New camper

[SMermans]

Hello everyone. I am completely new to the camping world. Embarked upon my new life last year and am ready for some adventure. I am in the great state of Texas. I am getting a 2024 Jayco flight 225mls next week. And I am getting a Tahoe RST to pull it. What all do I need to know before I take my first trip? I need to know things like.....
get a 30 amp surge protector. What else do you suggest? I am excited to get going in May.

[Happy wife / happy life]

Welcome from Northern California!! I’ll throw a couple of things out to you. Get a water pressure regulator ( if you’re going to hookup to city water supply) and a good tire pressure gauge.

[Markb5900]

Originally Posted by SMermans

Hello everyone. I am completely new to the camping world. Embarked upon my new life last year and am ready for some adventure. I am in the great state of Texas. I am getting a 2024 Jayco flight 225mls next week. And I am getting a Tahoe RST to pull it. What all do I need to know before I take my first trip? I need to know things like.....
get a 30 amp surge protector. What else do you suggest? I am excited to get going in May.

Here are the bare essentials
Potable safe water hose
Pressure regulator for water
Surge protector
Sewer hose
Rubber glove for sewer
Chocks for the tire
Set of “better blocks” for leveling the trailer
Everything above can get at Walmart. Suggest harbor freight for the solid rubber chocks

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by SMermans

Hello everyone. I am completely new to the camping world. Embarked upon my new life last year and am ready for some adventure..

It will be a fun one and

[Big1]

Welcome to JOF and just in time for camping season.

[tnka trk]

Welcome to the lifestyle and the forum. Gets are a few to add to the list above:
Start with a good and thorough pre-delivery inspection checklist. I would be happy to share the one I created. Do not settle for the dealers PDI. Send the list to your dealer in advance so they know what to expect when you pick it up. DO NOT take delivery or pay until you are 100% satisfied with trailer. Took our dealer 4x before I accepted our last trailer. Once you take delivery and they have your money, getting repairs done on that trailer will no longer be their top priority.
Get a good weight distribution system and anti-sway bar and ensure they are set up properly.
Put together a roadside emergency kit, tire wrench for truck and trailer, torque wrench, assorted tools including zip ties, duct tape, etc, road flares,
I’m sure someone has a more thorough checklist but these will get you started.

[wiscampsin]

Welcome from Wisconsin. You've got some great advice so far in the above posts. I'd recommend not just getting a surge protector, get an EMS/EPO. It'll give you more protection and well worth the little extra $. There's both portable and hard wired units. Progressive Industries (EMS) and Hughes Autoformers (EPO) are both very popular and well respected units. Links:

https://www.progressiveindustries.net/

https://hughesautoformers.com/power-...SAAEgJEBPD_BwE

[Jacjayco]

Congrats on the new Jayco! Nice unit. The slide really opens up the floorplan.
Very basic, but a front door mat both inside and outside will help keep the coach clean.
Welcome to the group from SC!

[Tunce the traveler]

Excellent size unit & the slide out means no more bumping into each other. One of my convenient mods is this magnetic knife holder. It’s mounted on a sheet of plexiglass held in place with two sided tape so no holes in the trailer wall and it’s also the backsplash on the cooking wall

[JKyle]

This is a great idea. I was thinking about that exposed wall and how it'd be better with some protection. I have TONS of plexiglass panels left over from COVID restriction times. I own a restaurant and had a lot of the panels running the entire length of my bar.

I almost forgot about them stored away in the closet. Time to get them out and start cutting!

[JKyle]

Congratulations on your new camper and Welcome!

This is a nice place with many, knowledgeable people.

Good times to come!

[RogerR]

I saw the little one burner in the picture with knives. Great for a quick cup of tea, bacon or other smoky stuff outside.
Add your RV and tow info to your signature and if you have a item specific question make sure make and model of appliance acting up.

Don't forget a gallon of patience and a couple lawn chairs!

[mapesra]

We bought our first travel trailer 5 years ago. On our first trip out, the people next to us also had a new Jayco purchased from the same dealer. The gentleman came over and told me to check the gray and black water valves. On their first trip, they discovered the valves were both open and had an unpleasant experience when dumping the first time. Sure enough ours were open also. We shut the valves and were spared the nightmare at the dump station.

[JFlightRisk]

snip...

Originally Posted by SMermans

Hello everyone. I am completely new to the camping world.

Welcome from New York State, and congratulations on the new Jay Flight!

A bunch of good info above, so I won't try to spend any more of your money....just yet. That'll come later when you get back and ask some more questions.

Look it over thoroughly, and learn where every component is in the camper, and how it works. do a good long PDI before signing. This is YOUR time to learn all about it, how it functions, and a time to find anything that needs attention or replacing by the dealer. Ask questions until you're certain you understand the answers. Don't be surprised if it takes well over an hour or two. Do not let them rush you through it.

Here's a post (#1) with a PDI list you can print and take with you.

https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...ted-36094.html

[ledoyle]

I would also recommend an water filter that screws into the filler connector. You can pick them up at Walmart.

[Hollander Mutthaulers]

Welcome to the forum - you've come to a great place!

You've gotten some very good suggestions for things to get for your trailer. I would suggest getting the essentials - hoses, water regulator and filter, electrical protection, chocks, leveling 2X8s or pre-made fancy things and wait for a little experience to determine what all you'll want or need as you go along. You can modify and customize your rig to exactly what you want, but it takes little time with it to discover just what that might be just for you. And that's half the fun of RVing.

Keep a journal of what works and doesn't, what you'd like and what you wish you hadn't spent your time and money on, and notes on how to pack, clean, tow, set up and break down camp. We live by lists and it makes life easy and predictable.

You're getting a Tahoe to pull this rig - is it a 6.2? It seems like a pretty big trailer for a 5.3, especially for winds and elevations.

Start simple and basic and build up and you'll have a great time RVing. Best wishes for a lot of happy adventures and great memories!

[gkalmond]

From my experience, I’d suggest a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). If it saves you from one catastrophic tire failure or even an impending flat, it will be worth it. Safe travels!

[pank]

Welcome from Nebraska, all of the above are great suggestions. We carry a small floor jack incase of a flat or low tire replacement instead of getting the tow vehicle jack out.

[spark of insanity]

From our tent camping days we brought over to the pop up what we used for tent camping and incorporated it into that. Then we got the trailer and then added to it. I also went to an outlet Coleman and another camping outlet place to get ideas on things I really need. Now that I have a 27 foot trailer that is parked on my seasonal site in Maine I took things from my mothers estate and brought that into the new trailer leaving our old 21 foot trailer with things that I will not need at home. So from an old hand at this use what you have and go to a store that sells camping stuff and make a list. Otherwise you will end up with what I call what was I thinking.
Happy trails.

[RDTC]

Congratulations on the new trailer. Lots of good recommendations from others.

I would add, RVing is an adventure. You will have some great times and life long memories.

You will run into problems. Possibly an issue with the trailer, campground, tow vehicle, traffic, or potentially bad weather. Look at these issues as part of the adventure.

Take your time, be safe, and thoughtfully work through any problems.