New to RV'ing

[Tonk Mom]

Hello. I am Jill and am new to all things RV. My husband and I purchased a 31 foot 1999 Coachmen Leprechaun with 46,000 miles. It appears to be in very good shape.

We have installed a new toilet, new bed, new clips for the outside and new light covers on the outside.
I have been purchasing items I think I will need in the motor home, but husband thinks I am spending too much money which I don't believe I am due to getting good prices on things I think we need such as awning lights, outside table, dust wand and the like.

We have a Good Sams Deluxe membership and Good Sams Roadside Assistance. Insurance is through my car insurance company.

Would someone be so kind as to tell me the must haves so that I am prepared for our cross country trip from Florida to California? We will be living in the motor home until we figure out where we will live in LA.

Any help to a newbie will be greatly appreciated.

Jill

[Having A Ball]

Hello Jill,
Welcome to the forum.
Congrats on the purchase and good luck with the road trip. I have driven from So Fl to Colorado 3 times. Once in a moving truck, a pick up and finally a pick and 30 car hauler. If I have any advise it would be to not rush. I had a time crunch transporting a hot rod on the last trip and through Dallas there was an over turned semi that shut the highway down for 4 hours. And yes I was right behind him when it happened
** Do not be in a hurry and take your time. I know thats a common sense thing but so often all we do is wanna haul butt and not enjoy the road! Take a detour for that New someplace special. Chances are you might not be driving that way again.

Safe travels to La and enjoy your New motor home

[ependydad]

There aren't a whole lot of things you need:

NEED: the camper will come with an electric cord

NEED: a drinking water hose
- 25' or 50' is usually sufficient; I carry two 25' lengths and usually only need one but have had a couple of occassions where both were needed

NEED: a way of dumping your sewer
- this depend on the type of camping and sites you get. If you will commonly get sites with sewer at the site, I recommend 20'-30' of sewer hose in the form of a good kit (from Walmart is usually the cheapest to source locally). If you'll just use a dump station, a 5'-10' section of hose should be sufficient.

NEED? I've never motorhomed - are wheel chocks necessary?

NEED: method of cooking and eating
- limited pots, pans, microwavable containers
- plates, bowls, cups, utensils

NEED: toiletries, medicines, bedding and limited amount of clothing

NEED: minor tool kit
- we picked up 2 $15-$20 gift kits for keeping in the camper; they aren't good tools, but they get me by

I'm pretty sure everything else is on the "wants" list:
- awning lights are cool
- tank flushes/wands are helpful
- entertainment (radio, TV, books, handheld devices)
- clear connectors for sewer are helpful for seeing what your tanks are flushing out
- extra jacks/stabilizers can make living a little more comfortable by taking movement out of the coach when parked
- inside/outside furniture obviously makes life more comfortable

My wife and I spent a crap ton of money on things we "needed" (and still do). But, truth be told - most of that stuff is just stuff we wanted that makes life a little more convenient.

[Tonk Mom]

Thank you. We have all that stuff and more. I fully stocked the kitchen with appliances, dishes, coffee, food. I have two slow cookers, pressure cooker, rice cooker, cappuccino machine, coffee machine to name a few. I am sure I have much more than I need, but I anticipate being in there for about six months and want to make sure I can cook like normal. I am not thinking about the RV as a vacation at the moment, but more of a home until I find a home.

My cats will be with me and their huge crates are taking up so much room. I want them to be comfortable in such a long trip and opted for four large crates instead of carriers so that their beds, water bowls, litter boxes will be in each crates. We have two crates above the driving area where there is normally a bed and entertainment center and we lowered the dining table and put two more crates there.

Jill

[iluvlcy]

One thing we could not live without is our portable ice maker!

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by Tonk Mom

Thank you. We have all that stuff and more. I fully stocked the kitchen with appliances, dishes, coffee, food. I have two slow cookers, pressure cooker, rice cooker, cappuccino machine, coffee machine to name a few. I am sure I have much more than I need, but I anticipate being in there for about six months and want to make sure I can cook like normal. I am not thinking about the RV as a vacation at the moment, but more of a home until I find a home.

Jill - I'm not sure how much carrying capacity that your motorhome has, but you might need to be aware of how much stuff you're carrying with you.

Here's kind of how that works:
A. Your base MH, fluids and living quarters weigh a certain amount
B. Your motorhome has a designated maximum weight that it can carry (called, "gross vehicle weight rating" or GVWR for short)

The difference between B - A = the amount of stuff your motorhome as designed to carry. You and the hubby are included in that number. Also included is everything that you carry into the camper that wasn't there originally.

Driving a motorhome that is overweight can be a dangerous thing as things can break, brakes may not work as effectively, etc.

Finally, I think I read 4 cat crates in that.. I assume that means 4 cats. Does each cat really need its own crate? Could you get away with just 1 crate in the cabover area that the cats share?

[Tonk Mom]

The cats will be sharing crates...

They are my biggest worry.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by Tonk Mom

The cats will be sharing crates...

They are my biggest worry.

Holy mackerel, how many cats do you have?

[Tonk Mom]

Originally Posted by ependydad

Holy mackerel, how many cats do you have?

A lady never tells.

I'm 52.

[buckeyefan]

I would check the age of the tires. I am no expert but if the tires are old (4-5 years) you might want to consider changing them before such a long trip. Maybe someone with more motor home experience than I will confirm if tire age is an issue on motor homes as they can be for TT and 5th wheels.

[Tonk Mom]

Originally Posted by buckeyefan

I would check the age of the tires. I am no expert but if the tires are old (4-5 years) you might want to consider changing them before such a long trip. Maybe someone with more motor home experience than I will confirm if tire age is an issue on motor homes as they can be for TT and 5th wheels.

Hi. I believe the tires were changed before we purchased which is about a year ago. The motor home has just mostly sat in the storage yard as our trip keeps getting delayed.

[clancythecamper]

Good grief ! sounds like quite the adventure. I would just be cognizant of your daily life and then add those items to the list, for example laptop charger, first aid kit, broom, address book. If you have the opportunity to stay in it for a day or two before the big trip, it will help you realize whats missing and maybe what you can do without.

Good Luck on your venture ~

[Tonk Mom]

Thanks so much. I think that because we are losing out home, I'm kinda freaked out and want everything with me cause I don't want to lose my "stuff" too. I guess that is what it is.

[Tonk Mom]

Here are some photos: