New Nash TT and a LONG haul home-any advice?

[Splat32]

In 2 weeks, my DW and I will be traveling from southern NM to Boise to 1) see my son and family, and 2) pick up our Nash 18FM travel trailer. The closet dealer that had this model was 5 and ½ hours away in Pueblo, CO, but they weren’t willing to budge on their price. A dealer in Boise had 3 on his lot and gave us a great price, so we’re off on a 2200+ mile roadtrip in a couple weeks.

Besides doing a thorough pre-delivery inspection, what else should we do to prepare for the 1100 mile trip back to our home? In a perfect world, we would have bought locally, but that didn’t happen. We’ll be sleeping in the camper in my son’s driveway for almost a week, but any warranty issues, unless MAJOR, will need to be dealt with down in NM.

[Alpine36]

Torque the lug nuts, air the tires, check the lights and have fun.
Perhaps invest in a good load distribution hitch and make sure the height is correct before you leave the dealership. And a spare tire never hurt...

[Splat32]

Originally Posted by Alpine36

Torque the lug nuts, air the tires, check the lights and have fun.
Perhaps invest in a good load distribution hitch and make sure the height is correct before you leave the dealership. And a spare tire never hurt...

Thanks, Alpine36. The torque wrench is already in the "to go" pile. I'm having the dealer put on an Andersen WDH and I'll make sure the height is correct. I read through the Andersen fitment guide on the website and provided my truck measurement to the dealer. The TT comes with a spare.

[Toby Dog]

I would tow it about a 100 miles before I left your family's driveway to head home. Check the hub temps with a infrared thermometer looking for a hot one, you should be able to touch the hubs when warm without yanking your hand away.
Check the torque again at that point especially if the unit has aluminum wheels.
Make sure all water is drained especially the water heater. It's liable to still be pretty cold as you head for home. That's after they prove everything works.
Have a great trip and enjoy your new camper.

[creativepart]

Enjoy it. We had a 17’ Nash for our first TT 17 years ago. Great TT.

Here’s what to be careful with... we loved ours so much that within 3-months we traded it for a new 22’ Arctic Fox TT. And then 8 years latter for another new larger AF.

That’s what you have to watch out for. Well, you’ll know soon enough.

That final AF we bought we ordered from Thunder RV. They are the largest Northwood dealer because they are in La Grande, near the factory. I drove from San Antonio to La Grande, OR for pickup - in February 2008 - to pickup the TT we factory ordered. 3,400 miles round trip. But saved thousands in delivery charges.

[artman1913]

Originally Posted by Toby Dog

I would tow it about a 100 miles before I left your family's driveway to head home.

Not a bad idea maybe make it a fun day trip to someplace like

https://www.tfid.org/309/Shoshone-Falls
or
http://www.shoshoneicecaves.com/

I am not sure if either of these are open during the pandemic.

Could at least pull it north to Horseshoe Bend to a free scale that you can use even when closed.
Would be pulling grade as well to get the feel how your TV will handle it.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ho...4d-116.1979025

[Jay D.]

if you have never towed a t/t slow down and pay attention to making sharp turns and other maneuvers. be sure you have adequate mirrors. enjoy your trip
Jay D.

[Splat32]

Originally Posted by Jay D.

if you have never towed a t/t slow down and pay attention to making sharp turns and other maneuvers. be sure you have adequate mirrors. enjoy your trip
Jay D.

Thank you, Jay D. Yes, we towed an ultra-light Coachmen Clipper for 4 years so I'm not completely new to towing. BUT this heavier Nash will have a different feel to it.

[PKI]

Your hitch lashup tune takes some time. Do not assume it's correct until you conservatively test the rig a bit. Think 55mph until 60-65 feels safe. Try a few hard stops. If you have towed before, you know the drill. Note, just because it towed well yesterday does not mean no problem today. Wind velocity and direction can make a lot of difference on how a rig handles.

Check your brake control adjustment, lug nuts, lights, and hitch connections daily.

Need a basic tool kit, a multi-meter, a jack, the correct sockets for changing a tire, some blocks to level, a level, duct tape, bungie cords to hold drawers/doors closed and an extra fire extinguisher to locate in coach for escape. Have an accurate tire pressure gage, a laser temp gun (Harbor Freight) and a jump start battery pack that includes an air compressor. e

A water pressure regulator should be used. An adjustable one solves a lot of minor leak issues until you have time to resolve the leaks. A water filter is a good idea. A premium sewer hose at least 15 ft long is worth the investment. You don't want an inexpensive hose separating in the middle of a dump.

A set of wheel chocks is critical to control stable location of the coach when the Tow Vehicle is disconnected.

For a 1000 mile trip home, a full inventory of gear is not required. Plan your trip and gear up as required.

Good luck with your new coach. Pat

[T4halo1]

I just finished a 4600 miles in 5 days round trip to pick up my new Outdoors RV. Wife had to work so I did it solo. I spent two hours on my walk through and found a couple things that needed attention but all was fine for the drive. Unlike me, take your time and enjoy the scenery.

Never be undertrucked. I passed 5 or 6 guys in the mountains that looked white knuckled in their 1/2 tons pulling way to much camper. While they were sweating the next hairpin turn, I was one fingering the wheel listening to the wonderful sound of a Cummins engine brake.

T4

[Jay D.]

you never said what your tow vehicle is, but that's a relatively light r/v and the overall length is not to much. you'll like it!
Jay D.