Essential TT items + battery question

[Waterops1]

For what it’s worth, the lug wrench recommended by JimMoore13, looks as though the sockets are thin enough to fit in and connect with the lug nuts. I first tried a regular 4-way lug wrench that did not fit. I had to use a breaker bar with extension and 13/16” thinwall deep sockets. Later purchased replacement 1/2-20 lug nuts from e-trailer that DO NOT have the chrome cap and take a 3/4” socket. That extra 1/16” is nicer when trying to get a good bite on a lug nut (at least with the aluminum wheels on my TT.)

Have fun and enjoy the journey.

[Beauty and Beast]

The second battery would be one of the first things I would do.

A nice hitch lock would be the second. It will only keep the honest people honest but might make the bad guys look for an easier target.

Enjoy this new part of your life.

[quicky06]

With my trailer, the battery that came with it could not run the heat through the night if it was below 40.

Skip he cheap cameo inline style water pressure regulators. Hey cut your water volume in half. Go to a hardware store and buy a residentional whole house pressure
Regulator and put the fittings on it for hatrden house. It’s so lice to have full pressure showers now.

Water houses. You want 2 houses. I have 2 25 footers. This way you only break out what you need and they only get used for this. During the winter I carry a heated hose.

My dealer included a starter kit that came with a water hose , to, sewage hose and some other things. It was all cheap stuff but got you going.

I have 2 dump valve locations due to 2 grey tanks. So I carry 3 lengths of sewage hose, a y fitting, an elbow to go into the dump pipe, and a clear 45 flushing elbow. And a black garden hose for the flush. I do not use I for anything else.

I like the gel pack waste water treatment packs. Buy a bucket. I use them in the grey tanks as well just to keep things clean

You’ll need week chicks, leveling system, blocks for the stab jacks , 30-50, 30-15 amp power adapters

I like Anderson levelers and I also have one of thier jacks for changing a tire. I also carry 2 2x12s under my couch Incase I need the height or soft ground. The jack works good under the tongue jack.

I carry 2 packs of plastic LEGO blocks for the stab jacks. If you go out I level the jacks can no longer reach.

I do not have an ems. I don’t see the difference between a power surge at My house and a camp ground.

If you do go far out of level be prepared to have a large last step on the stairs. This year I will be adding a folding standalone step to my storage just in case.

X chicks due a great job of stopping the rocking.

You will want a new bed. The one that comes with the trailer wouldn’t be alowed in a prison.

Go to Walmart and hit up he 89 cent kitchen stuff. Buy cheap stuff and if you use it enough to warrant nicer stuff buy the next stuff. We do a lot of cooking so I have everything i would need to cook at home. Although not all the motorized stuff. Buy a oven thermometer.

Buy a paper towel holder you can screw to a cabinet.

Camco makes spring loaded bars to hold things in place in the fridge and they are cheap.

We have the trailer setup so we add food, water and clothes the night before and we go. It has its own linens that get cleaned after every trip. We have dog food and bowls and leashes, keep toiletries and hair brushes in it. We do keep a lot of non perishable food in year around.

Just look at it as you at stocking a separate home. Don’t try and share things between the house and the camper. That’s how you forget things. We have everything in the camper for the camper , grill, chairs, folding table, floor mats fire starters. If we decide to go camping at 4 on a Friday we can be on the highway at 5. That’s the way I like it.

Now only if I can get my wife to pack her clothes in the night before instead of as we
Are leaving.

[Maxwell D Pratt]

I always go with two battery’s. I also have solar charging system on TT . Will keep battery’s charged all winter without hooking up
To electric. Also will let you go farther without charging while dry camping.

[Skyliner]

A decent inverter generator is a good thing to carry with you at all times. You can get a harbor freight one with a coupon for $429. It is a 1600 watt continuous generator and won't run your airconditioner but will top off your batteries if they go bad.

If that is too costly, then you can get a slightly louder 2 stroke 800 watt generator for $89 from Harbor Freight with a coupon or sale. Although I have solar and over 800 amp hours of battery capacity, I carry my 3000 watt inverter and my small cheap harbor freight 2 stroke generator as backups. The 3KW gennie is for airconditioning and the smaller one is a backup that I use with my air compressor and to heat my diesel engine's block heater.

[Maxwell D Pratt]

I have a Kohler 4 kw Gen Set out of a 76 winabago Motor home . That’s I set in back of truck when I go dry camping. Planing on getting a 3500 inverter gen later on.

[quicky06]

Imo if your going to buy a generator buy one big enough to run everything.

