While awaiting delivery of my first motorhome I've been compiling a list of things I'll need to get. The usual things like EHU cable, water hose, etc. As a newbie there's bound to be things I just don't think about so my question is what item do you have in your motorhome that you couldn't do without and I'm very likely not to have thought of?
Essential kit (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter RonnieA
- Start date
- Apr 11, 2015
- 5,413
- 55,095
- Funster No
- 35,812
- MH
- Laika Ecovip 300
- Exp
- since 1988 with breaks until 2009
Don't think I could teach John to knit and as for navigating he's a great one for 'Tom says' makes for an interesting time.
We don't drink from the tank in the van, but did when we bought new as we knew what the history was. We use a 5L container for drinking water, but fill up at sites, don't usually buy it unless no other choice.
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Best thing we purchased was a 6m x 3M Moroccan mat for outside. Lightweight durable easy to pack and clean.
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obanvanman
Free Member
Yeah Yeah Yeah Blah Blah Blah Blah.......... All good advice..but..Keep it simple and don't go overboard with stuff. Use the MH for a couple of small trips weekend type trips first to understand what you will and importantly will not be doing with your toy. What is an essential bit of kit for one person will be useless for another. What you want and need to carry might also depend on storage space and payload.
Essential for your first trip, in no particular order:
Bedding
Plates, glasses, cutlery
Pots / Frying Pan and implements even for your initial breakfast fry up or pasta dish
beer / wine / gin
washing up liquid / dishcloth / tea towel, kitchen paper roll, wet wipes
Personal toiletries and towel
Loo Roll and something to reduce the whiff from the toilet cassette (at the risk of not starting another toilet thread much beloved of certain Funsters, I'll let you search for previous recommendations to avoid the enviromentaly unfreindly chemicals)
Folding chairs for sitting outside if the weather permits
Really simple tools just to tighten something - couple of screwdrivers, adjustable spanner and perhaps a multimeter (you won't do major fixes on the short trip as you'll be back to your dealer, but if you find something loose), torch, and perhaps some fuses (too easy to trip something while you experiment
EHU Lead - start with one the dealer may have to supply it to you - 25 m will often be too long but too long is better than too short, and you can always get a shorter one later
Hose with tap adaptor. 10m should be sufficient to start and depending on your vehicle holding it in the tank for the first time or two isnt a problem.
Watering can - use to top up your water tank when it's too much hassle to get your hose out (collapsible versions available
Bucket - for emptying excess grey water when you can't get near a service point. (collapsible versions available)
Clothes - fair weather and rough
Couple of carrier bags (all sorts of opportunities to stash stuff away whilst you work out what to do with it)
BBQ (gas or charcoal) fuel and utensils
Cleaning cloths, squeegee type mop (inevitably if you use the shower, water won't drain away fully so you'll want to encourage it)
Charging leads / cables for your phones / tablets and maybe adaptors / splitters for 12v sockets to USB or similar, depends on what capabilities your MH has.
All your MH owners manuals for the vehicle and all the toys on it - you'll be studying them controls and settings all evening
Music - CD / MP3 or whatever will work for your MH. DVDs if you have a compatible TV.
Dustpan & brush
Smartphone - preloaded with your navigation app (does anybody still use an A-Z?), plenty of battery power and data allowance - you'll probably be googling a lot of "how to" stuff
Longer term you can worry about levelling ramps, grip mats, tow ropes, jump leads, and that sort of stuff, initially just be choosy where you park up that you are on reasonably sound ground.
Storage boxes, reels and such like wait till you know what you are carrying and where you want to put them - I bought stuff and it doesn't fit so don't rush into that.
Later you can decide on the gadjets that might make your life easier like phone mounts, dash cam, hand held vacum cleaners, but wait till you've used your MH and realise you would use it.
And finally, pack your sense of humour. You've got your van to have fun and adventures, and learning it's little foibles is part of that experience.
Where is the MARMITE?
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Apricot halves??
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Well I’ve had a good look in the cupboard and I recon with what I can see I would probably prepare something like this...
Marmite stuffed apricot halves served on a bed of noodles drizzled with a Houses of Parliament jus.
