Creating a list and budget on things that we will need to outfit our RV... Help needed! Please and Thank you...

[LovesTimone]

So as maybe some of you have read we have gotten in the game... We are a ways out from buying the RV... and our friend made a point, just think what fun it will be to outfit it ... Which caused for me that's translate more research, needs and wants, basic's and extra's and above all budgeting... So the planner in me kicked in...

So this is for inside and outside, Kitchen, Bath, Cleaning, Bedding... Outside Rugs, screen rooms, lighting... and everything in between...
whatever you can share is beyond appreciated...

What do I need?
...
What will I want?

Something that you thought you needed or wanted... and it really wasn't necessary?

Unseen things that we will need to plan on just to get out of the drive way and on the road...? Emergency kits...

Things that make set up easy peasy.?
and then packing up easy peasy?

What one thing do you have that is something that's not so common that you found that works great for this or that...?
For instants... someone that DH works with said that a ( washable) good super soft dust mop, and a extension pole... He use's it to clean off the slide awnings and getting in-between the awning and the top of the slide... they had some rouge acorns and/or seed pods get under the seal and it did all kinds of damage..

Thanks so much... for helping a newbie like me out...

 

[Schneewittchen37]

Oh this is fun. I could make a list a 1000 items long. For household gear (non RV specifc), an IKEA is a great place to start.
Need:
Extra sewer hose with connectors - for long runs
Hose support - local regulations sometimes and general drainage
Hose collar - local regulations
Y sewer fitting - easier to dump
Fresh water hose - pin holes, etc.
RV TP - obvious
Black tank "breath mints" - oh the smell and digesting
Power adapters (50 male to 30 female, etc.) - sometimes the campground hook up doesn't match your setup
at least 2 sets of towels per person
at least 2 sets of bed linens per bed
1 camp chair per person
1 camp table
portable gas grill or small charcoal grill (smokey joe size)
pots and pans set
plastic or melamine dinnerware set
stainless steel cutlery
kitchen knives set
cutting board
cooking utensils
grilling tools
TV with cable hookup
Portable radio
Swiffer mop, cleaner, extra pads
Broom and dustpan
Toilet brush and holder
Large first aid kit
Paper campground directories (Woodalls, KOA) lots of the country does not have good mobile data
State road maps
Current road atlas

Nice to have:
Wood container affixed to counters with mounting tape for holding - hand soap dispensers, pamphlets, important papers, hand sanitizer pump bottles

I'll edit and add more as I remember things.

Need part deux:
two bath mats
dish towels
dish clothes
sponges
extra bed blankets
set of plastic drinking cups
set of coffee mugs
desk fans
space heater
ant baits
insect spray
fire extinguisher (don't make me tell you stories about flaming RVs)
door mat
long lighter
matches
can opener
flashlights
extra batteries
nylon rope
carabiners
bungee cords with hooks
blue tarp
road side tool kit
5 gallon water carrier

Nice to have, continued:
turf grass rug
picnic canopy
spare light bulbs
small plastic camping trowel
red check picnic tablecloth
tablecloth clamps
coleman dual fuel lantern
spare lantern mantles
coleman dual fuel camp stove
tea kettle
coffeemaker, percolator, mocha maker or basic drip cones
measuring cups and spoons
shower caddy
rubber shelf liners
personalized wood “Welcome We’re The Jones’s” sign and black metal holder
corn hole set
toaster forks
cooler
rubbermaid bins for storing linens
deck of cards
boardgames
DVD player
Good Sam sticker for back window
Every Disney animated film released before 1999
Disney World bumper sticker

And if you’re handy and really want to trick things out, install stuff that can run off the battery:
12V reading lights on the cabinets above the beds
12V fans in the bedroom area and living area

 

[LovesTimone]

Oh this is fun. I could make a list a 1000 items long. For household gear (non RV specifc), an IKEA is a great place to start.
Need:
Extra sewer hose with connectors - for long runs
Hose support - local regulations sometimes and general drainage
Hose collar - local regulations
Y sewer fitting - easier to dump
Fresh water hose - pin holes, etc.
RV TP - obvious
Black tank "breath mints" - oh the smell and digesting
Power adapters (50 male to 30 female, etc.) - sometimes the campground hook up doesn't match your setup
at least 2 sets of towels per person
at least 2 sets of bed linens per bed
1 camp chair per person
1 camp table
portable gas grill or small charcoal grill (smokey joe size)
pots and pans set
plastic or melamine dinnerware set
stainless steel cutlery
kitchen knives set
cutting board
cooking utensils
grilling tools
TV with cable hookup
Portable radio
Swiffer mop, cleaner, extra pads
Broom and dustpan
Toilet brush and holder
Large first aid kit
Paper campground directories (Woodalls, KOA) lots of the country does not have good mobile data
State road maps
Current road atlas

Nice to have:
Wood container affixed to counters with mounting tape for holding - hand soap dispensers, pamphlets, important papers, hand sanitizer pump bottles

I'll edit and add more as I remember things.

