Senior New to RVing

[patrickmoran]

I will pick up my new Compass AWD 23TE next week. I'm very excited and nervous. This will be my 1st RV of any kind. Trying learn lots and looking for resources so the forums look like they will be great.
My wife, Anne, and I live in southeast Florida. My long trips will probably be solo.
Looking forward to sharing my travels and some day helping newbies!

[rarebear.nm]

Welcome to a great RV forum. Never be shy about about asking questions. You'll probably get some very good answers and some that are lesser in quality. Just need to sort out the good stuff.

[BA Alexander]

Welcome!


I'm sure you won't regret diving into the RV life. Can't wait to hear about your adventures.

[MSHappyCampers]

Hi ! Welcome to IRV2! We’re sure glad you joined the gang here!

Congrats on the new rig! Have fun and keep her between the ditches!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

[van-gogh]

Originally Posted by patrickmoran

I will pick up my new Compass AWD 23TE next week. I'm very excited and nervous. This will be my 1st RV of any kind. Trying learn lots and looking for resources so the forums look like they will be great.
My wife, Anne, and I live in southeast Florida. My long trips will probably be solo.
Looking forward to sharing my travels and some day helping newbies!

YES, good for you a shake down trip is one of the best things to do in a new RV. Sadly the wife won't be with you to enjoy the shake-down first trip. As a long time RV'er try not to rush things and never pull into anywhere you can't see your way to get out as you move forward. In reading your post I'm thinking your in a Class B, so I have a few links below to help you both when out on the road. South Florida East, man you guys have had over 100-inches of rain in fort Lauderdale, Florida, were in Tampa, Florida. Attached are some helpful websites to help you both get up and running more quickly. Make yourself a RV BOOK of of the RV, trip logs, tips tricks and so food suggestions for both hot and cold.


Welcome to IRV2 Forum and you can learn a lot here. Feel free to download a lot of helpful and fun information and make a few friends as you go. See you at the next Crossroads of RV talk and conversation here in iRv2. Let the outdoor adventures begin and always be safe.

The following websites ( .com ) may be of some help on your travels: RvParky, for campsites. [Mod Edit] To find the much-needed RvDumps, when time comes to empty the waste. Feel free to always to answer of ask questions here on iRv2 .com/ Welcome at home here.

Welcome home here at iRv2 Forums

[theoldwizard]

Put together a good tool kit. Minimum of a couple of screwdrivers (straight blade and #1 and #2 Phillips), pliers (regular, locking and needle nose) and a 1/4" and 3/8" drive socket set, probably both Metric and standard. Also need a 12V incandescent (NOT digital/LED) test light (more important than a meter, but that is good also). A 120V circuit test plug is also a good idea.

Always carry nylon zip ties, electrical tape and duct tape. Shop Harbor Freight.

[patrickmoran]

Originally Posted by van-gogh

YES, good for you a shake down trip is one of the best things to do in a new RV. Sadly the wife won't be with you to enjoy the shake-down first trip. As a long time RV'er try not to rush things and never pull into anywhere you can't see your way to get out as you move forward. In reading your post I'm thinking your in a Class B, so I have a few links below to help you both when out on the road. South Florida East, man you guys have had over 100-inches of rain in fort Lauderdale, Florida, were in Tampa, Florida. Attached are some helpful websites to help you both get up and running more quickly. Make yourself a RV BOOK of of the RV, trip logs, tips tricks and so food suggestions for both hot and cold.


Welcome to IRV2 Forum and you can learn a lot here. Feel free to download a lot of helpful and fun information and make a few friends as you go. See you at the next Crossroads of RV talk and conversation here in iRv2. Let the outdoor adventures begin and always be safe.

The following websites ( .com ) may be of some help on your travels: RvParky, for campsites. [Mod Edit] To find the much-needed RvDumps, when time comes to empty the waste. Feel free to always to answer of ask questions here on iRv2 .com/ Welcome at home here.

Welcome home here at iRv2 Forums

Thanks for the links. They will be very useful

[van-gogh]

You are most welcome, and I pray your travels are safe and a touch of adventure in each of them for you. Have a question were always here 24/7. Happy Holidays, and travels to you both.