Bon appetite
Marmite stuffed apricot halves served on a bed of noodles drizzled with a Houses of Parliament jus.
Bon appetite
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obanvanman
Free Member
Sounds good to me.
What actually happens is Chicken thighs, French onion soup, Apricot halves and a cup full of fresh orange juice are all lobbed in to a slow cooker. Served on a bed of rice with fresh veg..yummie.
Followed of course by Marmite ice cream and Houses of Parliament cream.
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Roaring Fortys
Free Member
- Feb 14, 2020
- 3
- 4
- Funster No
- 68,737
- MH
- Coachbuilt
- Exp
- 2018
Dont forget to buy a Disclock for the steering wheel and wheel lock for the wheels.
Also found useful those non slip rolls to put as bases in the cupboards to protect cupboard bases and sliding of food, etc
A 2 ft spirit level (nicely stored on shelf above windowscreen)
Wheelchocks.
Also found useful those non slip rolls to put as bases in the cupboards to protect cupboard bases and sliding of food, etc
A 2 ft spirit level (nicely stored on shelf above windowscreen)
Wheelchocks.
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Tie wraps. A great accompaniment for marmite. Other spreads are available but are rubbish.
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Roadroamer
Free Member
lots of people recommend lots of different things but all of them miss out on a bag of assorted fuses because one will inertly blow if you don't have any
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- Apr 7, 2008
- 64
- 110
- Funster No
- 2,080
- MH
- AutoTrail Tracker RB
- Exp
- Since 1968.
Plenty of large bottles of VIMTO and also huge supplies of THE MIGHTY MARMITE.
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Keep a full flask of boiling water for tea, coffee or hot water bottle . Bed socks and extra bed cover. You can tell I have no heating in my van lol.
Bear in mind , there are shops .
I definitely carried to much stuff , always carry alcohol , it oils the wheels at MHF get parties
Bear in mind , there are shops .
I definitely carried to much stuff , always carry alcohol , it oils the wheels at MHF get parties
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Try to avoid buying stuff until you know you definitely need it. Payload will be your enemy and loading up with things 'just in case' will not only cost you money you could be spending elsewhere but will also consume space and add to unnecessary rattles. You will soon learn what are essential to you.
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Cooking! Lucky you.
I tell the OH we are on a trip, but apart from changing the scenery this is another home on wheels, so why won't she share cooking duties in the Van?
She says this is her HOLIDAY ... at least she does the washing up so I must be grateful for that.
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- Jan 21, 2015
- 110
- 85
- Funster No
- 34,830
- MH
- Lo-line Coachbuilt
- Exp
- Just Starting Fifth Year
Make sure it’s got a gas bottle.
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- Apr 11, 2015
- 5,413
- 55,095
- Funster No
- 35,812
- MH
- Laika Ecovip 300
- Exp
- since 1988 with breaks until 2009
emptied out our present van over the last couple of days, I had 4 spare pairs of specs, 2 normal 1 prescription sunglasses and 1 driving only (i wear variofocals) so drivers and older pair of varios going to charity. Couldn't believe the number of towels, t-towels toilet rolls and kitchen rolls i found. Did know about the tea bags though. Van we are hoping to get is smaller, so wont be needing the 7 torches or 5 philips screwdrivers either 
This is just to remind you to take only the minimum, there are shops most places you go if you desperately need something. dont forget the bottle opener/corkscrew and the thing we have been asked to lend most often is a tin opener.
This is just to remind you to take only the minimum, there are shops most places you go if you desperately need something. dont forget the bottle opener/corkscrew and the thing we have been asked to lend most often is a tin opener.
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Silver-Fox
LIFE MEMBER
I was going to say people that don’t eat marmite have no taste.
But upto an hour after eating marmite you can’t taste anything any way ?
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EX51SSS
LIFE MEMBER
I'd rather gouge my eyes out than have that. Bear in mind, I have actually tried it and I don't like it whatsoever. There's a lot of things I really like and a few things I don't and Marmite is definitely one thing I don't. It's not as though I've not tried and have an opinion, I have and I am speaking from experience
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Marmite is ok, I don't buy it and not had it since childhood. Bovril is better, I have that on toast ?
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