How can this happen

[Indy Glenn]

Originally Posted by RobbieH

I live near Fredericksburg, TX so I see TONS of tourists. Got out on the highway the other day and there was someone in a new Newmarr 45' coach with a Jeep behind it... running 75 MPH.

Newbie?

This is what makes me nervous.......

It's one thing not knowing your tire size, or how to dump tanks...

These same people are getting out on public roads in a large, heavy, vehicle. Some of which drive better and smoother than their old Crown Vic....

Dangerous?

g

[EcoRick]

Originally Posted by spdracr39

I'm sorry but everyday I peruse these forums and I am amazed at how anyone can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a piece of equipment and have no idea how to use it. I am so glad this forums is here to help educate people but I still don't get it. Please peeps, If you buy a coach do your homework. There are thousands of videos on You Tube telling you how to use the various systems. DO NOT take delivery without a good understanding of how things work even on a private sale. I love to help people but I can't imagine the wasted money that has been spent just because someone bought a coach with zero insight as to how to use it.

You’re referring to people like me. My wife wanted an RV for 30 years but every year we were too busy with family events and a business to run that I didn’t seriously consider it. Last summer the kids and grandkids got older, had activities of their own and we spent the summer months wondering what to do each weekend. Have traveled to Europe many times and never spent that much time traveling the States. Early this year we did some research and bought an RV. My wife is 72 and I’m 64, so I wanted to explore the RV lifestyle this summer. Made a financial commitment that we were comfortable with and bought a Class A. Due to Covid we had a month between when we closed on the MH and took possession. I used that time to watch countless YouTube videos and did my best to understand what we were getting. I could spend years researching and still not understand every detail of my RV without simply doing it. I do look for help on forums as they provide a wealth of information that I can access quickly. And yes, the Facebook groups we belong to have saved us numerous times within minutes on minor issues that would have wrecked a trip.

We’re thrilled we purchased it and enjoying this hopefully for many years to come. I’ll probably have to deal with every issue on our MH as they come before I totally “understand how things work” but I’m sure we’ll get through it fine. I’m not the most mechanically inclined but I’ve been good enough at what I do to provide a pretty good life for my family. I don’t consider the purchase of my RV “wasted money”.

[Fireairdrop]

I have flown large complex aircraft for years. There are weeks of school and manuals. I can’t comprehend why the manufacturers don’t at least have complex description and operational manuals on their vehicles. Especially when you start talking $250,000 and up. It’s so much fun trying to figure out wiring and plumbing with no schematics. Thank god for all of you who post here and on u tube on how things work.

[gjbales]

Originally Posted by spdracr39

I'm sorry but everyday I peruse these forums and I am amazed at how anyone can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a piece of equipment and have no idea how to use it. I am so glad this forums is here to help educate people but I still don't get it. Please peeps, If you buy a coach do your homework. There are thousands of videos on You Tube telling you how to use the various systems. DO NOT take delivery without a good understanding of how things work even on a private sale. I love to help people but I can't imagine the wasted money that has been spent just because someone bought a coach with zero insight as to how to use it.

I am amazed that some people think that you need to know everything there is to know about an RV before you buy it. I didn't know how to put up a tent 50 years ago, but I learned. I didn't know how to hook up stabilizer bars and pull a bumper trailer when I bought our first one, but I learned. I knew zilch about hooking up a 5th wheel when I purchased my first one, but never, ever had an issue with it, and we owned two of them. I knew it was going to be different when we purchased our first gas motorhome, but no -- I did not know everything there was to know at the time I purchased it. And, never had a serious issue. There is NO WAY POSSIBLE to learn everything about all the ins and outs of an RV prior to taking delivery. You or the dealer are always going to miss something, somewhere. There was no way the dealer was going to show us everything there is to know about our newest purchase less than two years ago (37' DP), and we are still learning. You cannot learn it all on YouTube. The school of hard knocks is still a valid learning institution.

Gene & Nette
2015 Thor Palazzo 36.1 DP
2016 Jeep Wrangler 4 Dr.

[Arizamy60]

So, I am not exactly new to this MH thing, but I will admit that my husband did a lot of it, and now being widowed, I find that I should have paid more attention. My bad.
I also am a hands on person, and can watch all the you tubes out there, but until I actually attempt to try it, I just don't get it. Even then it may not make sense until I can talk it over with someone more knowledgeable.
So, please, please, take it easy on us. Most of us really, really appreciate the time and expertise you share while not making us feel like knuckleheads...

[jeddpearl]

Everybody is a newbie at some point in time but I understand what you're saying.
Before we bought our first simple TT, we hit a lot of YouTube videos on how to use every device on it including leveling, dumping, driving, hooking up, backing in spots, etc... It really helped us once we bought it because the walk through the dealer provided was pathetic, to say the least.
We now enjoy helping others learn and also provide information on where they can find this help online.
We should all offer to pass on what we know to others. We sure do appreciate what others have taught us

[rodekyll]

I'm completely amazed by the number of people who were born knowing everything. I've not been so blessed. I have to make mistakes and ask questions as I go along. Sometimes I have to read a book or bleed. I don't see that as a shameful thing. I see it as education.

[Spdracr39]

Again please don't take this conversation as bashing new folks or complaining about "silly" questions. I am just trying to understand spending tons of money on a tool and having done no research on how it works at all and selling a tool and letting people drive it away without the slightest concern for their safety and ability to use it. As an example, I bought my coach from an older gentleman that his wife had passed away. He owned the coach for 3 years and never used it because he didn't know how. His wife passed away, he had a health issue, and then had to sell it because he couldn't use it. It sat parked in his barn the entire time except for one trip where he let a friend borrow it who then hit a gas pump post. When I bought it he tried so hard to show me everything about it but didn't know what anything in the coach actually did. He did know to start the engine, generator, and Aqua hot every month because the person he bought from told him too. Sadly that same person had really abused the maintenance and there were leaks and issues everywhere. I bought it last year and the rear tires were from 04. I bought it with eyes wide open because I had done my research but it could have been me buying something I would never be able to use because I couldn't afford to pay a shop 50 grand do do all the work I did myself for 20. And yes I have asked many many questions here as part of my research.

