What this checklist is for
The form above is a prep list for your truck camper, popup, or towable travel trailer. It's all filled out on screen, and then downloaded either as a PDF or as a CSV. If you prefer to tick off boxes by hand, there's a blank copy you can download.
The first part you enter are the dates, destination, who's riding, tow vehicle, and what kind of camper you're using. Next are rows for hitch checks and camper systems. There are also rows for packing for pets and people, house-leaving tasks, reservations, and documents. Finally, there are rows for tires, lights, campsite arrival, and sign-off. Each row has a box marked Missing, Packed, or N/A.
Packed means the paper is in hand, the task is done, or the system is ready to travel.
Missing means it still needs attention.
N/A means it does not apply to this trip. If you do not have pets and/or your truck camper doesn't require safety chains then you will mark that row as N/A.
Evacuation: Follow Ready.gov evacuation guidelines for leaving your house in a row. Lock your doors and windows. Unplug small appliances. Unless it’s at risk of flooding, leave the fridge plugged in. Bring pets along or make arrangements to have someone care for them. Inform a contact of your destination.
Pack a survival kit using the American Red Cross survival-kit list and the Ready.gov kit list. The kits should contain first aid supplies, documents, medicines, food, and water.
For pets, follow the Ready.gov pets page to create a pet row.
Camper-system rows: The handout from the U.S. Fire Administration; the NFPA tip sheet. Check the propane lines and test for leaks. Check the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Two-way-out knowledge. Fire extinguisher.
Hitch, lights, and tire rows: the mechanic-before-a-trip list on Ready.gov car safety and NHTSA TireWise.
Campfire and stove rows: The NFPA 25-foot spacing tip; the U.S. See the U.S. Forest Service fire page.
The Trip, Camper, and Occupants section is where you put your Leave and Return Dates. The Camper section is where you put the Make, Model, Year, and Type of Camper. The Occupants section is where you put the names of people going on the trip. Who has the itinerary? Pets? What is the Reservation Number? Where are you going? Who’s towing? What’s the Plate # on the Tow Vehicle? What’s the Truck? A Popup still requires identifying the Towing Vehicle. A Truck Camper still requires identifying the Truck. This isn’t a campground contract, this is an ID block header.
The Documents and Reservations section is like a wallet check: Is everyone licensed? (Yes.) Do we have the tow-vehicle registration and insurance card in the vehicle, or on our phone (which my state recognizes)? (Yes.) Is the camper plated and/or insured separately? If so, include that plate and/or that insurance card.
Ready.gov and the Red Cross suggest having copies of insurance and ID in a waterproof pouch, or stored as an offline-accessible copy on your device. Campground confirmation gets saved the same way. Include any park/forest pass required at the destination. If there’s a pet along for the ride, the Ready.gov pets page suggests keeping copies of pet records and registration.
Before you go, you walk the house. According to Ready.gov, you close and lock windows and doors. You unplug small appliances, televisions and radios. Unless there's a risk of flood, you leave refrigerators and freezers plugged in. You turn lights off, or you set them on timers. Using the equipment manual, you set the thermostat for an empty house.
This form doesn't set the temperature for summer or winter. If you own pets, you take them with you, or you use a sitter. If you get mail, you either hold it, or you have a neighbor collect it. If you have a household plan that includes an out-of-area contact, you tell him/her where you're going. If you think someone you trust might show up, you leave a note. If you've got a security system, you arm it.
What it is not
- It is not a full Class A or Class C motorhome hookup sheet. Shore-power pedestals, city-water regulators, sewer-hose dumps, and slide-out leveling after arrival belong on an RV setup checklist (named here in plain text; that page is not published). This form stops at travel readiness and a campsite safety look.
- It is not an RV winterizing procedure. Antifreeze, bypass valves, and blow-out steps are not on this list.
- It is not the published road trip checklist. That sheet is a household car-drive prep list. Use it when the trip is a car or SUV without a camper. This sheet adds camper systems and hitch rows the road-trip form does not carry.
- It is not the published car emergency kit list. One row here confirms the kit is in the tow vehicle. Open that kit list when you need jumper cables, triangles, and the rest item by item.
- It is not a commercial-vehicle pre-trip. Gladhands, air brakes, and 49 CFR 392.7 stations belong on the published CMV pre-trip inspection checklist.
- It is not a shop tire inspection. NHTSA 2/32 inch, wear bars, and a penny test are replacement cues, not dual-match or alignment numbers. Use the published tire inspection checklist when you need a station-by-station tire form.
How to fill each block
The list at Ready.gov says to have several days' worth of water (one gallon per person) along with several days' worth of non-perishable food. The Red Cross has the same one-gallon number, dividing it between a 2-week home supply and a 3-day go-kit.
