Rate the hassle of set up & take down, please.

[fansill]

Hey Print,

Everyone has given great advice, but you have to have your own routine.
Sometimes it takes me 10 minutes...sometimes 30 minutes or more to set up or breakdown. It all depends what I want to do. I will tell you that one of the best advice I was ever given is to take anything you need out of the bays before you stretch out the slides. I hated banging my head to retrieve the chairs, or the grill, ot even to turn on the propane. So that is my new routine.

1. Park RV

2. Set chocks

3. Level RV

4. Remove all neccesary items from bays and set them up or cover them with tarps leaned up against the picnic table or sometimes I lean things up against the front tires...(under slide)

5. Deploy slides

6. Set up interior decor...(this is a woman thing...LOL!!!!)

7. Enjoy your stay!!!!!

Oh by the way...have significant other walk dogs while you are doing all this or you will have one more step to do.....clean up the "accidents"...LOL!!!!

Faith, Bob and the Pups....

[Grimesy]

All of the above plus a little addition. If the spot is a pull through and we leave in the morning the car stays hooked up. If the spot is a back in add the unhooking part into the equation. If the weather is bad will probably only hook up the juice and maybe cable TV, although usually use Sat. and add as time and weather permits. We are not early leavers (Is that a word?) so take our time and store things properly. Again if the weather is bad we go into hurry up mode and staighten things out when we get a chance. Believe me when I say I see more smiles than frowns while doing the chores.

Don G.

[frankdamp]

We've got it down to a fairly quick process. Hook-up takes maybe 20 minutes. breaking camp maybe a few minutes longer if you have to dump or take out the trash. We don't have a toad, but two Labradors can make things take longer! Usually, DW takes them for a walk while I set up and break down.

[mvpmich]

Remember that the OP asked about hassle. For most of us it isn't a hassle it's a way of life. Whether it takes 15 minutes or 45 (some of us putz, especially those of us who are retired and enjoy each minute of each day). Our DP is much easier than our C even with the addition of slides. Four down towing took off 15 minutes from towing with a dolly.

For me any day I can be out with the coach is an A+ day as is a day on the golf course!

[davendeb]

Originally Posted by codgerbill

I do the outside and DW does the inside. First thing is to situate the coach in a spot where everything is reachable (electric, water, sewer, & cable TV). Next leveling and that includes putting jack blocks down when on gravel or dirt. Then the slides go out. If the weather is hot I will usually plug the electric as soon as the Jacks are down. Water and sewer is done after the slides are out. I sometimes wont put the sewer hose out until I need to empty the tanks. DW is unpacking all of her "stuff" that makes it home on the inside. I take out the lawn chairs and a patio mat (when needed). I would rate the setting up somewhere between a 2 and 3. It usually takes up to 30 minutes and that would include getting the satellite TV up and running.

Getting ready to leave is another story. Neatly storing stuff for travel takes a bit more time than taking it all out. I would rate that as maby a 4 or 5. We do start putting stuff away the day before we are to leave as has been mentioned.

Same as wife and I except step 2 is wheel chocks.

[jerichorick]

It depends on the unit. Our '05 Winnebago Vectra 40FD was a bear. We never knew if it would go easy or problems would arise. The storage was very small for fulltimers and that caused extra problems.

With the 40U, new to us in late May, it is definitely a 1 in setup and moving day, except for the towdolly. Avoid using one if at all possible.

For the coach; get it parked, place the 4x4 block pairs under the jacks and push the button. Plug in the shore cord. When leveled push each slide button until deployed, making certain nothing has shifted into harms way. When all 4 slides are deployed DW goes about her fine tuning on the inside. I hook up the hoses and on the way back in the door push the Directv antenna button. All takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Oh, forgot the door and patio awnings. Again, push a couple of buttons.

Pick your floorplan and features, brand, year and price range. Just be aware that a coach over 5 years old need tires unless they have been replaced recently. Some say as long as 7 years but this is pushing it.

