--- or maybe OVERloading your rig.... Let's hope not!

• RV equipment.

These are some of  the things that don't come with your RV that are needed to make it work. Also, some basic maintenance items and handy tools and gizmos
• Several lengths of water hose.... the kind used with drinking water (yes, there is a difference).
• A water pressure regulator... protects your inside plumbing from excessively high water pressure.
• Inline cartridge filter. This hooks up between the faucet and your rig... handy when the water is extra nasty.. A charcoal filter will help take out chlorine and metallic tastes.
• Washing hose. To be used for non freshwater uses.... this keeps you from using your drinking water hose to wash the car, or other less sanitary uses.
• A spray nozzle for washing hose.
• I keep a good sized Channel Lock pliers right there with the hoses to help with overly tight hose connectors, etc.
• Sewer hose.... I recommend a 10' and a 20' piece, each with a fitting for sewer connection on rig on one end..
• Fittings for sewer hoses... I have a selection of adapters and fittings for those parks that require something more than just your hose in the sewer opening. See any camping catalog and bring $.
• 25' 30A extension cord. (or a 50A if your rig requires it)
• At least one 25' 20A extension cord. (get a good one.... 12 Ga. is best...)
• A "dogbone". this is used to adapt your 30A (or 50A) plug to a 20A socket. Absolutely necessary item!
• A tester.... one of those little widgets that you can plug in to test the outlet for proper wiring and voltage.
• A chunk of 75 ohm co-ax cable (tv cable) so that if you happen to find a park with cable TV, you can hook up without "renting" a cable from them.
• Wheel chocks.
• Leveling blocks. Those orange Lynx levelers are great, but some 2X6 pieces will do as well.
• A checklist! See Camping Checklists or make your own.
• A lock for the hitch... can be handy if you have to leave your house in a storage lot or unsecured area!
• Grease for the wheels... your trailer bearings need to be repacked on occasion. Also handy for greasing hitch where needed. Any good wheel bearing grease will work.
• Spare light bulbs.... for interior lights and running lights.
• A level, or those little stick on ones for the outside of the rig.
• Bungie cords... gotta have some!
• Velcro! The self-sticky kind is mighty handy to have around.
• A roll of that non-skid stuff for cabinets and drawers.
• Tow vehicle stuff.

Here are some things that I keep in the truck...
• A CB radio.... tuned to Channel 13 (the RVers channel)
• My tripmate GPS receiver.
• Windex and a roll of paper towels for windshield, etc.
• Spare ignition system components and a spare fuel pump. Spare v-belts. These items can fail and leave you stranded along the road, but with spares on hand, it's a minor fix-it job and you're rolling again.
• Radial tire repair kit, 12v air compressor. Self explanatory..... and in case that doesn't work;
• A spare tire with real air in it, a jack that works and a lug wrench that fits YOUR wheel lugs.
• A log book.... I keep track of fuel and maintenance in mine.
• Tools

OK, I've always been of the belief that the more tools, the better. Since I don't have a full size Peterbuilt to tow this rig around, some limits have to be placed on the tool selection. Tools are HEAVY! I tried to equip myself with all the tools necessary to do any conceivable job that I would be able to attempt while traveling. Does that make any sense? Perhaps an example: if the truck blows an engine, I'm not going to try to pull it and rebuild it on the road... I'm gonna have some garage do the work, so I don't need engine rebuilding tools. However, I want to be able to handle smaller jobs as they come up. There's also the need to maintain the "house", so homeowners tools are needed as well. Here's a list:
 