When you go camping, you pack enough for several days that you can carry, plus a plan for refilling. Both lists recommend sturdy shoes, climate-right clothes, a radio, flashlight, extra batteries, a first aid kit, extra prescription medicine, and sanitation items. If there's an infant riding, you'll add infant supplies. With pets, Ready.gov wants several days of food and water, plus a leash, collar, ID, carrier, sanitation items, extra medicine, and a photo of you with your pet.
This isn’t a hookup, but rather a travel-readiness check called the Camper systems once-over. You check your propane supply lines for any damage or kink, according to USFA. You fit all connections using a leak-detection device. According to NFPA, propane powers your stovetop, oven, furnace, and refrigerator. You maintain a working gas leak detector onboard. You test your carbon monoxide and smoke alarms monthly. You carry a portable fire extinguisher within easy reach.
You verify the status of your fresh-water tank and have a plan for filling if necessary. You verify that waste valves are capped and closed during travel. You ensure your house batteries are fully charged and connections are secure. You run your interior and exterior camper lights. You put your popup roof, awning(s), and slides into their travel positions. You raise stabilizers and jacks. According to NFPA, you know two ways out. You also ensure your windows will open freely.
The NHTSA says to gauge all tires when cold. Wait at least three hours before driving the vehicle. Get this information from the owner's manual or from the Tire and Loading Information Label on the driver's door. Do not use the maximum psi printed on the tire sidewall. Do the same for the camper using its own label.
Replace tires at 2/32 inch. It is also unsafe when wear bars are flush or when a penny in the tread shows the top of Lincoln's head. NHTSA flags aging tires on RVs parked between trips. Look for bulges, cracks and cuts.
Lock the receiver or coupler as the manuals say. Attach safety chains where the hitch uses them. If it’s got electric brakes, you attach a breakaway cable. On both the camper and the tow vehicle, you check the lights. You fill up with gas. Keep a portable emergency kit in the car. Fill at least halfway in case of a delay, according to the government.
Check for fire restrictions before lighting up. According to USFS, nine out of ten wildfires are human-caused. Even if there’s no posted ban, avoid campfires during high fire danger. Use alternative ways to cook instead.
Keep your campfire at least 25 feet from anything that could burn. (NFPA)
Make sure the fire is cold to the touch before leaving. (USFS)
Keep a portable stove free of any debris and grass. (gov)
Place barbecue grills at least 10 feet from siding. (gov)
Run generators outside only. Exhaust points away and downwind of the camper. Never operate inside the camper or a closed truck bed. (gov)
Stay in the cooking area. (NFPA)
Tell a responsible adult where you’re going and when you’ll be back. Don’t park in tall, dry vegetation.
The last section is where you write everything down that’s still listed as Missing. Then you select whether you are ready to leave, delayed, not leaving until those items are packed, or finished with the campsite look. You check off that the itinerary was shared with the person named in the header. And then you date it.
What varies
The laws about trailer lights and other safety regulations change from state to state. Read your camper manual, read your hitch manual, and follow the laws of the state you’re driving through. If the camper doesn’t have that part, cross out that row and put NA.
The registration and insurance laws are different from state to state. An electronic copy of your insurance card will suffice in some states. A few states require a separate plate on the trailer. This form doesn’t specify which state’s wording.
Forest by forest; park by park; day by day, campfire rules change. Before you go, check with the local USFS ranger district or forest. While one national-park unit bans both charcoal and wood, it might allow a stove. Don't copy last year's rule onto this trip.
The camper manual includes the propane size and fresh-water capacity. No need to invent a tank number here. Follow the appliance and detector manuals for propane leak-test solution and detector placement.
NHTSA notes that some vehicle and tire makers recommend replacing tires that are six to 10 years old even when tread remains. That’s a maker suggestion. It is not a federal mandate. If you’re worried about stored camper tires, you use the DOT Tire Identification Number.
After you finish
Want a copy? Download a full PDF or CSV. This browser keeps answers. It stays blank for the next visitor. Download a blank copy to fill out by hand. Nothing here gets filed at a DMV or campground. It doesn't text anyone your itinerary. And if you shared the plan with a contact, you did it because you called them. Keep a copy with the person who has the itinerary. The form is up top in this article. Below the form is the preview image and printable PDF.
Not a substitute for the OEM or a licensed inspection
This is the household prep template. This is not legal advice. This is not a substitute for a licensed inspection or the owner’s manual. If it’s not in the manual or on the tire placard don’t make up a Pass/Fail number. Don’t go home with a missing row of lamps, tires, or hitches until you’ve got a plan. Soft tire? Stop. Is the coupler not locked? Stop. Does the manual say one thing and the row say another? Use the manufacturer procedure.