WoW and I can not thank you enough... I printed this out... I am going to have to get a binder tomorrow to start keeping all the great info...

I would have never thought about the paper campground directories or state road maps and a current atlas, I really can't remember the last time we used a paper map... We have laminated maps for the boat... I created a sheet in my computer, for boat ramps, and marinas, fish camp and such to keep up with it...not really much on line, with some of these out of the way hidden gems, this way I can keep up with everything...

I have a questions on the bedding...I going to ask this as a friend said that we should think about getting egg crates style foam, and as well get really padded toppers for the pullouts... as they are like sleeping on a board... absolutely the worst night sleep in the world... and finding some type sheets is a nightmare... and to make sure that we get a true king, and/or that a true king can be put in..... then get a real mattress for the bed.. A true king is necessary for us... DH is 6'4" a bit over, and big man... and I'm taller 5' 8". Comfortable bedding is super important for us... we both have back issues... Thoughts on this?..

 

[Stratman50th]

Nice to have a list ahead of time but I think you'll want to see what you end up with. I only say this because the bed in our RV is the most comfortable of all we have including in the house. We use regular dishes. Even when we have someone with us clean up is the same if you go plastic. Our shelves are lined with that rubberized stuff you get in rolls at Wally World. Cheap and stuff doesn't slip around. Pretty much everything we have is the same as what we have in the house as far as living, toiletries and such. As previously mentioned above you'll definitely need the potable water hose and non potable hose as well as the stinky slinky. Since our coach is always plugged in in the garage we keep it loaded ready for a trip, including clothes. We might add something or take away depending on the weather but but for the most part ready to pull out except for food. Even the medicine cabinets have the same stuff as in the house. Keeps us from forgetting something.
You'll want tools that are general as well as specific to your rig.
You'll figure it out when you buy and decide how you'll store it. Good idea on the list though and some good ideas posted above!

 

[jkh36619]

We bought a 4 inch memory foam mattress topper. Works well.

 

[Schneewittchen37]

WoW and I can not thank you enough... I printed this out... I am going to have to get a binder tomorrow to start keeping all the great info...

I would have never thought about the paper campground directories or state road maps and a current atlas, I really can't remember the last time we used a paper map... We have laminated maps for the boat... I created a sheet in my computer, for boat ramps, and marinas, fish camp and such to keep up with it...not really much on line, with some of these out of the way hidden gems, this way I can keep up with everything...

I have a questions on the bedding...I going to ask this as a friend said that we should think about getting egg crates style foam, and as well get really padded toppers for the pullouts... as they are like sleeping on a board... absolutely the worst night sleep in the world... and finding some type sheets is a nightmare... and to make sure that we get a true king, and/or that a true king can be put in..... then get a real mattress for the bed.. A true king is necessary for us... DH is 6'4" a bit over, and big man... and I'm taller 5' 8". Comfortable bedding is super important for us... we both have back issues... Thoughts on this?..

A lot of the cell carriers have garbage coverage outside the cities/suburbs. So it's better to be prepared. The only reason why I still have Verizon as my carrier is because the other options have worse coverage. When DH had AT&T, his phone was basically a door stop whenever we traveled.

Yes, RV mattresses can be terrible. DH and I aren't tall. He's 5'10", I'm 5'2". Our RV (class C) has a short queen in the bedroom and a queen size-ish bunk over the cab. Along with full-size ish dinette and sofa sleepers.

For the short queen in the bedroom, we have one of these thick foam toppers from IKEA - https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/tussoey-mattress-topper-white-40298145/ . It's super comfortable. We used one with our regular plush top mattress for years. It's like sleeping on a cloud. Egg crates weren't enough for us. The kids use the same kind of topper in the bunk over the cab.

Only the dogs sleep on the dinette and sofa sleepers. They're fine with just a little dog bed and some blankets.

Back to bedding. We use regular size sheets, they work fine on the shorter mattresses.