• Complete  SAE 3/8" drive socket set, with extra extensions, deep sockets, adapters.
• Complete  SAE 1/2" drive set (a set of impact sockets in common sizes) and adapters to go between 3/8" and 1/2". A big 1/2" breaker bar. This also doubles as wheel lug wrench.
• Complete 1/4" drive socket set both SAE and metric. (handy for the bike!)
• 12V impact wrench. This has been one handy dude! 1/2" drive... works with sockets and adapters above.
• Complete set of combination wrenches both SAE and metric.
• Set of 6 crescent wrenches from 4" to 15". (itty-bitty to huge)
• Assorted screwdrivers, allen wrenches, torx bits, etc.
• Assorted pliers, channel-locks, diagonal cutters, scissors, tin snips, needle-nose, etc.....
• Hacksaw with assorted blades, assorted files, Sierra saw, xacto knife handles and blades, box knife.
• Feeler gauges.
• Timing light, compression tester, vacuum tester, digital volt meter, remote starter switch.
• Oil filter wrench.
• A set of common taps and a handle for them.
• Complete drill set... 1/64"-1/2" by 64ths... turned down for 3/8" chuck.
• Hole saw (one of those with lots of different sized blades)
• Duct tape, electrician's tape, masking tape.
• Silicon sealer (RTV), permatex gasket sealer #1 and #2, JB Weld (gotta have this!!!)
• Hammers... a baby sledge, a claw hammer and a fair sized ball-peen.
• A GOOD QUALITY tire gauge... and use it religiously!
• Some wire brushes, a good foxtail brush, a couple cheap paintbrushes.
• A good quality cordless drill... don't scrimp here... I got a big DeWalt 12V drill with an extra battery pack.
• A cordless Dremel tool set with lotsa bits and an extra battery.
• An assortment of small pliers, screwdrivers, etc. for fine work.
• Several flashlights of various sizes... keep spare batteries on hand.
• A tape measure. A ruler. A small builder's square can be real handy, as can a small builder's level.
• An assortment of those little worm-gear hose clamps in all sizes.
• Ty-Wraps!!! Bailing wire. (don't laugh... Bailing wire is almost as handy as duct tape!)
• A decent sized hydraulic jack.
• Assorted lubricants.... WD40, Kroil, 3-in1, silicone spray, you get the idea......
• A caulking gun, and an unopened tube of caulk to deal with those inevitable leaks.
• A small folding shovel.
• A folding stepladder. This is a neat gadget! A 6' stepladder that folds up small enough to fit inside a 4" rear bumper! Available for about $75 from Campers Choice.
• A soldering iron and solder. I have a 12v one... very handy!
• Office supplies.
• Envelopes, stamps, paper, pens, pencils, tape, a calculator, stapler, post-its.... prety standard stuff.
• Your address book!
• Important records, like vehicle papers, medical info, tax stuff, etc.
• Manuals... for the RV and appliances, your computer stuff (if any) and toys like a vcr or camera.
• A place to file important papers... a small fireproof safe is good if you're carrying REALLY valuable stuff, otherwise, a plastic crate designed to accept hanging folders is adequate.
• Kitchen stuff.
• Pots and pans.. don't overdo it, just take the necessary items and leave the rest elsewhere.
• Cookie sheet, cake pan, pie pan, etc. Check to be sure they actually fit inside your smaller RV oven!
• Plates, bowls, cups, glasses, utensils, silverware... real stuff that you can wash.
• Paper/plastic equivalents of the above for when you are dry camping or just don't feel like doing dishes.
• Paper towel and paper napkins.
• Mixing bowls, cooking utensils, knives, measuring cups and spoons, potholders, a cheese grater.
• An electric toaster oven is handy if you can fit it in.
• A dish drainer.... dishcloth, sponge, dobie pad. Dish soap!
• Brillo pads.
• A cutting board.
• Foil, ziploc bags, wax paper, etc.
• A selection of the spices and sauces that you ACTUALLY use... leave the tumeric and fennel seed elsewhere (unless you actually DO use them... ). I had a huge spice collection, but I did away with a lot of it and really haven't missed it.
• Salt, pepper, sugar, flour and other staples.
• Food and drink.... your choice. Try to avoid stocking up.... don't buy 20 cans of chicken soup just 'cause it's on sale.
• Cooking oil, Pam.
• A good propane grill and accessories. A grill stand ( for when you don't have a picnic table handy).
• Buy an "extend-a-flow". It allows you to run the grill off your main propane tank. See any camping catalog.
• Coffee making equipment to fit your tastes and rate of consumption.
• A trash can sized to use those plastic grocery bags as liners... saves $ over buying trash bags.
• A knife sharpener or whetstone.
• An electric mixer.
• A blender only if you absolutely have to go to Margaritaville... a food processor only if you HAVE to have one.
• You get the idea.... Simplify! In a house, it's no problem to have lots of kitchen stuff that is rarely needed, but in your RV space and cargo capacity is limited. Stick to essentials, but don't suffer.
• Entertainment.
• Books. I love to read! The way I deal with it is to carry a few books onboard and then trade them in at used bookstores here and there for fresh ones. This keeps you from carrying around 900lbs of books.
• A television.
• A vcr. Handy if you want to rent a movie for a rainy day, etc.
• A satellite system is a great improvement over trying to find "local" stations with your conventional tv antenna. I have Dish Network and have been quite happy with the service. Check around and see what kind of deal you can find.
