We have camped about 320+ nights in our 05' hybrid. Here is our set-up;
~ We never travel with water, so we will stop at a place to fill the fresh water tank. Most of the state parks in Ohio and PA. have a fresh water fill outlet near the dump station or about every 10 or 15 sites along the campground roads. If you choose to fill along the road, make sure you are not blocking the road... While filling I'll take the anti-sway bar off and place it in it's place
~ Approach site, wife jumps out, I'll scan the site for trees that come into play, I'll also look across ( other side of the street) from the site to see that when I'm backing in that a car or a site post might clip my front tow vehicle corner. I'll back in about half way into the site or until my tow vehicle is off the road. I will then get my bubble level, rest it on the frame to see if I need to get any leveling blocks out. I use Lynx Levelers (10 pack) Those are the orange colored ones that stack like lego's. So if it is low on one side or the other I'll put down a 4-5 down. I'll back up till the wifey yells
STOP....
I'm going to put this warning in here now. The wife will say "Go the that way" If I can't
see ya I don't know what
that other way is. Or "keep it straight" Again if I don't have a sightline down the side of the trailer, I can't tell if I'm backing it up straight. After 12 years...I still get
yelled at. And you wonder why we ignore ya after awhile....For once I what to see her back it up. I will film it and post it on Youtube.
~ Make sure where you finally park the trailer, that when you put down the 4 trailer stablizers, that the back two don't come to rest on the curb stop found at many state parks. Some sites might have a big drop off behind the curb stop. In those sites I might park the trailer a little further up in the site, so the two rear stabilizers are not over-extended. Also while backing up, your wife watches that the curb stop clears your sewer outlets from your trailer. There are some trailers where they hang low to the ground behind the trailer wheels.
~ Once parked, and level, I will get out and get two wheel chokes, I'll hand my wife one for her side and I'll take care of my side. Next I use one of
these between (locking choke) trailer wheels.
~ Next, my wife will do the cranking, I'll place a little block of wood down where it will touch the ground. While she is cranking, I unhook the power cord (tow - trailer) unhook the break-a-way cable and safely chains. She will pull the pin...Once high enough, I'll pull the Vehicle up about 5 - 10 feet.
~ I will then get my
surge protector out and plug in to the power cord. In the mean time my wife will give me the thumbs up that we have good power. There have been a few times where there has been no power at the box. At many state parks, camp hosts will trip the breaker off after people leave. So double check that you have power at the box. As she is giving me the thumbs up on the power, I'll also tell her it is OK to move the slide out.
~ I will then unlock the bunk ends, I will lower the bunks as she will do the shepherd pole thing inside. Then she will start her inside stuff, put the antenna up, connect the TV, make the beds and hand out the lawn chairs, patio mat, and any boxes of firewood and so on. While she is preping the inside, I'll have my son crank down the stabilizers. I will go to the one outside storage door and bring out the small table, small grill, patio lights, water nose for the outside shower. By then my son is done with his job, next we will do the awning together. From backing in the site, it's about 20 minutes to set up.
First Time Travel Trailer Owners
Jim Kathy & Robert ~ NE. OH.
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