Related item - no one really talks about it, but RVs can be kind of damp. Doesn't matter if it's hot or cold, some kind of damp is always happening. I recommend only cotton sheets - jersey, flannel (for cold weather), 400 count and up for smooth sheets. Polyester gets nasty and itchy and sweaty. You'll probably want a good cotton thermal blanket and some kind of down-like duvet as well. And extra blankets. Imagine fall camping in the mountains when it gets below freezing at night. Or driving to Florida from somewhere up north in the winter. The walls in RVs are thin and the heater won't be able to keep up.

 

[Disneypeach]

All of the above is great advice...
I’ve added:
a tension rod for the shower...gives me a place to hang clothes or wet towels since my rv is short on storage space...but easy to remove to take a shower
a small ceramic heater
screened in tent/gazebo to be enjoying the outdoors while trying to keep bugs at bay
Bluetooth speaker
rope lights add to nighttime ambiance
solar lights
outside towel/clothes drying rack (I made mine with pvc pipe)
extra power extension cords to run stuff outside
small pancake compressor (powerful enough for truck tires)

 

[jkh36619]

I keep a large (gallon size?) Damprid bucket in my camper at all times. I think it makes a difference. No doubt moisture is the #1 enemy of an RV. We always shower with the fan vent open and running and keep it running with the door closed for about 30 minutes after as well.

 

[Stratman50th]

A lot of the cell carriers have garbage coverage outside the cities/suburbs. So it's better to be prepared. The only reason why I still have Verizon as my carrier is because the other options have worse coverage.

Related item - no one really talks about it, but RVs can be kind of damp. Doesn't matter if it's hot or cold, some kind of damp is always happening. I recommend only cotton sheets - jersey, flannel (for cold weather), 400 count and up for smooth sheets. Polyester gets nasty and itchy and sweaty. You'll probably want a good cotton thermal blanket and some kind of down-like duvet as well. And extra blankets. Imagine fall camping in the mountains when it gets below freezing at night. Or driving to Florida from somewhere up north in the winter. The walls in RVs are thin and the heater won't be able to keep up.

Hahaha! I see where you're from and now I get it with all the extra bedding advice!
We were from your general area as well and have been out in some cold weather. I have a length of heat tape in the belly of the beast to wrap the water hose to keep it from freezing solid overnight. Haven't had any use for it here in Florida, which is the main reason we moved.... Winter only lasts a couple of days, and there isn't any snow!
The OP lives here in Florida as well so probably won't need quite as much cold weather gear either.
I keep my coach plugged in all the time and run the AC to keep the moisture down. It gets pretty humid in Florida which grows mold and mildew. Luckily the AC trick has worked well.
Lastly, Verizon. They pretty much have coverage locked down but the coverage is horrible here where we are in central Florida.

 

[morrik5]

Unless I missed it, the most important item if your unit doesn't come with it when you purchase it, is a surge protector. Either a portable or hardwired one work. They are expensive depending on the one you get but it is cheaper than replacing electrical systems if you get zapped by bad campsite wiring or lightning.

 

[LovesTimone]

OP here..

My list is growing... and growing... You guys are just the best. I am just a padawan and you guys are the Jedi..

DH and I were talking about it last night, and I showed him the list... "sweet" was his reply. I know when we bought the boat... there are things that you must have in the boat and are legally required to have... We upgraded all the life vest was the first thing... We have 2 boat boxes, one for stuff for the boat, and the other is stuff for us on the boat... LOL.



As always Thanks so much... and please keep my list growing...

 

[2goofycampers]

https://www.disboards.com/threads/packing-list-for-campers-2017.3625917/
https://www.disboards.com/threads/packing-list-for-campers.1115732/

 

[LovesTimone]

https://www.disboards.com/threads/packing-list-for-campers-2017.3625917/
https://www.disboards.com/threads/packing-list-for-campers.1115732/

Thank you so much...

 

[2goofycampers]

As far as budget WalMart and WalMart.com has a lot of camping accessories online at a good price.

https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=rv accessories&cat_id=91083&typeahead=rv

 

[mickeyfan0805]

I'll echo Stratman about being careful of not running too far, too fast, on some of this. While it can be exciting to start loading the rig, you can also quickly weigh yourself down and clutter things up with a lot of stuff you later realize you never use. One person's 'have to have' is another's 'never touched.' Your most precious commodity in an RV is weight and space - don't jump too far, too fast.

That said, the three things I would add that I don't think are listed above are:

1. An upgraded shower hose to enhance pressure (we like our Oxygenics)
2. Spring-loaded holders to restrict the movement of food and drinks in the fridge and cabinets as needed (we use towels and pillows in cabinets as need be, but have found that we need these for our outdoor fridge).
3. A good supply of 3m strips, hooks, etc. to accessorize and decorate as desired (mirrors, towel hooks, wall hangings...).