• If you have a satellite system, get a "marriage saver". It's a little inline meter that allows you to easily align the dish each time you set it up. They're cheap, easily used, and make it painless to set up your dish. See any camping catalog.
• If you are into computer games, it doesn't hurt to have some available for that inevitable rainy day.
• A stereo system and a collection of tapes and cds. Your personal musical interests determine how far to go with this. I replaced the cheesy radio in my rig with a good quality car stereo and a 6 disc cd changer. I built a rack and carry about 300 cds. (the cds are pretty heavy, but I sure enjoy having them to listen to!)
• Hobby items.... self explanatory.
• I've got a couple of guitars with me that I don't play near enough.....
• You can always go talk to the neighbors.... 8-)
• Clothing .
• Limit your clothing to stuff you ACTUALLY wear. It's OK to have a few extras, but again, it's a play off between desires and storage space. I have enough socks to go about 2 weeks between laundry trips and that sort of sets the quantity limits of most other clothing items. I carry mostly casual clothes. Blue jeans, t-shirts, sweatshirts, flannel shirts, etc. I have one sport jacket and a bolo tie and a couple of real button up shirts and 2 pairs of slacks for "dressy" events. Lots of shorts for those warm Florida winters. Tennies, sandals, a pair of dress shoes and a good pair of hiking boots for footwear. Again, this is a matter of personal taste. Take whatever you like to wear, but go light on "formal wear" and keep the quantities down. Here are a few more things that I find handy:
• A good quality rain suit.
• A windbreaker or other light jacket.
• One good warm coat.
• A selection of ball caps.
• A pair of warm gloves and a pair of leather work gloves.
• Slippers and robe.
• A fanny pack.
• One piece of light luggage (a sports bag or gym bag is fine) for those occasional needs.
• Linens
• 2 sets of bed linens.
• 2 bedspreads.
• 2 sets of bath towels.
• A big beach towel.
• Some kitchen towels.
• Some cleaning rags.
• An electric blanket.
• A non-electric blanket.
• Cleaning.
• A car wash bucket, sponges and brushes.
• A chamois.
• A long handled brush for washing the rig. (on rare occasions...)
• A squeegie for windows.
• Windex, 409, basin tub and tile cleaner, scouring powder, oven cleaner, all pretty standard stuff.
• A vacuum of some sort. I have a 12v Dirt devil handheld job and a 110v small wet/dry shop vac.
• Broom, dustpan, mop.
• Laundry stuff... a laundry basket, soap, fabric softener, stain remover and a couple of rolls of quarters.
• Bathroom.
• Whatever toiletries you prefer.
• An assortment of patent medicines... antacid, cough syrup, aspirin, etc.
• A GOOD first aid kit.
• A selection of "tools"... tweezers, scissors, dental care stuff, razors, etc. Probably the best suggestion would be to take everything in your medicine chest, throw 1/2 of it away, and put the rest in the rig.
• Insect repellent, sunscreen, hand lotion, rubbing alcohol, vaseline, chapstick, etc.
• A fever thermometer.
• A heating pad.
• A scale.
• Soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, hair brushes, toilet brush, toilet paper, reading material... are you getting a picture here how my mind works? Something about the associations in that last sentence...... Anyhow, that should be enough on the bathroom.
• OOPS! Almost forgot... holding tank chemicals. I use TST.. it's cheap, green and works just fine. I get it at WalMart for about $5 a bottle.
• Computer stuff.
• Besides the  laptop computer, I have a bunch of other computer stuff...
• A full sized keyboard and trackball for the laptop.
• Stereo speakers.
• A parallel port tape backup drive and some tapes for it.
• A pile of blank floppies.
• A box of non-blank (I hope!!) floppies, mostly original software install disks and such.
• A pile of software, mostly on CDs.
• A joystick and a PCMCIA joystick port.
• A Canon BJC-240 inkjet printer. A great printer! It will do color and also accepts a "photo color" cartridge that produces unbelievable quality prints on glossy paper. Great for printing photos. Best of all, it runs on 12vdc!
• A Olympus D400-Z digital camera.
• Various paper for the printer and refill kits for the ink cartridges.
• Software for the RVer.
• Delorme Street Atlas.
• Delorme Map-n-Go.
• Delorme Phone search USA.
• Delorme Tripmate GPS receiver.
• The above all work together.... with the GPS receiver you can plot your position on the map in real time using either Street Atlas or Map-n-Go. The Phone Search gives you all the white and yellow pages for the whole country and you can look a business or a person up in the phone book and then have Street Atlas plot their location on the map. A really great package for the fulltimer! Check out www.delorme.com for more info.
• Misc.
• Kleenex!
• Ant spray. Ant baits.
• Binoculars.
• Umbrella.
• Walking stick.
• A weather radio, preferably one with the "alert" function.
• A Coleman lantern. Good for light and also for emergency heat. (leave a vent open!)

Don't guess, don't estimate, don't procrastinate. Weigh that puppy, and if it's overweight, HEAVE SOME STUFF OUT! Do not, under any circumstances, travel with an overloaded rig. Your safety, and the safety of everyone else on the road, is more important than some stuff you can probably do without! If you're lucky, a busted axle or spring will *only* ruin your whole day.... if you're tooling down the Interstate when it happens, it could ruin your whole life!