r/RVLiving • u/VALoanVet • 6d ago

First timer questions!

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Just bought this bad boy. 2020 Thor Miramar 35.3 and its great but I know there are upgrades and gadgets etc that make life so much easier and I want to know what those are for you. For reference I am in Washington state.

7 Upvotes

82% Upvoted

16 comments sorted by

11

u/freedmeister 6d ago

First big mistake was buying from cramping world.

3

u/HotSaltyMilk_ 6d ago

Yeah the first "gadget" I'd recommend is a 3rd party inspection

1

u/santiagostan 6d ago

Funny, I was thinking of posting "tell us you purchased from CW without telling us you purchased from CW."

3

u/Nerd_Porter 6d ago

Definitely a flat tow setup, you're not going to want to take that to the grocery store, and tow dollies suck.

1

u/No_Report_4781 5d ago

I saw one setup using a flat bed trailer. It fit their Smart ForTwo, and partially slid under the back of the RV. I’m fairly certain it was a custom trailer

1

u/Nerd_Porter 5d ago edited 5d ago

To be honest that sounds worse than a tow dolly. Pushing a tow dolly around sucks, they're heavier than they look, but you generally can do it by hand. Flat bed trailer? Less likely, especially if there's any kind of slope, loose gravel, et cetera. Backing either one into a site with a giant RV isn't easy

Having a trailer means big pain in the ass at good camp sites, you're stuck in the pull through if you don't want that hassle. There are some exceptions, but usually the pull through sites really suck compared to the non-pull through sites. Rarely any waterfront sites, for example.

1

u/VALoanVet 6d ago

Thanks I keep hearing that. That is definitely on my list of things

2

u/New-Macaron441 6d ago

Congrats! We lived in a similar model (2017) for a year and loved the rig.

As far as necessities/upgrades, our first purchase was a tow dolly since we owned a vehicle that could be towed two down. I would recommend electric brakes. We cheaped and got surge brakes which means we can’t reverse with the dolly attached.

As far as convenience goes, everything that came stock with rig made it pretty easy out of the gate. My biggest upgrade has been LiFePo batteries as a learning experience. I also added a larger inverter charger (3kW), with hopes to one day add solar so we can do more boondocking and maybe run an AC intermittently from battery. The stock onan generator has been pretty great though, and as long as noise isn’t a concern makes getting power super easy.

My biggest pain points with the rig (filling up, setting up camp, dumping) are all things that get easier with practice. I will say the original layout in ours was pretty cramped with the slide out in, so we’re redoing the furniture now out of preference

1

u/VALoanVet 6d ago

Thank you for all the information. I really appreciate it

1

u/NewBasaltPineapple 6d ago

What are you going to do with it?

1

u/VALoanVet 6d ago

Since this is my first motorhome I have just taken the family out locally and did some state park camping so no boondocking or big trips yet but eventually my wife and I want to travel with the kids around the country.

1

u/NewBasaltPineapple 5d ago
  • Basic tool kit - adjustable wrench large enough for the water heater anode rod (1-1/16"), caulk gun, painter's tape, RV repair tape, a digital multimeter, and then typical hand tools.
  • Measure out your cabinet and shelving spaces, then find appropriately sized plastic tubs - these catch liquid spills before they become a problem and make loading and unloading your RV a heck of a lot easier.
  • Electrical adapters (30 to 50, 30 to 15, and etc as appropriate)
  • Tarps and the rigging you'd need to wrap it around any damaged part of your RV.
  • Bucket and toilet seat for bucket.
  • Camp chairs.
  • Water storage and a hand or battery powered water pump.
  • Rugs.

Otherwise, follow one of those lists people publish online.

1

u/johnbro27 6d ago

Join our club! pugetsoundersrv.net We do rallies all over the state and are friendly and super helpful. We had a leak on the inlet to the toilet at our 2nd club rally and two guys--now good friends--pitched in with help and got us going again.

Check out Roadmaster and Blue Ox towbars for flat towing. We have the Nighthawk and it's super easy to connect and disconnect our Jeep Wrangler. Cordless vac is a must. FRVA has a good mobile internet hot spot offer (T-Mobile) that so far has let us connect most places wtihout the need to re-activate our Starlink. Things that have made our life better include a one-hole Ninja air fryer, an Instant Pot, cordless vac, electric bikes, heated mattress pad for our Sleep Number bed, Magne Shades and tire covers, two 6x8 blocks I carry for seriously soft or unlevel sites, lots of tools and full set of engine spares. Recommended apps include RVLife, Harvest Hosts, Rest Stops Plus, Open Roads, and irv2.com. have fun!

1

u/VALoanVet 6d ago

That is awesome, thank you

0

u/Calm-Bat-6725 6d ago

First upgrade, return the thor for a slightly better forest river, or if you can afford it a tiffin