Community Forums

Miller205 · 12-09-2015, 10:01 AM

We are new to RVing (been tent campers long ago), with a new RV and are contemplating our first outings. DW is gathering items to stock the interior (plates, appliances, bedding, towels, etc), and I am collecting accessories for the outside (tow dolly, surge protector, hoses, jack pads, etc.). I have learned a ton by reading thru this forum (thanks to y'all), however, since we're new to all of this, I am certain that on our first few trips we're gonna have moments where we think, "I wish I would have thought of XYZ."

So, care to share what those instances were for you when you were first getting started that made you think, "I wish someone had told me that ...."?

TonyMac · 12-09-2015, 10:20 AM

The most important thing in the rv is a pen and note pad to write down all the things you forgot to bring or need to buy.

Smitty77 · 12-09-2015, 10:25 AM

To not sweat the mistakes that will come along the way. Just figure out what happened, and come up with away to avoid them in the future.

To take your time. Drive for the rig. If you hold someone up, so be it.

To when in doubt. Stop, get out and go walk an area before backing.

To practice hand signals in an open parking lot, before backing.

To look up, as much as down and behind. (Dang tree limbs say Hi!)

To relax, laugh, enjoy the travel as much as the destination, as much as you do each other.

----

Go have some fun, expect the great times, and expect the opportunities to learn from mistakes...

Thank you both for serving!

Travel safe, and congrats on the start of this new adventure!
Smitty

deandec · 12-09-2015, 10:33 AM

You can have fun, but first:

1. Subscribe to an emergency road service (Coach-net or Good Sam) that is geared to towing your size rig. $100 per year is cheap assurance.

2. Leave some room on your credit card for those surprise costs enroute.

3. Do not forget to have the DW and the Dog (if you have one) on board before leaving home.

4. Do not leave your wallet in the clothes hamper when traveling more than 100 miles away from home, like I just did.

jrusselltx · 12-09-2015, 10:44 AM

Hang your keys on the tv antenna knob if you crank it up. Ask me how I know. Pay serious attention when dumping the tanks. Don't be in a hurry for anything. It's supposed to be fun. Keep a log or journal of your trips. It's a great way to remind you of important things, and to relive the great adventures later. I just found one from a trip 35 years ago when both our kids were still kids. Got a kick out of reading their comments.

dix39 · 12-09-2015, 10:59 AM

+1 on the pen and note pad.

On the things that are forgotten, one can often improvise. Some of the times we had to improvise that come to mind are the time we were tent camping with the kids and forgot the pots and pans. We cooked in cans. Recently DW cleaned the camper and brought the stove burner racks in to run through the dishwasher. After driving 4 hours to our spot in the woods we discovered that the racks were still at home. After some discussion, I removed the rack from the oven and used it. Another time we were returning from WV to OR just about dark on an interstate and another motorist pulled up beside us, blew his horn, and motioned for us to pull over. After some thought, I did and he pulled over too and said sparks were coming from the rear wheel of the Samurai toad. It had lost a couple of the nuts that hold the brake drum on and also holds the wheel. If the motorist hadn't made us aware of the situation things would have been much worse. Improvising, I removed a nut from the other wheel to replace one of the missing nuts which got us home. We did stop numerous times to make sure the nuts were still tight. I guess the point of the last example is to always carry a good set of tools. That has been the difference between being stuck and going on after a quick repair many times for us.

Best of luck.

Steve

wa8yxm · 12-09-2015, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TonyMac

The most important thing in the rv is a pen and note pad to write down all the things you forgot to bring or need to buy.

I will second that.. And add a couple of well healed credit or debit cards cause.. Well.. You never know.

oakcreekeric · 12-09-2015, 12:14 PM

Ha... Been camping for 10 years and I still forget things...

That's what makes for great campfire stories !!!

Skip3370 · 12-09-2015, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deandec

You can have fun, but first:

1. Subscribe to an emergency road service (Coach-net or Good Sam) that is geared to towing your size rig. $100 per year is cheap assurance.

2. Leave some room on your credit card for those surprise costs enroute.

3. Do not forget to have the DW and the Dog (if you have one) on board before leaving home.

4. Do not leave your wallet in the clothes hamper when traveling more than 100 miles away from home, like I just did.

Just what does "DW" mean?

brian-nicola · 12-09-2015, 12:25 PM

Darling Wife!

lanerd · 12-09-2015, 12:27 PM

Two very important rules:

1. Never, never leave your black tank drain valve "open"!!!

2. Never, never leave your black tank rinse on while doing something else!!!

Betr2Trvl · 12-09-2015, 12:33 PM

We have been at this for a it a year now, and just a couple of things that kind of caught us by surprise.

Through whatever means, we knew to dump the black tank then gray to clean out the slinky. However, it was not until I learned the hard way that you should do a short test dump on your gray tank first just to make sure your hose connections are tight, since a leak with your gray water that your find is a whole lot better than a leak when you dump your black tank

. YUK........... Since then, but too late of course, I saw something in an FMCA or Escapees magazine noting this best practice.

The next, is to get padding on the corners of your slides, and along the bottom is a good idea too. And, you have to put it on for it to do any good. I use pipe insulation. For the bottom, get the type that does not "tape" together. For corners, they have right angles; the taped slit is on the outside, so you have to bond that and then slit the inside to fit it over the corner. As the slides move out, I am putting on the padding before I do anything else.

And yes, we have learned these lessons the hard way, but can laugh about it now.

JohnBoyToo · 12-09-2015, 12:59 PM

Video your PDI in small bursts by function...
Bring you notepad into the rv and practice camping in the driveway and try not to go into the house

Download all your manuals from the mfg website onto a tablet for reference on the road...even make a list of all your appliances and their model/serial numbers for easy reference, then go to THAT mfg's website to download their manuals ...
I organized them (with my own pictures for a 'before I screw it up' pic) like so:

ga80486 · 12-09-2015, 01:08 PM

To pack a short section of hose (4ft), to hook up to the RV black tank rinse inlet. I didn't have that so I hooked up the rinse hose that was there at the dump station. That hose hangs from 8 ft in the air. As soon as I unscrewed it, 8ft worth of water dumped in my wet bay.

Now with my hose in place, I can unhook their hose from it, and the water drains on the ground.

It wasn't the end of the world, but everything I had in the wet bay got soaked.