[patrickmoran]

Originally Posted by theoldwizard

Put together a good tool kit. Minimum of a couple of screwdrivers (straight blade and #1 and #2 Phillips), pliers (regular, locking and needle nose) and a 1/4" and 3/8" drive socket set, probably both Metric and standard. Also need a 12V incandescent (NOT digital/LED) test light (more important than a meter, but that is good also). A 120V circuit test plug is also a good idea.

Always carry nylon zip ties, electrical tape and duct tape. Shop Harbor Freight.

Thanks for the suggestions. Getting to tool kit together.

[rarebear.nm]

Welcome to IRV2. Never be shy about asking questions. We all started someplace.



I've attached my standard reply to the tool list question. This is is long, but as I say YOUR tool kit needs to reflect where and how you travel and desire/skill level to use tools. Some folks are best using a phone and credit cards.


Tool List

I do all/most of my own maintenance and service on my 5th wheeler and the motor home. While working on a rig at home I try perform these functions out of my on-board toolbox, if I’m short something it will probably get added. I’m one of those guys that never met a tool I didn’t like, so my shop is well stocked. I carry what I think I’d need on the road for most things. We are not full timers, so optional maintenance may get deferred until we get home with full shop access.

What YOU carry needs to reflect your ability and skill level at various tasks. For some people this list condenses down to a credit card and cell phone. If that works for you, then use that solution. Also at play is where do you travel and camp and how long you’re on the road. If you truly boondock verses staying at full service sites you may have different needs. A full timer’s needs would be very different from weekend campers. Those in the middle who travel for weeks/months at a time have still different needs. This is simply my list. I have similar lists for hookup stuff and emergency equipment.

Multi bit screw driver with a wide assortment of special bits, including security bits
Basic dedicated screwdrivers, square drive, Phillips, straight, etc.
Miniature screw driver set with large bit assortment
Most of a Lowes pliers set, left a few things behind
6, 8 & 10 in. adjustable wrenches
8” vise grip pliers
Both 3/8” SAE and metric socket sets, my rig needs both
Both 3/8” SAE and metric combination wrenches
A combination set of ¼” SAE and metric sockets
Medium ball pin hammer
Wire strippers and crimpers
Allen head wrench sets
Tape measure
Dermal tool with assorted bits and cutters
PEX hose cutter and crimper for steel PEX bands
Caulk gun
Grease guns, small and standard
14” pry bar, use to do the last inch of lift when changing tires, makes life easy (never had a flat)
Digital multimeter
Both AC and DC ampmeters, the DC unit should be able to measure low amperage
ODB II scanner with live display
Infrared thermometer
Digital tire gauge and an analog tire gauge
Hydrometer, best if temperature compensated
Turkey basting tube for adding battery water
Propane gas sensor
Battery internal resistance meter
Torque wrenches, I check my trailer wheel lugs every morning along with tire pressures
Four-way tire tool
Long ½” breaker bar with another 30” pipe cheater
12 ton jack
Cordless drill with charger & matching work light
Odd assortment of items used to change a wheel bearing
Utility knife & razor scraper plus spare blades
Small mirror
Telescoping magnet rod for small part pick up
Utility razor knife with spare blades
LED flashlight in toolbox and in each compartment
Snap ring pliers, inside & outside
I use a CO2 system to inflate tires instead of a compressor, I frequently do not have 110v power for a larger compressor
Air blow gun and a extension blow gun (up to 22”) tire inflator
Hand held propane detector
Sewer line wrenches, plastic
Sewer drain plug wrench, plastic
Window wiper, for windows and solar panels
Spark plug socket for the geny
Hacksaw & spare blades
Small wood saw
Battery jumper cables
A two step stool to clean the windshield and other tasks
And what ever I can’t recall

As for supplies and spare parts:
Full set of fuses
Spare bulbs
Electrical, duct, Eternabond, Teflon tape & awning tape
Spark plug, filters and oil for generator
Crimp ends for wires, custom selected for wires on-board
Spare length of 12Ga. Wire
Cable ties, assorted sizes
Spare wheel bearings, race, seals, etc.
Bearing grease
Grease gun and extra grease for suspension bolts
Propane pipe joint compound (the yellow stuff)
Disposable gloves, 5 & 9 mil weights
Leather work gloves
Nitrile gloves, in light and heavy weights
5 x 7 ft plastic tarp, those free ones from Harbor Freight
Rags
Silicone spray
WD40 (this is not a lube)
Boeshield T-9 (this is a great lube)
Spare PEX fittings and PEX clamps (includes PEX end caps) & short length(s) of PEX pipe
Spare sewer hose seals for the ends of the fittings
Assortment of screws
Roof repair materials
Caulk, Proflex for outside and latex for interior
Superglue, epoxy, Gorilla glue
Thread lock
Butyl tape
C-clips for compartment door latches
Dicor self leveling sealant
Brake fluid for the trailer’s disk brakes
Spare rubber brake line and misc. parts
Distilled water for batteries
Washers for water hose, spare wire mesh filter for the city water connection
Spare water filters for whole house filter
Manuals for everything I’ve found manuals for
Hand cleaner
Windex
Roll of paper towels
Other things I can’t think of sitting here