[BHyatt]

Originally Posted by Crasher

I've said it before and someone always has a reason not to, however, I feel a person should be required to attend and pass a certified course dealing with all of the complexities of operating a vehicle weighing over 18,000#. I know, I know, I know, you say we don't need another government intervention. We have to pass a test to drive a car. The same is true for a motorcycle. Commercial drivers of a vehicle over 26,000# need a CDL. I had to pass a course to get a pilot's license. Why not a required information/safety course for MH buyers, especially for one equipped with air brakes??? I don't see any downside to this, but a lot of positive results.

OK, shoot me down ,,,,,,,,again.

I've always wondered why people aren't required to learn how to operate a boat according to the rules. In most places, all you need is a boat and a case of beer and you're good to go.

[Xmcdog]

Originally Posted by Arizamy60

So, I am not exactly new to this MH thing, but I will admit that my husband did a lot of it, and now being widowed, I find that I should have paid more attention. My bad.
I also am a hands on person, and can watch all the you tubes out there, but until I actually attempt to try it, I just don't get it. Even then it may not make sense until I can talk it over with someone more knowledgeable.
So, please, please, take it easy on us. Most of us really, really appreciate the time and expertise you share while not making us feel like knuckleheads...

Sorry to hear of your loss.

School is in. We have camped all our married lives and I did my army thing.

Had tents, pop ups, TT's and a fiver. Looking at upgrading to a DP. Now the fun starts. Yes I know a good deal about coaches but the Newer coaches are different and my learning curve will be steep.

It is like anything new, takes a while to learn all the idiosyncrasies of it. So relax and enjoy the ride. You will be fine.

There are lots of great folks here willing to help a beginner. I've asked some dumb questions at times and thought afterwards that I could have figured it out myself. So ask away. Someone has had the same problem before.

Search the threads and you will find most answers.

God Bless

[Tha_Rooster]

Originally Posted by spdracr39

I'm sorry but everyday I peruse these forums and I am amazed at how anyone can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a piece of equipment and have no idea how to use it. I am so glad this forums is here to help educate people but I still don't get it. Please peeps, If you buy a coach do your homework. There are thousands of videos on You Tube telling you how to use the various systems. DO NOT take delivery without a good understanding of how things work even on a private sale. I love to help people but I can't imagine the wasted money that has been spent just because someone bought a coach with zero insight as to how to use it.

LOL there are people that don’t know how their boats,cars far as that goes I’m sure some don’t even know how their houses work.

[Nevermind Me]

You'll like this one: Someone I know bought their first RV at age 58. They had not camped in 35 years or more (and then only in a tent) but had a romantic fantasy about traveling the back roads of the country to see our beautiful land after retirement. They had no big vehicle experience, no boat experience or any other related vehicle experience. Although he was looking for a 40' DP, a 45' DP fell into his lap and he bought it with no idea how to drive it. Now he owned the largest RV available and needed to learn how to drive it. The original owner oriented him and some YouTube learnin has help him put 10,000 miles on in two years without hitting a thing or even coming close. He is handy and has used this forum and YouTube to learn about the systems and how to fix what goes wrong. Some confidence and seeking to learn has helped him do what he hasn't done before.

That guy is me and the forum helps a lot. Thank you if you have helped me.

[GiselleOrchi]

Originally Posted by RandDescape

So everytime I find myself helping some newbie with a new RV I think “what a dumb dealer”.

Our experience was so similar. Our dealer has a campground, so we had one overnight included with the purchase. We were given training on a Blue Ox. We also bought the muddaubber screens and a few other things that weren't included with our "welcome kit" so they made a little more money off us on stuff we probably would have just ordered from Amazon.

We learned how to connect every single thing surround by people who were also learning as well as people we could ask questions of. We both drove the 36.5' "beast" in a little bit of traffic. We took her out for gasoline, so we got in/out of the space a couple of times.

Oh and we measured every single thing (every cabinet, the bed, the closets, the space to each side of the toilet, the distance from the counter to the kitchen cabinet, everything) so that when we did order stuff, we knew the size. This took a while, but we had the time. It's not like the dealer's campground has entertaining amenities.

We made a punch list of all the things wrong (they forgot our Blue Ox and WiFi/booster) and left it with them. We got it back less than a week later.

Now, I get that not every dealership has the space to have their own campground, too, but this was So. Dang. Smart. of them. It was, I have to say, the best way to hand off a rig to a couple new to some of this stuff. It's got to be even more important for someone brand new to all of it.

[mlpeloquin]

Originally Posted by Indy Glenn

This is what makes me nervous.......

It's one thing not knowing your tire size, or how to dump tanks...

These same people are getting out on public roads in a large, heavy, vehicle. Some of which drive better and smoother than their old Crown Vic....

Dangerous?

g

Ok Texas. Pulling my fifth wheel on one of your two lane highways I was going 60. No shoulder just sharp drop off. Semi behind and coming towards us. He was over the center and I was near the center with the right side tires six inches from the road paved edge. The one coming at us moved over just enough not to hit us. The one behind passed us like we were sitting still. I was doing 65 at that point. He left us in his dust. 75 seems to be a standard speed in Texas everywhere we went on the Texas highway system. Not so much the interstate.