Good luck and enjoy!

 

[LovesTimone]

I'll echo Stratman about being careful of not running too far, too fast, on some of this. While it can be exciting to start loading the rig, you can also quickly weigh yourself down and clutter things up with a lot of stuff you later realize you never use. One person's 'have to have' is another's 'never touched.' Your most precious commodity in an RV is weight and space - don't jump too far, too fast.

That said, the three things I would add that I don't think are listed above are:

1. An upgraded shower hose to enhance pressure (we like our Oxygenics)
2. Spring-loaded holders to restrict the movement of food and drinks in the fridge and cabinets as needed (we use towels and pillows in cabinets as need be, but have found that we need these for our outdoor fridge).
3. A good supply of 3m strips, hooks, etc. to accessorize and decorate as desired (mirrors, towel hooks, wall hangings...).

Good luck and enjoy!

I agree about not jumping down the rabbit hole.. I am a serious planner, and a list maker. When we start something like this we take our time for sure, and weigh and re-weigh everything... adjusting....then doing it all over again, then adjusting more. Adding in how we live, and what our goal is. All the wonderful information that you all so graciously share is just priceless and, is used as reference material, to go back and forth over... I started a folder and now I need a binder to keep everything in...


Our friends are long time campers. They are now in a Class A rolling down the road in retirement... She said that she had a terrible time getting the things in the cabinets and pantry secure. She had some foam left over from a project.. (4 inch) so her DH asked if he could have it... He took it and measured it for the shelf in the pantry, then used canned goods, oil bottles, cooking spray can, and made a pattern.. then cut out the pattern, not all the way thru the foam, and then you just put the canned or whatever in the cutout and it stays put.. like the same thing with eggs, it keeps everything nestle down tight. She said it worked really great. Plus they are washable, just rinse out with the hose, and let dry in the sun. She said that had a bottle of olive oil that had a small crack in it, and the foam absorbed the oil, so no mess, and simple to clean, some dawn and the water hose...She said that for longer stay, she takes everything out and set up housekeeping... for a couple of months, storing the foam in a plastic tub. She said can secure the everything in under a hour, and that's the whole RV... I love how creative he was just using something simple to fix a problem...

Thanks for your suggestion they went in the binder...

 

[tiggerdad]

We usually fill inside fridge with necessary stuff, then I use bottle water to fill gaps to keep stuff from moving around. You were going to bring the water anyway...

I use an electric skillet in my camper. Stove top is small. I just set skillet on top of it. It has taller sides so doesn't spill as easily as a standard pan and I use it for griddle as well so one item with multiple uses.

I strongly agree with pace yourself on packing list. We actually found as we replaced things in the house we just moved older stuff to camper. For instance a knife set, upgraded Keurig in kitchen so moved smaller one to camper. DW makeup mirror.

 

[rajak73]

Something that you thought you needed or wanted... and it really wasn't necessary?

Most everything in my front under storage. Well maybe except for our rocking folding chairs.

 

[Boopuff]

We've owned an rv forever. Our running joke is "there's always a Walmart nearby!" Another tip: when you return home, get a large bin and as you wash/clean stuff to be returned to the camper, put it in the bin and it's ready to go for the next trip. Enjoy!

 

[ambula603]

I love the idea of having a bin - we do that with groceries and pantry items. Just saves time carrying back and forth to the camper from our house. The actual tote stays in the house and doesn't camp with us. To add to that, we have two kids with bunks (so not a lot of space) so I bought them each a cute soft laundry basket that I put their clothes in and they store them near their beds while camping. Then when we come home I do laundry and just put their camping clothes right back in those baskets. They are flexible enough to store things on top of them and cute enough to stay "out" near their beds. My girls know now if it isn't in that basket in the house, it probably isn't making it into the camper when we leave!



Ours are similar to this: https://www.target.com/p/13-34-decorative-coiled-rope-square-base-tapered-basket-medium-white-threshold-8482/-/A-53193156?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&DFA=71700000014779327&CPNG=PLA_Storage+Organization+Shopping_Brand&adgroup=SC_Storage+Organization&LID=700000001170770pgs&LNM=PRODUCT_GROUP&network=g&device=c&location=9014639&targetid=pla-300192947978&ds_rl=1246978&ds_rl=1247068&ds_rl=1248099&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzNeTu5O37AIVUIFaBR0ZvAZcEAQYBiABEgIcUPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds