Start up kit - help

[KevandSyl]

We are picking up our 2016 Forest River FR3 30 DS on Friday. The dealer says they give us a gift card to purchase a start up kit. Lines and seals and stuff. Any suggestions/pointers/advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your patience with a newbie!!

Kevin and Sylvia

[crunchman12001]

Hi,
Congrats on your new rig.
You will need a sewer hose, fresh water hose, a "city water" pressure reducer, RV toilet paper and black tank treatment. These basics will get you by for your first trip (which should be in your driveway overnight)
I strongly advise you to buy a Progressive Industries EMS. This will be your best investment to protect your rig from electrical issues. You can buy one here.
EMS-PT30C 30 Amp Portable EMS
The rest is the "fun stuff" to accessorize your rig.
Happy trails!

[ependydad]

Generally speaking, the kit dealers gives is generally subpar and you'll end up buying the same things separately.

Here's a list of "first trip essentials" and then lays out some "should haves".

[DavidMPDK]

Congratulations, welcome to the FR3 world.
The "gift" is to help with the basic essentials you need to actually use your RV. Many people have certain preferences as to which equipment (brands) they like so this way you can choose your preferences. Here is a list of items I feel you will need right off the bat. You will add on as you go. (You Tube is great for info)
1. Rhino flex sewer hose. (not a cheap one) (eventually you will get an extension hose for this)
2. Clear "straight" adapter for sewer hose. (so you can see how clean black tank is)
3. Water pressure regulator for water hose hook up.
4. Water hose ("BLUE" designated and used for fresh water only)
5. In line water filter (fits on water hose)
6. Electrical surge protector (many kinds and prices - do research)
7. 30 amp to 120 amp Dog bone. (So you can plug your rig in at home and various places)
8. Black tank treatment sanitize.
9. RV toilet paper (controversial) You Tube it to find out why)
10. Water thief-Bandit (for non-threaded water spigots) "might be able to get this later, you will need one eventually".

This will go over your gift card, but these are the basics. The bolded are the very bare essentials. You just spent thousands of dollars for the RV. Now is not the time to not protect it.

After this you will find many other things to make life on the road easier. I can't stress enough the help and information you can, and will get from this forum and You Tube to help you make your own decisions. This forum is the best place to ask and get your specific questions discussed and possibly answered. It has helped many of us time after time. Real life experiences. ENJOY!!

[gspot01]

You better bring your credit card along as well. The gift card the dealer gave me was for $50 and was just an excuse to get me into their store. That no where near begins to cover the expense of the necessary accessories. I won't say how much extra I spent. Just think, you're outfitting an additional "house." Even if you buy the cheapest stuff possible from Wal-Mart or the Dollar Tree, you still gotta have it.

Sent from my SD4930UR using Tapatalk

[Celkalee]

Welcome to the FR3 world. We are on year two and have had a great time, no major problems. As everyone has already mentioned this is a great place for information. Buy the best quality you can afford, it will serve you well, then have fun. And yes, bring your credit card and don't forget to check the larger Walmart's, their prices are very good.

[Charles Allen]

Blow the gift card, and then go to Wally World to finish getting your supplies

[ShermanD]

Originally Posted by KevandSyl

The dealer says they give us a gift card to purchase a start up kit.

Kevin and Sylvia

The coupon is probably for their pre-packaged start up kit

It will probably include
4 pack toilet paper
couple packages of toilet chemicals
10 foot sewer hose with ends and hose clamps
25' fresh water hose, maybe an inline filter
and a couple other goodies.
Enough stuff to get you through your first outing
It gives you time to make a real shopping list

they should also include a 25 foot shore power cord.

[DrLewie]

I agree with all of the above, with one possible addition. If your rig is equipped with a built-in black tank flusher with a separate city water connector, you will need to bring a regular garden hose. When using the tank flusher there's a possibility of dirty water backing into the water supply hose, so you need to have a hose that's only used for the flusher.

Also, the suggestion that your first trip should be in your driveway is a good idea, but before you actually hit the road on any kind of extended trip, take the rig to a nearby campground for a night or two as a shake-down cruise. It's fairly common for issues to be found in a new RV and its better to find them when you're within range of your dealer than far-far away.

[Tom48]

Originally Posted by gspot01

You better bring your credit card along as well. The gift card the dealer gave me was for $50 and was just an excuse to get me into their store. That no where near begins to cover the expense of the necessary accessories. I won't say how much extra I spent. Just think, you're outfitting an additional "house." Even if you buy the cheapest stuff possible from Wal-Mart or the Dollar Tree, you still gotta have it.

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Shop it their overpriced store. Decide what the gift certificate covers, decide what else you need and buy it elsewhere. CampingWorld clearly has the best selection, but Google Search will find the best prices AND MOST OF THAT WILL BE ON AMAZON.

WELCOME TO THIS KIND OF CAMPING.