Must haves - want to haves...
Wow, what a great list! I've been around hangars for most of my life and I still got some ideas from this thread of information.
Maybe this list of ideas can help Bill or anyone else reading like I was...
WANTS:
For me, must have in Fall/Winter/Spring: A small coffee pot or single serving Keurig, disposable coffee cups and whatever you like to put in your coffee. Stir sticks in a baggie.
A case of bottled water to drink or use in the coffee maker.
A 2-inch binder to put good things you print out to keep in the hangar.
Nose-gear Anti-Splat mod for tricycle gear RVs:
https://antisplataero.com/products/the-nose-job
Note pad or page in your binder to record flights, squawks and pending maintenance items. The white board might get erased by accident...
Join the EAA and your local EAA Chapter. Meet people. Learn what tools are available. Many times borrowing a tool comes with an expert kindly willing to teach how to use that tool (riveting tools, tire bead breaker, oil filter cutter, etc).
Buy a cheap, low torque, slow speed electric screwdriver for removing and inserting screws. Put it on charge only when you're at the hangar. If you know you're going to use it put it on charge as soon as you arrive while setting up to work. This will keep the battery happy instead of leaving it plugged in which could also be a fire hazard (it's cheap, after all).
Blue painter's tape for protecting your cowling and spinner when removing/replacing it during oil changes.
The money you saved on buying a cheap electric screwdriver can be spent on a Grypmat for holding those screws and parts, keeping them from getting lost on the hangar floor.
A cheap trash can and some trash bags. I didn't see this on the list anywhere. You could just use that 5-gallon bucket for that trash with a liner in it. Take it out often...pests love to get into trash if there's anything in it resembling food.
My wheel pants are close to the ground, so I made simple hangar chocks from some 1/2" PVC pipe and two elbows each. Measure before deciding what size PVC pipe to use to make yours.
An inexpensive pair of sunglasses for those days when I forget mine at home.
A hat. I usually leave one in the plane so I don't have to remember it. Van's sells a nice hat without the button on top.
Old pair of comfortable shoes. Sometimes when I'm working on my plane or going flying after work I don't have on the best shoes for flying. I usually remember to bring jeans and a t-shirt, but forget to grab shoes.
Cheap used bicycle for those airport errands.
Oil drip pan. I put one under the plane so I can see if there are any drips of oil or fuel. There shouldn't be, but I want to know if something does drip. It doubles as a hangar-floor-protector when I do oil changes.
A five gallon bucket can be used as a trash can with a bag liner and double as a oil pan support for keeping the splashing as I drain my oil during changes.
If your engine doesn't have a quick drain it can be a nice add to make oil changes easier. A tube can be put on your quick drain to put that used oil right into a container for transport to a disposal site.
Request some oil sample containers from Blackstone. I'm sure there's other companies out there, but they've been reliable over the years to help me keep an eye on my engine health.
NEEDS:
Safety glasses. Didn't see these listed yet.
Download and Read Section 5 from the Van's website:
https://www.vansaircraft.com/faq/section-5-general-information/
Manual air pump. A simple bicycle pump is cheap and can easily get the tires on your RV up to the pressure they require without a compressor running for five minutes to build up air pressure.
Bring some things from home only when you need them...then brought home to keep from buying duplicates:
Keep a first aid kit in your car, bring the vacuum when you decide to clean up, bring the leaf blower on a day when the hangar is empty on a not-too-windy day, headphones/earbuds so I can hear my music/podcast while working without blasting it.
I don't leave snacks in my hangar unless they can be kept in the fridge. Pests are attracted to snacks and might break into your hangar just to get to them.
A few traps to catch pesky wire chewing pests can defend your aircraft. Put them near potential entry zones for your hangar.
If you intend to do your own periodic maintenance just order the correct oil filter now and a case of your preferred oil and any additives. An oil change will be upon you before you know it because you'll love flying your new-to-you RV.
Wax lubricant for the cowl pins if you have them. When you get them out you'll want to clean and wax them so they slide in easily without attracting dirt. An old candle from home will work fine. Clean them with any degreaser or 100LL sumped out of one of your tanks onto a rag.
You'll want a sump cup to check your fuel before each flight and to keep in the plane when you're out flying around. Just need one if you can reach it easily inside the plane.
Check with the current owner as you are gathering "things that come with the plane" to retrieve any calibrated dip sticks. Then fly the plane until it has less than five gallons in a tank, fill it in increments on the stick to check that they are accurate.
Need to verify in/on the aircraft:
Checklist. As you prepare to pick up your new airplane be sure it has a current checklist that has relevance to the equipment that is installed in the panel, type of engine (carb/injected), lights, prop (c/s or FP) and canopy latching type. While tempting to fly just using CIGARS and GUMPS for mental checklists, there's some things missing in those memory joggers.
Remember to have a copy of your registration application, ops limits and weight and balance for that specific aircraft in the cockpit. The airworthiness should be displayed so it is visible by a person climbing into the cockpit. You may need a little pouch for that if there's not one already installed. I keep a copy of these in my hangar binder.
Make an equipment list with serial numbers and specific information for your aircraft. Get all this information on one sheet for your records. Engine, mags, prop/hub, radio(s), NAV GPS, instruments, transponder, etc etc. These may be easily verifiable in the logbooks...
Have your prebuy expert make a list of applicable ADs for your engine and prop, verifying they are all complied with then put that in your records or hangar binder too.
Print out a list of Van's Service Bulletins. Have your A&P confirm they are all complied with and then put that sheet in your hangar binder as well.
Note the date and confirm ELT batteries, Transponder check, pitot/static check (if IFR), magneto 500 hour inspections (if not electronic ignitions) with your A&P. Note the dates if they are not the same as your condition inspection date to catch those required maintenance items as they come up instead of being surprised. Record those on the cover page of your hangar binder or white board (DO NOT ERASE!).
Start now preparing for next year's annual condition inspection by making sure you have all your required documentation and information squared away as much as possible. Time will fly by. If you can have the same A&P on the hook to help you through near term maintenance questions/issues and next year's condition inspection, that is ideal as you learn.
Pictures. Take pictures of everything now during your prebuy with all the covers and fairings off so you can refer back to them if something changes or you wonder if you missed something later. Engine, baffling, safety wire on the oil filter, tail attach point, horizontal stab spar, aileron hinge attach points, brake wear indicator notch, safety wire on the brake caliper, brake pads, safety wire on the wheel pant bolts, wing root fuel tank and fuel lines, under the cockpit floor panels, behind the baggage bulkhead and anywhere else you think it you might want to refer to later. If you're new to aircraft maintenance you might want a picture of how your plane's parts should look since your A&P is going over it with you right now verifying it is all correct before you seal the contract to buy your new plane. You'll want to sit and look at it on days where you can't fly because of weather or you're stuck doing something else and have spare time.
Thread creep alert! Oops...