New owner, 2006 2720SL

[Tymanthius]

Got it home, and it's set up in the yard.

I've ordered sheets for the bed (has very nice aftermarket mattress in it!), an EMS, longer water hose, pressure regulator, filters.

I think I've got everything I need to head out once that arrives EXCEPT for things to cook with and eat on.

I'd love some suggestions on supplying the kitchen. Typically will be 2-3 of us, sometimes many more, but paper/plastic will fill in on those occasions.

But I have no idea what makes a good camper skillet/pot/plates/knives/utensils/etc.

Thanks everyone for any ideas.

[Kidkraz]

Welcome to the forum. Sounds like you got a good rig. What Do you normally use in your kitchen? Start with a few and adjust from there. You will learn every time you use the camper. I have a large and medium sized frying pan, a large stock pot and collapsable strainer. Ziplock or Glad Plastic bags, large and small. That's what most leftovers go in for the night. Also get a pack of 2.5 gallon Glad ziplocks. They will come in handi for food and other things.
I always tell friends to go to the Goodwill, or thrift/second hand stores. If its in good condition, wash them once home and you're ready to go. If you damage the item, you didn't spend a lot. If later on you want newer/better you'll know what you need and want.
Depending on the trip and who I travel/camp with. I might pre-make some meals and just reheat once am set up.
Hope this helps and happy camping.

[J_Norris]

I agree with KidKraz about what normally works and checking out thrift stores. It took us a couple of years to narrow down our choices. A lot depends on how whether you typically camp with water available and how complicated you want to get cooking while out. As an example, here is how things worked out for our particular situation:

Minimizing pans and maximize cooking options, we went with this configuration of 3 pans– the oven pan is because we found that we loved throwing as much stuff as possible in the oven rather than standing over the stove. Stick or nonstick is a personal option, but the size and walls of these allows me to use either stovetop pan for either soups/stews or breakfast eggs depending on whether I’m by myself or with my spouse.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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For when these links die: one is a “Range/Stove/Oven Broiler pan”, one is a large saucepan (3.5 quart), and one is a steep sided 12 inch skillet with ~4 inch sides so you can do liquids or saute.

We boondock a lot, which means being very stingy with water, so we quickly switched to lightweight coated paper plates that we put on top of supporting plastic plates, and picking our own cup and silverware that we each wash/rinse during the trip to our own standards (rinsing soap off requires much more water and I hate the taste of soap).
Our Trailmanor is a 2003, and the cabinets are starting to pull out from the wall. We’ve had to add reinforcing materials to most of the stove side cabinets and the stove itself. To prevent more of this, anything heavy like the pots or canned goods goes on the bottom/floor cabinet so that we don’t have more stress on the cabinets.

We really enjoy ours and are taking it out for Thanksgiving, have fun with yours!

[Tymanthius]

Thank you both! Those are good ideas.

I'm going to start off with full hook up camping. First 'camping' will be in the yard.

Instead of the oven I have an aftermarket microwave/convection, which suits me as I use a big convection toaster oven a lot at home anyway.

One thing reading your replies reminded me of is I love my electric skillet at home. Does anyone have a recommendation for a skillet topper I could put on the stove?

[Kidkraz]

I would consider a large wood cutting board, that way its got duel purpose for you. Think on using dual propose items. You keep weight down and maximizes the limited storage any camper has.

[Larryjb]

I think I saw this somewhere, but not yet in this thread. Get a smallish plastic tub for washing dishes in the sink. This way you can start with a smaller amount of washing water. Rinse using a thin stream of warm water directly into the tub as you wash. The remaining water after can be used to soak for the next meal.

We also got an over door clothes hook to hang towels.

Keep ice packs in the freezer. Move to the fridge when travelling during the day. The fridge will keep cool this way without using the battery power for the fridge. This is a simple and very effective way to keep the fridge cool while on the road, even in CA heat. (The fridge can deplete the battery very quickly while travelling, leaving you with no power for the night if boondocking.)

[Tymanthius]

KidKraz, I'm dense - what's the dual purpose of a larger board?

Thanks Larry for those suggestions, although I thought the TV was supposed to charge the battery while driving? Also, I have more efficient fridge than stock, so may not be as much of an issue *if* the TV is providing power.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Tymanthius

I thought the TV was supposed to charge the battery while driving? Also, I have more efficient fridge than stock, so may not be as much of an issue *if* the TV is providing power.

Tymanthius -

You are right - the tow vehicle does send 12-volt power to the TM.

Having said that, the stock 3-way refrigerator is a power hog when operating on 12 VDC power. It has two possible sources of battery power - the TM battery, and the tow vehicle battery. Since the TM battery is MUCH closer to the refrig, most of the power will come from the TM battery. Eventually the TM battery will be so exhausted that the refrig will start to draw power from the tow vehicle, but by that point it is not much help. Please note that this is not a design flaw. It is the simple reality of the electrical laws of pulling a LARGE amount of current (enough to power the refrig) through a LONG wire (all the way to the front of the tow vehicle). If you have a compressor refrig, which needs much less current, this will not be as much of a problem for you. Can you tell us the make/model of your refrig, so we can compare it?

For those with the stock refrig, there are two ways to handle the issue. The first is easy - make sure the refrig is cold at the beginning of the day, and then turn it off as you travel. It is very well insulated, and will serve as a very good cooler while you are on the road. My wife and I do this every day, and after 8 hours of travel, everything inside is still cold / frozen.

The second is a little more complex. One of our members has designed an ingenious electrical device that boosts the voltage sent from the tow vehicle to the TM, and then reduces it back to the proper value at the point of use. This overcomes the voltage drop in the LONG wire. Although it is kind of elaborate, it works well, and keeps the refrig running for as long as you need it.

The solution you do NOT want is to let the refrig totally exhaust the TM battery. This will harm the TM battery.

Bill

[Tymanthius]

Originally Posted by Bill

Can you tell us the make/model of your refrig, so we can compare it?


Bill

It's a Nova Kool R4500 ACDC, still under warranty.

I can tell you it does cool down on shore power much faster than I've read for the stock TM's.

[Shane826]

Tymanthius- Is that am AC/DC compressor fridge?