sun shade to take the load off the air conditioning when your camping. Insulating vent cushions for the roof vents will help too.

A basic set of tools are very good to also have.

This set from Harbor Freight typically sells for less than $50 and has just about all you'll need aside from a hacksaw and a hammer, is easy to store and comes with a no questions asked lifetime replacement warranty. Just walk in with a broken tool from the kit and they hand you a replacement at any of their stores in the country.

Be mindful that you will need to weigh the coach after you have outfitted it with your stuff and all passengers and then weigh it to verify its not too heavy front to back or side to side, make any corrections if needed, inflate the tires per the tire manufacturers load chart (not the generic inflation info on the door card) and then have it aligned to match how you will be traveling with it. The alignment done at the factory is for delivering an empty coach to the dealer and not the final owners alignment. Many have a lot of angst and a white knuckled first drive because the loading, tire pressure and alignment processes were skipped and then instead of fixing the original simple error spend thousands of dollars on add-on components when most of their issues are from simple things like the load not distributed properly, tires over/under inflated and the alignment not being matched to how the coach is loaded.
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Old 09-24-2021, 03:23 PM   #9
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The one thing I did forget to mention. You should weigh the MH with a full tank of fuel and water before putting your stuff in it. Then go back and weigh it again, full fuel and water and the stuff you placed in it. you need to document this information because it will help you understand other problems down the road with handling. Beside you will be surprised at how much junk you actually have in there.
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Old 09-24-2021, 04:50 PM   #10
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Just adding.. discount cast iron ware.. to cook around camp fire.. pair of 2 way radio.. in case you loose cell service.. cheapo tent.. in case want to do some outside camping.. a heavy duty tire repair kit.. 2 extra heavy duty fire extinguisher.. 1 at least co2.. kitty litter in case you leak oil.. nice big 1st aid kit.. large plastic tub in case you leak oil.. tp you need that.. it could be in short supply... load up on that.. and pt.. always need that.. black tank treatment..
Oh.. if stored outside.. start pricing cover.. good luck.. only thing holding me back 1st time is 19.5 tires.. oh add portable air compressor.. better add another smoke detector.. to be safe.. fire is a real big deal.. so anything related to that you can add..
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Old 09-24-2021, 05:02 PM   #11
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Oh yes.. get ready to download every manual you can find.. and for each appliance and gen.. I keep two computers.. one at home desktop and transfer to old laptop so if it get taken all they will find on it.. is manuals.. kids grow out of laptop faster than shoes.. I just use their old one.. I load my repair pictures and maintenance pictures so I can remember what I did.. I suffer from concussions.. so take a lot of pictures of anything you touch.. so you can go back and check.. definitely take cell phone with camera and flash and record all sticker you can find.. because they tend to be faded and or gone by the time you need them.. they are all over the rig.. and as always good luck and let us know what you did and maybe better members then me will help you
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Old 10-02-2021, 12:34 PM   #12
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One person's necessities are often another person's never-needs but here we go. These are things that we use every single time we go out. YMMV, of course, but these things are what I can think of offhand that we find essential. In addition to a lot of items already mentioned:

General stuff--small portable gas BBQ with extra propane cylinders; collapsible chairs that fit into long slim bags; outdoor patio carpet; small folding table that also fits into a slim bag; small welcome mat to put in front of steps to wipe shoes; velcro straps of assorted sizes to secure all sorts of stuff; fly swatters; rain ponchos and umbrellas; small collapsible basin to wash muddy dog feet outside; spray can fire extinguishers---we like Tundra from First alert and keep one in the bedroom, one in the kitchen, plus the regular fire extinguisher; battery-powered emergency weather radio (with crank and little solar panel for charging); picnic tablecloth with clips; phone/tablet/etc chargers; dust buster or small stick vacuum;

Kitchen--small toaster oven; coffee maker; paper plate holders; long forks/skewers for hot dogs and marshmallows over the campfire; whatever utensils you think you might need; can and bottle openers for wine, etc; manual can opener; sharp knives with covers; extension cord with multiple outlets (most appliance cords are short and RV outlets might not be placed in a convenient spot); plastic cutting boards; a set of nesting bowls (I have a set that includes a colander, measuring cups, measuring spoons, and bowls, all nesting neatly in one small footprint); pots and pans that also nest; chip clips; various plastic baskets to put in cabinets to keep stuff from flying around; squeeze bottles for condiments instead of glass bottles; food containers of various sizes for leftovers that have screw tops; paper towel holder; small plastic tote for under sink storage of things that might spill; expandable tension rods for refrigerator shelves to keep things from flying out of the fridge when you first open the door after traveling; diluted dish soap in a spray bottle (rinses off faster from dishes, saves water)

Bathroom---septic-safe toilet paper; the usual toiletries; small bath mat for floor; travel-size hair dryer; sunscreen lotion; after-sun lotion; anti-itch treatment for bug bites; any medications you need; shampoo and dry or No-Rinse shampoo; cleansing wipes; first aid kit; bug spray; tick removal tool

Bedroom---small battery clock; also, check and make sure of the bed linen size---some RV's have odd mattress sizes (RV Queen, for example) and regular linens won't fit those mattresses;

Miscellaneous---TPMS; tire inflator (we love our ViAir); GPS programmable for RV's (Garmin); surge protector; depending on your RV, a "dog bone" adaptor for your power cord; extra windshield wiper (at least one); levelling blocks (even if you have a power leveling system); cordless hand drill and proper sized socket for manually retracting slides or levelers if you have to (ugh!!); emergency repair stuff for leaks (tape, caulking); small leaf blower for clearing off slide toppers (don't laugh); collapsible footstool;

We had a 24ft Winnebago Class C and as we put stuff on that coach I weighed and added up every item. We drove to a CAT scale and fully loaded (including food, water, clothing, dogs, etc) we were several hundred pounds less than our maximum carrying capacity. Sounds like a lot of stuff but we were fine.

We now have a Class A and a lot more carrying capacity but honestly I can't think of anything more we would carry except perhaps more cases of water and adult beverages.
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Old 10-02-2021, 12:44 PM   #13
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Just buy a "Harbor Freight". They have everything you will need, except a water pump fuel pump and alternator. Rock Auto has those.
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Old 10-02-2021, 01:23 PM   #14
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It all depends on what kind of camping you’ll do 75% of the time.
If you’ll have mostly full hookups, all that stuff that runs on ac power is nice to have.
If you’ll mostly boondock, you’ll find it enjoyable, less weight, and less complicated to get stuff that runs on dc, and do without ac stuff.
It’s just as easy to make coffee on the stove with a percolator or French press instead of an ac coffeemaker. Similarly it’s just as easy to make toast on a propane grill or griddle as it is in a ac toaster. And you’ll find that on the rare occasion you want to use the microwave, you can just fire up your generator. For everything else ac, you’ll have an inverter.
Most importantly, get accessories (filters, zero water, etc.) to protect the quality of your fresh water supply, or plan on packing a lot of bottled water.
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