I do not travel with a full tank of water unless absolutely necessary. I do put in a couple of gallons at start of trip, just enough to flush if necessary. We fill tanks at or near destination if at all possible. The weight in the tanks is hard on the mounting straps.. ie 40 gal water tank is 400 lbs weight, not to mention extra overall trailer weight.  I use T-5 toilet chemical, as not formaldehyde in this chemical and it doesn't smell all that bad. Definitely use rv  t-paper, as it decomposes better than regular tissue. If you have a horse water tank, and a finicky drinking horse, I would suggest filling tank partially full at home so horse will drink on arrival or enroute to destination, thus will be drinking water they are used to. For this time of year, take some extra reading material, or hobby item if possible, as the days are a lot shorter now than summer, and it makes for long evening with something to do. If you can, change out your bulbs in the living quarters of your trailer to LED bulbs, preferably the 120 led per bulb ones, you only need to change out the ones you anticipate the most usage from, for starters. These bulbs can be expensive, however only use 1/10th the amperage use compared to an incandescent bulb, ultimately longer life from your batteries.

enjoy your first ride and camp...

I have a 105 gallon fresh water tank.  I like to have 10-15 gallons so we can flush and wash hands and make a fast snake on the road.  I once took about 75 gallons with me over the road and I could feel it sloshing around as I drove, that gets old on mountain roads very fast.

We also have dedicated pots and pans for the trailer along with dishes and flat wear, that way there is nothing to forget.

I load the trailer with the heaviest items as low as I can get them.  Bottled water, can goods and the like go low and lighter stuff goes up high.  Sometime we rearrange things when we get to camp but for driving a low center of gravity is a big plus.

My wife and I keep our clothes in the nose above our bed and we keep our daughters stuff where we can get to it easy, as 4 year olds need to change more often.  

We keep a rope in the horse area to use as a clothes line to dry towels

We made blackout curtains for all the window, they are a must if you want to sleep past sunrise.  We also made a curtain that blocks the bed off from the rest of the trailer to keep the AC from blowing into the sleeping area to hard but still keep us cool.

I added a smoke detector that has an escape light.  We had the furnace overheat when the battery got low and the blower could not keep the thing cool so the trailer filled with smoke.  When the alarm went off I could not find my flashlight nor a light switch.

Get a small broom and dust pan to clean the floor right before everyone gets ready for bed.  Small rocks and thorns have a way of coming inside and are best found with tender feet.

And for your questions, we don’t use RV toilet paper nor do we put chemicals in our black or gray tanks.  At the end of a trip or if we dumped and will tow in hot weather I will add a cup or so of Pine Sol is the black tank to keep the stink down.

A crock pot is a must. I prepare the meal the night before. Then in morning put everything in crock pot,plug it in, and saddle up. 4 hours later when we get back to camp, unsaddle, square away horses & tack, sit back under the the awning and smell the aroma while nursing a couple Moose Heads, and next thing you know dinner is ready. Always fill it to the top, you'll have lunch tomorrow.

I also have a combo convection/microwave oven. Nothing like fresh bisquits in the morning or hot apple pie at suppertime.

It seems like you will constantly be looking for a flashlight.  I just bought one of those small LED flashlights that plug into an outlet.  I leave it in the trailer that is plugged into shore power when parked so it stays charged up.  Also,  my trustworthy local repairman,  Bob Jones,  told me to not run the AC on a 20 amp circuit,  it will shorten the life of your Air Conditioner,  make sure you are plugged into a proper RV 30 amp outlet.  Inspect your sky lights carefully to look for any cracks that will appear after a couple years.  Only buy American made tires.  And for gosh sake,  don't let you husband use it if at all possible !

Lots of good replys.

The first few trips especially- make notes on what you forgot or would like to have.   I usually forget when I get home.

I went to the dollar store and got lots of items for the kitchen.  I keep all silverware, paper plates, cups, etc , etc in the trailer at all times.    Towels go right back in after a trip.

A small heater is a must-- like the crock pot.   We have a "road trip" grill that folds pretty flat -- love it.

Also-- (wouldn't let me edit above)

You can't have too many feet of fresh water hose and electrical cord.  Some places you have a ways to go for electric or water

Awesome replys !!

Dollar store will be getting many $$$ from me today !!

I will get more fresh water hose, the one I have seems very short!

Have a spare tire and make sure it's aired up good.  A must have is one of the jacks you can pull your trailer up on to change your tire like a jiffy jack.  I carry a shovel to put under the tire to help me lift the tire up.  A tarp is nice to put down if the ground is muddy. 

I had a flat on a highway with no shoulder and had to change the tire right on the hightway so I was thankful to have safety cones to put on the highway.  I've had problems getting off lug nuts off so an extra heavy duty 4 way wrench or a breaker bar is helpful.  I've put WD40 on the lugs before to help loosen them.  

I had a flat within two miles of getting to my parents and didn't have a cell phone at that time. I had the trailer up and all lugs off but the tire was stuck on the trailer and I couldn't get it off so thankfully the trailer was empty so I unhitched it and left it to get my dad to help.  Be sure to carry something like a wood block so you can set your trailer down if you need to.  I now carry a small sledge hammer so I can beat a tire off if I have to.

I carry a tool box with miscelleanous tools so if I can't fix it, maybe someone else can if I have the right tools.  I also use a tool box to carry an emergency medical supplies for my horses for cuts, colic etc. 

I have to agree to having the black out curtains because it helps to keep your trailer warmer in the cold and cooler in the summer.  It also helps with privacy on changing clothes at night with the lights on : - )

I'll never leave home without water again. The one and only time I did, we had one heck of a time finding any. We use city water in our LQ which means an extra stop but our well water has iron in it. That turns the shower, toilet, etc. rust brown and takes a lot of scrubbing to remove. The live people/critters drink it fine.

My trailer is a 24' combo stock and the front "stall" is for bagged hay, tack, carriage, critter water, etc. For my horses, I have several 15 gallon barrels that are food grade. The lids are like a canning jar... a more or less flat lid with a rubber ring seal, and a ring that holds the lid in place. My husband mounted an RV waterpump on one of the lids, along with a long small diameter hose. It has a multi spray nozzle on the end. The power cord for the pump is long, and plugs into my pickup trailer plug. I can rinse off a horse, fill water tubs, wash my carriage, rinse off myself, etc. I just switch the one lid to a new barrel when out of water in one.

I am planning on a heavy duty metal shelf in the "tack" area with milk crates to hold things. Bungie cords to  hold the milk crates in place, and will secure the shelf to the wall so it says upright. Not positive how I will do that at this point in time. I want to have the option of hauling horses in both livestock areas if I should so desire.

I recommend putting the non-slip shelf liners in all your cabinets to help keep things from sliding around. 

I agree with keeping doubles of household things in the trailer and make them all a very distinct color so they won't be mistaken and left in the house (like orange kitchen things, bright yellow towels--just something very different than in the house).  While we're speaking of duplicates, get a phone charger to leave in there.  I also keep a small coupon file folder that put duplicates of important documents--truck/trailer insurance, health insurance cards, coggins plus contact numbers in case my phone dies or gets stolen, purse is stolen, etc. (home vet and doctor, close friends and family, credit card company, bank).  Along with that, I recommend keeping an envelope with a couple hundred dollars cash hidden somewhere.  That emergency fund has come in handy a lot!!!

Designate a "junk drawer" for extra batteries, tape, notepad and pens, lighter, a candle, safety pins, etc.   Think about using disposable plates, cups, silverware, crockpot liners--it can be awfully tight quarters in an LQ to wash and dry dishes for a small family.