So, we’re not-so-patiently waiting for the arrival of our first travel trailer! We’ve ordered the one we want through a local dealership, and now we’re just waiting on it to come in. (Is it here yet? Is it here yet? Is it here YET?!).
We’ve been given an estimate of January 2017 for our travel trailer to arrive. I fully expect us to be waiting at the dealership with balloons and a cake to help make it feel more welcome when it gets to us!
In the meantime, Gib and I are making wish lists galore of things we want to have in our travel trailer. Obviously, there’s a LOT we need to get, and we’re already plunking down a chunk of change just investing in the trailer alone.
So we’re trying to be smart and not blow our entire vacation budget in one fell swoop by looking for things we know we need for our first trips, and things we can purchase down the road.
I came across this great blog post on Learn to RV.com, “Newbie – First Trip Essentials.” This was a great starting point for us, because it really can get overwhelming trying to think of everything we need to get before we hit the road next spring.
The advice to try to keep it simple as much as you can was really reassuring for us ‘newbies.’ So in an effort to and simplify our own first time travel trailer necessities list, I put together a tally of things we know we need before Trip #1, and things we’ll wait on until later.
First Time Travel Trailer Camping Packing List
- Sheets/Linens/Sleeping Bags for beds
- Coffee maker (just…yes. Luckily I’ve got an old small one in our camping box I can use)
- Shower liner
- RV toilet paper (I didn’t even know this was a thing until recently)
- Kitchen staples (paper towels, salt/pepper, plates, utensils)
- Skillet/2-3 pots and pans
- Cell phone chargers/power cords
- Flashlights/batteries
- White drinking hose
- Water pressure regulator for camp site
- Black hose for waste tanks
- Trash bags
- Bug spray
- Campfire starters
- Dump tank kit (and plastic gloves)
- Camp chairs
- Wheel chocks
**Adding to this list since our first trip on 3/11/17:
What else are we missing for our “first time?” What should we add to our “maybe later” list? There’s so much to think about – and don’t even get me started about decorating! I’m dying to get my hands on this thing and really make it our own….but I want to spend some time in it first and really get a feel for the vibe we want to create in there.
We’d love your tips of other things we should consider for our first trip. And wish us luck during our waiting game!
Congrats!!
RV TP is very important! You may use more per wipe, but it breaks down faster.
Watch your RV weight, if your don’t have a diesel.
Get tank cleaners (grey & black) they help with smells
Learn about cleaning your tanks effectively. If you don’t, your sensors won’t work, and your nose will be assaulted 😉
That is all great advice! I’m adding these tips to my ever growing notebook! 🙂
Leveling blocks…definitely leveling blocks!
Yes another good tip!
We are planing our first travel trailer trip through Europ! RV toilet paper?!?!? Wow! That’s something I didn’t know 🙂
Thank you for your list and now I think I need to make one too!
Make sure you pick up some hobo pie makers! Also called campfire pie irons. You can make lots of different sandwiches, desserts, breakfast foods, and more over the fire. It gets the kids engaged, and the best part: very little cleanup! Get cast iron ones, not aluminum. Follow the instructions to season them. You can pick up recipe books for them, too — we have this one http://a.co/9p0SnXn. They are available at Camping World, Menards, and more.
That’s a great tip! I’ve seen them on Pinterest but haven’t tried one before. Good to know to not skimp on the material and go with cast iron. Will try it out and report back!
What’s not to like about melted cheese? 😉 One of my favorites is pizza (cheese, sauce, & pepperoni) and BBQ pulled pork. Dessert: use a can of pie filling, add some cream cheese. Or chocolate, a marshmallow & peanut butter — or Nutella, if that’s your thing. YUM! Just remember to let everything cool off a bit so no burnt tongues.
All of those. All of those things are my favorite! You sold me. 😂