So You Bought An RV? A packing list from the Dirty Girl (part 1)

Spring is here and the RV dealerships are buzzing with excited families looking to get in the camping game. So now that you bought yourself a camper trailer, what do you do next? You PACK!

We are hard core campers…and by hard core I mean we camp in a 32 foot trailer that has a TV, microwave and sleeps 30 people comfortably. I do not claim to be a back country, tenting, hunter-gatherer, survivalist but I think that trailer camping with 4 kids for almost 7 years with NO hook-ups makes me pretty hard core. And the year we went camping with our then 3 1/2 month old preemie twins plus our 2 older kids, having to bring the electric double breast pump along as my form of personal torture was the year I earned my “bad-ass camper” badge. So I guess that all makes me a good resource for all things trailer camping related.

I have compiled a list of items you’d need to pack a new trailer and some tips and tricks of the trade. Since it’s such a long list I’ve broken it up into 2 posts.

OUTSIDE:

level (you’ll need this to make sure your unit is levelled after you unhitch it from the truck…unless you have an auto level, you’re too fancy for me)
outdoor rug (if you’re camping in a campground then the rug defines your front yard to fellow campers and a rug is a “clean” zone for you to hang outside)
citronella candles
light weight garbage can with lid (keeps the garbage covered from wasps..don’t forget to put the whole can away at night to avoid animals)
garbage/recycling bags
flash lights with extra batteries
head lamps (great for the kids to walk around at night hands free)
camp chairs (duh)
small shoe rack (set just to the side of your steps to go inside this rack will keep the many shoes off the ground and out of the trailer)
BBQ lighter
wiener/marshmallow roasting forks
basic tool set (just like at home, shit happens and stuff breaks…be prepared)
picnic table (we have never camped in a proper campground so we bring our own table. Some campgrounds will provide a picnic table with your site but be sure to check when booking. We got THIS folding picnic table at Costco. It easily seats 8 )
water shoes (if there’s a beach or lake nearby you’ll want everyone to wear some form of shoes that give the kids grip and stay on their feet..Crocs come off too easily)
lifejackets (safety first)
plastic wash basin or tub (fill it with water from your outdoor shower hose and clean off the kids feet and legs before they go inside.)
outdoor games (T-ball, soccer ball, football, frisbee, hackysack, botchy ball, horseshoes)
inflatable float toys (compact and easy to store, a must if you camp near water)
bug catching gear (my kids spend hours hunting down grasshoppers and butterflies, the right tools keep them even busier)

INSIDE:
plastic dishes (the usual suspects…plates small and large, bowls, cups, mugs, wine glasses. The kid collection at Ikea is ideal for campers)
cutlery (Value Village is a great resource for stocking your trailer if you don’t have extra stuff at home you can spare)
toaster
Bodum type coffee maker (if you have power hook-ups you could have an electric coffee maker but there may come a time where you don’t have power to run it…you’ll always have propane or an open fire to boil water!)
stove top kettle (the old school kind that boils on the stove top, yes they do still make them, who knew?)
banana hanger (not to be confused with a banana hammock)
Lysol wipes (instead of storing different cleaners and paper towels I just get a big container of cleaning wipes and use them to clean all surfaces)
garbage can with step open lid
tin foil/plastic wrap (if you plan on BBQing foil packs on the fire you’ll need the heavy duty foil. Can you say, Banana Boats?)
napkins
small set of pots (small, medium and large pots and a frying pan or two and if you like corn on the cob then a large corn pot would be great too)
strainer
dish drying rack
drying mat (I got THIS one from Bed Bath & Beyond and I love it!)
dish towels
biodegradable dish and hand soap
hand sanitizer
refillable water bottles for everyone
drinking water dispenser (we got a cheap “lemonade” type dispenser at Costco and we fill it with drinking water)
fly swatters
cutting board
can opener
wine opener (unless you drink that high end fancy wine with the screw top)
bottle opener
broom and dust pan (there will be more grass inside than outside)
small vacuum (for carpeted areas)
laundry bag or basket (thousands of pounds of laundry will be created from a week of camping)
beach towels
oven mitts
bathing towels
first aid supplies (a wise mom once told me, “busy kids get boo-boos” so be prepared to fix them up as if you were at home…bandaides, painkillers, Polysporin, after bite, bug spray, sunscreen, brush and hair elastics)
duct tape (fixes everything!)

Phew, that’s a long list but I’m sure that once you spend even 1 day camping in your new trailer you’ll discover a list of things to add that will make RV life even better. In addition to the list above would be all the food, clothing and linens. I hope this list helps get you started. My next article will be tips and tricks for happy campers.

Do you have anything you’d add to my long list of essential items? Leave me a comment and I’ll add it to the list.