Stuff we need

[Theplantes]

Hello to all of you fun finder owners we are a new family as new to the camping world we need some help with what we should purchase first and most important things

 

[WSKinVA]

I am sure you have many of these:

a portable Ice Maker
a level indicator (a carpenter's balance will do)
a battery powered drill
If manual stabilizers, a socket to put in that battery powered drill for the stabilizers
chocks
leveling blocks
potable water hose (white)
water pressure regulator
water filter
a Y water hose splitter (or three)
Sewer hose
plenty bottles of Clorox wipes
a squeezable tube of white lithium grease (for hitch and stabilizer lubrication)
Sham Wow (yes, really)
Some kind of bin to throw all of the aforementioned stuff in (excepting the sewer stuff)
Some kind of power surge protector for the shore power hookup
stuff for the inside - I leave all of that to the DW.
Yourself
family

 

[Theplantes]

List

Thank you chad very much. The first messages we got

 

[LJAZ]

Check out the site RVbasics.com lots of good info and some handy checklists including some on what to bring.

 

[WSKinVA]

Wow,great website tip LJAZ! We've been at this four years and I have found more great web stuff for RVing through this forum since getting our FunFinder than I ever got through the aframe forums!

irv2.com
rv.net
technomadia.com
rvbasics.com

aand many more...

 

[LJAZ]

Wow,great website tip LJAZ! We've been at this four years and I have found more great web stuff for RVing through this forum since getting our FunFinder than I ever got through the aframe forums!

irv2.com
rv.net
technomadia.com
rvbasics.com

aand many more...

Great sites! Here's another one I really like:
www.changingears.com

 

[runner421]

Need vs Want

I might separate them in to things you need and things that would be nice to have.
Need: Using WSKinVA's list
Level - side to side and front to back - cheap plastic ones will do
chocks - I like the "X" chocks if you have a 2-axle set up
leveling blocks-raise the low side of the trailer
White water hose
Water pressure regulator
Sewer hose
Lithium grease
Power cord - shore to camper
Adapters-as necessary 30Amp, 50Amp, 15Amp Sometimes you get the last campsite and the connection you need doesn't work.
Wood blocks-sometimes you get an uneven site and your stabilizer jacks don't even reach the ground.
Minimum I can think of that if I didn't have - could ruin a camping trip.
What am I missing?

 

[Travels with Yoly]

Each person's list will be different based upon the type of camping they do the most and the model FF they have. In our case we usually have FHU so a coax cable for cable tv hook up and a second hose for the black water tank flush (a separate feature on our 214) are essentials. My go to fix it item is clear packing tape. It seals well, is water proof and doesn't leave any adhesive when removed that you can't get off with minimal effort. I fixed both the leak in the slide-out roof as well as one of the bedroom windows while in the campsite with it. Both temporary repairs lasted weeks until we got home. I also use a small voltage checker to read the actual voltage at the post before connecting. I know the surge protectors and other items allow you to check polarity and open and shorted circuits but none of them let you know if the site you have is actually running a strong 115 volts. We also go through a lot of paper towels. I buy a "case" at Costco and bring the whole thing on long trips as they don't weigh anything at all. Another item which we had before and one I need to replace (forgot to take it off the trailer we traded in) is a gauge for the propane tank(s) that alert you to when you're getting low. The FF we have has two 30 Gal so they should last a year compared to the single 20 Gal we had before. On that older trailer, we ran out of propane in the middle of cooking dinner. I had to unhook the truck and drive around in town before I found a place that sold replacement cylinders (mine was brand new, the replacement was barely legal)

Also, if you're staying at Resort type RV parks, many of them require a "slinky" that supports your discharge hose so that it ramps down to the sewer inlet and doesn't lay on the ground.

 

[jbfunfinder]

Thanks all for both the website tips and the lists.

I will add two things which for us are helpful. Here in the Southwest, some RV sites require a pad or block to be laid between the corner jack foot and the asphalt. The idea is that some jack feet are so small, they can pierce and damage the asphalt when it is very hot. I make sure I have blocks for the four corners as well as sufficient to raise the tires.

We also always carry a small electric space heater to use in place of the very LOUD built-in Suburban propane heater (when we have hookups). Shame on you, Suburban, for not producing a heater which is quieter!

 

[Travels with Yoly]

The Suburban heater (furnace) in our FF 214 is half as loud as our previous 2 trailers When it's connected to 115 volts it runs the blower motor from the A/C unit on the roof to circulate air. That's where all the noise is. When I run it without the 115 volt hooked up and it's running exclusively on the 12 VDC, it's very much quieter (doesn't use the roof blower) although it takes much longer to disperse heat throughout the trailer.

We also use a 1,500 Watt space heater instead of the furnace unless we're in a rest area on the interstate and it's cold inside when we want to nap. I actually bought a second one because it was on sale, had great reviews and had features our original little one didn't. Then I discovered that we couldn't run the both of them at the same time as the draw kept breaking the GFI circuit (3,000 Watts combined). So, since I had a HD extension cord with us, I just run the cord out the back bathroom window and run the second heater off the standard 110 volt / 20 Amp circuit in the pedestal when we're in a campground

 

[jbfunfinder]

Neil-
Sounds like your 214 has an upgraded Suburban unit. Do you have a regular furnace system with ducting and several registers?...you mentioned the A/C unit.....

I believe Cruiser and many other companies have been building our same model furnace into virtually all of their smaller TT models over the years. We have the familiar Suburban NT16SQ and you cannot have a normal conversation with the spouse while it is running. What I find especially ironic is that the "Q" in the model number stands for "Quiet". Makes me wonder what a non-"Q" model would sound like (if there is one).
And of course, because the fan motor is 12v, it's drone is the same whether plugged into shore power or not.
Jamie

 

[jbfunfinder]

Neil-
Sounds like your 214 has an upgraded Suburban unit. Do you have a regular furnace system with ducting and several registers?...you mentioned the A/C unit.....

I believe Cruiser and many other companies have been building our same model furnace into virtually all of their smaller TT models over the years. We have the familiar Suburban NT16SQ and you cannot have a normal conversation with the spouse while it is running. What I find especially ironic is that the "Q" in the model number stands for "Quiet". Makes me wonder what a non-"Q" model would sound like (if there is one).
And of course, because the fan motor is 12v, it's drone is the same whether plugged into shore power or not.
Jamie

 

[Travels with Yoly]

Yes we have a nice ducted system. I believe there is one in the bathroom and maybe a total of 3 in the cabin (guessing here). They are all at a lower level while the ceiling ducts blow circulating air only (non-heated). The 12 volt fan by itself makes noise but nothing compared to the roof blower (which is the same as the A/C running). The ceiling vents don't do anything when running on 12 volts system only. I'll check the manual later and let you know the model number. It's out in the camper at the moment

I have a really neat dB meter App on my phone and I always measure the levels for comparisons

Neil

 

[michellep]

Cooler for the beer...

 

[Dakota 1120]

Unless I missed it, we always take a extra set of keys for the trailer and the tow vehicle and the motorcycle we take with.