Happy trails,
Rick

[nbargolf]

traveling setup 1-2 take down 2-3 but we are full timers and the longer the stay the more stuff comes out so a month stay take down maybe a 6. Happy trails

[palehorse89]

After the Coach is in the position on the site, shut off engine, go out and do a walk around and plug in the A/C power, go back inside and press the auto level button, go to the kitchen and make myself a Jim Beam and coke, 2-1/2 minutes have passed and the surge protector has allowed the electric to come on.(now the wife is in control of the inside comfort levels among other things) Favorite beverage stirred and waiting on counter, go up front and open slide, Grab Jim and we go outside and the rest is nothing but fun and relaxing. Getting ready to leave the site, I do everything by myself, not quite as much fun though, but easy.

[bsinmich]

I use a walker to get around and it takes me a good 15 minutes. Mine is a gasser but that doesn't make a difference. We get a level site, use the levelers to get set, push the slide buttons and then go out and hook up the electric, water, and sewer, if available. Getting underway is about the same. We hook up the toad after getting on the road by the site. Everything goes a lot quicker in rain.

[dezolen]

Having started with pull trailer, then 5th wheel now motorhome I'd say motorhome is the easiest. So much outside storage, easy to setup and level, wife can vacuum while we drive home haha.
Alot depends how much junk one sets up outside. I've seen some people bring the whole house with them and then some.

[Dick1142]

Easy, a "1". Completely set up or on the road in 15-20 minutes.

[bdickson]

We can have our MH set up in 20 minutes. One thing I have noticed is that 5ers and TT's seem to take longer, mostly getting level.

[TeJay]

Here's two things to remember.
1. Don't a allow yourself to get in a hurry. That's when mistakes are made.
2. Don't allow anybody to distract you from your task. I realize the neighbor might be interested in your rig but politely tell him that you'll come over and talk just as soon as you get set up.

There's a very good reason that the aircraft industry employs check lists. No matter how many time you've done something it's always a good idea to check and re-check. The big difference in what we do and what they do it they (pilot and co-pilot are setting in their respective seats during their check list). We on the other hand are usually walking in and out and around about and sometimes when the routine changes you'll forget or skip something.

Here are some things that we have done:
1: Forget to return the captains chairs to the forward position and when the slide moves it hits the back of the chair and tears the upholstery.

2. Just last month on our first trip with a toad I usually set up the toad. As we got more comfortable (4-th set-up and take down) the DW set up the toad. When she got in the Civic and put the key in and the beeper started beeping. It was in neutral. I asked if it was ready and she said yes. We pulled out and the MH pulled hard right. I couldn't stop so we drove about 1/4 mile to a service station. I checked for a low tire but looked at the toad wheels and they were slightly turned. when I tried to center the wheel it wouldn"t move. that's when I realized that while she put the key in she didn't turn it to the ACC position and the steering wheel was locked. Lesson learned.

Perhaps the best approach is to delegate what each must do during set-up and tear-down. Then have fun.

TeJay

[caissiel]

We arrive with our 40ft 5th wheel and I stop ready to back in. Get out and lay my backing guide blocks and get back in the truck. Back the trailer in and DW stops me 18in short. If level I proceed. If not level the wife gets in and I use the 18in to lay blocks and level side to side she backs it in place. I chock the opposite side and drop the landing and raise the front level and she drives away and park the truck while I drop the rear stabilizers.
There we are parked and leveled and unhooked.
The sewer hose is connected and water hose is set and cable if required.
She opens all 4 slides by the time I'm installing the outside stuff while she straight things inside.
It took longer to write it then doing it for sure.
It's team work.
For us it has been a 1 for 20 years with 3 different 5th wheel.

And the sewer part has always been the worst.

I don't get it that its just a one button operation. Soil is sometime soft and extra support is required. My unit surely needs often.