Top 10 Must Haves before First Outting?

[saltymick]

ok so being a newbie, i wanted to introduce myself, i am a first time 29 BHS Jayco jayflight 2006 TT owner. i did a lot of research and my wife and i looked at alot of TT. we kept getting pulled back to this one for some reson, either because it had what we wanted or price or whatever we just kept coming back. so we like to think of her choosing us. so i will have a ton of questions and i thought what better place than fellow jayco owners.

my first question is

What would be the first 10 things i HAVE to have being brand new?

 

[Crabman]

Welcome to the forum salty!

Sewer hose and fittings
Fresh water hose
Water pressure regulator
Wheel chocks
Weight distributing hitch with sway control
Tow mirrors
A decent brake controller
Wheel leveling blocks
30 amp to 15 amp adapter for home hookup
Electric tongue jack (not a must but darrrnnn nice to have)
Patience and perseverance!


These items are not listed in order of importance!

 

[saltymick]

i got a "starter kit" from the dealer, and they also installed the sway control so i guess i am onto a good start. haha and the one thing i have heard the most is a good sewer hose...

 

[Crabman]

Yeah my starter kit had a fairly cheap and cheesy sewer hose. I purchased a Rhinoflex kit and so far have been pleased with it.

 

[Rustic Eagle]

snip........What would be the first 10 things i HAVE to have being brand new?

Saltymick,

Welcome to the Jayco forums, and congrad's on the new to-you TT.

1. Basic knowledge/understanding to set-up/adjust your WDH (Weight Distribution Hitch) under loaded conditions. If you are new to adjusting WDH's, find someone you trust that can work with you.

2. Lurk around the "Towing and Tow Vehicles" forum, feel free to ask any questions.

3 - 10. Everything that member 'Crabman' listed.

Bob

 

[clutch-FRF]

Crabman pretty much nailed it. A clear elbo for the sewer is nice to have also and a good pair of rubber gloves or a box of mechanics gloves. An outside mat is good to have also.

 

[Usmc616]

We bought a surge supressor, I would hate to have a spike and have to replace some of the electronics.

 

[RedHorse1]

Crabby, Clutch and Rustic always post good stuff.
I don't recall reading any of USMC's posts but with 221 of them it's obviously a memory issue with me:hihi: His comment about a surge supressor is 110%! I was reading a post this week from a fellow who seems to have fried either his battery or converter while camped at WDW last year. My suggestion is not to "cheap out" when getting the really important things.
I'm a newbie myself and am amazed at how much "stuff" I've accumulated for our TT.
I kept the "starter kit" sewer as a backup and bought a Sewer Solution.

At a local outdoor store I found an LED light that clips to the brim of a hat. I recall it costing $5 or so and have used it several times and find it pretty useful (I always seem to have a hat on).

You asked for the top 10 - I think we're up to about 50 items and probably still counting.....
Post often with questions and your discoveries.
Enjoy!

 

[clutch-FRF]

Redhorse, those LED cap lights are worth their weight in gold. You can be totally hands free and they are real bright. They also come with hi and lo beams. I mostly use mine for playing my guitar at night so I can see the song sheets.

 

[Usmc616]

Two more items we have that are great. A 30 amp extension cord ( some times the pedestal is in the rear of the campsite) and a 50 amp to 30 amp dogbone ( I use the 50 amp hook up whenever available simply because it is usually used less and the plug fits in snugger than the 30 amp outlet) .

My DW just chimed in with getting an Oxygenitics shower head- definitely increases the water pressure coming out of the showerhead.

By the way all of these items I bought off e-bay at a savings of 30% minimum from the prices I saw in Walmart or camping stores.

 

[Crabman]

Redhorse, those LED cap lights are worth their weight in gold. You can be totally hands free and they are real bright. They also come with hi and lo beams. I mostly use mine for playing my guitar at night so I can see the song sheets.

I agree, I use the cap lights for Jayco camping, Scout camping, and working when light is needed. They free up your hands for the task at hand and the angle and brightness of the light can be adjusted to your needs. Of course you can also turn your head also to where the light is needed. Those that do not wear caps can use the headlights which have adjustable straps that fit around the head.

 

[3'senough]

Tough to make a top 10 as there seems to be an endless must have list when it comes to camping. It's probaly more like top 100 in my case but here are my 5 to add to Crabman's already great top 10.

11. Agree with LED cap or headlamp in case you need to use your hands to fix something as mentioned above.
12. Extra fuses that fit all your fuse types. i.e. landing gear.
13. 2ft level to check your setup.
14. Set of basic tools. Pliers, adjustable wrench, screwdrivers, tape, etc...
15. Windproof lighter.

 

[NetStalker]

Ensure you have the correct lug wrench to change a tire and a good jack that will get that TT off the ground. Never assume that the unit that comes with the Tow Vehicle will do the job

NS

 

[Bozemanite]

I have a Black and Decker portable power supply. I use it for tire inflation, to power a portable light or fan, to recharge my phone, to power a TV outside, the list goes on. When I am not towing my 5th wheel I leave it in my truck for emergencies. Defiantly a must have.

 

[CampingGirl-JAY]

Welcome to the forum salty!

Sewer hose and fittings
Fresh water hose
Water pressure regulator
Wheel chocks
Weight distributing hitch with sway control
Tow mirrors
A decent brake controller
Wheel leveling blocks
30 amp to 15 amp adapter for home hookup
Electric tongue jack (not a must but darrrnnn nice to have)
Patience and perseverance!


These items are not listed in order of importance!

This is a great list. And ditto to the electric jack - not right off maybe, in fact I suggest perhaps not getting it right off just to see how much of a pain manually putting jack up and down is, then you will appreciate the electric jack even more!

For later on, some non essential "nice to haves" I have added are extension cords that roll up and are retractable, and a collapsible (large) outdoor trash can. I love these two items - I CAN live without them, but would rather not. ;-)

 

[saltymick]

this is all great stuff, i was told that i would learn more/and all i needed to know from fellow campers and i am already beggin the wife and fam for TT stuff. love it

keep it comin please

 

[RedHorse1]

Get a string of LED lights and cliips for the awning! That was one of the Bride's "must haves". Since we're in the Christmas season you should have an easy pick.

 

[saltymick]

ok so far i have purchased a Hydro Flush 45 Degree, 90 Degree Water Hose Entry Elbow, Blow-out Plug, RhinoFLEX Swivel RV Sewer Kit, water regulator, Pump Converter Winterizer Kit. i plan on winterizing it myself. i am a little confused about the 30/50 amp thing. do i need an adaptor for both?

 

[Rustic Eagle]

snip....... i am a little confused about the 30/50 amp thing. do i need an adaptor for both?

saltymick,

I assume that you have a 30amp TT, so what you are looking for is an adapter "dogbone" that will allow you to hook your 30amp TT cord to a 50amp campground receptacle (in case a 30amp isn't available, or not working).

Looks like this:

Bob

 

[clutch-FRF]

http://www.jaycoowners.com/showthread.php?t=5073

If you have a 50 amp service you may need an adapter like this one.