I have had a harbor freight predator 3500 for a while now and the thing is a direct copy of a Honda including the Honda’s flaws. It will run my 15k btu ac and everything else in the camper at the same time. And is no that much more than a 2k watt

[eye95]

Two Wen 2000s, joined into a single 4000 using Harbor Freight’s connector.

[FreeDivr]

Thank you to everyone for the advice!

Definitely helped in regards to many things I had not considered. Watched several videos on the Anderson levelers, seem very cool. Good ideas on the extra hose I’m case I need length. Tools were in the checklist for sure as well as the X style wheel chocks.

Seems to be a mixed opinion on the second battery and yes I plan on buying a generator before complete dry camping. Probably the Chanpion 3100 as price as well as power and noise level all seem to fit my criteria. Plus it will run our ac which is important.

I’m sure we will have many more questions as we start this adventure, we are thankful for this forum as a great resource.

[quicky06]

Originally Posted by FreeDivr

Thank you to everyone for the advice!

Definitely helped in regards to many things I had not considered. Watched several videos on the Anderson levelers, seem very cool. Good ideas on the extra hose I’m case I need length. Tools were in the checklist for sure as well as the X style wheel chocks.

Seems to be a mixed opinion on the second battery and yes I plan on buying a generator before complete dry camping. Probably the Chanpion 3100 as price as well as power and noise level all seem to fit my criteria. Plus it will run our ac which is important.

I’m sure we will have many more questions as we start this adventure, we are thankful for this forum as a great resource.

Just run a simple test.during the day when you are home set the heat to a temperature to make the furnace cycle as it would on a cold night. And measure your battery voltage as the day goes on.

I did this with my single battery prior to upgrading. The way it was I would not have made it through a cold night without the battery dropping below 50percent which can damage it.

Even know with 2 6 bolt batteries. I go to 70 percent battery SOC on cold nights. (35). This does include little things like a cell phone charging and such.

This will atleast give you an idea.

[chadande]

I had the dealer add a second battery when I purchased our current trailer and have never regretted the decision. It is inexpensive insurance for the times you don't have a plug in and don't want to or can't run a generator. They charged me $200 for a second matching deep cycle 12v battery, battery box and the few feet of wire. Installed. Totally worth it.

[jimmoore13]

I forgot one essential for boondocking.

Assuming your gray water dump is separate from your black water dump...some gray water dumps merge with the black water dump to help flush out the black water lines...more on that below.

When boondocking, you need a 5 gallon bucket. This is a great tool for draining gray water and toting it away from your site to water the trees. Gray water contains little more than coffee grounds, a few food particles (as few as possible), soaps (surfactants) and little else. It's not potable, but it's not hazardous waste. I've had some ask, "what if I pee in the shower?" Well, first, don't. Second, if you do, have you ever peed in bushes? But I'd hate to be handling pee-contaminated gray water.

When truly boondocking the vegetation will benefit from the moisture. The surfactants are actually a good soil amendment, and the few nutrients will help fertilize.

In a state or national campground, you can tote the gray water to the pit toilet or bathroom and dump it there. In the wild, the plants will appreciate the moisture - in most cases. Obviously, this doesn't work in the Everglades.

My gray water dump is a 2" line with male thread on the end. I use this adapter to fit a short length of garden hose to make it easy to route into my bucket. When the camping trip is over, I leave the gray tank about 1/3 to 1/2 full and dump (at the dump station) without the adapter to flush out any solids that might be in the bottom of the tank or 2" line. ETrailer has a variety of options including push-on adapters.

Note on dishwater. We use paper towels for "napkins." When done eating, we use the paper towels to finish wiping food particles off our dishes and into the trash. Very little food waste goes down the drain. In turn, this keeps the gray water from being laden with food particles.

With the ability to move gray water safely off site, your only limitation on length of stay is black-tank capacity.

Meanwhile, the bucket is a great place to store blocking for your jack or other items that don't need to be sanitary. And the bucket makes a great step stool and traffic pylon. If your special site is back in a long dirt road where your RV is out of sight, "Homer Buckets" from Home Depot are orange. Put a rock in it and put it out where someone can see the site is occupied.

P.S. If your gray water dump merges with your black water dump, don't try this. It's not only questionable from a sanitation point of view, but it's also bound to cause you trouble. Anyone who sees you dumping from your black water dump is never going to believe you're not dumping sewage. So, if you don't have a separate gray water dump, you might install a T in the gray water line and create one.

All that to tell you about a 5 gallon bucket.

PPS. If the situation allows for it, stretch your black tank capacity by peeing in the bushes. Not only does it save a flush, it also marks your territory if you're in the wilderness. Coyotes and other critters may not "respect" your mark, but they'll get the message.

[Delco Bobby]

Just get the second battery. You won’t be sorry.