Not really tools or supplies:
30 ft sewer line
60 ft water line, 300 PSI, heated hose in winter
Portable water filter for filling fresh water tank
50 & 30 Amp primary shore power cables, twist-on connector required for trailer end. Normally I only use the 30 amp cables
50 & 30 Amp extension cables
Assorted power cable adapters, from and to combinations for almost anything
Outlet receptacle tester and circuit analyzer can be used with 30 & 50 amp adapters prior to plugging into shore power. The built-in EMS does the real job.
20 ft remote switch setup to bleed the disk brakes
25 ft coax TV cable with coax wrench and female to female adapter, needed in a few places
Sewer drain height adapters, used when sewer drain is in a sunken concrete pad, just take male and female threaded by slip joint ABS connectors and join them on the slip joint, very simple if one side is street type connector. Both 3 & 4” sizes
Macerator pump and dedicated hose segments, on some trips
42 gal. Barker waste water tote, with short sewer hose adapters as required, on some trips
60 gal water bladder with 12 volt water pump configured with hose fittings to refill fresh water tank, on some trips
Traffic cones
Safety Triangles, LED lighted
Safety vests for DW and myself
Heavy duty tire plug kit, lives in truck

I carry this stuff in four places, a regular plastic toolbox for the most used things, another box for the cordless stuff, another plastic box for rarely used tools and a couple large plastic tub for the spare parts. Small parts live in an assortment of plastic part boxes from Home Depot. I have avoided buying those assortment kits of parts. I select only the sizes and types that are actually used in my rig and in quantities that might be needed. With exception of spare tire and wheel bearings I’ve used most of the stuff at some point or another.

[rarebear.nm]

While I'm at it, here is a list what I call hookup stuff. This is also depended on your needs and likes. It can grow at a fast rate!!!


RV General Setup Equipment


Sewer hose at least 12 feet, perhaps extra 12ft section
Clear sewer hose fitting at the RV end. Might be straight, 90 or q 45 degree elbow. Allows you to see if waste water is in the pipe before opening the dump gate(s) and when it has finished dumping.
I like adding a twist-on 3” sewer valve at the existing connection end, with a clear section upstream. This allows you to see if waste water is the pipe and gives you a second valve incase either main ones get jammed partially open.
Many campgrounds require air-tight seals where your sewer hose connects to the campgrounds sewer line. Most are threaded to match many RV 90 degree hose ends. Sometimes you may need a rubber doughnut adapter, rare these days.
A few places require you to use some type of sewer line support device to maintain grade and get your hose off the grass.
Drinking water hose 25 ft. perhaps another 25 ft section
Hose Y splitter, sometimes you must share a hose connection.
Hose “Y” splitter with two quarter turn valves. I attach it between the hose and the RV’s city water connection. I leave the RV side off when hooking up and then bleed off air in the hose with the other Y valve. Then turn-on water to the RV. Solves issue of having air in the RV water lines.
A water meter for the hose. Sometimes I want to carry like half a tank of water but the gauges only read Empty, 1/3, 2/3 and Full.
Water filter, maybe a cheap inline type or a whole hose filter either outside or built-in to the RV
Water pressure regulator, at least the cheap ones that are really flow restrictors that happen to reduce pressure. Better is a real water pressure regulator like a Watts residential model.
If you have a black tank rinse, may want a dedicated hose to attach to that inlet. Mine is marked with red tape wrapped around near both ends.
At least 25 feet of shore power cable, either 30 or 50 amp depending on your RV. Some are attached while others detach from the RV. May also want to carry a correct sized extension cable.
A variety of power connection dog bones or adapters. Your RV may be 50 amp and only 30 amp service is available, or vice-a-versa. There’s also 30/50 amp to 20 amp adapters for some places with only low end power service.
“Surge” or electrical protection device to reduce problems associated with bad 120 volt power. Like a Progressive Dynamics 30 or 50 amp model.
Chocks, at least one pair. If you have a tandem axle trailer consider a pair of X-Chocks to reduce RV movement.
Leveling blocks is you do not have leveling jacks. Even then in some campsites you may need some extra height under the leveling jacks.
If you do not an auto leveling system you’ll need a level, either attached to the RV or hand held to determine when your rig is level enough.
Cable TV coax cable if you have an external cable input connection. May also want a tool to make getting the connection tight/lose easier.
Front door matt, or “patio rug” with corner stakes
Depending on your step arrangement you may want a portable front door step. Many are adjustable in height.
I’ll leave outside items, like chairs, tables and cooking items up to you.

Some of these items are pretty much required for most RVs. Others are really depended upon the type of RV you have and it’s options and the type of places you stay. Boondockers require different stuff than people who only stay at full service sites. I carry various additional items in this category to meet my own experience and wants. There is a seemly endless list of other stuff you can add to suit your RV style.

[patrickmoran]

Originally Posted by rarebear.nm

While I'm at it, here is a list what I call hookup stuff. This is also depended on your needs and likes. It can grow at a fast rate!!!


RV General Setup Equipment


Sewer hose at least 12 feet, perhaps extra 12ft section
Clear sewer hose fitting at the RV end. Might be straight, 90 or q 45 degree elbow. Allows you to see if waste water is in the pipe before opening the dump gate(s) and when it has finished dumping.
I like adding a twist-on 3” sewer valve at the existing connection end, with a clear section upstream. This allows you to see if waste water is the pipe and gives you a second valve incase either main ones get jammed partially open.
Many campgrounds require air-tight seals where your sewer hose connects to the campgrounds sewer line. Most are threaded to match many RV 90 degree hose ends. Sometimes you may need a rubber doughnut adapter, rare these days.
A few places require you to use some type of sewer line support device to maintain grade and get your hose off the grass.
Drinking water hose 25 ft. perhaps another 25 ft section
Hose Y splitter, sometimes you must share a hose connection.
Hose “Y” splitter with two quarter turn valves. I attach it between the hose and the RV’s city water connection. I leave the RV side off when hooking up and then bleed off air in the hose with the other Y valve. Then turn-on water to the RV. Solves issue of having air in the RV water lines.
A water meter for the hose. Sometimes I want to carry like half a tank of water but the gauges only read Empty, 1/3, 2/3 and Full.
Water filter, maybe a cheap inline type or a whole hose filter either outside or built-in to the RV
Water pressure regulator, at least the cheap ones that are really flow restrictors that happen to reduce pressure. Better is a real water pressure regulator like a Watts residential model.
If you have a black tank rinse, may want a dedicated hose to attach to that inlet. Mine is marked with red tape wrapped around near both ends.
At least 25 feet of shore power cable, either 30 or 50 amp depending on your RV. Some are attached while others detach from the RV. May also want to carry a correct sized extension cable.
A variety of power connection dog bones or adapters. Your RV may be 50 amp and only 30 amp service is available, or vice-a-versa. There’s also 30/50 amp to 20 amp adapters for some places with only low end power service.
“Surge” or electrical protection device to reduce problems associated with bad 120 volt power. Like a Progressive Dynamics 30 or 50 amp model.
Chocks, at least one pair. If you have a tandem axle trailer consider a pair of X-Chocks to reduce RV movement.
Leveling blocks is you do not have leveling jacks. Even then in some campsites you may need some extra height under the leveling jacks.
If you do not an auto leveling system you’ll need a level, either attached to the RV or hand held to determine when your rig is level enough.
Cable TV coax cable if you have an external cable input connection. May also want a tool to make getting the connection tight/lose easier.
Front door matt, or “patio rug” with corner stakes
Depending on your step arrangement you may want a portable front door step. Many are adjustable in height.
I’ll leave outside items, like chairs, tables and cooking items up to you.

Some of these items are pretty much required for most RVs. Others are really depended upon the type of RV you have and it’s options and the type of places you stay. Boondockers require different stuff than people who only stay at full service sites. I carry various additional items in this category to meet my own experience and wants. There is a seemly endless list of other stuff you can add to suit your RV style.

wow great info thanks