Need sage advice from all

[noplacetosail]

Hello,

My family including myself, wife, two daughters and baby son have just purchased a 2004 Forest River Surveyor SV 291 from a reputable dealer who will be showing us how to use everything. We will be picking it up and than staying in it for four days on oklahoma at relatives before bringing it back to kansas. Then I will be outfitting it for the summer. Our goal is to leave it at the marina all summer and use it on weekends. Here is my question -
I would like to assemble a list of items to stock it with before taking it to the lake. I would appreciate any and all input.

[NWJeeper]

Originally Posted by noplacetosail

Hello,

My family including myself, wife, two daughters and baby son have just purchased a 2004 Forest River Surveyor SV 291 from a reputable dealer who will be showing us how to use everything. We will be picking it up and than staying in it for four days on oklahoma at relatives before bringing it back to kansas. Then I will be outfitting it for the summer. Our goal is to leave it at the marina all summer and use it on weekends. Here is my question -
I would like to assemble a list of items to stock it with before taking it to the lake. I would appreciate any and all input.

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on the new trailer.

You will need most of all the same things you need at home. Towels, cookwear, dishes, etc. etc. However try and keep the weight to a minimum which is to say you don't need 14 pots and pans when 4 will do. Leave the cast iron at home. Find plastic plates and cups that won't break easy. We found square plates which look nice but stack in a cupboard and waste less space than round dishes.

You don't have to stock the pantry with enough food to last a month if you are only going for a weekend. Since you can disconnect your tow vehicle and run into town you can always pop into a grocery store or Walmart (our favorite on the road) for supplies. Stay away from canned food as much as possible as it adds lots of weight and from 30 years of experience tends to just sit there and not get used.

And of course don't forget the obvious like TP, bug spray, sun lotion, soap, etc. We keep all our drugs (asprin, benadryl, bite and burn cream etc.) in a small plastic tray at home and therfore we don't have to grab everything out of the cupboard at home when we hit the road, we just grab the tray and put it in the rig.

Don't forget a water hose, your sewer hose, holding tank chemicals and the necessities of caring for your RV.

And always pack your sense of humor cause some trips could be outright miserable with out it....

Have fun.

[TulsaSteve]

The best item you can have (in my humble opinion) is a map of the USA with ALL of the Wal-Mart locations clearly marked (or the Wal-Mart iPhone app).

The first time you camp, pick a place with a Wal-Mart nearby.

Also do a Google search for "RV Checklist"... and do it when you have a couple hours to kill

[chevy02]

Also you will learn more about your camper in the four days your staying in it than the salesman will ever tell you Dont get in a hurry pulling it always check your hitch and take a walk around before you leave .Like NWJeeper said pretty much stock it like your home only in smaller quantity most stuff is just common sense and after you will learn what you dont need and can thin stuff out as you go.Good luck with your camper.Visit and post often.

[gregm59]

Congrats! The checklists are great starting points. We started with them and over time have modified them. We now have different ones for different types of trips (time of year, length of time in trailer...). One thing I highly recommend is a notepad where you can jot down the things you need as well as the things that would be nice to have. This is helpful for us so that when we are on the road, we don't buy a bunch of stuff that would be "nice to have". Most of the time, those items require someone (me) to be involved in a project and when I am on the road, I like to limit my projects to things like relaxing, consuming adult beverages and enjoying good company.